Few questions for choosing home security alarm

[xyz321]

Hi, after being burgled am keen to get a home alarm as soon as possible. Can someone please help with few queries. Semi detached house with conservatory. Will need 5 or 6 detector which are wireless. No pets. I prefered the main alarm box to be wired rather than wireless. I want a dialler to alert me when the alarm triggers.

1. I have got two quotes from local companies , one for texecom and one for Risco. The price difference is about £150 with risco being cheaper. Is there one of these two which is better than other. Or are there any other systems which are better
.

2. If I were to go with risco, their external sounder is wireless it seems. I prefer to have a "light" on box to act as deterent. One of the companies said risco make separate led flash light which attach to the box. But obviously they are not as bright as the wired system. This is hoping that the battery on sunder lasts long enough...

Thanks
J

 

[Europlex]

Texecom, and make sure you get a get a wired bell

 

[secureiam]

Install both and no issues with either wireless systems.

Mind you I do a wireless survey test to make sure theres nothing to catch me out.

The wireless bells do have leds on, these can be turned off do why you need an extra unit for leds?

What have you been quoted for as Risco have 2way and 1 way radio devices, and would go for a 2 way rather than 1 way.

Risco also have a wider range of wireless devices available now.

 

[xyz321]

Thanks for ur reply. Risco is GT-600 system. I will ask confirmation about 2 way system. I didn't know or want seperate LED but that's what the security surveyor said is the way to get flashing lights on wireless risco box.

 

[sparkymarka]

Texecom for me ! Even better get it hardwired !

 

[bernardgreen]

Hard wired is always better than wireless. More work to install but far more secure in the long term.

 

[desig]

Hi xyz321

After being in a similar situation to you in November, we went with the following:

Texecom Premier Elite 24 kit
COM-GSM gsm dialler to send SMS on alarm conditions
Texecom Ricochet extender


As others have mentioned it is always better to hard wire as much of the alarm as possible.
As our conservatory is going to be replaced with a proper extension next year, I didn't know how/where alarm contacts would be going. It was easier for me for the moment (though probably more expensive) to add a wireless extender so that I could have the core part of the house covered with the wired alarm, and use the wireless to cover the convservatory area for now.

Note: I did this as a DIY install rather than getting an alarm company in

 

[secureiam]

On that basis Texecom.

 

[xyz321]

Thanks everyone. I have now got both quotes.

I have 5 wireless sensors, external wired bell, control panel, internal sounder, back dummy box and 2 door contacts. Texecom was quoted as £1150,while risco is £700. I gathered from responses that texecom is better but is it that much better that it costs £450 more? The functionality seems same. I am getting one more quote on Saturday but don't know which system he provides.

Thanks

 

[deemo]

As mentioned above always check with Wireless it's two way companies and installers some of them will just quote for 1 way to make there quote seem comparable or cheaper.

So when i looked i specified it had to be two way

 

[bernardgreen]

Just to highlight the need to ensure the wireless alarm uses two way communication to and from the sensors.

A few weeks ago an alarm was set with a window open. As the system used one way communications the alarm panel could not ask the sensors for status ( open closed etc ) before setting the alarm. An intruder could have entered through that window without the alarm sounding. Had the intruder shut the window and then opened it the alarm would have sounded when it was opened.

A system using two way communications will ask the sensors for status reports when setting and at other times it will routinely check the sensors. If a door or window is open ( or the sensor fails to reply ) then the alarm will not set and will inform the user why it cannot be set.

Some years ago a door frame with an alarm sensor was taken away from site without the wireless ( one way ) alarm being aware the sensor was no longer in range. The owner had assumed the builders, as requested had removed the sensor and left it somewhere on site because the alarm worked as normal.

 

[JohnD]

Will the package you buy phone out to you and/or a trusted local keyholder?

The neighbours will probably ignore a sounder.

 

[Nintendofan]

The neighbours will probably ignore a sounder.

Not if it never false alarms, if you talk to your neighbours and they're not strangers then if your alarm goes of I'm sure most would not ignore it.

 

[GalaxyGuy]

Thanks everyone. I have now got both quotes.

I have 5 wireless sensors, external wired bell, control panel, internal sounder, back dummy box and 2 door contacts. Texecom was quoted as £1150,while risco is £700. I gathered from responses that texecom is better but is it that much better that it costs £450 more? The functionality seems same. I am getting one more quote on Saturday but don't know which system he provides.

Thanks

Go to somewhere online like www.securitywarehouse.co.uk and price the system you're getting quoted. Then determine if you think that the additional installer cost is reasonable.

You need to factor in what the installer is providing as part of their package. With something like a Galaxy G2 wireless spec system, the hardware would probably come to ~£400, so would expect installation in the region of £750.