Can I Use a Simon XT System and not pay monthly fees and have it call my phone?


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Old 02-18-12, 06:47 PM
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Can I Use a Simon XT System and not pay monthly fees and have it call my phone?

I am new to this game and I tried to read other posts to learn but I'm not sure if I have to correct information.

I would like to install a new Wireless Simon XT system in my house and I do not want to pay someone a monthly fee to monitor it. I would be happy with receiving a phone call or a text message telling me the alarm is going off. I would really really like to be able to use my iPhone to tell me exactly which sensor is going off if at all possible. Can someone tell me if the Simon XT is capable of this and what I must do to accomplish it? If the Simon XT cannot do this are there any other units on the market that can? Thanks in advance!

Remember, my goal here is no monthly monitoring fee, the iPhone app is just a plus but not required.
 
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Old 02-18-12, 08:44 PM
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You can have it call up to 4 phone numbers and leave you a message in case of an alarm (no extra equipment needed except a landline)...anything above and beyond that is going to require a monthly fee...
 
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Old 02-19-12, 04:13 AM
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As for the land line..I can just use magic jack I suppose? I'm also not going to be having a real land line to avoid unnecessary costs. Everyone has cell phones now.
 
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Old 02-19-12, 05:47 PM
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MagicJack is VOIP, not an analogue line. No guarantees that it will work....
 
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Old 02-20-12, 07:58 AM
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It seems there are tons of people out there who want a security system and want to monitor it them self and with today's technology that is entirely possible. Also many want to control it via their smart phones. Why doesn't anyone make one of these? We do not want to pay someone a monthly fee for a burglary that may never happen!
 
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Old 02-20-12, 01:19 PM
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It has much more with potential liability, and what UL will certify than anything else. Boiled down to essence, blame the insurers...
 
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Old 02-20-12, 06:40 PM
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I don't know if I agree with that. It's obvious what you are getting when you install and monitor your own security system. You have no-one to blame but yourself if something happens. That is the road and the service you choose.
 
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Old 02-20-12, 06:54 PM
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"Recurring Monthly Revenue"...very important in the security industry (and, obviously others as well)...
 
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Old 02-20-12, 07:11 PM
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We obviously don't need a monitoring company involved at all...not every company makes money on recurring revenue. All it takes is someone to design a system that works with the Simon XT to make this all work. There are some already out there that you can monitor yourself, but nothing of quality that I found.
 
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Old 02-21-12, 04:02 AM
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I am not disagreeing with your (and others) stated desire for systems like this. I am just pointing out the basic fact that the intrusion alarm industry is _very_ risk adverse.

They did try retail market systems in the past, and found it less than profitable, long term.

At least for now, one has to understand that alarm hardware is designed with "professional" installers working to meet UL installation standards; which many DIY solutions simply cannot meet.
 
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Old 02-21-12, 05:27 AM
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I do not believe your homeowners insurance co. will give you credit for self-monitoring.
 
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Old 02-21-12, 09:43 AM
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There are industrial monitoring devices that will send custom messages to alphanumeric pagers, voice messages to any telephone (including cellular telephones) and even use two-way radio connections. They are rock-solid and used in many "mission critical" situations and can interface with pretty much any kind of input sensor you can imagine. You WILL pay dearly for them, far more than the hardware in a residential alarm system and ten years worth of monitoring services.
 
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Old 02-24-12, 05:05 PM
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My homeowner's insurance will only drop about $20 a year for having a system installed. Which is a rip, especially on a brand new house.
 
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Old 02-24-12, 10:35 PM
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I changed my insurance from a monitored system to local only several years ago. The discount was only worth three months of monitoring costs, not enough to make it worthwhile.

Truth is, while an alarm system MAY discourage break-ins, assuming that its presence is advertised (signs or window stickers), it does not prevent break-ins. Monitored or not, most burglars are long gone before any law-enforcement people show up on the scene.
 
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Old 02-27-12, 08:13 PM
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But if I can monitor everythign on my phone it will give me a good piece of mind
 
 

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