X10 Community Forum
🛡Home Security => Home Security General => Topic started by: rhea on October 23, 2011, 12:47:07 AM
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Oh folks.. I read all those remarks and "happy story" recitals of how good (and cheap?) is x10.... Tell the truth , I am sick and tired of these tales... who needs a security system(SC12A).. to jump down the stairs to -reactivate the door/window sensors every night as I don't like to know that 2-3 sensor in my basement or first floor are not communicating with the console... who wants a "magic" remote-the "killer of all remotes" "Icon", who after few months of service will not communicate with the AV equipment(I have 2 of them), etc etc.... when my Maxi Controller (SC503) simply stopped working(?)... when most of my Rocket sockets ARE not working .....SC12A was pulled barely put on the market , and now, the old system, Voice Dialer Console (PS561) is pushed again as a new, "what we have been waiting for", when KR32A needs to be "poked right in the console's nose" to turn off the system???? Probably one has to have a diploma in electronics to make these gadgets work, and with some luck, invent something that X10 has missed?
Sorry folks, I am out of here... Considering the amount of money that I have spent on this x10 stuff, I might have had a decent GSM support security with water leak detectors(already invented.. not like x10 enthusiasts sitting down at the table and "reinventing the wheel"), natural gas leak detectors, fire-smoke detectors, window-break detectors... the line goes on and on... and all that for 356.00US... and working perfectly, with no glitches for 2 months already... no PROBLEMS( and ALL THAT WIRELESS!!!!)... The only drawback is that no security company will take me into service plan... but that's OK... as most of participants of x10 have this junk at home for one reason ... not to spend a dime for monitoring.....(to overrun a 2floor house it takes no more that 45-60 secs(as my daughters house was a week ago... and all that with ALARM hooting all over the place......this is all illusion that noise will stop those bad guys...at least 5 min has to be into communications- alarm-center(in x10 case)-customer (one of dedicated phone #)-and only then -police. Real life is not a movie.....Sorry.. I am done with x10
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$356 is a very good price for all that fully functional equipment that no-one will install for you; It must be like getting the latest cell phone in an area with absolutely zero cell phone coverage.
I'm sure the $356 that they won't let you spend will soon start to creep up when you start adding more wireless sensors (at approx $100 per piece) to the basic system of 2 door/window sensors plus a single motion detector.
An alarm system does NOT prevent theft. Not even when you pay the $30-$40 per month for one of the big monitoring companies.
You might like to take a hard look into what you are trying to achieve and then speak to a security professional who will be able to give you options and choices based on what you require.
If your goal is "to keep the bad guys out" then you need to look at keeping them out. With just a DIY interior alarm system you are relying on being alerted AFTER they get in.
As you say, it only takes about 60 seconds to remove your big screen TV, blu-ray player, computer and a stack of cash that you left conveniently on the side table. Most monitored alarm systems will take longer than that to detect an unauthorized entry, take control of the phone line and dial out to report the problem. Then the operator at the end of the phone will need to verify that it's not a false alarm before making the call to your nearest police dispatch location. Minimum response time to an alarm around my area is reckoned to be in the region of 5 to 7 minutes IF the break-in occurs within 100 feet of the nearest police officer on duty.
I wish you the best of luck in working out what you need and how to reach that aim >!
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The system I bought includes:main panel, extra key pad, 6 door/window, 3 motion, gas leak(1), water leak(1), fire/smoke(2) , indoor siren(wired, outside strobe/siren +decals. all the wireless came already registered with the main console... so , the only thing I had to do was install the phone # , install the sensors in the proper places and plug it in.....Anyway. Made in China. As everything else. #:)
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but that's OK... as most of participants of x10 have this junk at home for one reason ... not to spend a dime for monitoring.....(to overrun a 2floor house it takes no more that 45-60 secs(as my daughters house was a week ago... and all that with ALARM hooting all over the place......this is all illusion that noise will stop those bad guys...at least 5 min has to be into communications- alarm-center(in x10 case)-customer (one of dedicated phone #)-and only then -police. Real life is not a movie.....Sorry.. I am done with x10
Nice rant. But when crack heads can "run down your house in 45 to 60 seconds" then Honeywell, ADT, Wells Fargo, etc. will give you no more protection than X10. I like HA_Daves approach of sticking cameras all over the place, especially making a number of them very visable... although the hoodie uniform of most "heads" probably gives them anonimity.
