Recommended Self monitored Alarm and Installer

peustace

Hi

I'd like to install an alarm in my home that is not monitored. I'd ideally like to self monitor this alarm, so this would perhaps involve a notification or call to my mobile or nominated numbers.

Can anyone recommend such a system and an installer in the Galway region? (Mods - are we allowed to recommend on this forum... if not perhaps PM me a name). I'd like this to be as painless as possible and my home is already wired for a home security system.

This is a long shot but are they are available systems that are future proofed and have some tie ins with something like IFTTT or Smart Home tech?

Thanks

KoolKid

Not sure of installers out your way but for home automation and cause and effect like you are looking for Siemens /Vanderbilt SPC 4320 would be the best fit.

peustace

Thanks KoolKid... what exactly do you mean by cause and effect programming?

emo72

Also interested in the same setup but I'm in Dublin.

KoolKid

peustace wrote: »

Thanks KoolKid... what exactly do you mean by cause and effect programming?

Where you can have outputs etc switched by actions of zones/codes entered/outputs switched or calendars etc.
Eg,: If I open the back doom door after 6pm in october or after 9 PM in August switch light on .
If I fulll set the alarm switch off my heating.
If I part set the alarm switch off heating after 20 minutes.

emo72 wrote: »

Also interested in the same setup but I'm in Dublin.

Plenty of good installers in Dublin installing Siemens/Vanderbilt. Where are you located?

peustace

Nice one, thanks KoolKid, any recommendations for the Galway region for installers?

KoolKid

I dont off hand
Try the PSA register of licenced installers
http://www.psa.gov.ie/en/PSA/Pages/Home

Stoner

Lads there is a home automation forum
There are superior products to Siemens for home automation, never mind new stuff coming on line.

The Siemens panel is often put forward as the beat iot panel, but check out Wexfordman2s set up.

There are panels with zigbee and Zwave interfaces, and other iot offerings .

Lads again we are aware of the issues around commercial alignment, it has to stop when it crosses the line from an informed option to a statement of fact.

Mr. G

peustace wrote: »

Nice one, thanks KoolKid, any recommendations for the Galway region for installers?

FBI and Securecom are meant be be good. FBI definitely does Siemens and he knows what he's at.

kub

Stoner wrote: »

Lads there is a home automation forum
There are superior products to Siemens for home automation, never mind new stuff coming on line.

The Siemens panel is often put forward as the beat iot panel, but check out Wexfordman2s set up.

There are panels with zigbee and Zwave interfaces, and other iot offerings .

Lads again we are aware of the issues around commercial alignment, it has to stop when it crosses the line from an informed option to a statement of fact.

What panels have Zigbee and Zwave? Are these compliant with EN 50131 ?

Stoner

kub wrote:

What panels have Zigbee and Zwave? Are these compliant with EN 50131 ?

Kub, I didn't check compliance with EN50131.

My post related more to the fact that there is an Home AV forum, but more importantly it relates to the charter and where we added text to ensure that we don't push items supplied from users that have potential commercial arrangements with certain manufacturers.

In this forum many of the answers and decent ones at that come from users that have such arrangements.

Intentially or not this can lead to bias posting.

So saying that a certain panel it the best you've used, or the best you've seen at a task is a reasonable response.

Saying a product is the best at something is a different approach IMO.

I'm aware of other options. EN50131 is important. More important to some, but again EN50131 does not encapsulate all security alarm products.

For example Google launched Nest Secure inturder alarm system last month

How good is it ? I don't know yet. Will it meet EN50131 standards, possibly not. However it will most likely offer far better Home AV integration than the Siemens panel.

It's up to the users to decide whether they want, all we can do is advise them of the importance of these standards.

However in most cases users don't ask us for EN50131 security panels that are IFTTT approved. They leave out the EN50131 bit. Some will run with the standard, some will sacrifice security for AV integration features.

I've tried to answer the question, I commented on this post as a Mod, to highlight other options and to refocus us on the charter.
IMO we were close to crossing the line from an advertorial point of view as addressed in the charter.

kub

No issues with any of that Stoner, but all insurers gave a care about and us installers care about ( due to system certification ) is EN50131.

Stoner

kub wrote:

No issues with any of that Stoner, but all insurers gave a care about and us installers care about ( due to system certification ) is EN50131.

That's fine, again this is not an installers or an insurers forum.
Ultimately what the installers and insurance companies care about does not shape what can be discussed or dismissed.

We can't have installers telling users that a system they have commercial arrangements with is the best at something, that's promoting that product.

We can't revisit posters questions and assume or add prerequisites about meeting a certain standard or qualifying for insurance discounts.

These factors can be added to an answer, but can't be used to filter options for users.


So to close this out. This is not the first time I've asked for users not to state that certain panels/manufacturers (that they are aligned too) are the best for home automation. New products are popping up all the time,

The installers have to keep up with threats and opportunities offered by new technology.

KoolKid

We are always being urged to mention the negatives as well as the positives when recommending something. Not conforming to En50131 is a big negative in my professional opinion.
I think it is important to mention in posts about a systems conformance or non conformance to a standard.
I have seen over the years many people just checking the box's on their home insurance. They won't be asked for proof of anything untill they go making a claim by which time it's too late.
A lot of people will just presume because of brand something must be OK.

Stoner

KoolKid wrote:

We are always being urged to mention the negatives as well as the positives when recommending something. Not conforming to En50131 is a big negative in my professional opinion.

The advertorial peice was added to the charter to curb such posts and help users

There are other options for users. There's is a whole forum about home automation now. I've explained the difference between a reasonable answer and a statement of fact already, I gave an example.

