Pyronix Homecontrol+ vs Visonic Powermax vs Texecom

[james.wilson 585]

1 minute ago, 1animal1 said:

A German car and Samsung S6.... 

so its not about cheap, ill exclude the Samsung for now you want good?

[1animal1 0]

I want adequate for the vast majority of scenarios barring a computer genius sat outside hacking my wireless system into oblivion. 

 

Is iPhone a usual response for the less tech savvy? 

[james.wilson 585]

no my point was you want quality in your car and your phone. If so dismiss both of your choices

Visonic and Pyronix are cheap. they do a job like cheap things do.

your not using the same logic on your security purchase that you do on your car etc

[1animal1 0]

That makes complete sense. I came to those brands through an installer i met briefly through a family member. Prior to that conversation i was against wireless systems.

 

Can I ask what i would get differently from another higher grade system? 

[norman 885]

A Timex and a Patek Philippe both tell the time so in that essence they do nothing differently.

[1animal1 0]

 

I've just been reading up on all sorts of things regards wireless systems, 2 way protocols, hacking ability - seems a lot easier than I would have thought! The Powermax isn't rated very highly at all in this respect. Probably why everything is geared towards their Power master now.... The Pyronix seems to get better reviews. 

 

So what are the other alternatives? 

 

I currently have a wired system which requires a new board - hence the thought process to replace. I'm not particularly worried about a wired system as half the cabling is in, where I'd like it to go - wireless was a new thought process as I'd assumed it would be better in the current era. I also have issues with 2 door contacts which cannot be fitted without  a visible cable run (2 inaccessible sealed roof voids). A hybrid system might fit the bill as i would much prefer my bell box to be wired, but how many work with apps, the 2 don't seem to go hand in hand ... What is important is smart integration, app control in it's most basic form... or a full home automation component.

 

Quite a simple shopping list really 

[james.wilson 585]

3 hours ago, norman said:

A Timex and a Patek Philippe both tell the time so in that essence they do nothing differently.

so you drive a dacia sandero? or a duster?

that's the car and 4x4 answer sorted who needs anything else

[james.wilson 585]

must add I dunno what a patek phillppe is I'm a common brummie

[WDT 2]

On the car front if you check this out I wouldn't buy a german car for reliability

but this is just a observation

 

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer

 

But then you have to be in your 80's to buy a Honda,

[1animal1 0]

I do love these reports that remove a fundamental point, the law of averages! I must admit though, this is pretty accurate.

 

So do we know what a paupers Veyron looks like in the alarm world? 

 

I gather looking at the costs - Texecom fall into the same bracket as Pyro and Viso's

 

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by 1animal1

[lymebayalarms 17]

Would say the Texecom kit would be slightly more expensive, although in my opinion the Texecom APP is lacking.

 

As you rightly point out, it's all about the law of adverages... as James points out this industry is does suffer from cost being the overriding factor where the home owners phone is worth more than they are prepaired to spend on an alarm system to protect all of their worldly possessions.

 

[1animal1 0]

I must admit the Texecom wired looks like a lot of kit for the money - there's even a hybrid offering which will help with my door contacts. 

 

Completely understand where you are coming from regards cost as a one off - My situation is different in that the alarm is the icing on the cake, a hidden to deterrent if you will to add to my CCTV, dogs and other security measures (that lot costs a lot more than my phone). I am of the mind you will never stop an intruder who has the will to burgle - but i will make it as hard as possible for them! 

 

The opposite argument is the high tech burglar who are always going to be evolving over time - where do you stop? I personally haven't any Rembrandt's lurking around the hallway and any jewelry is locked within a secret compartment, inside a bolted down safe. 

 

Do you think the lines are blurred between what a consumer wants versus that of a commercial customer? 

[datadiffusion 529]

18 hours ago, norman said:

.......

 

Agree, and this will be a major stumbling block to anyone trying to 'DIY it. However, I'm not sure it will explode if you don't set that combination of dip switches within a month of installation, but I know it can get very hot, and several have caught fire; thankfully they have been in installations that included Nest Sprinkler, as it happens.

Edited October 25, 2016 by datadiffusion

[datadiffusion 529]

1 hour ago, 1animal1 said:

The opposite argument is the high tech burglar who are always going to be evolving over time - where do you stop? I personally haven't any Rembrandt's lurking around the hallway and any jewelry is locked within a secret compartment, inside a bolted down safe. 

 

Nope, most burglaries are drug fuelled and opportunist. They will stay that way for ever, until the day an alarm-busting 'app' is released that can be used by pressing one button by the typical knuckle-grazing crim (and for the record it would not be worth any hacker or developer releasing such an app to the great unwashed, even if they could make it work). The typical burglar would not have the knowledge nor inclination to defeat even a 1980s one zone, keyswitch system

 

Hence my usual line that CCTV is no defence at all. Police are unlikely to be interested, criminals are often of the attitude that they don't care about getting caught, a couple of hours in the nick at worst

and it just gets added to the long list they are already on probation for.

 

CCTV will only confirm that the window is smashed and the TV is missing. You will find this out from coming home and seeing it with your own eyes. An alarm will alert you to the fact at the exact moment (if installed correctly)

and may add to the mix of uncertainty for the criminal with sirens going etc... A decent looking (i.e. not plain white from Newlec) bellbox is 100% more a deterrent than CCTV IMHO.

