The goal of this thread is to hopefully engage those on the forum who are intimately familiar (current/former profession) with security/alarm systems.

I find myself needing a system for a business and desiring one for my home. That said, I have some questions:

• What are the benefits of a professional install vs. a DIY install?
  
• What is the normal profit margin on this type of equipment? I am seeking answers like slim margin, money made on installation fees or huge margin the equipment can be had for next to nothing.
  
• Are all systems created equally? Is there a "Yugo" to "Bentley" scale?
  
• Compare wired vs. wireless systems, any reason(s) to choose one or the other?
  
• Systems like Simpli Safe vs. Honeywell?
  
• Is there a difference between home and business systems?
  
• Cameras/video/CCTV, not even sure where to start.
  

I am trying to peel the onion back and get a better understanding from the end user's perspective.

I prefer wired sensors as opposed to battery operated wireless senors.

I have no interest in changing batteries or having batteries fail when I'm on vacation etc. Plus the wired ones installed properly look better

If one chooses wired sensors, is there a limit to the number of sensors before the transformer needs upsized?

Here's the panel for the one I installed about 1-1/2 years ago. It's a Honeywell Vista 20P with an eight zone expander and EyezOn EnvisaLink-4 IP module.



(Yeah, I like BIG service loops.)

To answer your questions, in order:

• The advantage to a professional install is saving yourself the headache of figuring it out. The advantage of DIY is you'll really know your system and you'll probably do a better job. (If you're half-way intelligent.)
  
• The profit margin is tremendous. In the photo above you're looking at a few hundred bucks worth of stuff, incl. the stuff you can't see (sensors, keypad) for which I'd have been charged thousands to have professionally installed. (N.B.: The markup on monitoring is gigantic, too. About 300%.)
  
• The top three "pro" systems makers are Honeywell, GE and DSC
  
• Wired systems cannot be messed-with and have no batteries to be maintained. (That being said: I do have two wireless zones on my system.)
  
• I cannot speak as to SimpliSafe or the like
  
• Business vs. home systems: Not if you're talking apples:apples (e.g.: That 20P system I installed would be right at home in a business installation)
  
• Can't help you with video surveillance. I've cheaped-out with a couple of inexpensive wireless cameras for the moment.
  

^^^^^^^^

what is your interface to the central office monitoring service? (Phone line, cell, FIOS, other) ?

What do your keypads look like and how many do you have? What type of wiring goes to the keypads?

Can just about any hardware be used with just about any of the monitoring services, and how do you "program" it to call the monitoring service that you've subscribed to?

What is reasonable to pay for a residential monitoring contract? I'm paying $35 per month, and I think I'm getting severely ripped off.

33 years in the bidness.

Interestingly, I have the same Vista 20P and an Envisalink4.

I’ll probably be switching to AlarmNet instead, since I can get monitoring at a company rate.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
^^^^^^^^

what is your interface to the central office monitoring service? (Phone line, cell, FIOS, other) ?

Interface to central monitoring is via EnvisAlarm, a service available as an add-on from Eyez-On.

Interface to Eyez-On is of course over an Internet connection. I have an LTE Internet fail-over connection that automatically takes over if the main connection goes down.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
What do your keypads look like and how many do you have? What type of wiring goes to the keypads?

I have a single Honeywell 6162rf keypad. (You can easily look it up.) Four wires, IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
Can just about any hardware be used with just about any of the monitoring services, and how do you "program" it to call the monitoring service that you've subscribed to?

Depends on the interface to the monitoring service. In the case of EnvisAlarm, Eyez-On handles all that. They simply pass the alarms on from their servers to the monitoring service.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
What is reasonable to pay for a residential monitoring contract? I'm paying $35 per month, and I think I'm getting severely ripped off.

My monitoring via EnvisAlarm is $10/mo.

Works, too. Inadvertently "tested" a couple times. Plus I get notifications via email, on my tablet and phone via text messaging, and via the Eyez-On custom app (for both Android and iOS), which also pops up on my watch.