Let's not turn this into a standards issue. Every opinion an installer of alarms has on the subject of alarms is a professional one.

That's part of the concern, that's what we have to watch and moderate and try to remind users that this forum can be a "showroom" some users want that and some don't, some won't know.

So hence the addition to the charter about advertorial style posts and my input to this thread.

If anyone wants to open a thread about the importance of standards within the industry and the concerns for users selecting products like Canary, Google secure, Xaoimi, Samsung Smartthings with security components then please go ahead.

These devices are expensive, they require a tech mind to set up, they need maintenance.

But we need to avoid just suggesting panels we install every day are "the best" clearly from an IFTTT and integration perspective they are not.

I've agreed that the Siemens panel is better than most, the very popular HKC panel has very few options at all.

There's a way to approach this issue, and a way to post here.

But installers, professionals, manufacturers etc don't run this forum.

Professionals disagreements dominant the issues associated with this forum.

We have to be fair, when we suggest products we use everyday from manufacturers we have commercial arrangements with.

Again this is what many of you asked for, a level playing field. However that comes at a cost. It's not just about Siemens and HKC now or yale DIY kits, or phonewatch having no external bell.

There are other IOT capable options out there, regularly new products hit the online shelves.
Users need this advice. You can address your concerns, but don't assume or disregard the advances in technology by suggesting that we think all questions about alarms should be filtered by what conforms with a standard, or what an insurance company agrees on or what you install.

I'd like that to be it on this issue. This is not one for an ongoing endless debate.

Read the charter for further guidelines if required.

peustace

Thanks for all the feedback here folks, there is so much detail once you go looking.

Some installers have been showing me docs for the Risco LightSys2 system along with the Risco Smart Home Automation which claims support for Z Wave devices. This would appear to do what I want... integration with IOT devices (which are currently connected to my SmartThings)

Does anyone have experience with the LightSys2 system?

Mad Benny

Roughly how much are you being quoted? I'm interested in this too.

2011

peustace wrote: »

integration with IOT devices (which are currently connected to my SmartThings)

I suggest that you try asking here for integration for Home Automation & Internet of Things.

2011

kub wrote: »

What panels have Zigbee and Zwave? Are these compliant with EN 50131 ?

Cytech intruder alarm systems can use Z-Wave, C-Bus, KNX, Dynalite, Velbus, Lutron and Rako. I think that alarms such as this are going to be a game changer. These systems provide more than just a nod to home automation like we see with many other systems.

.....and yes it is EN50131 compliant

kub

2011 wrote: »

Cytech intruder alarm systems can use Z-Wave, C-Bus, KNX, Dynalite, Velbus, Lutron and Rako. I think that alarms such as this are going to be a game changer. These systems provide more than just a nod to home automation like we see with many other systems.

.....and yes it is EN50131 compliant

Have they analised zones though?

2011

kub wrote: »

Have they analised zones though?

Yes and I was told of someone that has it working with Google home.

KoolKid

To keep EN Compliant it will need to be installed & regularly serviced by a PSA licence company/installer. This might not suit guys who want to play around with this kind of stuff.

2011

KoolKid wrote: »

To keep EN Compliant it will need to be installed & regularly serviced by a PSA licence company/installer. This might not suit guys who want to play around with this kind of stuff.

Correct, but the OP never asked for EN compliance.

What was asked for by the OP was "available systems that are future proofed and have some tie ins with something like IFTTT or Smart Home tech" and the Cytech intruder alarm systems is a better fit than anything else suggested in my opinion.

KoolKid

I agree. But just making the distinction that while the equipment might conform to the standard the alarm installation will not.

2011

KoolKid wrote: »

I agree. But just making the distinction that while the equipment might conform to the standard the alarm installation will not.

We should not derail this thread by engaging in a discussion about EN50131. Both alarms mentioned in this thread can be installed to this standard, so no point in off topic discussion about it.
A good discussion can be had about this lacking (in my opinion) standard in another thread.

Back to the OP’s original query: The Cytech intruder alarm systems align with the requirements you outlined more than any other offerings in this thread for the reasons provided above.

KoolKid

Apologies. Not trying to derail at all. Just clarifying as it's very easy for some poor soul to be told that a panel conforms to En50131 and check the box on their home insurance form only to find its null and void in the event of a claim.

altor

2011 wrote: »

Cytech intruder alarm systems can use Z-Wave, C-Bus, KNX, Dynalite, Velbus, Lutron and Rako. I think that alarms such as this are going to be a game changer. These systems provide more than just a nod to home automation like we see with many other systems.

.....and yes it is EN50131 compliant

Looks like a good system too, En is grand for a year in most cases but without a service on your alarm it means nothing anyway .

Stoner

KoolKid wrote:

Apologies. Not trying to derail at all. Just clarifying as it's very easy for some poor soul to be told that a panel conforms to En50131 and check the box on their home insurance form only to find its null and void in the event of a claim.

Mod.
Kub asked if the panels were EN50131 compliant. That was answered.

Once one question is answered another one will appear or as above a concern about a panel, once answered is expanded to be about the entire installation.

The OPs question will be burried and the thread will become another "who installs the best system thread"

This has not become about championing the cause of a "poor soul"
This is about showing preference towards a particular manufacturer. That's what the charter addresses.

The users don't need to hear that a panel from a supplier (sales person) favorite manufacturer is the best at something with no consideration to potentially better options for that particular feature.

So again keep it on track please. It's not that big of a deal but let the minor correction stand for what it is and move on.

BTW I correct and warn posters in the home automation forum about the dangers of considering some of these options to be credible alarm systems.

With the right information people will make their own mind up.