Need help choosing an alarm system

[wizy77]

Greeting all,

I'd like to install a new alarm system for my house. I've been reading that most wireless systems are not as secure as wired ones. Since I'm about to refurbish the whole house, I don't mind installing a wired system.

My requirements are:

1) reliable system with accurate detection
2) I don't have pets
3) Need to have a automated telephone warning function

Any recommendations?

 

[scott1980]

Whats your budget?

You can pick up a kit for £70 with 2 PIRs, panel, bell, cable, battery and a contact or you can spend over £600 on a Galaxy Dimension panel with a touch screen keypad, the latest dual tech sensors and a GSM dialer.

Also, how big is your house and what type is it? (ie semi, terraced) Any flat roofs, garages, conservatory etc? Do you want a perimeter system (vibration detectors on the windows/rear doors, contacts on all external doors), a movement sensor based system (PIRs in all downstairs rooms, one on the landing) or a mixture?

 

[wizy77]

I'd like value for money not the cheapest option. So, while I do not want the touch screen bleeding edge gadget, I'd like something that provides good protection and deterrent as well as notification via telephone/sms/email(one of these would do).

My property is a 4 bed, 2 reception detached house with a garage on the side. No flat roof areas.

Thanks in advance for your further help!

Whats your budget?

You can pick up a kit for £70 with 2 PIRs, panel, bell, cable, battery and a contact or you can spend over £600 on a Galaxy Dimension panel with a touch screen keypad, the latest dual tech sensors and a GSM dialer.

Also, how big is your house and what type is it? (ie semi, terraced) Any flat roofs, garages, conservatory etc? Do you want a perimeter system (vibration detectors on the windows/rear doors, contacts on all external doors), a movement sensor based system (PIRs in all downstairs rooms, one on the landing) or a mixture?

 

[scott1980]

A good all-round, easy to install panel would be the Texecom Premier 48. Not really a great deal to them and you should be able to tackle it fairly easilly, plus it's expandable if you need more than 8 detectors. They do some nice flush keypads if you're into that sort of thing. If you buy the "Com 2400" module, this does SMS messaging and I believe it will also text the zone that's triggered the alarm too, quite nifty.

Detector wise, I'm personally a fan of Optex. I would go with their RX-40 PIRs in each room downstairs, plus one on the landing and one in hallway if it has it's own window or the front door has large glass panels in it. Put a MX-40 Dual Tech detector in the Garage. This is a special detector that's suitable for the unstable environment of a garage (compared to inside the house). I have found both of these detectors to be highly dependable units and not rediculously over-priced.

Put a standard contact on the front door. You may want to consider a Panic button for the main bedroom and adjacent the front door.

Bell boxes, I would go with a Risco Novagard 2. Highly visable deterrent LED's, very loud and are not too bulky or ugly looking either.

Don't forget to include an extention speaker for internal alarm sounds, a 7ah battery and a roll of cable or two (I'd recommend 8 core over 4 or 6 core)

If you google "Risco Novagard", all this stuff is available from the second result down. You're looking at about £300 notes or so for that stuff, not cheap, but good stuff. You can downgrade the control panel to something a bit more basic if you only need 8 zones, but I would'nt scrimp on the detectors or the sounder.

I'd like value for money not the cheapest option. So, while I do not want the touch screen bleeding edge gadget, I'd like something that provides good protection and deterrent as well as notification via telephone/sms/email(one of these would do).

My property is a 4 bed, 2 reception detached house with a garage on the side. No flat roof areas.

Thanks in advance for your further help!

 

[RF Lighting]

If you buy the "Com 2400" module, this does SMS messaging and I believe it will also text the zone that's triggered the alarm too, quite nifty.

Yep, it does. I can post you a sample message if you would like to see.

 

[wizy77]

I'm told I can wire double pole or EOL. Which one would you recommend for domestic installation.

I'll need to rewire the whole place, and am familiar with resistors etc. Why choose EOL over Double pole?

thanks

 

[Europlex]

"and deterrent"

That says it all, you need a professionally installed system from a nationally known company.

A DiY system is just that, no more, no less.

The box on the front of your house says a lot, Diy, cowboy etc etc

and don't forget any insurance company needs, not necessarily today but in the future, if they need you to have one and you have a DiY, you'll have to start over again, more money.

Think carefully before you jump, you could spend more now to save a lot in the future.