It's very easy to add, delete and change zone definitions, users that can cancel alarms, whom to notify and how, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by striker1:
33 years in the bidness.

Interestingly, I have the same Vista 20P and an Envisalink4.

That is interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by striker1:
I’ll probably be switching to AlarmNet instead, since I can get monitoring at a company rate.

Less than $10/month?

I installed simplisafe, easy install and response time has been under a minute from the call center. Batteries on the keypad lasted 2 years.

How would one know what is in an existing controp panel? Where should I look for identifying info?

Thanks.

I am not a professional, but I have self installed a wireless system and added zones, keypads, and a cellular communicator to the DSC system in my house. I use Alarm Relay for monitoring and have been very happy with their service, $18/mo for cellular, $8.95/mo for landline (VOIP lines work, too).
The wireless system was much easier to install and figure out, instructions geared to the DIY type. Batteries on all sensors which have to be replaced, though not that often. Mine was for an apartment, so not a very extensive system, and was for a short term.
The wired system I think is preferable and you can figure it out with diligent reading of the manuals and some internet sleuthing. Mine came with the house, but I changed to a wireless keypad so that we could use remotes, added a zone that was not covered originally (really, who doesn’t cover 1st floor bedroom windows!), and added the cellular communicator when we ditched our landline. Installing a wired system after a house or building is built would be a significant PITA to run the wiring to all the sensors.

quote:

Originally posted by striker1:
I’ll probably be switching to AlarmNet instead, since I can get monitoring at a company rate.

Less than $10/month?[/QUOTE]

Not sure. We have a block of accounts for employees ($7 for std monitoring) but I haven’t heard yet what the AlarmNet or even Total Connect will run for us.

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
How would one know what is in an existing controp panel? Where should I look for identifying info?

Thanks.

Usually the brand name will be on the keypad. Or look for identifying information on the alarm panel circuit board.

If it's a wired system it'll probably be either Honeywell/Ademco, GE or DSC.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
How would one know what is in an existing controp panel? Where should I look for identifying info?

Thanks.

Usually the brand name will be on the keypad. Or look for identifying information on the alarm panel circuit board.

If it's a wired system it'll probably be either Honeywell/Ademco, GE or DSC.

Thank you.

Any thoughts or concerns with a 2Gig system?

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
Thank you.

Any thoughts or concerns with a 2Gig system?

You're welcome.

Nope. Do not know them. Support for the Eyez-On EnvisaLink4 was a requirement for me, so it was either Honeywell or DSC. Since I'd not been particularly impressed with either of the DSC systems we'd had, if was Honeywell.

N.B.: Eyez-On's techs prefer DSC, it seems.

Methinks I need to reinvestigate our alarm system.
It is an original hard wired system installed by Brinks (now ADT) in the 1980's.
Same motherboard as I recall but a new keybad some years ago, they may have replaced the mb too- not sure.
Whatever I need to get with the program.

Well, for better or worse, I now have a 2Gig GC2 system. It is a wireless system with integrated cellular for monitoring.

I am not using anywhere near the system's abilities in my case. Currently 2 door and 2 motion sensors. I might add cameras and glass breaks in the future.

I will give this a few months and then might tackle a self install for my house.

Supposedly, these systems are quietly gaining a large footprint in the industry.

Does the Vista 20P have multiple output zones that can be triggered depending on what device activates? IE, have a blue and red strobe on the exterior. Blue activates for burglar, red activates for fire.

^
There is a siren relay output plus a couple of output triggers on a header that can be programmed. You can add auxiliary relays or addressable relay boards. The onboard output is already set up to pulse for fire, steady for burg.

quote:

Originally posted by striker1:
^
There is a siren relay output plus a couple of output triggers on a header that can be programmed. You can add auxiliary relays or addressable relay boards. The onboard output is already set up to pulse for fire, steady for burg.

Thank you, just ordered a 20P on Amazon

Thank you all for the information. I recently moved, and will be installing a system soon.