DIY Security System

[galgon]

I know this is completely off topic but I figure at least a few people on this board have probably setup their own security systems.  I am looking to purchase and install a system myself without paid monitoring.  Instead I would like the system to send an sms to a few of phone numbers if there is an issue.  Wireless or wired does not matter but would prefer not to have to change batteries often and I dont mind running wires in the wall myself. 

I am also thinking of installing a few cameras that I would like to be able to view online.  The thought is if you get a text of an alarm pull up the cameras and see if there is really an issue then call the cops if needed.  I know systems like this must exist but all the ones I see are being sold by companies pushing monitoring services which I dont want. 

So can anyone out there recommend a system or at least give me some advice as to what to avoid doing in this process?

Thanks.

[zwiller]

Great post.  Wondering the same.  Some great minds here...   

[Steve Gase]

+1.  I don't see a need to pay someone else to monitor my house when connectivity has become so universal.

[tbone321]

Just to play the Devils advocate, if you are doing this for the insurance discount, you would be wasting your time and money.  IIRC, only monitored systems qualify for that discount.  If you don't intend to monitor it, you maybe better off just putting a few signs out front and in a window or 2 claiming the house is protected.  They are in many cases even more effective than the alarm itself.  Are you sure that you are going to ALWAYS be available to monitor the system?  I guess that the real question is ..... is the property you are looking to protect worth protecting.

[bisquit476]

I've heard other people recommend this system, but I haven't bought or used it.

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[Justtazz]

Check these retailers they have system and or cameras.  I bought a few cameras from Wolfs camera when they shut down several stores for $5-$10 a piece and then bought a pc card from Swan to hook the cameras up to a pc.  the software that came with the card has the ability to be monitored online and send messages if events arise that you specify.

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Justin

[galgon]

Just to play the Devils advocate, if you are doing this for the insurance discount, you would be wasting your time and money.  IIRC, only monitored systems qualify for that discount.  If you don't intend to monitor it, you maybe better off just putting a few signs out front and in a window or 2 claiming the house is protected.  They are in many cases even more effective than the alarm itself.  Are you sure that you are going to ALWAYS be available to monitor the system?  I guess that the real question is ..... is the property you are looking to protect worth protecting.

I am not in it for the insurance money - likely the cost of monitoring at $20-40 a month is more than the savings on insurance anyway.  I certainly plan on putting out signs as well as I would rather someone not break the door down just to find out I have an alarm.   I do not intend to always be available - the idea here is crowd sourcing.  If I have 5 people I trust with smart phones it is highly likely one of them will have a minute to check if the alarm goes off. 

I am actually not that worried about the property.  I dont have that much high end stuff to steal right now.  With or without an alarm a guy could go in an grab $5k worth of stuff in 5 minutes and get out before anyone could respond.  The thing I am more worried about is my family in the house when I am away.  If someone breaks in while I am away a monitoring company will call the home phone and wait for someone to pick up.  If no one does they will call another number.  If no answer they call the police but it is a non-emergency for the police and they will show up in 10 minutes or 2 hours depending on how busy they are as 99% of the time it is a false alarm. 

With this type of system I could get a text, pull up the camera and confirm a problem in a minute or two.  Call the cops and have them show up in minutes as it is a confirmed emergency situation.  Also, I can remotely disable the alarm as to not annoy the neighbors or bother the cops if it is a false alarm.  Just need to find the right setup. 

[rm357]

I have a couple of the wansview wifi pan-tilt cameras like this one You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.

I've got it set so that when it detects motion, it sends me an email with pictures. I also have an app "Livecams pro" on my ipad that allows me to view the video in real time - even on vacation...

The setup is a little tricky, but once its done, its pretty low maintenance. (Like keeping the bird from building a nest on the one under the porch and cleaning spider webs off of it...)

[mkozik1]

Joe,

I have the same setup in my house as do most of my family.  It is not for when we are away but moreso when we are home.  Be careful as you start sending these text messages out and have people respond to your home.  Having them confront an actual intruder can be far more devastating than it can be beneficial.  There are several systems available that will do the things you are looking for: DSC, Bosch, GE, etc.  Take a look at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login as these are public and you don't have to have an account to purchase.

Stay safe,

[therealbigjim]

IP based cameras work well. The transportation company my wife works for uses them to monitor the entry and security of the drop yard. like an above post they are connected (wired and wireless) to a internet connected computer. any one that knows the IP can check them. Also being in law enforcement,I know there are usually fines involved for having unmonitored alarm systems. Its usually for audible alarms but you may wanna check with your local authority prior to making a decision.   

[tbone321]

I do not intend to always be available - the idea here is crowd sourcing.  If I have 5 people I trust with smart phones it is highly likely one of them will have a minute to check if the alarm goes off. 

This is a really bad idea and I believe that you are unaware of the HUGE responsibility that you are placing on these people.  I would give you a flat out NO if I were your friend and you asked me.  I have enough responsibility taking care of my own family and wouldn't put that on you either.  You say highly likely but that is not an absolute.  What if there is a critical situation and none of these people were able or choose not to respond for whatever reason?  I'm sure that you would say "hey, no problem, my family will get over it ..... eventually".  I know that there are times and situations where it pays to save a little money.  Is this really one of them?

