Help with new Alarm System


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Old 08-04-15, 09:21 PM
Z
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Question Help with new Alarm System

I recently purchased a new house with an alarm which is prewired. There are motion, door and window sensors intalled but no control unit or number pad. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a system that could be purchased that can be hard wired in utilizing the already installed sensors and also has a feature utilizing wifi that could notify me directly on my iPhone of a trigger via a wifi internet connection. Thanks for any help.
 
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Old 08-04-15, 11:56 PM
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Any of the big dealer-grade alarm panel brands can do what you want. Honeywell/Ademco, GE, DSC or Napco, for a start. I don't recommend Bosch or DMP because (someone correct me if I'm wrong) they aren't DIY-friendly.

Just about every tech has his favorite bet brand, and mine is Honeywell/Ademco. The Vista-21iP control with at least one 6160 Alphanumeric Keypad will support the features you named. You can add more keypads such as the less expensive 6150, but you'd need one 6160 for full programming capability.
The Vista-21ip supports 8 hardwired zones off the mother board, and will support up to 48 zones total with use of expanders. You should determine how many zones you have in your system: Sometimes several windows and/or doors are combined on a single wire loop, or you can combine loops at the control, although it's recommended to divide the system into as many zones as possible with the wiring you have. Motion sensors should all have their own dedicated zone.

I'll let other techs weigh in with their favorite panel/ keypad combos.
My plug for Honeywell/Ademco is that it has the industry's best record for making new equipment backwards-and-sideways-compatible with old and existing equipment: Any Control panel made in the last 20 years is compatible with any keypad or RF Receiver & RF keyfobs made in the last 20 years. I have less worry that I'll be able to find replacement parts for my Honeywell systems 5 or 10 years after they're installed and new bells and whistles have come out. Just my 2 cents' worth.
 
 

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