Help with an install.

I don't have a company to recommend since I do not trust approximately 90% of alarm companies. You're best bet is to find a local company that takes pride in their work and doesn't prioritize their RMR over the quality of system installed in their customers residence.

I prefer to install my own system and have it monitored by a company that caters to DIYers such as AlarmGrid, GeoArm and Alarm Relay.
 
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So I visited ADT office today to look at their new command system. Just wanted to see the controller. It's a Honeywell controller with built in wireless antenna for their wireless sensors and touch panels. It also has wired pins if you wanted to go wired (what im planning to go with). They also said they work with alarm.com. Looking at the controller, do you think its possible to connect EVL-4 or something to integrate with Smartthings/ActionTiles? The keypad is the wired panel where the touchscreen is the wireless panel.
 

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This may be your only other option for camera mounting. Its the only option I had, 3/8" hole into a unfinished basement with conduit. owner cheaped out on fake junction boxes for cheap cameras. but at the end of the day he was happy.
 
dudemaar said:
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This may be your only other option for camera mounting. Its the only option I had, 3/8" hole into a unfinished basement with conduit. owner cheaped out on fake junction boxes for cheap cameras. but at the end of the day he was happy.
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Pretty unrelated but why didnt he want to drill thru the stone and fish the wire directly into the house?
 
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house was long finished. drywall was up and painted. security cameras was an after thought. good luck fishing through insulated exterior walls.
 
dudemaar said:
without cutting holes in the drywall?
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Depending in the structure, very little cutting often times none. Drywall repair is cheap and easy. Looks 100 times better than a permanent exterior conduit which never looks good.
 
ive done it a few times. try matching 2-3 year old paint looks like crap too. poking holes in vapor barrier, pushing insulation around.
 
dudemaar said:
ive done it a few times. try matching 2-3 year old paint looks like crap too. poking holes in vapor barrier, pushing insulation around.
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You often dont need to cut anything. And if you do you can repaint an entire wall if your local home depot cant properly color match. Running conduit looks like crap. Not to mention completely unacceptable on a new build or even on old build on a 9000sq house. Its amazes me as to what passes as acceptable.
 
Each to there own i quess. I find what the cable tv or telephone guys do around here COMPLETELY unacceptable.
 

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dudemaar said:
Each to there own i quess. I find what the cable tv or telephone guys do around here COMPLETELY unacceptable.
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Dont get me started on those guys. Sad part is that some of these installers working for Fios make 100k or more + benefits and they could not fish a wire if their lives depended on it. They would know an ip address if it bit them in the ass. They can drill a hole and connect a tester. I could train a kid to do it in two days.
 
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Uno said:
So I visited ADT office today to look at their new command system. Just wanted to see the controller. It's a Honeywell controller with built in wireless antenna for their wireless sensors and touch panels. It also has wired pins if you wanted to go wired (what im planning to go with). They also said they work with alarm.com. Looking at the controller, do you think its possible to connect EVL-4 or something to integrate with Smartthings/ActionTiles? The keypad is the wired panel where the touchscreen is the wireless panel.
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I wouldn't expect the keypad/data bus to be the same as the old vista panels (meaning the EVL-4 wouldn't work). There's almost not public information on these available at this point. I don't think it's a bad alarm system, I just have no idea what sort of integration is possible. For that mater, I don't know if there's even a zone expander to allow someone to hook up more than 8 wired zones.

There's a standard ethernet port, there could be a local API for home automation or unfortunately more likely, it might be a cloud based api (how else are they going to charge a monthly fee). They dropped the POTS modem so hooking int to a landline isn't possible. A sensible choice, but I'm sure making it harder to use third party cellular communicators (like ipdatatel) was the motivation.

Truly there's no info out there yet. If there were it would still take a while before somebody writes a plugin for something like smart things (assuming it's possible). It seems like a nice alarm system, it's just a gamble what sort of integration is possible with various devices and when it may be possible. It will likely be 6-12 months before there's much info out there. If you go with this system, don't expect to be able to tie it into smart things anytime soon.

If you want to integrate with smart things right now, the safe choice would be to install a DSC PC1864. The alarm panel and keypads could always be replaced in the future.

If you wanted a different direction and a touchscreen, the Interlogix UltraSync Modular Hub (not the zerowire system) is another option. If the 3.5" touchscreen keypads could access automation functions it would be a lot more interesting. It would also be amusing to preform a bit of a network security audit on one of these, I've got a hunch there could be some issues.
 
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Uno said:
So I visited ADT office today to look at their new command system. Just wanted to see the controller. It's a Honeywell controller with built in wireless antenna for their wireless sensors and touch panels. It also has wired pins if you wanted to go wired (what im planning to go with). They also said they work with alarm.com. Looking at the controller, do you think its possible to connect EVL-4 or something to integrate with Smartthings/ActionTiles? The keypad is the wired panel where the touchscreen is the wireless panel.
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It's hard to tell without knowing the specs of the unit. Hopefully we can find out more information this week. Honeywell (Resideo) is currently demonstrating the panels at ISC West between April 10th and 12th. Unless the new hybrid panel has an ECP bus and it functions the same as the current Vista 20P Panel I doubt the Envislink 4 will work without some type of updates.
 
