Moving from Morepork/ADT Smart alarm to something else

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Moving from Morepork/ADT Smart alarm to something else - ideally with z-wave support

Benoire

2798 posts

Uber Geek

#295805 24-Apr-2022 15:55

I've got the basic Morepork setup. With ADT having discontinued the morepork line, I want to move away to an extensible system. At this stage I'm not looking at home automation as the house is old/small and we'll be moving in within the next 3 years or so. Ideally, like the current morepork alarm, it would support NZ Z-Wave as that offers a greater range of products, especially hidden door sensors etc. I've looked at Eufy and Arlo but it appears that neither of them support z-wave.

Requirements are:

base unit with local recording (ideally) and cloud upload.
good quality cameras for internal / external
keypad to arm/disarm the system
various motion sensors etc.
NZ compatible frequencies

Anyone got any suggestions? If I had to go with one of the two I mentioned, then I think Eufy fits the bill but wanted to check here!

Cheers

Chris

davidcole

6034 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2906173 24-Apr-2022 18:20

Just get a real alarm. I assume your morepork had physical PIR devices etc?

For home automation, get access to it afterward. Or buy based on being compatible.

Do you really want your house security to be dependant on any home automation software you run?

I’m of the opinion, mission critical should be self sufficient, and you get access to it for supplementing that.

I have a paradox alarm. My only requirement was ip module. Then when I started on home automation I found a python service that would talk to it. And I use that to feed into home assistant (it was openHAB) via mqtt.

A bit more home automation based is Konnected. Still independent but talks mqtt natively

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Benoire

2798 posts

Uber Geek

#2906185 24-Apr-2022 19:33

No, morepork used proprietry stuff that can only work with the main console I'm also curious to understand what you mean by a 'proper alarm'. I'm not looking at a wired system as I want to take it with me when we move and needs to operate even without power to the house (amongst the other bullets above). I'm not looking at home automation, I just want to use some z-wave door sensors that can be drilled in to the door itself so you can't see them, rather than the little modules that stick on the surface, I'm not looking at anything more fancy than that.

davidcole

6034 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2906215 24-Apr-2022 20:16

Yeah but zwave needs something to read it (a zwave stick or zoowave device). And then needs software to run it. So unless you already have those, you’re fairly far down the home automation path.

ok yes proper alarm I was thinking wired. But I guess you can get wireless ones. And a reed switch can be put into the doors. I have magnets inside some of my doors, and the other half must be in the walls for talking to my alarm. Unlikely to be a wireless version though…and I’d have though your zwave things would be battery as well?

Benoire

2798 posts

Uber Geek

#2906216 24-Apr-2022 20:20

Some controllers, such as the morepork console, has built in z-wave - just need to pair the devices. I don't actually have any as I've never expanded it but would like to if I can get an off the shelf product that supports it. The morepork unit is completely wireless and has never failed to work or identify when someone has got in without disarming... its just not supported any more and I'd like to move to a system that has longer term support.

technician14

122 posts

Master Geek

#2906483 25-Apr-2022 14:13

Paradox, arrowhead or dsc are 3 off the main alarm systems, also the more hidden door reeds mostly hard wired, the wireless ones are like the morepork type, also depends on the type of alarm and camera system you are after and what your trying to do etc