Anywho, sorry to see you go.
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An alarm system does NOT prevent theft. Not even when you pay the $30-$40 per month for one of the big monitoring companies.
And that's the truth! What all alarms do (even X10's) is alert you to the break in. Sure that doesn't sound like a big deal. But think about it... who will be walking in on the intruder? You? Your wife... or 14 year old daughter?
The items I prize most in my life are ether worthless to a thief (like pictures in the photo album) or insured. If my laptop of TV goes dead tonight... I just replace it tomorrow. It's the same if its stolen. The alarms are designed to warn and protect our loved ones.
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Great responses... exactly what I have been thinking ..... the point of my post was not to stretch the level of security, understanding that nobody , here I mean law enforcement, will really run out to catch the bad guys... here in Montreal it's maybe, 30 min to 2hrs that they will respond to a case like a theft .... that's why I am installing lots of cameras , glowing menacing pink lights at night, to , at least keep them warned that this is no regular Jack's house..... My point was, if x10 sells things that they do, at least make them reliable , that I can at least trust it will start at the intruders attempt to get into my house... but if it shows almost every day that this or that zone is in error... it's a total rip-off.
B:(
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Great responses... exactly what I have been thinking ..... the point of my post was not to stretch the level of security, understanding that nobody , here........will really run out to catch the bad guys...
When my stepdaughter was broke into.... I asked around the neighborhood (the police didn't bother). I tracked down some roofers that was working next door that day (patching around a leaking chimney). They had seen the intruder and was able to describe the car he drove. I shared that info with the police... they said they were busy and short staffed.
The mail man had been delivering that area for about 3 years. He gave me some ideas as where the car owner may live in that area, based on car description and life style. I also drove the same area, late that night, looking for cars that met the description and jotting down addresses.
Because the burglar used my stepdaughters half full laundry basket to carry out part of the haul I thought that the clothing might end up in a trash can. Then I showed up on trash day and openly searched some trash cans (that had been set on the street) of people that fit the description/profile. Unfortunately I didn't find any evidence.... or even clues. I don't recommend anyone do this! But I am a in your face kind of a guy. I couldn't help myself.
If I had video or pictures of the intruder.... would I go around asking people if they knew who that was? Would I go through local year books trying to find the guy? Would I have Kinko's print up color flyers and then staple them to phone poles.....?
rhea... I don't know why you had such poor luck with your X10 alarm. I wouldn't say that is comman. I hope you've found what you need to feel secure in your home.
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Thanx for comment... police here in Canada(Quebec) are good for ticketing or catching a random drunk or a prostitute... DON/T ask them to catch a crook.......They go where the stakes are high... cocaine, banks, Hells Angels...... I am at the bottom of the list...... It's only in the movies
Installing total of 5 cameras color/day/night...
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Yes , forgot... I cannot install external strobes and sirens outside my house... prohibited(Quebec !!!)..... these may wake up a " decent citizen"!!!! and a big fine for me(so all 2 go inside my basement....
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I have to agree... the X10 SC1200, particularly the DS10A window/door sensors were a real pain in neck. I have advised friends to stay away unless you want to spend time bending coat hangers and reading forums looking for minutiae scraps of info. If you search amazon for "AAS alarm" or check aasalarm.com, you have reasonable priced alarm systems with great reviews. The range is 300ft. This company pulled an "Airpad" and simply re imported alarm systems from China and and is selling under their name. You can find similar stuff on ebay. Never used the brand, but they have glowing reviews. There's no talk about bending wires or reorienting the console, hacking together an fire alarm with ds10a etc. It just works.
