Anyone got experience of Bosch alarm systems?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Anyone got experience of Bosch alarm systems?

Geektastic

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#256000 10-Sep-2019 10:33

We need to replace our security system.

The local installers recommend Bosch and my experience of them in relation to other things - washing machines, power tools and so on - is that they are typically excellent German engineers.

I do not have experience of them as a security system manufacturer. I am presuming that their systems are as reliable as everything else they make but just thought I would ask here in case anyone had first hand experience.

gcorgnet

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#2314083 10-Sep-2019 10:39

My house as one. I didn't choose it as it was installed when the house was built, circa 2012.

The system seems to be an icp-cc404 panel with 2x PIR sensor and a couple of sirens.

No issues with it, can't complain. Had to replace the backup battery once and was notified of that by an (annoyingly) recurring beep.

More recently, I got hold of the installer's code and messed around with it so I could automate this alarm using a Konnected Interface.
(You can read all my adventures here. *spoiler*: it ends well!)
Whilst doing that, it seemed to me that Bosch alarmed panels compared very well to other brands when it came to the simplicity (and clarity) of programming. The documentation was pretty solid and things "made sense". Not a huge benefit but if anything it shows their systems are well designed.

Hope that help.

Cheers

Geektastic

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#2314091 10-Sep-2019 10:46

Thanks. As I imagined, really.

They have an app and the whole system can be armed/disarmed from the phone and all that sort of jazz so all good there.

We have to go wireless due to the concrete house. Wiring is too messy and hard = expensive!

I do not know how sophisticated they are - my background automatically makes me want to ensure that they have things like duress codes and panic buttons!

petercad

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#2314332 10-Sep-2019 15:02

Also consider the Arrowhead stuff as well

www.aap.co.nz

Their wireless PIR's and accessories just work, and work well, also made in Auckland, and the support via phone is second-to-none as well

Speaking from 10+ years installing, and I have one myself

timmmay

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#2314340 10-Sep-2019 15:29

I put one in 5-7 years ago. They're solid and reliable, but the one we have has no smart features at all. It's very difficult to have it notify you if it goes off - the module the alarm company put in can do it, but the instructions they sent me are ridiculous.

If I was putting one in now and wanted it monitored, sure, but if I was wanting an alarm that made a loud noise and was monitoring it myself I'd look for something more modern.

Geektastic

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#2314528 10-Sep-2019 21:05

timmmay:

I put one in 5-7 years ago. They're solid and reliable, but the one we have has no smart features at all. It's very difficult to have it notify you if it goes off - the module the alarm company put in can do it, but the instructions they sent me are ridiculous.

If I was putting one in now and wanted it monitored, sure, but if I was wanting an alarm that made a loud noise and was monitoring it myself I'd look for something more modern.

Yes things jump forward a lot in a short space of time.

Our existing system is now 12 years old and this all came up because several of the components need replacing and the replacements are no longer available.

The proposed system (based on the Solution 3000 panel) has LCD colour screens for accessing various functions, IP camera ability, app control and all sorts of things. Our current one is like a Model T in comparison.

Tinkerisk

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#2314648 11-Sep-2019 06:55

Geektastic:

... is that they are typically excellent German engineers.

Naaaah, that must be a myth! Trust me, I know some of them. ;-)

- NET: FTTH & VDSL, OPNsense, 10G backbone, GWN APs
- SRV: 12 RU HA server cluster, 0.1 PB storage on premise
- IoT: thread, zigbee, tasmota, BidCoS, LoRa, WX suite, IR
- 3D: two 3D printers, 3D scanner, CNC router, laser cutter

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technician14

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#2315370 12-Sep-2019 07:48

Other good systems are dsc and paradox, Bosch is ok, depends what you want to do in the system too

Mahon

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#2315451 12-Sep-2019 09:44

Had a new basic Bosch in my last house. Worked well, but still prefer the Paradox as it seems better designed.