Home intruder alarm

drugdeel

So I decided to install an intruder alarm, asked for a quote and got a reply
Intruder Alarm System:

2 x Door Shock & Read contacts

4 x PIR Motion sensors

1 x Alarm Control Panel

1 x Keypad

1 x Battery Back up

1 x Internal Sounder

1 x External Sounder inc. Strobe


Labour, cable, testing & commissioning

Total Suply & Fit: €948


Alarm Optional Extras:

GSM Dialler inc. World Sim for Alarm Monitoring via Text and Smartphone App

Supply & Fit Total €250


Annual GSM Server Fee €120 (€10 per month)
*Fees paid yearly in advance via Direct Debit

Is this price alright? I was expecting less than that, house is prewired.

jon1981

You realise this will not prevent a burglar breaking through the window? So potentially the first time the alarm will have triggered is when the burglar has broke/forced a window and stepped into an area where the PIR is located.

What system is it? The price will vary wildly depending on the brand.

drugdeel

jon1981 wrote: »

You realise this will not prevent a burglar breaking through the window? So potentially the first time the alarm will have triggered is when the burglar has broke/forced a window and stepped into an area where the PIR is located.

What system is it? The price will vary wildly depending on the brand.

Well PIR basically based in front of Windows, so no need for window sensors, as per manufacturer I think it's HKC.

jon1981

drugdeel wrote: »

Well PIR basically based in front of Windows, so no need for window sensors, as per manufacturer I think it's HKC.

HKC would be the higher end alright. Price looks on par with what I've been quoted by HKC installers alright. In the market myself at the moment.

kub

drugdeel wrote:

Well PIR basically based in front of Windows, so no need for window sensors, as per manufacturer I think it's HKC.

Did a professional installer really say that?

KoolKid

drugdeel wrote: »

Well PIR basically based in front of Windows, so no need for window sensors, as per manufacturer I think it's HKC.

:eek::eek:
Protection via PiRs alone is useless. Your alarm is not going to activate untill after the burglar has gained entry.
At that stage he has done the hard work and wont be leaving empty handed so what good do you think your alarm is going to do.??

Also if you are paying that ammount for app & app monitoring look in this
These are HKCs charges and features

Standard - €4.99 per month (Incl. VAT)
Managed World SIM
Unlimited App control + notifications
SMS control + notifications, fair usage limit 50 messages per month
(* Alarm activations only)
Monitoring to Central Station
(GSM-SC Only)
Loss of connectivity to site detected within 5 hours

Premium - €7.00 per month (Incl. VAT)
Managed World SIM
Unlimited App control + notifications
SMS control + notifications, fair usage limit 100 messages per month
(* Alarm activations only)
Voice dialler notifications
Monitoring to Central Station
(GSM-SC Only)
Loss of connectivity reported to central station
(GSM-SC Only)
Loss of connectivity to site detected within 90 min

Most other are cheaper or free & have comm fail notification from 5 -15 minutes.

Lenny

Standard - €4.99 per month (Incl. VAT)
Managed World SIM
Unlimited App control + notifications
SMS control + notifications, fair usage limit 50 messages per month
(* Alarm activations only)
Monitoring to Central Station
(GSM-SC Only)
Loss of connectivity to site detected within 5 h

I Hhave a quantum 70,it has the gsm simcard, I usually top it up with a tenner ever few months,
Woukd I be able to avail of that fiver a month option, do I contact hkc directly for that?

KoolKid

If you have engineer access you can set it up directly with HKC here

https://securecomm.hkc.ie/

drugdeel

kub wrote: »

Did a professional installer really say that?

No he didn't, that totally all me.

drugdeel

KoolKid wrote: »

:eek::eek:
Protection via PiRs alone is useless. Your alarm is not going to activate untill after the burglar has gained entry.
At that stage he has done the hard work and wont be leaving empty handed so what good do you think your alarm is going to do.??