Sorry folks, I am out of here... Considering the amount of money that I have spent on this x10 stuff, I might have had a decent GSM support security with water leak detectors(already invented.. not like x10 enthusiasts sitting down at the table and "reinventing the wheel"), natural gas leak detectors, fire-smoke detectors, window-break detectors... the line goes on and on... and all that for 356.00US... and working perfectly, with no glitches for 2 months already... no PROBLEMS( and ALL THAT WIRELESS!!!!)... The only drawback is that no security company will take me into service plan... but that's OK... as most of participants of x10 have this junk at home for one reason ... not to spend a dime for monitoring.....(to overrun a 2floor house it takes no more that 45-60 secs(as my daughters house was a week ago... and all that with ALARM hooting all over the place......this is all illusion that noise will stop those bad guys...at least 5 min has to be into communications- alarm-center(in x10 case)-customer (one of dedicated phone #)-and only then -police. Real life is not a movie.....Sorry.. I am done with x10
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I have to agree... the X10 SC1200, particularly the DS10A window/door sensors were a real pain in neck. I have advised friends to stay away unless you want to spend time bending coat hangers and reading forums looking for minutiae scraps of info. If you search amazon for "AAS alarm" or check aasalarm.com, you have reasonable priced alarm systems with great reviews. The range is 300ft. This company pulled an "Airpad" and simply re imported alarm systems from China and and is selling under their name. You can find similar stuff on ebay. Never used the brand, but they have glowing reviews. There's no talk about bending wires or reorienting the console, hacking together an fire alarm with ds10a etc. It just works.
Some of us are just X10 masochists. I think the thrill of getting it to work releases endorphins or something. :'
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Sorry to hear of all the issues you had with the SC1200. The older PS561 has been very reliable for me, I have about 30 pieces between the alarm and home automation connected to it, and the only thing to fail in over 8 years was 1 lamp module.
I've been so happy I recently bought spares of almost everything, just because of the supply issues lately, and I know nothing works forever.
I wonder if the AAS alarm system will be that reliable, or if you will still be able to get replacement parts even 5 years down the road?
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Direct quote from that website mentioned above...
"Just remember to do some research and learn all you can about these systems before you decide which one to use. That way you will know that you are getting the best protection right from the start. If you are unsure about what wireless security system to get? Ask one of our knowledgeable employees for help."
Just in case you missed it, read the first and last sentences again.
Naturally they say that theirs is the best (brightest,whitest laundry ever), but they offer real phone support - on a good day with a following wind.
blah blah blah, not an employee, blah blah, not used their product, blah blah, but I do applaud their philosophy of research before wallet.
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Some of us are just X10 masochists. I think the thrill of getting it to work releases endorphins or something. :'
god, i never heard my addiction described so precisely & well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I think the thrill of getting it to work releases endorphins or something. :'
I believe there are different levels of fulfillment with X10 use.
I think many new users are merely trying to solve a problem or resolve an issue by using X10. Like have a chime signal when someone drives up the driveway. Or turn off a downstairs light from an upstairs bedroom.
I think for some it is the value. Done right... you get a great security alarm for nearly nothing.
For others it is the hobby or assembly of the project. Putting all the parts and pieces together to create a complete whole. Engineering a new system or setup, testing it, and working out any bugs, is very enjoyable for them.
Some enjoy using automation... it is the completed system that means everything to them. I think for them... X10 can be very frustrating. X10... or ANY of the Home Automation systems will never be out of the box ready projects. Those who want stuff to "just work" will always find the DIY stuff less than they had hoped it would be.
Then there are the serious HA users..... we understand the endorphins part.
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I am going to have to agree with the original poster. I tinkered with the sc1200 and the ds12a's for a little while. I was never happy, and I could never stop tinkering. Finally I gave up and installed the Ademco Vista 20p. After I set it up, I never had to tinker with it again. It just works as it should.
Problems I had with X10 security:
1) DS12a reception was ridiculously bad. SC1200 is located in the middle of my first floor. I live in a rowhome and it has a completely open floor plan. No walls or doors on the entire floor except for the bathroom. All the sensors (door or window) had direct line of sight to the receiver and were placed at 10-20 feet from it. I constantly had sensor check in errors, or when I opened and closed the doors, the receiver would not receive the signal. It was extremely unreliable.
