Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:36 pm
sarahcat offline
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Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

I'm considering buying a wireless security system, like the Abode Systems, which has an internet gateway and cellular backup in case of internet failure. It uses Zigbee protocol or its own proprietary 433MHz protocols for its sensors, but it also supports a lot of the same Z-Wave devices that Indigo supports. Other than cellular backup and not being dependent on my headless Mac Mini not to crash, I'm not sure what other reason I might have to buy this to use with Indigo.

The only conflict I see is with my Kwikset door locks, which don't really need to be part of an alarm system. Other than that, the security system would use motion, doorway, window, and other sensors that I don't currently use with Indigo. I see the security alarm system as a sort of 'overlay' for my Indigo home control system.

Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions (like seeing a psychiatrist) :roll: about my idea?

Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:11 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

Just thought I'd point out, if you haven't seen them, that there are plugins for several different brands of alarm panel.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:27 pm
kw123 offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

In my opinion no alarm system should be connected to the internet. Stand alone cell modem to connect to police one way . And may be add a serial port to connect to indigo.


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Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:23 pm
sarahcat offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

Just thought I'd point out, if you haven't seen them, that there are plugins for several different brands of alarm panel.


Thanks. I hadn't observed that. That said, the only outstanding concern, other than a Mac crash, is the cellular MODEM backup.

Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:26 pm
sarahcat offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

In my opinion no alarm system should be connected to the internet. Stand alone cell modem to connect to police one way . And may be add a serial port to connect to indigo.


An internet connection with a cellular network backup would be fine with me. I'm not sure of your reference to "a serial port to connect to Indigo", unless it was to have a serial port on a cellular MODEM and somehow connect that as an interface to Indigo. If it was that, I'm not sure how that would work.

Thanks!

Posted on
Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:13 pm
kw123 offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

Most alarm systems have a serial and or Ethernet connector. And a cell modem option.
As I got a new one I looked at some options. Here is what I got
Caddx with cell modem that ONLY dials out if alarm - and for alive signals.
And Serial port connected to indigo integrated with plugin.
2 key pads with simple functions no touch screen. One button press can send for help. More complex systems require sometimes 2 to 3 screens before you can send help call.

Just my opinion
Karl.



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Posted on
Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:22 am
earache offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

I've been looking for a security system as well, and have considered Abode and DSC. Seems like the DSC Power Series is tried and true, albeit an older system. Equipment is cheap and the DSC plugin is top notch. I'll do my own monitoring. It's not worth paying for it since I can react much faster than a monitoring service can. I currently have Frontpoint, and the last false alarm I had, it took them 8 minutes before they called me. In 8 minutes a thief is long gone. I just need a system that works well enough with Indigo that I can get an instant notification that something's wrong, and can see at a glance what is happening in my home so I can know if I should call 911. DSC feels like a good fit.

Posted on
Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:51 am
RogueProeliator offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

For what it is worth, and this may be somewhat specific to our area but I doubt it, I have several good friends in law enforcement and they have said that a monitored alarm service is completely useless from a robbery perspective (this is not necessarily the case in the event your alarm has fire detection and alerting). The average response time for an alarm is way, way longer than the thief needs to look around, make a cup of coffee, drink the coffee on your couch, find your stuff and leave.

HOWEVER, he said the priority goes way, way up if you can get notified yourself of an alarm tripping, pull up security cameras on your phone, then call in yourself to police. If you can honestly say that you are watching a burglar getting in your house, they will treat that as a real opportunity to catch a thief in the act w/ verification of a crime in progress (i.e. similar to an eye witness seeing him breaking in to the building).

TL;DR: His suggestion, and what he is doing, is to get an alarm system that can text / push notification / whatever to your phone and couple that with cameras. No need for the monitoring unless it can do fire alarms.

Adam

Posted on
Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:06 am
kw123 offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

I involuntary tested the fire alarm (left the stove on and made a lot of smoke).
It took ~3 minutes after the alarm went off for the big red fire truck to show up in front of our house. The kids loved it though and I felt really embarrassed

In our community you have 2 free false alarm per year. For the third you have to pay $100 per trip, I believe, and I don't want to test that one.

We have the alarm mostly for fire and medical emergency. The break in alarm is an added benefit

Karl

Posted on
Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:02 am
johnpolasek offline
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Location: Aggieland, Texas

Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

RogueProeliator wrote:
For what it is worth, and this may be somewhat specific to our area but I doubt it, I have several good friends in law enforcement and they have said that a monitored alarm service is completely useless from a robbery perspective (this is not necessarily the case in the event your alarm has fire detection and alerting). The average response time for an alarm is way, way longer than the thief needs to look around, make a cup of coffee, drink the coffee on your couch, find your stuff and leave.

HOWEVER, he said the priority goes way, way up if you can get notified yourself of an alarm tripping, pull up security cameras on your phone, then call in yourself to police. If you can honestly say that you are watching a burglar getting in your house, they will treat that as a real opportunity to catch a thief in the act w/ verification of a crime in progress (i.e. similar to an eye witness seeing him breaking in to the building).

TL;DR: His suggestion, and what he is doing, is to get an alarm system that can text / push notification / whatever to your phone and couple that with cameras. No need for the monitoring unless it can do fire alarms.

Adam


And that's actually why I am using Karl's Pibeacon tied directly to the door/window switches that were installed when the house was built and OneLink smoke detectors linked through a smokebridge and insteon leak detectors as a homebrew security system that sends me a pushover alert when anything goes off, as well as pushing a short security cam archive to my neighbor's if it's a motion or driveway alert... I'm at the end of a quarter mile long private drive and the guy who lives between me and the public road runs a private business out of his house, so he's almost always home; If I get an alert that looks like a breakin, I can him as well as 911 and sll Lyle has to do is park his tractor crosswise at the cattle guard and the only way the bad guys are leaving is on foot. But like Karl, my only trips so far have been when the RO under the sink sprung a leak and a delivery guy who was actually looking for my neighbor missing his turnout. And using XY tiles, I don't even have to worry about a keypad; when anybody's validated tile on our keys is home, the system disarms and unlocks the door closest to the tile when it appears, and when the valid tile count goes to 0, the system locks all the doors and sets the variable to send alerts... and an override if someone enters the correct code on the Z-wave lock to open the door for exterminators and repairmen.

Posted on
Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:26 pm
sarahcat offline
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Re: Using Indigo 7 with wireless security systems

Adam,

For what it is worth, and this may be somewhat specific to our area but I doubt it, I have several good friends in law enforcement and they have said that a monitored alarm service is completely useless from a robbery perspective


I agree. Monitoring could be helpful for fire or medical, but not for break-in. Since we always carry mobile phones, I just want a text notification or a call to one or both of our phones. I don't think the statements from your friends in law enforcement are outliers. I've thought that a self-monitored system (sending alerts to a mobile phone), plus a really obnoxious and loud annunciator at home would be better. The latter would be an option, because irritating your neighbors would definitely get attention and a lot of crap from them if you have many false alarms.

I think really good motion sensors and possibly door and window sensors connected to an Indigo system would probably be enough, if a 'pre-alarm' would sound for 30 seconds or so when you enter the house and have a chance to disarm the system from a keypad or cell phone.

Thanks to you, KW123, johnpolasek, differentcomputers, and earache, for your input to this discussion.

Sarah

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