Well let's say if burglar will come noone will help, and window sensors won't be as useful, the only thing that if something happens and you nearby you can check it out. Alarm is more attention thing which burglar try to avoid. I was with Securitas as mobile patrol officer, attending alarms and so on, response time at best 15-20 min, but Garda have never beated me in 2 years, so even with window sensors, if noone around to attend right away, you already lost something..

kub

drugdeel wrote:

Well let's say if burglar will come noone will help, and window sensors won't be as useful, the only thing that if something happens and you nearby you can check it out. Alarm is more attention thing which burglar try to avoid. I was with Securitas as mobile patrol officer, attending alarms and so on, response time at best 15-20 min, but Garda have never beated me in 2 years, so even with window sensors, if noone around to attend right away, you already lost something..

Small little bit of common sense, a guy comes to a window or door and attempts to get in, I say attempts.
The alarm activates before he gets in.

Or a guy comes to a window or door, attempts to get in, succeeds in getting in, he moves across a room and then the alarm activates.

The second option above suggests that he will continue to do as he intended to do as he has gained access, as in the hard part is done.

The first option has the system activating before he gets in.

I am sure having spent some time as a security officer you get the bit about common sense.

kub

KoolKid wrote:

If you have engineer access you can set it up directly with HKC here

Surely your link relates to the GSM SC, that is not much good when someone is topping up their own SIM it is the older HKC GSM unit.

KoolKid

But he has a quantum and has the option to add on and avail of it.
That's the question I was answering.

kub

KoolKid wrote:

But he has a quantum and has the option to add on and avail of it. That's the question I was answering.

But surely HKC cannot take over the pay as you go SIM.

Lenny

kub wrote: »

But surely HKC cannot take over the pay as you go SIM.

Oh I would expect not being able to use my current PAYG sim card,
I will look at the hkc link and go through the options, do they post the new sim?
my alarm panel and gsm is about 5/6 years old,I assume the current gsm unit I HVe is sufficient enough,

fred funk }{

Lenny wrote: »

Oh I would expect not being able to use my current PAYG sim card,
I will look at the hkc link and go through the options, do they post the new sim?
my alarm panel and gsm is about 5/6 years old,I assume the current gsm unit I HVe is sufficient enough,

If you got the more modern GSM-SC you'd get the app for your alarm also. It comes will the SIM built in but you'd have the outlay of the new unit.

Lenny

fred funk }{ wrote: »

If you got the more modern GSM-SC you'd get the app for your alarm also. It comes will the SIM built in but you'd have the outlay of the new unit.

Will I open my 70 see what type of gsm is in it?
Ive signed up for it there, so hopefully when it arrives just a matter of popping the sim in!
When my alarm goes off it txts 3 people, and then when u disarm it, and then to rearm so that is 9 texts, that costs about 1.20 each time.
OK I've held off signing up, until I check if I have the older gsm unit or the gsm screen,

KoolKid

Lenny wrote: »

Oh I would expect not being able to use my current PAYG sim card,
,

He's knows quite well that's not what I meant Lenny.
As fred said you have the option to upgrade the communicator and avail of the alerts and app services I posted earlier.

drugdeel

<SNIP>
Yes please

stuartkee

How dare you come on here to self promote your company.
At least tell him the truth.
Home secure engineer locked the panel FACT
Home secure Zero wire panel CANNOT take an outside ringing bellbox FACT.
Home secure plug the panel into a socket FACT.
Home secure are a hard sales company like phonewatch just a different hat .
Get a local company to install a proper alarm that ringing outside and a brand of alarm that's not unique to a company so at least you have a choice later on if you want someone else to service it . Plus most local company's can do monitoring for €17 / €18 a month which is half of what home secure is asking.

<SNIP>

kub

They must be desperate for customers considering they have to come onto boards and break boards rules about advertising.
What a joke.

OP most of us here are professional installers, listen to our advice please.

drugdeel

stuartkee wrote: »

Get a local company to install a proper alarm that ringing outside and a brand of alarm that's not unique to a company so at least you have a choice later on if you want someone else to service it . Plus most local company's can do monitoring for €17 / €18 a month which is half of what home secure is asking.

<SNIP>

Can anyone recommend any company in around Bettystown?