Best supported security alarm panel?

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Questions about hardware that can be controlled by Indigo (but not through the interfaces and plugins listed). If Indigo doesn't support some bit of hardware you're interested in, and you don't find a 3rd Party Plugin for it, add it to this forum. Be sure to include links to as much information as you can find about it.

Note: adding it here does not mean we're going to add it - in fact it's possible one of our 3rd party developers may decide to write a plugin for it. We add hardware/features based on a lot of different factors beyond just having a request for it.

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 11:19 am
rom1011 offline
Posts: 34
Joined: Jan 03, 2016
Location: San Jose, CA

Best supported security alarm panel?

I am in the process of upgrading my home security alarm panel and the key criteria is that is must be supported by Indigo. Another criteria would be (the option to add) a cellular connection for professional monitoring.
There are plugins for available here for some Honeywell and DSC but they all seem to be abandoned. Is there any plugin that is still actively supported? Any (recent) panel that is recommended?

Thanks a lot!
-Roland

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 12:23 pm
akimball offline
Posts: 559
Joined: Aug 07, 2013
Location: Sandy, Utah

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

I have a GE Concord 4. There is a plugin on here that supports that. All of the security panels are going to slim pickings with what is supported. I have purchased, but not yet installed, a serial port modem along with a few other IO type devices when the time comes for me to marry my Insteon to my GE. When I call the GE security guy (the installer) he isn't helpful about extending the panel to Indigo (why should he be?)

I was able to find the GE Concord manuals and they are quite extensive. I can set codes and add devices at will... I also know how to add GE Security system boards. The good think about the GE system and any other system you get is that they are battery backed up and they typically have a 3G or LTE battery backed up phone connection that keeps them up during a power loss.

Anyway, my idea of "integration" is simply to have Indigo arm and disarm the GE panel (using serial commands and python scripts and the serial port modem) and visa-versa. I have few if any plans to extend the GE system... Indigo is so much more capable. I've even got indigo monitoring glass break sensors in a few rooms.

I'm not recommending GE... I think several Indigo users are using ELK. I just wanted you to be aware of the plugin.

-Al

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 1:31 pm
Korey offline
User avatar
Posts: 811
Joined: Jun 04, 2008
Location: Henderson, NV

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

rom1011 wrote:
I am in the process of upgrading my home security alarm panel and the key criteria is that is must be supported by Indigo. Another criteria would be (the option to add) a cellular connection for professional monitoring.
There are plugins for available here for some Honeywell and DSC but they all seem to be abandoned. Is there any plugin that is still actively supported? Any (recent) panel that is recommended?

Thanks a lot!
-Roland


I use the DSC plugin with an PC1864 panel with an EnvisaLink 4 , works great! plus you can get a system on eBay for a steal.. I paid $29.00 for the 1864 board! :lol:

The plugin is on Git hub and can be modified as needed just as Matt did a few weeks back viewtopic.php?f=56&t=15743#p112193 so I don't think it has been or will be abandoned..

--
Korey

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 2:19 pm
berkinet offline
User avatar
Posts: 3290
Joined: Nov 18, 2008
Location: Berkeley, CA, USA & Mougins, France

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

The ad2usb plugin (Honeywell, vista, add content) is still supported.

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 2:40 pm
johnpolasek offline
Posts: 911
Joined: Aug 05, 2011
Location: Aggieland, Texas

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

My "home brew self monitored" system is a work in progress run totally through Indigo on a UPS backed up server. Aeon Z-Wave motion sensors cover all the critical hallways and I am doing research on adding Z-Wave glass breaks and in the process of connecting existing hardwired contact closures to the rPi PiBeacon system that I am setting up for presence detection and semi auto arm/disarm and a Dakota magnetic driveway sensor on the only approach road signaling Indigo whenever a vehicle enters or leaves. And I have triggers in Indigo to send pushover alerts to both my and my brother's cell phones if the house status is away and anything triggers. To determine what's happening when we're away, I've got 5 external Ubiquiti security cameras with their NVR software(also on a different UPS backup) updating URL control pages every 10 seconds for real time monitoring whenever an alert does trigger. At present, the primary weak point is that everything (including our voice phone) communicates through a Satellite Internet uplink that's somewhat less than reliable in bad weather... which is why I am looking into the possibility of adding a line to our Verizon wireless account to provide an alternative programmed auto switchover to our 15 gig per month family plan that we never push during the times when the Sat goes down. I also have two Kevo locks tied to a Kevo Plus that I can monitor for locked status and one Z-wave lock tied to Indigo that is also capable of sending pushover alerts... and I keep hoping Kwikset comes up with an API to let me integrate the Kevos as well, but so far all they have is their garbage Smartphone App to monitor them.

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 2:51 pm
roquej offline
User avatar
Posts: 608
Joined: Jan 04, 2015
Location: South Florida, USA

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

Vista 20P with the ad2usb plugin works perfectly. I have it working with the ad2PI and is very reliable.

JP

Posted on
Thu May 05, 2016 6:32 pm
Japple55 offline
Posts: 224
Joined: Sep 26, 2015
Location: NE Tennessee

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

+1 for the Vista 20p/AD2USB; very well-supported and works great!

Posted on
Sat May 07, 2016 10:29 am
rom1011 offline
Posts: 34
Joined: Jan 03, 2016
Location: San Jose, CA

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

Thanks a lot everybody for the input. Great community here!
My Radionics 2212 served me well so far but by cellular modem is affected by the sunset of 2G wireless and I have not found any way to connect the panel to Indigo.
Was looking at the DSC panels. Has anybody had success with the newer Neo panels or is everybody using the Power Series (without Neo)? Price of the panel is indeed great. The shocker is only the touch keypad which sells for about $190 a pop (need two). Will also need a cellular modem for professional monitoring. Anybody having a pointer to a shop selling keypads and modems for a good price?

Thanks!
-Roland

Posted on
Sat May 07, 2016 10:39 am
berkinet offline
User avatar
Posts: 3290
Joined: Nov 18, 2008
Location: Berkeley, CA, USA & Mougins, France

Re: Best supported security alarm panel?

rom1011 wrote:
... Will also need a cellular modem for professional monitoring. Anybody having a pointer to a shop selling keypads and modems for a good price?...

Take a look at the IDatatel products (http://ipdatatel.com/products/). They work with DSC and Honeywell panels as well as a bunch of others. The basic model is via internet, but they also have an Internet+Cellular version. For monitoring, you might try AlarmRelay (http://alarmrelay.com). Good price and they offer a remote access portal as well. Note the IpDatatel products are not accessible from Indigo (I.e. no API) so you would still need some other means of accessing the panel for Indigo use. For Honeywell/Ademco/Vista panels you can use AlarmDecoder's ad2* products (http://www.alarmdecoder.com/catalog/index.php). They also work on DSC panels but the AD2USB plugin has never been tested with that configuration.

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