Alarm system and video intercom

[orica]

It's one of big volume builders and getting any details from them is one hell of a trouble.

Requested today to send me drawings to see what and how they are planning to do this.

Hopefully their electrical team knows what they are doing. As we have requested for rough ins what they always do for standard plans. We are only planning to install our preferred system post handover by licensed professional.

[TheAlarmGuy]

As Dan and I have said, just make sure the intercom power is located with the alarm panel and not next to or near the handset, it will look awful and you will never hear the end of it from your partner!

Re: the Bosch PIRs in an NX kit, the eBay link you posted isn't a bad price for 4 of those, it's not much above trade price! So see if you can supply those or just ask the installer for different PIRs although you will probably find the installer will put a bigger markup on them

[orica]

That makes perfect sense now not to have power point right next to monitors.

I had a chat with our building admin yesterday and she promised to send me electrical drawing for approval first before any work will commence. She wasn't sure about cabling type but going to follow up for me to find out further details on cabling type they are going to use both for alarm and intercom.

I'm also leaning towards buying all major components by myself from reputed sellers either eBay or non eBay.

Just a question as we don't have any pets does it worth spending extra on Bosch tri tech blue line? It's not about just money, more about technology used in tritech is worth if you don't have and intend to have pets?

Any recommended brand model for internal and external sirens? Or are they all same quality?

So great full to have all my novice question answered by experts here.

[orica]

btw builder is charging following for alarms and intercom:

Hills nx-4 with 4 pir and navvoice pad fully installed with 2 wireless remotes. ($1449).

Dorani with 7", 2 monitors system fully installed ($2200).

do you guys think, effort I'm putting to get better component is worth it or should just pay builder (price is reasonable)?

other half thinks that I'm becoming fussy for nothing, lol.

[downunderdan]

We now specify 'pet friendly' PIRS for all domestic installations regardless of whether there is a pet today or not. Situations, lifestyles and tenants change and we are committed to false alarm reduction.

[orica]

Thanks Dan, that's fair enough. It's better to spend bit extra at start and go with better technology.

I checked on Bosch specs and apparently blue line tritech works even better with switching off pet sensitive switch.

[downunderdan]

Careful. Unless they've changed the design, removing the sticker which obscures the look down lens on a Bosch is a one way irreversible adjustment.

That is, once you change from pet immune to catch-everything, you can't change back.

The 'improvement' is negligible.

[orica]

Thanks for the heads up Dan.

[orica]

Now i'm inclining more towards Kocom intercom, as it integrates well with Hills R-128.



but would need additional monitor for upstairs.

just another question, as i want to arm whole ground floor but not the first floor, this means we need 2 partitions?

Hills 12 and 128 offers 2 and 8 partitions. not sure if Hills 12 would be enough to achieve what i'm after or better to go with Hills 128 being higher grade unit?

[orica]

I have don't bit more research on alarm systems IP friendly over NBN.

No longer concern intercom integration with alarm system.

Here are final two choices narrowed down to:

1. Hills R128 with ComNav.
2. Bosch Solution 144 with CM751B.

both will use same model wired PIRs.

Which one would you recommend between these two?

[downunderdan]

What is the purpose of the CM751B? It won't really help you be professionally monitored as it is for communication with a Bosch specific receiver that is rarely supported. It is more suited to campus-wide monitoring.

For that you'd be looking at a mainstream IP monitoring system e.g. Permaconn, Fratech, Emizon, Telstra Secure etc.

[TheAlarmGuy]

Further to Dans point about the CM751B - it also does not allow self monitoring if you were considering going down the phone app road. The Solution panel doesnt even have an app other than a SMS shortcut app to arm and disarm and that requires the GSM/GPRS module which will eliminate the use of the CM751B module as it takes up that input!

[orica]

Perfect, thanks guys. Then decision is easy. We will go with Hills R128.

Are we expecting any new alarm system or IP support module like ComNav from hills in next 6 months?

[kiwitech]

very funny.......... the Comnav was released about three years ago and they have done virtual nothing to it since. Even the app to control it was written by a third party from this forum and is not a Hills approved product as far as I know. Try six years maybe if their previous product release's are anything to go by.

[bet2win]

I have seen Comnav Version 2 which has it own 'Hills' app and no need of port forwarding, as Hills have developed their own 'cloud' bullshit. The SMS feature has been dropped from it also, but comnav version 2 hasnt officially been released yet. No ETA yet.