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smiticans said:
It's hard to tell without knowing the specs of the unit. Hopefully we can find out more information this week. Honeywell (Resideo) is currently demonstrating the panels at ISC West between April 10th and 12th. Unless the new hybrid panel has an ECP bus and it functions the same as the current Vista 20P Panel I doubt the Envislink 4 will work without some type of updates.
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A youtube video from last fall and tweet about ISC West are the only public info directly from Resideo. There are a few ADT installers with youtube channels who've posted a few videos on the ADT Command system.

I found the installation manual they submitted with their FCC filing:
https://fccid.io/CFS8DL-GRIPH/User-Manual/Installation-Manual-7-1-Part-1-3919544.pdf
FCC ID CFS8DL-GRIPH Hybrid Panel by Ademco Inc.

Unfortunately it just says "Refer to the MobileTech Installer app for programming instructions". It does have built in bluetooth, so presumably the app can program it that way. I imagine they'll restrict distribution of the app or require signing in to an account to use the app.

With DSC's Neo moving to an encrypted and faster bus protocol, I think it's likely these panels will do something similar.

@Uno any time you want to bring this back around to discussing cameras feel free to post questions, photos, blueprints, or diagrams of where your thinking of putting cameras.
 
smiticans said:
@tangent Hopefully the MobileTech Installer app only applies to the ADT panels. I'd be pretty pissed if end users were unable to access programming.

AlarmGrid created a blog post about the new Lyric. It's called the Resideo Pro SiX Series- ISC West 2019 - Resideo Pro SiX Series
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I'm sure there will still be local programming and imagine it will be similar to the Vista. I'm just looking at most of the newer alarm systems on the market with a cynical eye and imagining the meetings where they discussed ways to make the products a more closed system to maximize and protect their portion of the monitoring cost. Lyric lock certainly makes you think these sort of thoughts. I even wonder if the end user can make any changes to z-wave devices in the system themselves.

On the DSC Neo, one of the cellular / internet communicators provides an automation interface. Unfortunately there's no documentation available without paying a pretty penny and signing an NDA. I do know that it works with Control4. If DSC had been smarter here, the Neo would be very popular on home automation forums.

Have you ever played with an Interlogix Modular Hub? I haven't, but it has potential. It's too bad the 3.5" touchscreens can't directly control home automation (actions linked to arm/disarm are the only thing the 3.5" touchscreens can do; so much wasted potential... sigh). The 7" touchscreen only has a barrel jack for power and no direct data connection (wifi for everything), but does have access to automation functions.
 
I'm new here so my 2-cents may not be worth a plug nickle...A security and surveillance system for a home of this magnitude and construction type should have been designed and engineered prior to construction. This seems to be an after thought. Your client is asking for the impossible, and as you stated, this is out of your realm. In my opinion, look for a professional surveillance specialist in your area and set up a meeting with your client and have a complete set of Blue Prints available. Any further construction at this point is going to increase the difficulty ten fold. You will need a dedicated space/closet for a patch panel rack and frame for cabling along with power and internet access. Also a highly qualified electrician who can run conduit after the fact. If there is a budget, this will bust it...just saying. The backbone of any dependable security/surveillance system is hardwired...as in no wifi. As others has mentioned regarding ADT, I wouldn't trust them putting a motion detector on my doghouse; you'll get bit. :lol:
 
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ADT is the biggest scumbag alarm company of them all. They spend all their money on yard signs and polished commercials.

When I bought my house, it had an ADT locked Vista 20p Panel that was so badly done I had to redo the whole thing. It had 8 zones, yet I have 24 points of protection? I called to ask them to release it for me so I could redo the system and monitor it myself, they laughed at me. So I yanked it, bought a fresh 20P, a TC2 compatible chip, 2 zone expanders (now at 24 zones), some fresh smokes and motions detectors, a cellular radio and wired it all up. I knew NOTHING of alarms at the time, I just googled questions I had and got it done.

I have Geoarm doing the monitoring, and with one phone call they initiated the system and got connected to it. I did all the wiring, zone naming and programming and all the other local stuff. I can add sensors, rename zones, modify or expand the system all I want (and I do every now and then) and I don't have to call anybody.

I have full 24 zone remote ap control, completely monitored for police and fire, and pay $27 a month. ADT wanted over $50. I inquired once about video surveillance and almost threw up on the phone. It was some insane monthly numbers for 480p cloud cameras. The best they had. LMFAO GTFO.

Anybody that has any sort of DIY skill should go this route. Give yourself the freedom. ADT holds you and your equipment hostage.

I'd try to talk that owner out of it, just present the facts in a respectful way. ADT is for ignorant consumers. Almost any local independent alarm contractor would be better.
 
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