If someone breaks in while I am away a monitoring company will call the home phone and wait for someone to pick up.  If no one does they will call another number.  If no answer they call the police but it is a non-emergency for the police and they will show up in 10 minutes or 2 hours depending on how busy they are as 99% of the time it is a false alarm. 

Where are you getting this information?  What they do is dependant on the contract options that you select.  With the basic contract procedure, you are correct, if they get an alarm code they will call the house and attempt to get a response.  If not, then they will call another number.  This is pretty much exactly what your system will do.  Many of the newer systems also have camera's and the service company can also look and confirm the situation and take the appropriate action.  If they do call the police, they would never claim it as a non-emergency because that would make them libel in a law suite if they were wrong.  There is also the option of a panic button and if pressed, the monitoring company will call the police directly and claim that it is a panic situation.  If the police in your area take up to 2 hrs to respond, then you really need to move because the police there really suck.  False alarm or not, any good police unit will still respond as quickly as possible because it looks good, is best for the safety of the public, and allows for a charge for false alarm responces after 2 or 3 freebies and the money always helps.  Showing up 2 hrs later doesn't look good and makes it difficult to charge for unnecessary responces.

[galgon]

Where are you getting this information?  What they do is dependant on the contract options that you select.  With the basic contract procedure, you are correct, if they get an alarm code they will call the house and attempt to get a response.  If not, then they will call another number.  This is pretty much exactly what your system will do.  Many of the newer systems also have camera's and the service company can also look and confirm the situation and take the appropriate action.  If they do call the police, they would never claim it as a non-emergency because that would make them libel in a law suite if they were wrong.  There is also the option of a panic button and if pressed, the monitoring company will call the police directly and claim that it is a panic situation.  If the police in your area take up to 2 hrs to respond, then you really need to move because the police there really suck.  False alarm or not, any good police unit will still respond as quickly as possible because it looks good, is best for the safety of the public, and allows for a charge for false alarm responces after 2 or 3 freebies and the money always helps.  Showing up 2 hrs later doesn't look good and makes it difficult to charge for unnecessary responces.

My internet research shows that a non-verified alarm call from an alarm company is in general a lower priority response from police.  They will not be coming full speed lights blazing for this type of call as that is dangerous for other people on the road and somewhere in the 95-99% of non-verified alarms are false alarms.  Depending on what the police are currently doing they will send somebody but it is not going to be a 3 minute response unless they happen to be down the street.  I have no idea what the response time is in my area but I am sure it varies depending on what else is going on.  Some of the major cities (detroit, san jose) have actually stopped responding to alarms without verification.  This is likely the reason for the inclusion of camera monitoring as you pointed out.  I really dont like the idea of some random person at the alarm company being able to monitor my cameras anytime they want.  I am sure there are safeguards in place to stop this but it still feels creepy.

I do like the idea of the panic button as you suggested.  But there is no reason why that button cannot just call 911 instead of alerting the alarm company.  In fact if the button had 2 way communication with 911 it would likely be a faster response then having an alarm company relay the emergency to 911. 

[twooly]

My wife goofed once when setting ours and caused it to go off she was no more than 5 mins from the house and the police were already at the house.  I know it depends on your area but I find it hard the wont be at your place in 10 15 mins.

[tng5737]

buying cheap cams like the wansview or foscams may not be your best option as these do not have sufficient resolution to properly ID a thief.   Plus the foscams are notoriously unreliable - esp. the wireless variety.
You can go to the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login and see the problems others are having with these cameras.  A good site to learn from is cam-it.org   The Q-See cameras can be gotten at Costco.   
The other thing about IP cameras is that you will need something to 'record' the alerts from the cameras.  There is a pgm called BlueIris which is excellent for $49 (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login)   You obviously will need a pc to run it on.  Anything more than a few cameras will require a pc with a pretty decent cpu.  Something with multiple cores or hyperthreading works nicely.  You won't need a lot of ram 8gb will work, however depending on the amount of activity and the length of time you will be storing the recorded videos does mean a lot of hard drive space.   I have two 4tb drives on a dedicated pc running an amd 8-core.
The point is that a lot of planning needs to go into these security systems and not an insignificant amount of $$$
good luck

[galgon]

So an update on my security system.  First let me say that making Christmas lights blink is a breeze compared to setting up a security system or at least it seems that way.  I had an old system in the house that I found with a lot of research can have online self monitoring relatively cheaply.  I have a vista 20P equivalent panel and purchased the evl-3 module - You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login that allows you to control and receive alerts (sms/email) via a smartphone with no fee.  A little wiring and panel programming and my system is now online but the directions leave a lot to be desired.  They have internet based monitoring for $9 a month which really isnt that bad especially with the insurance discount, so I may go that route. 

Now to buy more sensors and look into some cameras.  I am thinking about getting the 720p Q-see bundle from costco but the reviews are not that great and I dont have a costco card.