Smart alarm system for home

[jelockwood]

I included the word 'smart' in the title although I remain to be convinced that there is such a beast, especially in the UK.

 

I am willing to accept that many UK alarm brands e.g. Honeywell, Texecom, etc. deliver a reliable and secure alarm system. Likely much more so than many US alarm systems and modern Internet orientated home wireless systems such as Yale, Ring, etc.

 

However I am looking for a system to discourage your average knuckle dragging crim rather than a sophisticated expert who can bypass anything. I am more interested in the basics, that it lend it self to a modern self monitoring smart home approach and that it not look so ugly that either I would have to cover it with a towel to avoid offending the eyes of my guests or to prefer being robbed rather than having to look at its sheer ugliness each time I enter or leave my home.

 

I am therefore referring to the fact that pretty much every alarm system in the UK is still afflicted with 'ye olde' numeric keypad as its main user interface. Unbelievably almost all modern Internet orientated alarm systems like Ring, Verisure, Simplisafe, etc. etc. are all still afflicted with numeric keypads. Even when a maker tries to offer an LCD touch screen interface e.g. Honeywell TouchCenter or Satel Integra touch screen they still are embarrassing disappointments. Texecom only offer a numeric keypad and their 'shiny, shiny' Texecom Premier Elite keypad is one of the most visually offensive ones.

 

The Honeywell Galaxy TouchCenter is particularly embarrassing. It apparently was launched as recently as December 2016 but when you look at its appearance and technology - 640x480 VGA resolution and hideous graphics you might think it was developed in the mid 80's! As a contrast and showing what can and should be done Honeywell have the 6290w touch panel for use with Honeywell Vista Panels in the US. The Honeywell GX app actually seems to give a user interface similar to the 6290w touch screen. As a stop-gap measure I am therefore considering the possibility of wall mounting a tablet dedicated to running this app.

 

I would therefore like to see the following.

 

1. It look acceptable and take advantage of modern technology to offer a LCD touchscreen with appropriate user interface like the Honeywell 6290w.
2. It should recognise the growth of smart home systems and allow at least some level of integration
3. These days one would logically expect that a system would take advantage of a touch screen user interface to both display a plan view of a house showing the locations of each sensor and which has been triggered and to make it easier to selectively enable/disable sensors and zones. It is something one seems to see often for many years in TV shows but sadly still apparently unavailable in real life.

 

Am I right in thinking that currently there is still nothing like I describe in the UK?

 

The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 also looks ok but I am guessing it is also US only. (It apparently uses PowerG wireless signalling - whatever that is.)

 

With regards to the smart home side of things, I see no reason why the alarm sensors could not be safely read by a smart home system so that for example motion detected by a PIR even when the alarm is not 'armed' could be used to trigger activating lights. Indeed this is one of the common scenarios for a so called 'smart' alarm. However other things like linking to smart video door bells, smart door locks, smart Internet cameras, Nest Protect smoke sensors, and so on would be desirable. Whilst dedicated alarm company IP cameras, smoke sensors etc. all work they are generally grotesquely ugly, obscenely expensive and far dumber than smart home products.

Edited April 15, 2020 by jelockwood

[PeterJames]

There isnt really anything as you describe but with app based alarm systems its not that hard to make something like that with a driod tab, I did this for my own use but I rarely use it for the alarm. The other problem with expensive keypads is that nobody wants to spend the extra money, especially if they are only likely to be burgled by opportunists . Many people like to keep things simple in most cases buttons are rarely used on a domestic alarm most would use a fob for arming and disarming, I do part set  and quick set areas and theyre  couple to buttons press. When my alarm goes off (Never happens) my smartphone tells me vocally what has activated I dont have to look at it unless I want to disarm it from my phone 

 

Much as I like the concept of a touchscreen keypad with a nice display, I use mine more to answer the door, look at the CCTV, control the heating, switch lights on and off, than I do to control the alarm. 

