I have an out of date home security system I'd like to replace.

I've got door/window/motion and fire/smoke wired all over that I'd like to reuse if possible, and a cryptic/ancient/broke ass POS control system I'd like to take out into the yard and shoot.

I'd like to replace the system with current up to date.. wifiable, email/text/etc alert, etc. but no "cloud" dot bomb company that will sell my data to the highest and lowest bidders and make it a brick when they go out of business. But ca't find a direction to start shopping.

Technical knowhow level: I was ejikated in CE, wired custom com boards to tractors to houses, I've been a code contributor to the Zoneminder open source surveillance system, I'm writing a plugin to home-assistant.io for shits n giggles.
IE.... I'm I high tech redneck and I could probably build one from scratch from whatever crap I find if I swept out from under my bed. BUT.. I ain't got time for that.

Does anyone have a suggestion for where to go shopping for off-the-shelf for a geek that can get'r'dun, not off-the-shelf for gramma who will need help sticking the doohickeys in the corners and doesn't mind Manesh Gupta watching over all that new tech for her.

Thanks!

In my last residence in CA (an apartment), I bought a system from Simplisafe. Inexpensive, easy to buy online, uses cell phone technology, very easy to install. I bought a system with a keypad, base station, motion detector, and four entry sensors (windows and door) for less than $300 shipped. Monitoring was 15 bucks a month. No wires, all battery operated, except for the base station which has a built-in backup chargeable.

When we moved, I removed the components, saving it for our next house. Then re-activate my account. Easy stuff.

I have put in two DSC systems. I like it. It is easy to program. All the components are reasonable priced and available from a number of places.

It is the same thing a professional or monitoring company would install minus their proprietary programming.

I think I got a lot of my stuff from homesecuritystore.com. They have forums for different makes of equipment. You may just look around at their discussion forums for different manufacturers to pick one.

Honeywell vista panel, envisalink ip connector, I had a 30 year old panel, put in a new Honeywell panel, pretty straight forward

The future back yard target is a DSC. though their current stuff looks better I think i'll wind up with one of the honeywells I found on the link you gave. thanks!

Yup.. a LYNX, plus a hardwired to 5800 module to hook into the existing wired stuffs... plus a wifi module. and heck, a zwave too to play with home automation stuff.

Thanks!

I also have the envisalink. I self monitor. Pretty happy with it

We have the new Nest system and really like it. Use to be a SimpliSafe user. I got tired of waiting for cameras, which I think they have now. The Nest alarm is dead nuts easy to install and use.

I installed a SimpliSafe system in my mother’s house and am not happy with it. It recently had a fire false alarm and a week later it had a motion detector false alarm. I knew the fire alarm was false because my mother was home. I was concerned with the motion detector alarm because the house was supposed to be unoccupied. Getting updates from Simplisafe during the incident was like pulling teeth.

There's always...

quote:

Originally posted by SirBeep:
I have an out of date home security system I'd like to replace.

I've got door/window/motion and fire/smoke wired all over that I'd like to reuse if possible, and a cryptic/ancient/broke ass POS control system I'd like to take out into the yard and shoot.

I'd like to replace the system with current up to date.. wifiable, email/text/etc alert, etc. but no "cloud" dot bomb company that will sell my data to the highest and lowest bidders and make it a brick when they go out of business.

I was in exactly the same place, with exactly the same goals, about a year-and-a-half ago.

quote:

Originally posted by truckola:
Honeywell vista panel, envisalink ip connector, I had a 30 year old panel, put in a new Honeywell panel, pretty straight forward

My old DSC panel wasn't thirty years old, but, otherwise, that was pretty much me.

I put in a Honeywell Vista 20P, Honeywell wired zone expander, and Eyez-On Envisalink EVL-4 IP interface module. Here's the panel upgrade, partially completed:



(Yes, I like big service loops .)

There's room in there for a second wired zone expander if I want.

Additionally:

• Honeywell 6162rf keypad, which enabled...
  
• Honeywell 5800PIR-COM wireless motion in the shed
  
• Honeywell 5822T wireless tilt sensor on the garage door
  

I monitor, myself, via Eyez-On's app (available for both Android and iOS). I also added 24x7 monitoring via Eyez-On for $9/mo., which gave me a $9/mo. insurance discount .

I have a three-port Internet router, set up with two WAN (Internet) ports in automatic fail-over, so if the wired Internet connection goes down, connectivity automatically fails-over to an LTE connection.

I will say that if you spend time on Eyez-On's forums, you'll find their techs/engineers prefer DSC panels.

Eyez-On's tech support is very good, btw.

In my reading: Honeywell/Ademco, GE and DSC get the highest marks from professional security-type people.

Ours is an arlo for our home security. Though it keeps us get that peace of mind with all its notifications, motion sensor and night vision, its monthly storage fee is painful.

Frontpoint used here. Simple, effective, easy to set up and remove if I move. So far since 2015 no problems!

Just to piggyback on here, does anyone make a real simple hardwired alarm system? I'm looking to protect a 12'x12' shed with a single motion sensor, and a door contact switch. Siren/strobe on the outside, and possibly a loud siren for the inside. There is power (120V) in the shed. No keypad needed, just a keyed ON-OFF switch. No monitoring needed, as the alarm & strobe will be enough to alert myself & neighbors (this is a community/neighborhood shed).
I can go with a basic Honeywell 20P panel and just add on what I need, but I don't really need a keypad (It would be a whole lot easier to arm/disarm with a key rather than a keypad(remembering codes or having a code compromised might be a problem). Any opinions/options other than the Honeywell?