New Member - Got my Cameras and now onto Home Security~!

[blake]

The last installer meeting I had, I was informed that if the home owner is doing self monitoring ( the alarm calls or dials them and they are not using a UL certified monitoring station, the insurance company will not offer the 10% insurance discount. I should of clarified sorry. If your's does then you are one of the fortunate ones.

 

[blake]

We all know ADT is the WORST!!!!! They have smart business managers that prey on the uneducated.

 

[Larebear]

My home owners insurance only gives the discount if the alarm system is monitored. They required a copy of the paperwork confirming it. I'm with Alarm Relay which is fantastic and low priced. They call me instantly even if it's a low battery on one of the sensors. Been with them for several years and also have my Mom's house monitored through them.

 

[blake]

That's what I was tracking as the industry standard. Before I started my own company, I used Alarm Relay and yes they where great.

 

[Larebear]

My Mom was paying $48 a month with ADT. I installed a Visonic wireless system for her and signed her up with Alarm Relay. Now she pays approx $10 a month.

 

[blake]

Yeah I offer low cost monitoring also. ADT, AT&T, Brinks, Vivint are all crooks!

 

[dlouly76]

Ok I wanted to start the installation of my cameras today and looking at the house I just bought its a little complex. its a two story and no underneath crawl space. It does have an attic and since its a 2 story it only covers the top of the second floor and my first floor area comes out further then the second floor. Its going to be tuff to run a cable out to underneath the eaves of the first floor. Does anyone have any tips I can use? How much is professional wiring rates? I bought the tools to do the job already but doesnt look like an easy job. I am contemplating instead of running cable to the 4 corners of my house from the attic down then attempt to come out on each corner under the eaves to perhaps come out of the attic under the eaves of the 2nd story and run conduit down to the first floor under eaves and run conduit underneath the eaves.

Another idea is a remote weatherproof box housing a wireless bridge and a POE Switch.....not sure if thats enough bandwith going through wireless. I have 6 - 4mp 1080p cameras and one 3mp 1080p from Hikvision.....

 

[fenderman]

Ok I wanted to start the installation of my cameras today and looking at the house I just bought its a little complex. its a two story and no underneath crawl space. It does have an attic and since its a 2 story it only covers the top of the second floor and my first floor area comes out further then the second floor. Its going to be tuff to run a cable out to underneath the eaves of the first floor. Does anyone have any tips I can use? How much is professional wiring rates? I bought the tools to do the job already but doesnt look like an easy job. I am contemplating instead of running cable to the 4 corners of my house from the attic down then attempt to come out on each corner under the eaves to perhaps come out of the attic under the eaves of the 2nd story and run conduit down to the first floor under eaves and run conduit underneath the eaves.

Another idea is a remote weatherproof box housing a wireless bridge and a POE Switch.....not sure if thats enough bandwith going through wireless. I have 6 - 4mp 1080p cameras and one 3mp 1080p from Hikvision.....

forget about wireless. Look for low voltage installers..should be roughly 100 per drop. They can do it nice and clean with no exterior conduit.

 

[Kawboy12R]

Yeah I offer low cost monitoring also. ADT, AT&T, Brinks, Vivint are all crooks!

I had an extremely cute girl trying to get me to switch to Vivint a couple of days ago. She didn't look like a crook. She was offering free hardware with wireless cameras too. I told her to look up at my front door cam and smile. I thanked her and declined.

 

[blake]

Yeah Vivint is known for harassing folks with soliciting in neighborhoods.

 

[GBot]

I will get it and report back after some tinkering.

Any updates? The bill for my system just came in and I'm debating whether to get rid of this expensive service I have.

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[spencnor]

Actually I forgot that I had bookmarked this product. It plugs into your control panel and gives your security system an Ethernet port which you hook up to your home network and control by smartphone. If you get it or someone else can comment on it I'd be interested. Hard to deny that my current setup is costly and I'd like to save some cash if there's a viable solution for the more tech savvy among us.
EYEZ-ON EVL-3 - Envisalink Internet Alert Module for DSC & Honeywell Security https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EI69TAY/

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I installed the EVL-3 module in my Honeywell/Adempco Vista 20p alarm system almost a year ago. I've been very pleased with it. I get a text and email on my smart phone each time the alarm panel status changes. It's been trouble free and reliable. I'm ok with self monitoring and like that I have ZERO monthly fees. Initially I connected the EVL-3 via a wireless wi-fi device which worked fine, but I eventually ran an Ethernet cable to the module.

 

[blake]

The issue I have run into as an alarm installer is that for the customer, you want to try to provide them with 100% reliable communication from their system. In years of the industry the nose reliable communication has been cellular. Even if you go Internet-based as primary and cellular as secondary that's better than just Internet based alone.

 

[Kawboy12R]

@blake Ding ding ding! We have a winner. There's not much point in having unreliable alarms. And if people are paying monthly for unreliable alarms? The feces will contact the air distribution device pretty hard and fast if there are issues.

 

[blake]

For some odd reason, folks are stuck on Internet service for EVERYTHING.

 

[Kawboy12R]

Internet's awesome, but lose power or cut a wire or two and your home is cut off from the world. IMHO, cellular backup with a long battery life is probably THE best advancement in home alarm reliability and connectivity. Almost nobody is going to cut your wires and wait a day or so for your batteries to die. Plus, even if they did, you've got a notification via cell that you've lost power and therefore will soon lose your alarm system so somebody can go out and see what happened to the power. Great selling point for a company selling managed systems.

 

[blake]

Yep. I've even done vista 20p systems with a separate power supply can for the siren driver and main system.

 

[spencnor]

The issue I have run into as an alarm installer is that for the customer, you want to try to provide them with 100% reliable communication from their system. In years of the industry the nose reliable communication has been cellular. Even if you go Internet-based as primary and cellular as secondary that's better than just Internet based alone.

+1. I did also consider adding a cellular communicator to my system. I'm just saying, for me, the internet only based system was acceptable. I do get a text if the EVL-3 module loses network connection.

I also added a separate power supply and battery to power up the siren, extra keypads, and sensors in my vista 20p system. YMMV.

 

[blake]

Separate power supply is the way to go! 2 Amp or 4 Amp kit does the job.

 

[spencnor]

Separate power supply is the way to go! 2 Amp or 4 Amp kit does the job.

I agree! I installed this 4 amp power supply with 8 fused outputs and power supervision contacts by Altronix.

http://www.altronix.com/products/product.php?name=AL400ULPD8