House Alarm Systems

[swsup97]

Hi All,

Looking around for something decent to protect household contents - so far an armed response company quoted R3200 just for a basic setup the price excludes linkup to armed response.

So looking around at cheaper alternatives - googled and came up with this online company below - see URL link below.

http://www.securitywireless.co.za/security-products.asp

Pricing looks good and i like the idea of the landline calling you, other options list SMS being sent to you once the alarm is triggered. To me that is a cool feature

...any of you had dealings with these guys ??

PS> What kind of alarm system do you have?

[Turbo_Aspiration]

It all depends on what you want. If you want laser beams, outdoor passives and pet friendly systems you'll pay a lot. R3200 can't be that basic though..

A year ago we installed a very simple system into a unit we're renting out (8 zone control panel, battery, keypad, power supply, 2 x indoor passive, 2 x door mag, 2 x fixed panic) and it came to R1750 installed.

If you're in the JHB area, we used D's Fencing (http://www.dsfencing.co.za) and dealt with Carla (carla@dsfencing.co.za) - extermely good service.

[Garyvdh]

I would go to the local security shop at your nearest mall and ask who they recommend.

[COMPUTEK]

If you want your household contents & family protected, go for the "outdoor passives / perimeter protection".....
you want the alarm triggered long before the f@#$%^r has a knife to your throat.

i have a buddy that does installations & the stories he tells me are scary....
even showed me himself how easy it is to by-pass the cheaper systems.

[JayN]

I put in a Caddx system about 2 years ago. 48 zones, three keypads (one fully digital), 10 passives and the rest contacts and panics. Wiring in ceiling is hectic. Some zones are normally open and some normally closed. So if you cut the wires, chances are the alarm will go off. Almost every point is covered by a contact and a passive, setup to go with each zone when triggered. So if two zones go, there's someone in the house. Cost R 6500 for system components. Another R 2500 to install and cabling. I bought the components from a company in Pretoria (Faerie Glen). No sms feature. I've used 44 zones, and left the remaining four zone for outside passives, but we have wild buck and ferrets in the yard at night, which I think will make us more paranoid. In a built up neighbourhood but there is a nature reserve across the road. Hope tis gives you a good idea.

[Madman88]

i have a buddy that does installations & the stories he tells me are scary....
even showed me himself how easy it is to by-pass the cheaper systems.

+1

I have a Paradox security system.

Arming and disarming via remote, stay and sleep mode, alarm trigger notification via sms.
All the passives are wireless, so its easy to install. the board supports up to 36 wireless units, so I can put a passive in the shed outside even tho there is no lectric out there.

I have the same unit at the office. There I have the added feature of the system emailing me who disarmed/armed the system and at what time...

Youre probly not going to get anything of quality for R3200 from an armed response company tho... Be carefull.. their cheap systems are exactly that.

Contact Marssec for a comparative quote. They installed one of my Paradox systems and I would recommend them anytime. Have a look on their site for some basic pricing ideas.

[Frankie]

I'd also go for good brand name equipment professionally installed and unless you have sufficient means to counter a threat while at home or away, then armed response is a must.
I don't have a Telkom line, so it's reliant on the radio transmitter to alert the armed response company.
I pay R250/m for the armed response.

[flarkit]

I put in a Paradox system as well 2 years ago: 2x 20m beams outside, 3x indoor passives, 2x door magnets, 2 remotes, etc. Cost me 8K though

[krycor]

Paradox security system seems to be the popular one which multiple companies use. So if you want to be able to switch monitoring companies you should take that into account.

[Cadavre777]

Alright, let me clear up a few things.

Stay away from the cheap trash that Security Wireless sells, that is money wasted and will leave you without decent security.

Most home owners (and those renting), most of the time only need a basic 8 to 12 zone system. There are kits available to installers from distributors which can include and 8 zone panel, keypad, 2 infrared passives, 2 magnetic contact sets and static panic switch. Ask if you can have a 12A battery instead of 7/8A, the minor change in price is well worth it.

We have found alot of installers dont tell you is that zones can be doubled, e.g 2 passives on a single zone. Talk to the installer about your concerns, make sure he knows your habbits and normal movement within the building at night. You should cover entrances and access to rooms before looking at external beams and passives.