Oh and I would disagree about the dumb IP cameras AI is the new thing in CCTV 

[sixwheeledbeast]

Most systems have options prox tags or an app, you don't need to have the keypad on show just on the entry route. It's possible to have a setup where it would be used only for programming or with UDL maybe none at all.

They could also interface into whatever you want if within reason if you know what your doing, it just needs engineering its not plug and play like consumer pitched tat.

The Texecom range of keypads are widely considered very good in aesthetics there's a massive range of them too, colours and finishes.

Keypads are still a thing for the same reason remote controls are still a thing, they do there job efficiently and cost effectively with no compatibility issues.

I can't see a pretty touch screen being any more useful, ideally interactions with these systems are minimal and programmed in a way to be simple for that customer.

 

Smart is just a buzz word to push tat, I have yet to see any of these smart labelled things do anything "smart" for the user.

As for the manufacturers they make there money tracking everything you do, very smart marketing and a different industry altogether...

Security installers fit kit designed to the UK standards, doubt any of that "smart" stuff your thinking of could pass these or would hold up in a break in.

I can't agree with your ugly, dumb and expensive comments either there's so much kit out there how could you have seen it all fitted professionally.

[MrHappy]

1 hour ago, jelockwood said:

I would have to cover it with a towel to avoid offending the eyes of my guests or to prefer being robbed rather than having to look at its sheer ugliness each time I enter or leave my home.

 

 

hello Laurence & welcome to TSI

[datadiffusion]

2 hours ago, jelockwood said:

However I am looking for a system to discourage your average knuckle dragging crim rather than a sophisticated expert who can bypass anything.

 

In which case, dummy bellbox every time, for a perfect fit between price and ongoing maintainance liabilities. Plus no ugly controls to cover with a teatowel!

 

And I'd make it a knuckle dragger recognisable brand, e.g, Yale or ADT

Edited April 15, 2020 by datadiffusion

[PeterJames]

17 minutes ago, datadiffusion said:

 

In which case, dummy bellbox every time, for a perfect fit between price and ongoing maintainance liabilities. Plus no ugly controls to cover with a teatowel!

 

And I'd make it a knuckle dragger recognisable brand, e.g, Yale or ADT

Or a readers digest suggestion  

[datadiffusion]

No sodding way?

[al-yeti]

2 hours ago, MrHappy said:

 

 

hello Laurence & welcome to TSI

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

1 hour ago, PeterJames said:

Or a readers digest suggestion  

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

6 minutes ago, Logan said:

Sorry datadiffusion  you are going to have to lower your install cost by 98%

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

3 hours ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Most systems have options prox tags or an app, you don't need to have the keypad on show just on the entry route. It's possible to have a setup where it would be used only for programming or with UDL maybe none at all.

They could also interface into whatever you want if within reason if you know what your doing, it just needs engineering its not plug and play like consumer pitched tat.

The Texecom range of keypads are widely considered very good in aesthetics there's a massive range of them too, colours and finishes.

Keypads are still a thing for the same reason remote controls are still a thing, they do there job efficiently and cost effectively with no compatibility issues.

I can't see a pretty touch screen being any more useful, ideally interactions with these systems are minimal and programmed in a way to be simple for that customer.

 

Smart is just a buzz word to push tat, I have yet to see any of these smart labelled things do anything "smart" for the user.

As for the manufacturers they make there money tracking everything you do, very smart marketing and a different industry altogether...

Security installers fit kit designed to the UK standards, doubt any of that "smart" stuff your thinking of could pass these or would hold up in a break in.

I can't agree with your ugly, dumb and expensive comments either there's so much kit out there how could you have seen it all fitted professionally.

OP BUY A GOOD LOOKING DOG 

[PeterJames]

2 minutes ago, al-yeti said:

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

Good post in this thread others to long including op nonsense 

Thanks Judge Judy

[al-yeti]

11 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

Thanks Judge Judy

Cheers , and you going striaght to slammer to meet zed