alarm / cctv queries

[scotsgraeme]

hi,
i've unfortunatley had some issues with vandalism at my recently purchased house so am looking to put in some security, on the advice of my local community police officer.
i'm looking to put in two cameras that need to be able to record in reasonably low light, and record at least 24 hours before being overwritten, as i sometimes need to be away for a bit, but would like to get footage of anything that happens.
as for the alarm, i'm not 100% sure what i need, i know i need the entry zone to have two door sensors as well as a movement sensor. i also need one of the upstairs rooms to be on a zone that only my code will disarm, as it is my home office, and nobody else will be in there reasonably (door is locked most of the time, as there is expensive equipment and client data in there)
i'm not sure if i want monitoring rather than having the alarm notify me and family who live nearby, is monitoring worthwhile if family live within a 5 minute walk?
also, is it possible to have the alarm send a message when a certain user arms or disarms the alarm?
before i start talking to companies for these things, what ballpark should i be expecting? i'd rather not get ripped off, and i'm planning to use a smaller company, as i have an aversion to national chains.

 

[socdesign]

I'm not into CCTV, but for the alarm with opening and closing SMS/Email/Voice, something like the Honeywell Galaxy G2-12 with IP module can do it cost effectively and you also get remote keypad control via your phone.

If you don't go down the IP route, then opening/closing reporting over SMS is best done with GSM and a monthly SIM card, but the cost of integrated GSM diallers is usually about the same as all the other hardware put together.

To give an idea, the Galaxy G2-12 +IP + other system hardware will probably come to about £250 for all the kit, so you'll be looking at about £500+ for a small installer to do the job.

 

[EightyTwo]

Talk to your local independent alarm companies. Expect £1000 to £2000 for the fully installed, wired alarm system. It will be towards the upper end if you have it communicated with two signalling paths (like RedCare Secure or DualCom).

Check the price for the (monitoring,) maintenance contract and call-outs too. These will be on-going charges and you need to offset them against the installation cost. An expensive install with cheap maintenance may be better for you than a cheap install with high maintenance cost or vica versa.

You will be able to do what you want. You may also be able to integrate the CCTV and alarm so that it sends you pictures when the alarm goes off...

SSAIC and NACOSS/NSI companies shouldn't rip you off as they have to meet the standards of their approval bodies.