Edited October 25, 2016 by datadiffusion

[lymebayalarms 17]

1 minute ago, datadiffusion said:

 

Nope, most burglaries are drug fuelled and opportunist. The typical burglar would not have the knowledge nor inclination to defeat even a 1980s one zone, keyswitch system

 

Hence my usual line that CCTV is no defence at all. Police are unlikely to be interested, criminals are often of the attitude that they don't care about getting caught, a couple of hours in the nick at worst

and it just gets added to the long list they are already on probation for.

 

CCTV will only confirm that the window is smashed and the TV is missing. You will find this out from coming home and seeing it with your own eyes. An alarm will alert you to the fact at the exact moment (if installed correctly)

and may add to the mix of uncertainty for the criminal with sirens going etc... A decent looking (i.e. not plain white from Newlec) bellbox is 100% more a deterrent than CCTV IMHO.

 

Agreed..

[datadiffusion 529]

8 hours ago, james.wilson said:

must add I dunno what a patek phillppe is I'm a common brummie

 

A brand of cooking sauce mate, you only get in it posh supermarkets like Tesco, not the Kwik Saves you brummies seem to favour.

1 minute ago, lymebayalarms said:

 

Agreed..

 

Ta. I'm not saying CCTV is worthless, far from it, but IMHO it needs to be done properly or not at all, and be properly managed. In my experience domestic setups are rarely either.

[1animal1 0]

I don't disagree with what you've said in the slightest. And it's not that i don't want to be educated..... 

 

My main security is a very territorial Pyrenean Mountain dog and her side kick who is fast learning the same 'ways of the force'. everything can be mitigated by the opportunist - I'm sure her mate will succumb to a piece of steak for instance. We have a very good neighbourhood watch scheme in our village who post up regularly on the likes of Facebook should any suspicious persons or vehicles  be witnessed. I also have personal experience of the CCTV not being of any use when at a previous house i had my car attacked - the video evidence, fingers prints and the windscreen/window glass in the criminals pockets! (i knew the address they were from) were not enough to prosecute apparently.... I only reused my CCTV here as it took me ages to research and buy the right gear and i didn't want it to go to waste - at worst it's fantastic for replaying people their antics from those drink fuelled summer BBQ's  I can assure you though, it is fitted properly with a secure steel box anchored to an outer wall hidden in a built in wardrobe, all wires are between the joists, fused spurs - sure it could be better, linked to a cloud for even better secured storage but i'm willing to not let that bother me based on the above experience.  

 

I have my CCTV as a deterrent, I have my current alarm box which flashes only as a deterrent, my dogs are a deterrent as are the multitude of window locks, garage door dead bolts, anchors, safe, fencing, oudoor lighting etc etc.... 

 

We can only do our utmost to prevent a partially thinking opportunistic thief. 

 

However, I am here to ask about an alarm to bolster what i currently have - if I find that I cannot fit this myself then so be it. So far nobody has presented anything to suggest i can't? with that in mind i suppose the question is..... Is there a system that you guys can fit that I can't that will offer me a lot more protection over the above 3 systems as alluded to in some of the comments above?

[1animal1 0]

On a further note: Do any of you kind chaps happen to know if i can hard wire a Delta X box with lightbox into the Enforcer with Homecontrol+? figure the X box will be better for strobing and the light panel will add further visibility, but with a heavy load on the batteries - and it'll be easy enough to run a line through the loft into the room where the main panel will sit.

[Hillbilly 12]

2 hours ago, 1animal1 said:

On a further note: Do any of you kind chaps happen to know if i can hard wire a Delta X box with lightbox into the Enforcer with Homecontrol+? figure the X box will be better for strobing and the light panel will add further visibility, but with a heavy load on the batteries - and it'll be easy enough to run a line through the loft into the room where the main panel will sit.

Put 1 bell on SCB mode and the other on SAB mode.

[1animal1 0]

Thanks HB.... Gather that is set via the panel or on the module itself? 

 

This will mean that the kit that i am looking at will have a spare wireless siren - not sure if i can fit that to the back of the house (wooded area) or if that is a bit unorthodox having a wored and wireless siren on the same system? 

[1animal1 0]

Can anyone elaborate on the better systems I am discounting in the post comparison? 

 

There's a lot of noise on here about these being the bottom end of the market - curious to know what is meant by that. Wired is regarded as much better? There are wireless systems that hugely outweigh these systems features? Hybrids?

[al-yeti 433]

Hkc is a good wireless hybrid system , and texecom from what I have heard , both better off installed by a company

[1animal1 0]

I've read that the Texecom is a good system but difficult to set up, hence a professional better off doing it - the costs are surprisingly lower than both the Pyronix and latest Visonic offerings which i was shocked at. I am also concerned after one of the above comments on the Texecom app which led me to the Android Appstore - the reviews of late are shocking!

 

The HKC I can't find a cost on, presumably they prefer to only deal with trade. 

 

I'm still struggling to see what the likes of the HKC can offer me over the Pyronix for example? If it's that difficult to install and more money, then I'm likely to pay double for a professional to come into my home and drill a few holes, then program a unit for me - What will i get with the HKC fitted professionally over the Pyronix that i could fit at half the cost? 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2016 by 1animal1

[sixwheeledbeast 384]

Re: Texecom app, it is a bit lumpy but it works. The plan is to overhaul the application in the near future so you could firmware update your panel and use the new app when it's released.

 

[1animal1 0]

Thanks for the insight - Is that confirmed that they are definitely updating it?

 

I'm still looking around - I love the optional K160 touch panel on the Visonic, fully lit shaped alarm box on the Pyronix - the app on the Pyronix and the cost of the Texecom.... I can't quite fathom how in 2016 we are still using push button alarm panels with the tech available.