Which System?

February 11, 201412 yr

Hello:

I've recently moved house and looking to install an alarm system (again).

My brother and I have previously installed the Scantronic 9600 alarm systems in our previous houses. We are not in the alarm system trade (software programmers during the day!) but found that this was a simple, reliable system as well as very cheap to pick up second hand from ebay.

I want to try something new with a bit more capability but within reasonable price level and something not massively more complicated than installing the scantronics we used to use.

It would be good to be able to log into the system using a PC/mobile: to look at logs, use my mobile while I am out and about to check system status, which zones have triggered in the event of the alarm going off etc.

I want to stick to a wired system, I have the floorboards up anyway as we re-decorate so it's no trouble running the wires.

We only need about 5 PIR sensors, 2 door contacts, 2 Panic Buttons and 2 fire detectors.

I'm also thinking of a couple discrete outdoor cameras, but the benefit of integrating this with the alarm system isn't jumping out at me.

From a monitoring perspective, I can understand the reason why people have proper ARC monitoring but personally I need to try and keep ongoing costs low so the old system of having a dallier call my brother and I was good, but it would be better if we could also log into the system on the phone, figure out which zone has triggered and if other zones are aso going off.

Any advice in general on this or alarm system recommendations would be great.

Thanks

To ask a firum eith di nany members which kit you going to get very confussing replies. If i ssk you whichcar to buy, you would likely sude in your preference.

Mang features available in modern panels are the same, there is no 'killer' panel of the rest would be obsolete. We buy partly on how quick it can be installed and being familiar with that panels quirks - which they all have.

No harm in laying cables.for what it costs for every room, better to looking at them than for is my attitude, Bit of a selling point or rooms change in value etc just pop another detector up.

Same for CCTV, run cables while you have easy access, then study what suits you at uour own pace.

As gou hzve used scantrinic Texecom is worth a look, not of a much if a jump to learn, think it has phone access.

My preference is for Risco Lightsys. Offers cloud based Control and phone admin but it is not a walk in the park for the novice. Your better having it instslled yo your cables by an experienced engineer already familiar with it, unless you have a crate of double ended candles .