2) We always used the keyfobs, but they worked 50% of the time from right outside the door (20 feet away from the SC1200). I would have to phone in a lot of times to see if the fob's signal was received and the system was armed.
3) Again, because of the keyfob's poor reception, we had a lot of false alarms coming home. I would wave my arm around outside the door, repeatedly pressing the buttons, and sometimes it still didn't work and the alarm would go off when I opened the door.
4) Also on many days, I would wake up in the morning, the dogs would be going crazy because the SC1200 would constantly beep. Because my wife would lock the door and attempt to arm the system with the keyfob from the outside, but the SC1200 would start beeping nonstop (and also not arm) because a sensor had failed to check in during the night. She wouldn't hear it, and would assume the system was armed.
5) The annoying feedback with the speaker would keep coming back. It would require a battery pull and a power cycle, and it prevented me from mounting the unit.
6) The keyfob buttons would get pushed in my pocket all the time.
7) I tried to get external powerhorns and sirens to work with no luck. Couldn't figure out any outdoor siren options.
With the Vista 20p,
1) I have the wireless receiver in the basement, and I never had any reception problems in three months, it even works all the way from the 3rd floor, into the basement. (SC1200 didn't even work in the same room)
2) The keyfobs have been 100% reliable, the buttons are recessed and require a press and hold action that prevents accidental presses in my pocket.
3) The actual system is in the basement, even if the keypad is yanked off the wall, siren still sounds and the dialer dials out.
4) With the optional X10 transformer, you can control X10 devices.
5) On ebay, you can buy brand new door/window sensors for as low as $15
6) Compatible with a ton of sirens including cheap outdoor ones.
7) Has a ton of settings you can modify, such as creating several user codes, including guest ones, or duress codes that act like the alarm is off but it still dials out
8 ) Most importantly, since I set it up 3 months ago, I never had to tinker, reliability has been 100%, never had to phone in to make sure it was armed (although I did in the beginning frequently just to test), and never had any false alarms (unless it was due to human error such as forgetting the alarm was on and opening the window)
Sure I spent a little more (not a whole lot) but considering my time is worth something as well, I think I am well ahead in the long run. I finally have peace of mind.
I got rid of all security equipment I got from X10. The cameras got returned (Don't even get me started on those things. I replaced them with a Foscam ip cam and never looked back). SC1200, DS12a's and the keyfobs got thrown out (the only things I kept were the batteries), I just kept the lighting equipment as I found that even though the X10 wireless devices are all plagued with horrible reception, the powerline stuff actually works fine in my house.
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Well,i am not impressed with the airpad10xl. It is a far cry from what they falsely advertise. Hmmmm, i guess thats what i get for shopping on the after holding baCk for year from thar same fear. I am trying tto learn this pos. So i can install the 4 x10 wireless cam. And after reading your ost and many others i fear the worse. Time will tell.Hope your wrong
Take care
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I have to point out that what most are saying is true that in a minute or 2 thieves can grab a bunch of visible stuff. However, with no alarm blasting, they may be in your house looking for stuff (and destroying stuff) for hours. Also, in that short of time, they are only going to get things that are visible. If you have your jewelry sitting on a dresser, etc., but if you have it hidden or in a safe that is hidden, the alarm will help.
Basically the alarm will shorten the time any thief is going to spend in your house.
Also, if my alarm goes off, my neighbors are going to see someone running off with a 60 inch tv most likely.
No alarm is going to get the police to your house to catch/stop the thief unless they are complete idiots.
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The greatest advantage of any "alarm" is the local notification. If kids or even an adult of the house arrives home and sirens are blaring and lights are flashing... they can see and hear that from outside and walk away. Go to the trusted neighbor, make a cell call to the police, or whatever. But the main purpose of the alarm is to keep someone from walking in on a robbery.
Homes and the contents are insured... and can be replaced. One shot from the gun of a thief... can change a family forever.