[downunderdan]

Orica,

You've not answered the question. What are you contemplating by way of monitoring? Remote arm/disarm is fantastic for commercial premises but (in my experience) of relatively little use in a domestic situation. Remote opening or unlocking of doors can be useful but can also be achieved outboard from the panel e.g. with Permaconn's app and a relay control.

I agree with bet2win's caveat about 'cloud bullshit' as these services can disappear if a vendor loses interest. On the other hand anything involving port forwarding can be a giant pain in the arse, as your alarm panel should go for 5-10 years but your home network will change a lot more frequently than that. So 'cloud bullshit' (has anyone trademarked that?) is part of the answer.

[orica]

I haven't thought about monitoring so far. Our build will be completed in next 4-5 months.

As house is a double story, it's my preference to make sure al cabling will be done during construction phase.

It's my main focus to make sure we use quality products which can be looked after by any local security installer. That's why not looking into yumcha products on eBay or Internet.

Only reason why looking into Kocom as it's recommended by Hills.

I don't mind going for gsm setup at all. Not lived in nbn area before which makes me nervous with alarm systems. As from internet reading my understanding is that our security industry wasn't ready for NBN, and they aren't quick enough to embrace new technologies.

It doesn't make sense to pay $20 per month to keep a line active on NBN which is basically a VoIP service at the end of the day.

[orica]

Orica,

You've not answered the question. What are you contemplating by way of monitoring? Remote arm/disarm is fantastic for commercial premises but (in my experience) of relatively little use in a domestic situation. Remote opening or unlocking of doors can be useful but can also be achieved outboard from the panel e.g. with Permaconn's app and a relay control.

I agree with bet2win's caveat about 'cloud bullshit' as these services can disappear if a vendor loses interest. On the other hand anything involving port forwarding can be a giant pain in the arse, as your alarm panel should go for 5-10 years but your home network will change a lot more frequently than that. So 'cloud bullshit' (has anyone trademarked that?) is part of the answer.

I'm not into clouds crap either. Cloud and big data aren't my cup of tea

All want to receive msgs if alarm will go off, and can arm/disarm incase not sure after leaving home. Anything else would be a bonus.

[Godzilla]

Hi Orica, long time no speak.

Im guessing your building in Craigiburn or there about....

Get the best you can afford.

We had Craigiburn coppers over the other night for a chat after they saw we had a CCTV system, last week the house 2 doors down had a car broken into and things stolen, this week the guy over the road had the whole house ransacked and things stolen, alarm short circuited (we believe) the moment they pulled the detector off the ceiling and took a nice chunk of plaster down with it.

Not so much a few things to go missing, its the invasion of privacy and the total mess they leave behind, i couldn't believe what they went through and the total mess left behind when i walked in with the owner thinking they might still be inside.

Buy best, pay once and sleep at night, something not worth skimping on, our side of town has a high level of break-ins and crime.

[orica]

Hi Orica, long time no speak.

Im guessing your building in Craigiburn or there about....

Get the best you can afford.

We had Craigiburn coppers over the other night for a chat after they saw we had a CCTV system, last week the house 2 doors down had a car broken into and things stolen, this week the guy over the road had the whole house ransacked and things stolen, alarm short circuited (we believe) the moment they pulled the detector off the ceiling and took a nice chunk of plaster down with it.

Not so much a few things to go missing, its the invasion of privacy and the total mess they leave behind, i couldn't believe what they went through and the total mess left behind when i walked in with the owner thinking they might still be inside.

Buy best, pay once and sleep at night, something not worth skimping on, our side of town has a high level of break-ins and crime.

Thanks mate, yeah long time no chat. You still live at same place?

We are building in craigieburne. It's exciting to build but same time didn't know all limitations come with double storey houses.

I met a local security installer, but he was keen in selling whatever he had on premium price. That didn't make sense to me. So decided to take help from our pro and expert forum members here. I'm very happy to get all the advises and tips here.

Now trying to make sure to get best gear without making it over complicated.

Those ba**rds should be thrown in jails. A friend of mine had break-in in his house. They used kitchen knifes to cut wall plaster in different rooms. Made their newly built house just a misery.

What I heard lately that double story houses are most vulnerable as break ins happen all in ground floor while families are asleep upstairs.