Alarm system

[Russell griffiths]

Can anybody recommend an alarm system. 

Looking for something that will ring a mobile number as well as make a load of noise, I have very good neighbours that would come over to have a look. Hopefully with a gun over his shoulder. 

[TonyT]

Wired or wireless?

 

[nod]

  On 15/03/2021 at 19:10, Russell griffiths said:

Can anybody recommend an alarm system. 

Looking for something that will ring a mobile number as well as make a load of noise, I have very good neighbours that would come over to have a look. Hopefully with a gun over his shoulder. 

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We used Texecom 

Set and unset with my mobile 

Let’s me no if my alarm has been set or unset 

Can be linked to ADT monitored 

[PeterW]

+1 to Texecom Ricochet. Easy to install (watch the YouTube videos..!) and really neat. 

[Vijay]

I have no experience of them but a friend installs alarms for a living, only fits Texecom as he reckons they are the best trouble free alarms

[Nickfromwales]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:27, PeterW said:

+1 to Texecom Ricochet. Easy to install (watch the YouTube videos..!) and really neat. 

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Hard wired only? Got 2 or 3 that need alarms installing, so I’ve been researching like crazy. Texecom didn’t exactly jump off the PC screen at any time during ‘best 5’ or ‘top ten’ reviews etc. 
I quite like the Ring family of products including the alarm. 

[Bozza]

Self monitoring alarms offer best value, I have heard good things about Ring, but cannot comment personally.  If anyone reading this is considering an alarm system from a company that “connects to the police” that’s untrue.  Only the PM & Queen, etc have such alarms.  The monitored alarms go to an alarm company, who then might call the police.  You can do that yourself with one that rings your own mobile. And save yourself £stacks.  
 

Some of the self monitored systems can work off 4g.  Bear in mind if system communicates only via landline, phone lines can be cut especially if it’s a professional job.  
 

Don’t rely just on an alarm for security.  Good lighting, locks, gravel under windows, good neighbours, aggressive shrubbery all play their part.  Try not to shoot burglars though, unfortunately that’s not allowed.

 

 

[nod]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:29, Vijay said:

I have no experience of them but a friend installs alarms for a living, only fits Texecom as he reckons they are the best trouble free alarms

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Great minds 

I’ve also friend who installs alarms 

Yours was exactly the point he made 

[PeterW]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:45, Nickfromwales said:

Hard wired only? Got 2 or 3 that need alarms installing, so I’ve been researching like crazy. Texecom didn’t exactly jump off the PC screen at any time during ‘best 5’ or ‘top ten’ reviews etc. 
I quite like the Ring family of products including the alarm. 

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Ricochet is wireless. And it’s the unit of choice for a lot of installers. They can be installed as full class installs with screws in the correct places on the sensors. 

[SuperJohnG]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:45, Nickfromwales said:

Ring family of products including the alarm

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It's been a while. But I installed the ring family of products in my dad's house some 10-12 years ago. 

 

Mainly because he had dementia and I wanted to know if he left the house, it also linked to the smoke and fire alarms and I could dial into the house and listen in.  

 

It worked well back then so can only assume I has advanced well. 

[Russell griffiths]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:46, Bozza said:

Self monitoring alarms offer best value, I have heard good things about Ring, but cannot comment personally.  If anyone reading this is considering an alarm system from a company that “connects to the police” that’s untrue.  Only the PM & Queen, etc have such alarms.  The monitored alarms go to an alarm company, who then might call the police.  You can do that yourself with one that rings your own mobile. And save yourself £stacks.  
 

Some of the self monitored systems can work off 4g.  Bear in mind if system communicates only via landline, phone lines can be cut especially if it’s a professional job.  
 

Don’t rely just on an alarm for security.  Good lighting, locks, gravel under windows, good neighbours, aggressive shrubbery all play their part.  Try not to shoot burglars though, unfortunately that’s not allowed.

 

 

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It depends if they find the body. 

[TonyT]

I have a few monitored systems at work,

the older ones use redcare and the associated silly cost of such a line, currently phasing them out.

 

the more modern alarms use a data connection/broadband connection as the means of signalling and a GSM as a back up.- dualcom being the one we use.

[SoldierDog]

The Boundary Alarm started as a kickstart project and has just been released, had some good initial reviews. https://boundary.co.uk/

[TonyT]

Pyronix or Texecom would be my choice for a home system

[jack]

  On 15/03/2021 at 21:45, Nickfromwales said:

Texecom didn’t exactly jump off the PC screen at any time during ‘best 5’ or ‘top ten’ reviews etc.  

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That surprises me. I'm a member of a home automation forum, and Texecom is widely and repeatedly recommended as the best brand to install.

[Nickfromwales]

  On 16/03/2021 at 10:51, jack said:

 

That surprises me. I'm a member of a home automation forum, and Texecom is widely and repeatedly recommended as the best brand to install.

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Genuinely, I spent most of a day looking at reviews. Didn’t appear once. ADT stuff primarily, and then the ‘smart home’ stuff followed close by. 
I’m ( clients are ) looking for remote access ( not really interested in monitoring or response ) and the ability to switch on devices when not at home. Eg toggle floodlights on/off to compliment the CCTV ( which would typically reside on another platform ) and so on. 
I’m all up for a hard wired install, done numerous, but if there is a wireless solution which can be bleached from the dwelling in say 10-15 years time, and replaced without interruption to the dwelling, then that would make sense for something I want to ‘sell’ 

Question is, is there a reason NOT to use Ring, and the products marry up well with at least one requisite. 
Also can you post or PM re the other forum? 

