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DIY home security system

boomhower

boomhower

Diamond Member
I'm looking for a DIY wireless home security system that uses a cellular signal. Bonus points if it can be armed/disarmed from an iPhone. I would highly prefer a DIY solution but will consider going with a company.


Older thread started before Home and Garden existed and revived a couple of times. Moving it here as I'm sure it contains some useful information.
admin allisolm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I may be interested in this as well. Something with fire detection would be great too. I worry about the house burning down with the dog inside more than someone breaking in while I'm not there.
 
Saint Nick said:
Interested in this as well...have you found much online boomhower?
Click to expand...

I've been a little confused at what I'm finding but the GE Simon XT seems to be popping up a lot. Finding a monitoring service is a whole other ball of wax. One sight wanted $25 a month to send texts or emails and then another $30 if you wanted call center service where they contact the police/fire.

I've really just began looking so at the very start of the research.
 
It would be nice to have a system that just sends a text or call when something goes off. Bonus points for being able to view the cameras on the iPhone.
 
I hate the idea of paying monthly fees. I don't need someone to call the cops/fire for me. I guess maybe if I'm out in the sticks.
 
I did some research on this.

There are a couple different technologies that you will want to choose from, and then you get to use all the different products that use that tech, and you can get alerts for $10 a month or even less from a bunch of smaller companies.

X10
Z-Wave
I think there's a third. I decided pretty quickly on Z-Wave.

The most reputable company I found for the hardware (admittedly only did a couple hours of googling and reading security forums) was 2Gig, which uses Z-Wave technology:

http://www.2gig.com/products

You can control everything from your front door to the heating coils in the floor all from your iPhone or Android or PC. Your cameras, locks, alarms, appliances, and a continuing flood of new products pop up every day.

There are a few small companies out there that will allow you to self monitor for 10 bucks a month or maybe even less. This was a few weeks ago and I've since forgotten any names. Search z-wave forums and you'll have no problems.

Good luck.
 
boomhower said:
I've been a little confused at what I'm finding but the GE Simon XT seems to be popping up a lot. Finding a monitoring service is a whole other ball of wax. One sight wanted $25 a month to send texts or emails and then another $30 if you wanted call center service where they contact the police/fire.

I've really just began looking so at the very start of the research.
Click to expand...

I've had a Simon XT for a few years now and it's a pretty good system. All wireless, which at first I was kinda skeptical due to having batteries to keep track of, but none have died yet. I got it through a monitoring company though. I was looking into DIY solutions and by coincidence I ended up getting a sales guy from Reliance show up at my door to see if I was interested in a security system. I decided to at least let him show me his offer and ended up going with it.

Also got a fire detector and water detector from them, so it's extra piece of mind. Though if I want to add anything extra now it will cost me and it's rather expensive for each unit. So for the rest of the fire detectors I'll probably rig something up on my home environmental control system. Just need to find smoke detectors that have alarm point terminals.

I'm paying around 50/mo for monitoring which is kinda pricy but the service is very good and out of the tests/false alarms that have happened they were always on the ball. I sprayed water on the water sensor once and walked upstairs to see if I notice anything on the panel and before I even got to the stairs my phone rang, was the alarm company. The nice thing with having a monitoring service is if you are not around your phone or other communication device and something happens they can dispatch the cops/fire dept. My home insurance went down as well. So to me it's worth it just for the piece of mind. I don't worry as much now when I leave my house for long. I work 12 hour shifts sometimes at night, or day, so it's nice to know my house is protected. I'm in a "good" area of town, so that tends to be a bigger target. People are constantly checking doors.


For fully custom, another option is also looking at Arduino. You can do so much with those little boards. I think if I was to do it again, I'd go with that instead, and just have it dial 911 directly if it can't reach me.
 
The link I provided does everything except self monitoring.

Other options are always to use other alarm monitoring systems but buy yourself a traditional GSM adapter and add a $10 monthly line to your cell phone plan or something.

http://info.nextalarm.com/ is another popular cheaper monitoring service. I use them and every time I've talked to them have spoken to someone who was either in America, or spent most of their life here (from accents).
 
Red Squirrel said:
Until it gets a bullet in the head. Nothing beats a properly installed and configured electronic system.
Click to expand...

I agree that you can't go wrong with the security system, of course. However the comment about robbers shooting dogs is BS. They just move onto your neighbor who doesn't have a dog. Of course it could happen but I'd like to see stats showing all these dogs that are shot by robbers and how this is an ineffective method of home protection.

It's like saying "yeah being outside is great until a frozen block of urine kills you. Nothing beats being inside."

If someone decides they want what you have bad enough to storm the house and start shooting the place up, this is not just a simple burglary. Just give them the drugs and you might get out alive.
 
Check out the 2012 alarm monitoring thread over at the other hot deals forum. Might help out some. I'm looking for an alarm system myself.
 
I'm really liking the Z-Wave/2gig products. This isn't going to be my end all security solution but just another piece. I just had an eight camera surveillance system delivered today. I'm looking at this as something to not give the thugs time to find and take the DVR when I'm out of town. When I'm in town I have a Mastiff roaming around that seems to deter folks and there's almost always someone home. The water detectors are very intriging, didn't know they even existed.
 
I have a 2GIG alarm with monitored smoke/heat detector, Z-Wave thermostat, light controls, front door lock, etc. For video monitoring I use the Logitech Alert system. I can monitor it from my phone and the picture is way better than the DVR/camera packages. They are OK for monitoring movement, but not much more.
 
I just installed an alarm panel that was only used for smoke detectors. Easy to install they said, we'll provide wiring diagrams they said, our tech support is the best they said. I'm now on the third wiring diagram, and with every new diagram, a few new parts appear that I have to order. It's been an absolute nightmare and a clusterfuck. I'd have been far better off paying someone $1500 to install the system.
 
i have old iphone setup as an ipcam and an old logitech webcam. one pointed at the driveway and the other pointed across my backyard at the gate. i only set them to record when im out of town (motion detect). i use ispy for the control panel. setup up a zmodo 4channel set for my uncle. was <$200 and couldnt have been easier to setup. quality past 40ft kinda sucked though.
 
What ever happened to just getting a basic DVR/camera bundle for $100 and hooking it up on the wireless? Log in through the net like you do for all the movies/music stored on your PC.
 
I ran across a company by the name of simplisafe. You buy the equipment from them and then you can have them provide the service. Equipment costs seemed reasonable. Service $15-$25 depending on what you want. iPhone app is also there. Only thing I don't like is I don't see a fire alarm available.
 
joshsquall said:
I may be interested in this as well. Something with fire detection would be great too. I worry about the house burning down with the dog inside more than someone breaking in while I'm not there.
Click to expand...

That is why I installed a doggy door. The thought of the little bastards being trapped inside during a fire was too much to bear. At least they have a chance now. Sure, the flap is big enough for almost any meth-head to climb right through but I don't really care. Take whatever you want, don't pay any attention to the dogs, they won't hurt you.
 
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