cwh
PowerDork
5/5/16 7:50 p.m.
In the past, I have suggested this system. I recently had a dear friend that wanted a system for her new apartment. I told her that she should buy the Simplysafe system. She bought the base unit for 199.00. And she wanted me to put it in for her. End result? Total time was less than one hour. Big deal is no phone line connection, all is done by cell phone. 15.00 per month, no contract. Easy to follow instructions, all parts are easy to install. I really cannot think of a better alarm system for almost any application. Oh, I do not sell theses or have any financial interest in them, just really feel it is a really good way to protect a home or small business.
$15.00 covers monitoring? Parts of Broward can be sketchy.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2016/02/17/simplisafe-alarm-attacks/#165f36ab79a3
Is there a remote scorched earth option in case of break in? I'll need to clear my browser history with extreme prejudice. Nothing extravagant, just the ability to trigger a small thermonuclear device.
Huckleberry wrote:
Is there a remote scorched earth option in case of break in? I'll need to clear my browser history with extreme prejudice. Nothing extravagant, just the ability to trigger a small thermonuclear device.
wire an electromagnetic in the case to the alarm system. Alarm goes off, HDD goes mechanical failure
cwh
PowerDork
5/6/16 9:26 a.m.
You want an alarm system that cannot be defeated? I have done that, but the cost will be extreme. Central monitoring via a dedicated phone line, ~150.00 per month. Signal to central station in an encrypted format. All hardwired contacts with balanced magnetic contacts. All circuits with end of line resistors. Concealed contacts on doors not usually protected. Motion detectors duplicated, so if one is defeated the other one will fire. Outside siren with it's own power supply in the housing. It can get truly wild. BUT!! For a reasonably effective system, none of this is needed. If you have a large gun collection, expensive jewelry, keep a lot of cash at home, or have criminal associates, maybe you should check into more sophisticated alarms, not what is mass marketed. Not easy to find companies that can / will do these.
WilD
HalfDork
5/6/16 9:52 a.m.
In reply to cwh:
I am intrigued. Am I correct that only the "base station" get's plugged into a wall outlet and all of the peripheral sensors and the key pad run on batteries?
Huckleberry wrote:
Is there a remote scorched earth option in case of break in? I'll need to clear my browser history with extreme prejudice. Nothing extravagant, just the ability to trigger a small thermonuclear device.
Nuclear option is tough with all the international watchdogs. You could get a similar effect with a fuel/air device.
cwh
PowerDork
5/6/16 10:01 a.m.
WilD wrote:
In reply to cwh:
I am intrigued. Am I correct that only the "base station" get's plugged into a wall outlet and all of the peripheral sensors and the key pad run on batteries?
Yes, the base station is plugged in, all sensors are battery powered. Base has a standby battery. Also monitors cell signal strength. Sensors are mounted with sticky tape. I really liked the cell connection. Cutting the phone line is one of the first things burglars learn while in jail. Also makes installation easier.
Interesting. Couple of thoughts. In the event of a localized but large power outage (say a major ice storm or similar) how long does the BBU keep the system up? What are the chances of cell towers losing power in something similar and disabling the system? (I know, probably not your biggest concern in that scenario, just curious)
More mundane - does it notify you in some way if the sensor battery dies? Are the sensor batteries common types or some odd watch battery? Do they all use the same battery? Does the unit notify you if it loses cell signal?
cwh
PowerDork
5/6/16 10:44 a.m.
ultraclyde wrote:
Interesting. Couple of thoughts. In the event of a localized but large power outage (say a major ice storm or similar) how long does the BBU keep the system up? What are the chances of cell towers losing power in something similar and disabling the system? (I know, probably not your biggest concern in that scenario, just curious)
More mundane - does it notify you in some way if the sensor battery dies? Are the sensor batteries common types or some odd watch battery? Do they all use the same battery? Does the unit notify you if it loses cell signal?
Battery in base is good for 8 hours, rechargeable. All batteries are monitored for strength. Batteries are basic common sizes. Cell towers go down, you are notified. Biggest concern around here will be hurricanes, but you will have a lot of company then.
Huckleberry wrote:
Is there a remote scorched earth option in case of break in? I'll need to clear my browser history with extreme prejudice. Nothing extravagant, just the ability to trigger a small thermonuclear device.
Yeah, ethernet capable arduino, little packet of thermite on top of the drive.
I've been looking into switching from our current rather expensive ADT which we'll be out from under the contract for shortly over to Simplisafe, so it's good hearing that it's easy enough to install at least. In running the numbers there isn't a savings for us over just a year because of the up-front cost of the hardware (though I haven't really fully investigated getting it used from eBay or the likes), but it gets solidly cheaper the longer you look at it because after that even with the advanced monitoring where you can do stuff from you smartphone it's still like half the amount per month that ADT charges...
cwh
PowerDork
5/6/16 6:55 p.m.
As a professional in this trade, I DISPISE Tyco / ADT. Bad service, sneaky contracts, poor quality installs. Much better to deal with a local company. They might not have the neat advertising, but will be far more accommodating for a homeowner. Sad, because "back in the day", ADT was truly the cream of the crop. Then Tyco and the accountants took over.
my method of keeping people from breaking into my home and stealing my stuff is to not have anything worth breaking in to steal and a driveway full of cars that show how much of a waste of time it would be for someone to even think about breaking in.
NOHOME
PowerDork
5/7/16 4:01 p.m.
KyAllroad wrote:
Huckleberry wrote:
Is there a remote scorched earth option in case of break in? I'll need to clear my browser history with extreme prejudice. Nothing extravagant, just the ability to trigger a small thermonuclear device.
Nuclear option is tough with all the international watchdogs. You could get a similar effect with a fuel/air device.
Couple of tanks of argon released into the house will do wonders without making a mess. If you set off an attracting noise or light with an embedded medium power laser, their eyesight will never be quite the same; pretty much over before you can blink.
Or you could broadcast a Trump speech...but that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.