[PeterW]

Ring is...... OK

 

But it can't be installed to meet the Class 2 requirement and its more expensive than Texecom

 

Lights..? Use Shelly - £12 and fire / forget and can do dusk / dawn etc and fit in the back of a switch box

 

Ricochet is very clever as it creates a mesh, and you can see the mesh on the laptop and how it covers the property. Also do a very wide range of products including sensors/PIR/Fire etc

[TonyT]

  On 16/03/2021 at 12:33, Nickfromwales said:

Genuinely, I spent most of a day looking at reviews. Didn’t appear once. ADT stuff primarily, and then the ‘smart home’ stuff followed close by. 
I’m ( clients are ) looking for remote access ( not really interested in monitoring or response ) and the ability to switch on devices when not at home. Eg toggle floodlights on/off to compliment the CCTV ( which would typically reside on another platform ) and so on. 
I’m all up for a hard wired install, done numerous, but if there is a wireless solution which can be bleached from the dwelling in say 10-15 years time, and replaced without interruption to the dwelling, then that would make sense for something I want to ‘sell’ 

Question is, is there a reason NOT to use Ring, and the products marry up well with at least one requisite. 
Also can you post or PM re the other forum? 

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Pyronix enforcer. Wireless with app for setting /unsetting, monitor movement in the house while inset  with 2 programmable outputs to switch external loads

[jack]

  On 16/03/2021 at 12:33, Nickfromwales said:

Also can you post or PM re the other forum? 

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It was a Loxone forum, so more concerned with home automation. It might be that this is an unusual subset of users and is therefore skewing things.

[Nickfromwales]

Off to research Texecom.

 

 

  On 16/03/2021 at 12:37, PeterW said:

Ring is...... OK

 

But it can't be installed to meet the Class 2 requirement and its more expensive than Texecom

 

Lights..? Use Shelly - £12 and fire / forget and can do dusk / dawn etc and fit in the back of a switch box

 

Ricochet is very clever as it creates a mesh, and you can see the mesh on the laptop and how it covers the property. Also do a very wide range of products including sensors/PIR/Fire etc

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Relays for switched output? 
 

Need something generic. Nothing bespoke if possible. Shelley is ok if they ‘want’ to understand and get involved, but it’s another App to go into. 
Ring have the external floodlight CCTV cameras ( external, as I wouldn’t ever fit smart internal cameras for obvious reasons ) so that’s one detail absorbed in a single supplier solution, and the lights can be manipulated or automated by PIR ) and then the alarm system is plug n play out of the box so I’m quite happy to continue on that path unless someone offers a very good reason to jump to a generic hard wired system? 
 

[joth]

have Texecom and it works, but (and this maybe a generational thing) I find it very old school and antiquated. Both to setup and use. It's all feels like texting in the 90s when I want my house to be lickably slick like a 2010's smartphone.

 

I've seen some praise of http://ajax.systems/ being a much more modern, future looking, EN50131 Grade 2 compliant.

It's wireless first, but supports legacy wired sensors if you have them too.

I have no first hand experience of it so take with a grain of salt, but if you're looking for a DIY install / self monitored system that can also expand to support remote monitoring / police call out if needed in future, and designed for the "mobile internet" generation, it's the best contender I've seen,

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by joth

[Nickfromwales]

  On 16/03/2021 at 14:00, joth said:

I've seen some praise of http://ajax.systems/ being a much more modern, future looking, EN50131 Grade 2 compliant.

It's wireless first, but supports legacy wired sensors if you have them too.

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“The most award-winning wireless security system in Europe”. 
 

Still cloud based / WiFi dependent I assume. Seems so be a recurring Achilles heel of modern ‘smart’ stuff....

 

I think what is becoming apparent, upon reflection, is to separate a security system from the cameras and other smart ‘non essential’ security / communications devices and get a balance through strategically employing the two differing disciplines to suit each instance.  
 

I think I’m now sold on the Texecom and even if it isn’t ‘cutting edge’ I honestly don’t need it to be. What it does look like, is , that it’s robust and user friendly which I do need. Wireless micro door / window sensors are a bog bonus, plus the mesh is an inarguably robust means of checking and maintaining comms between devices.

 

Think I’m now of an opinion that the cloud and WiFi isn’t something I want for an alarm other than for sporadic connectivity for downloads / updates / remote diagnosis. 

[joth]

Remote access & alerts via their app is (almost certainly) cloud dependent, but so is Texecom. (unless you really want to be setting up dynamic DNS and port forwarding and dealing with possible security vulnerabilities this adds). It's pretty impossible for anything to have remote access without some amount of remote network dependency

At a cursory look, I'd say the difference is Ajax appear to care about and take pride in the mobile app experience (even, use it as a leading sales feature), whereas Texecom it was a miserable retrofit job that reeks of frustration and disappointment every time I open it. It's a "Lipstick on a pig" job.

The Ajax local sensors and bells are all strictly local, like Texecom using a proprietary wireless mesh. I don't think anyone could use Wifi or remote cloud dependency for the core alarm and achieve  EN50131 Grade 2

 

If Texecom meets your needs and user expectations, I'd definitely stick with that. Much more mature and supported product. I'm just personally a bit underwhelmed by it (Then again, I'm "underwhelmed" by my smoke alarms too. Guess I just have lower expectation of them as i don't interact with them multiple times a day. Nor were they sold as being much more than they really are. )

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by joth

[TonyT]

Personally if I could run an 8 core cable to each location I would!

cable is cheap as chips

[PeterW]

Texecom can run GPRS via an addon, and also has voice dialler ability.  Most alarms these days are deterrent rather than active security feature so its how much you're prepared to spend in the end.