Poll: Home security System

[DB is Here]

Camera system is one we installed ourselves

I put in 4 Wyze camera's...far more value than the $20 I paid for them...plus no monthly charges.

 

[TDH]

So a direct competitor to Simplisafe? I'll check it out.

Yes pretty much, I use the slim strips on my windows and doors and you don't even know they are there. Battery backup, cellular backup, and several different monitoring plans. Self, Self + only when you want professional monitoring, or professional monitoring all the time. I have a few z-wave light switches, and plugs and I can use in routines as well. When I arm my alarm it turns off all my garage lights, if it gets above X degrees in the garage turn on the fan, etc... I even have a sensor on my safe door, I don't have it trigger the alarm, but it emails me.

 

[CoastRange57]

We have had SimpliSafe for about three years now. Very pleased with it. Got pretty much everything they offer. Looking at the camera system now, but need exterior cameras. We have one in a commercial building retail store and it works great too. Price is reasonable and do is the monthly fee.

I cannot imagine how any one would not have some kind of system today given all the options out there.

 

[partsed]

SimpliSafe here, easy setup and like the phone app that allows you to arm/disarm the system, view the camera and view history.

 

[tourproto]

Been in our home for 10+ years so have no idea what is current tech for home security systems.

We had our system hardwired into our house when we built it.

Love it, literally nothing that can go wrong with it unless a mouse gets into the walls and chews the wiring. I supposed the head unit could go bad but that could happen with any system.

We pay $200/year for monitoring and we have to have a landline (we have triple play so not a big deal from a cost standpoint) because that is how the system calls out when the alarm trips. Every window and door on the ground floor is covered and 4 motion detectors that are tuned to ignore our cats, so no false alarms.

Our prior house was setup with ADT and we had all the wireless sensors on the doors and windows and we were constantly changing batteries.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

I wanted to go with a local company and went with Portland Security Alarm for my business. They provided great customer service during installation and every time I called in with questions. I only went with door sensors and motion sensors, but they offered video and other products/services as well.

 

[DB is Here]

i wanted to update this thread, 2 months ago I went with Simplysafe. Super easy to install, now I have every entry point covered. So far so good. Thanks all that contributed.

 

[Howard1955]

As of today, I'm shopping for a home security system.

It needs to be able to call the sheriff if I'm away from home, take high-quality video of intruders, and wake me up if someone breaks in during the night. A central station for turning the system on & off would be handy.

Our place is a tiny little farmhouse. I'm thinking a motion-activated camera in each room should do the trick. But which system will do the loud alarm and call the sheriff?

 

[DB is Here]

But which system will do the loud alarm and call the sheriff?

Most have a loud alarm and even exterior sirens if you option them. I don't believe any system will call the Sheriff directly, which would be done through your alarm monitoring service.

 

[Howard1955]

Most have a loud alarm and even exterior sirens if you option them. I don't believe any system will call the Sheriff directly, which would be done through your alarm monitoring service.

Thanks.

 

[osprey]

I have been happy with a blink camera system for my relatively low crime area. Once you buy the gear the monitoring app is free. I know it would not suffice for many of your situations but it is perfect for mine. Three cameras cover all possible entrances to house and unless the are hiking through the woods The shop is covered as well. Alerts my mobile for me to review and I am 5 minutes to home from my work so they would have to be quick to get anything of value. Cameras are good enough to recognize faces and vehicle colors and types but can't read lic plates. I have all but one mounted where most do not even notice them. Sometimes I catch a pud gal's nice posterior but other times the ups man picking his nose .

 

[Retired Guy]

I've been looking at the SimpliSafe system too. Did anyone get the inside motion sensors? I was wondering if those can be selectively turned off? That is, at night when I head to bed, I would want all the perimeter security on but don't want to set it off if I get up in the middle of the night and walk to the kitchen. I guess the other answer would be to not get motion sensors and just put sensors at all the entry points.

 

[TDH]

I know with Abode you can turn certain sensors off when either in Home vs Away mode. I think the motion sensors are not active by default, but hopefully someone with SS can chime it. IIRC they were off by default on my old alarm system too.


I also have Blink cameras on my exterior of my home, as the comments mentioned above they work really well. I tried Arlo for a week, but it took too long to come out of sleep mode.

 

[Tony617]

We have SimpliSafe one and it very easy to install. You need to pay for the cell service so you can be called before the authorities are dispatched. I pay $24.99 since we have cameras installed which you need a WiFi router to connect to your cameras. You can see in real time what is happening with your camera.

