Home Security

[Drew]

I'm looking into a DIY home security system. Does anybody have any experience with this. It appears as a number of sensors can be hookes up and if the system is activated, up to 5 +/- phone numbers will be called along with an alarm sounding. There are a number of brand names but curious if anybody has had any luck with this type of system, good or bad.

[delcecchi]

I have used a system like that to monitor temperature, electricity, water on floor and it works well for that.

[shnelson]

Do a google search for cocoontech - these guys helped me with a ton of questions I had along the way.

Are you looking for home security + automation? Your long term expectations will dictate which route you should take as far as brand etc. If you plan to have it monitored by a remote company, I would make sure to call all of the shops that service your area to see if they'll even let you hook up to their monitoring station with a custom system.

I went the honeywell route, picked up a kit off the famous auction site (vista 20p) and went completely hardwired since our house was a new construction.

Added x10 modules to certain lights throughout the house so I can control them through the alarm interface. Went with a digital LCD display in the bedroom and a regular keypad in the entryway. Also have keyfobs that I haven't hooked up yet but are a neat feature.

I have not attempted to contact a central station for monitoring (police/fire/emergency), the main goal of my system was to provide me with an early warning if things go bump in the night and I need to chamber a round in the old remmy. I do have it set to send notifications to my cell phone & email address, so I could contact the authorities if I needed to but for some reason the industry looks down on this method.

[Abndoc]

The industry looks down on the method, to many false alarms can activite causing a law enforcement response for routine false alarms. Something triggers the alarm, your cell phone rings, you call the police and a bird flew into your window. There is technology out there now that will provide you with a 10 sec window of footage that can be directed wireless to a phone or computer allowing you to see exactly what caused the disturbance, much more reliable for a homeowner, to be able to see exactly what caused the alarm, allowing you fully explain what is going on at your home or business when calling law enforcement.

[delcecchi]

Or you could have a few webcams in the house so you could connect to your computer and see them.

[Chef]

D.O.B.E.R.M.A.N...

[TooTallTom]

D.O.B.E.R.M.A.N...

Heh. My sister has a great dane (~100 lbs) and a collie mutt (~25 pounds). The standing joke is that everyone is scared of the dane, but the collie is the one that would actually rip out someone's throat if they broke in to the house.