Dodgy installers will tell you that you need a new system to subscribe to their alarm monitoring service (Chubb and ADT techs are sneaky bastards who work on commission, they will take your arm off if you give them a finger) which is very rarely true. What is more important is what reporting language is available on your alarm system. 3 reporting languages are common in SA, being SIA, 4+2 and ContactID. ContactID is the most commonly used and supported (for insurance purposes please make use of it).

As for your alarm systems communications, you have 2 real options. Luckily for you, insurance is usually OK with one or the other but sometimes both are required. These are communication over Telkom landlines and wireless transmitters. Wireless does tend to be more expensive, but functions very well as a backup to landline. If your wireless transmitter does not support ContactID, your reporting codes are severely limited e.g no distinction between activated zones and number of times each zone has been triggered.
If you have chosen communication via landline, please make sure your installer connects the sytem to the landline in an area least likely to be disturbed or unplugged. If you have ADSL, inform the installer of this before you are quoted. This will save you and him/her alot of time and patience.

Always insist that the installer makes provision for enabling and wiring in anti-tamper features your system and its components have available. Stay away from GSM communication, it is OK for making phone calls and sending SMS's, but not realiable enough for security applications. GSM features should only be used to inform you if the system has been triggered while you are away, but please do fight the urge to nag the controllers if they haven't called you yet... they have other signals and clients to attend to.

As far as brands and manufacturers go, Caddx, Paradox and DSC make excellent systems. If you want wireless systems and have the cash to spare... go with the Paradox Magellan systems, otherwise use code hopping transmitters and recievers. You dont want your neighbours remote disarming you alarm system and vice versa

EDIT: Please pay extra attention to your account if you have a prepaid account with Telkom. The last thing you need is to be caught with your pants down because the account has no credit for the system to report signals.

[Sackboy]

I wouldn't go so far as to say GSM is unreliable. Maybe if you use SMS it would be. Some operate via phone calls, and that is pretty reliable.

[Cadavre777]

I wouldn't go so far as to say GSM is unreliable. Maybe if you use SMS it would be. Some operate via phone calls, and that is pretty reliable.

Every system we have tested using GSM has failed hopelessly. Communication from the alarm systems communicator and base reciever often is not clear enough for the signal to be recieved correctly. Another problem we encountered was the communicator being disconnected from the networks, resulting in the systems throwing a hissy fit.

We have heard stories of it being pulled off without hassle, but in general the technologies are not successfull enough or suitable for large scale deployment.

[supersunbird]

You should cover entrances and access to rooms before looking at external beams and passives.

Why do you say this? Isn't it better to be alerted when they are still outside your home?

[Paul_S]

A good quality alarm system is going to set you back at least R10K.
I'm going to install a Paradox Magellan MG5050 wireless alarm system when I have the cash.

- 7 outdoor pet immune PIRs
- 2 indoor pet immune PIRs
- Some wireless door contacts
- Wireless smoke detector
- Wireless two way programmable modules to control the electric gate and garage doors
- Two REM3 wireless keypad remotes (you can control your garage doors, electric gate, alarm, water your garden, etc with one remote and it's far more secure because you can configure it to require a code to deactivate the alarm. If someone high jacks you at your drive way they can't press a button on your remote to deactivate the alarm like other wireless alarm remotes. If they force you to enter your code you can use a duress code which sends out a silent alarm to armed response.)
- GSM reporting module (sends alarm notifications via SMS and allows remote control via SMS)
- Siren, strobe, battery backup, etc.
Total cost is about R20K but it beats most of the other alarm systems I've looked at with regards to quality and features.

The only other manufacturer I'd consider when it comes to wireless alarm systems is DSC.
http://www.paradox.com/
http://www.dsc.com/

[Cadavre777]

Why do you say this? Isn't it better to be alerted when they are still outside your home?

Indeed it is, but outdoor equipment is expensive in relation to indoor. Better to get the essentials right before venturing into your garden.

Paul_S, your choice was an excellent one. The Magellan 5050 is a brilliant system, getting the best of wired and wireless. It comes at a premium but is worth every cent. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your new alarm system when it is installed. Thank you for reminding me about duress.

Always have duress codes programmed into your system. It is used for silencing the system when someone is forcing you to disarm. Your monitoring service will recieve the signal and not call you, instead sending armed response or flying squad. Pitty some large companies sell this as an added service, but it should be standard.