I bought motion and glass breakage detectors, entry sensors for all of the doors, water leakage detectors for all of the facets and one to put in drip pan for the water heater, and two cameras.

We also bought one smoke alarm, and one freeze detector. The freeze detector is by our furnace thermostat. We got one camera for free and paid $99 for a second camera. I also bought 3 panic buttons for each bedroom and also bought two FOBs.

Really happy with it. Just need by buy a visual door bell from SimpliSafe safe snd maybe two more cameras.If you the cameras outside the you need to by the out kit with a camera protector and includes the longer power cable so you A/C to power the cameras which might be negative for some people.

There is battery in the base station which connects to the cellular network and so we put all of the cell phone numbers in in who to call. If they call and don't want authorities called you must them "the safe" word.

They support both iPhone and Android apps and you can disarm the system before opening the door. Others you have 30 seconds to disarm by going to the keypad and enter you PIN.

 

[Tony617]

I've been looking at the SimpliSafe system too. Did anyone get the inside motion sensors? I was wondering if those can be selectively turned off? That is, at night when I head to bed, I would want all the perimeter security on but don't want to set it off if I get up in the middle of the night and walk to the kitchen. I guess the other answer would be to not get motion sensors and just put sensors at all the entry points.

When you go to bed you put in "Home" mode which disables the motion detectors. Given the weight of a human the motion sensor would probably go off. The do have switch so if have dog or cat you can turn the sensitivity lower. If you have a cat the you need to mount the motion sensor higher so the cat cannot climb up.

 

[Alexx1401]

As of today, I'm shopping for a home security system.

It needs to be able to call the sheriff if I'm away from home, take high-quality video of intruders, and wake me up if someone breaks in during the night. A central station for turning the system on & off would be handy.

Our place is a tiny little farmhouse. I'm thinking a motion-activated camera in each room should do the trick. But which system will do the loud alarm and call the sheriff?

As long as you have Cell service Simplysafe will do what you want. It will as DB mentioned call 911 to dispatch. The min package I bought comes with 2 motion sensors and one camera. I can add camera's, motions sensors, glass break, door/ window sensors, panic buttons, to my liking. They really make a great set up. I opted for the next level up so we can control it from our phones too. Both of us have set it off one time so far. Both times we heard from them in seconds. The time I did it I forgot there was a panic button on the controller and pushed it when I went to run through the menu for updates. They were on the phone in seconds and I could see the camera went live with them watching what I was doing as I disarmed it. When wife set it off she disarmed it, then when they called she gave the safe word. She was super excited that she set it off. The dispatch called her back after a few to check on her and make sure she was not giving the safe word under durres because they could hear she was excited. They also called me to tell me so I could check. The camera goes live any time I disarm or the system triggers. So they can see what is happening. So if someone has broken in they will see it and when they phone in the alarm can tell 911 they see people in the house. I could not be happier with how it works and the price. It was dead simple to set up and can go with us when we move.

 

[Alexx1401]

When you go to bed you put in "Home" mode which disables the motion detectors. Given the weight of a human the motion sensor would probably go off. The do have switch so if have dog or cat you can turn the sensitivity lower. If you have a cat the you need to mount the motion sensor higher so the cat cannot climb up.

When I set ours up they have a chart to show you how to prevent animals from setting it off. I mounted the motion sensors upside down at a level the dogs can't get in the field but people walking around would assuming they are not crawling along the floor . They showed if you have cats you just aim them so they are not pointing at anything a cat can jump into the field. Really great system for how easy it is to set up.

 

[Tony617]

I have tested my SimpliSafe safe alarm only and have not set it off yet. Probably at some point it be set in "Home" mode and i will open the garage door. I have the home mode to alarm instantly.

If anyone has a SimpliSafe system add a water leak sensor to your water heater at least.

The alarm does a self test every day from what I can see on my cell phone app. I am assuming that tests the connection to the cellular network.

 

[Camelfilter]

Had Comcast in the old house, have SimpliSafe in the new house.

Like SimpliSafe better. Costs less, easy setup, buncha different sensors & such.

Had a problem with SimpliSafe & the cell connection initially, called them, they sent out a new unit with a different cell carrier in it. No problems since.

AT&T in the first unit, Verizon in the swap out unit. However we use AT&T at home fine, so it must have been an internal antenna problem, or some such.

 

[Tony617]

When testing the SimpliSafe alarm you set the alarm in test mode and the base station gives a voice message about what sensor is being activated. So when you the test the glass breakage sensor, you clap your hands. For motion you walk down the hallway or where ever you put the detector.

We have the alarm in the home that we're planning on retiring to.