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[mrpush]

Hi,

I'm not sure why you guys like these units, they don't work, for us anyway.

I installed and was excited about them but then learned some disturbing things.

First, it takes a lifestyle change to use a security system. 

Next, we started off well, but then the unit started "false alarming" with the motion sensors.  This happens in the season changes, it must be picking up hot or cold "areas" from our HVAC or something.  Could use the sensitivity switch but then we could walk right by and it not set off at all.

At first, it was cool, but after like 4 false alarms, the folks it was calling, well, they no longer liked it.

Then, the unit stated malfunctioning.  It would not stop calling the phone numbers, over and over and over it called them, it could only be disarmed by a manual disarm, and I almost did the manual disarm with a hammer once.  Well guess what?  After the 3RD time I had to leave dinner to go home to "reset" a false alarm and malfunctioning unit, we threw in the towel.  We don't trust it anymore when we go out.

We still use the unit, how?  We have the door chime on so all "visitors" know we have a security system.  Also, if a door or window is opened its lets us know with the chime.  That would at least let us know when a home invader came in so we could scream and try to run.  The problem is when we hear the chime, it could also be one of the family, so we have become accustomed to not screaming and running.  We just sit there and call out, "who's there" and if they say "home invader" then we scream and run.

Next, it shortcomings.  Well it works via the phone line.  Lots of even not so smart thief's know to find and cut your phone line before the break in.  Cut your line and there is no contact to let anyone know there was a break in.  Yes, a neighbor might hear the siren, but since my neighbors have heard it so many time from false alarms, they ignore it.

And, some thief reading these posts and seeing that YOU have an X10 system,  via its cute little logo on everything would know to just cut your phone line.  Ah, don;t put the X10 sticker in your windows or your making it easier from them to know that they are up against an easy to beat system.  That is just dumb.

Next, no smash sensors.  Many a thief do a smash and grab.  Break the window or glass in a door run in, grab and go.  a smash sensor might be of help here, but not if they cut your phone line.

Oh, and the "listen in" feature NEVER worked with our system.  You would punch the "0" but the system would not respond.  Could be a cell phone thing, but don't expect it to work.


Also, some door sensors would  not "respond" correctly and even though the door was closed, the console would see it as "open".  New batteries did not fix this problem and it still happens and we see the little red light on the console.  After the 12Th time we had to run around the house to re-open and close a door to get the system to set properly, this added to our give up mentality.  Yes, I triple checked the sensors to make sure they were spaced correctly, batteires good, not to far a distance.

Oh, don't even ask about the baby sitter and this system, lol.

Bottom line is that these don't really work really well.  A good system will have a cell dialer, so a cut phone line will not matter.  Also a good system has smash sensors for broken glass breakins.

So, we still use the system, for the door chime to make visitors "think" we have a active security system, and I also use the remote on mornings when I want some hot oatmeal.  I press disarm on a remote and the double chime tells my wife to put on my hot cereal.  I love that feature.

Sometime we shut off the chime, like in the early morning when the dog has to go out to do her business, and then we forget to put it back on.  We just hope that home invaders don't come on those days when we forget.  I do try to make sure its on every night so at least while sleeping if I hear the chime I know something odd is up.

When it was active, my wife often would open the back door for poochie and set it off and wake up the whole house.  She got better at it, but then we realized that the chime when disarming it was enough to wake the whole house anyway.

If we have a remote close by, I guess if a home invader comes in, we could at least use the panic feature to set off the alarm and try to scare them away but since we have stopped using it, the remotes have disappeared.

I still like the door chime so I know when someone is coming or going.  My wife has mixed feeling as she likes it except when she has gone to bed early and I go in and out late, the chime wakes her up and she hollers at me, sometime in not so nice of a fashion.  I still love her though. 

I see the same problems with this new unit.  They just added some flare and gimmicks it appears, that always get people buying new stuff.  Cell phone opt is a good one,maybe it would let me shut off the false alarms so I don't have to rush home to do it?

I think I'm going to take my $80 + and get some good window security film and re-inforce my door jambs instead of buying a new one of these.

But I will keep it for my hot oatmeal mornings!  Yum!

Thanks,

M

 

[dave w]

Hi,

I'm not sure why you guys like these units, they don't work, for us anyway.
 

Gee I don't understand the point in this rant. Most of your shortcoming complaints  (landline only,  no smash sensors, no cell phone interface, etc.) are lack of features you should have known about before you bought the system. So why did you buy it?

You complain about it not operating correctly (repeatedly dialing alarm list, seasonal trigger of motion sensors, false alarms) did you contact X10 about it, or try repositioning the MS, or try to find out what is causing the false triggers?

YOU bought the cheapest supervised home securty on the market, what did it cost you...50 bucks?  Expect reliability, expect reasonable quality of a $50 security system,  but don't expect the features a $1000 ADT system will give you.

[HA Dave]

I'm not sure why you guys like these units, they don't work, for us anyway....... First, it takes a lifestyle change to use a security system. 
..........................  I think I'm going to take my $80 + and get some good window security film and re-inforce my door jambs instead of buying a new one of these.

I hate these rants. You don't take the time to read ANYTHING... and then its everyones else that is at fault that your expectations aren't met. The units do work! However... they are only as reliable as the installer. Maybe if you'd taken a little time to read directions or posts here at the forum.. or just Internet searches.. your might have had more suitable results. So...

 1. Yes an alarm is a lifestyle change! Pay careful attention to details with all DIY projects. The devil is always in the details.
 
 2. If you wanted a cell connection for the alarm (and it IS an alarm... NOT a security system) you can do that using a cell connect device (BlueTooth) to a mobile phone. Search the forum for directions and equipment needed.

 3. All any alarm can do is alarm. No alarm (at any price) can prevent intrusion. That might be why they are called alarms... instead of intrusion preventers.

 4. Breakage prevention film, reinforced door jams, solid locks, and proper security minded landscaping and lighting are basics. Those items are even more important than an alarm. They should NOT be left to last... or done instead of.

I recommend... you follow through (starting with the outside) at making your home the hardest one in the neighborhood (and beyond) to break into. Besides the standard breakage prevention film, reinforced door jams, solid locks, and proper security minded landscaping and lighting. Hang a couple (or 4) security cameras. Use another brand of security alarm sign... but alarm and camera monitoring signs are always a good idea.

Revisit your alarm install. Read the posts here for a while... and pay close attention and apply careful thought to the install. Test everything... don't just expect things to work. The old DS7000 have been sold for years and are actually very reliable if installed correctly.

Security isn't a device. Security is a mind set.

[beelocks]

Almost every home alarm system suffers from door and window dings when you have it set to ding.
Every home alarm system ding is loud enough to be heard - that's what it's there for.
All home alarm systems are stupid - they don't know that your wife is asleep when you come home late, it will still ding.
No home alarm system is clever enough to know that someone letting the dog out is not an illegal entry - although you could get clever with Request To Exit sensors/switches on the inside; ask ADT how much money that adds
All home alarm systems and most physical security locks mean lifestyle changes.

Try one of the big alarm monitored systems, pay $35+ per month for monitoring (plus extra for cell phone dial out) and see if your wife still sets it off when she doesn't dis-arm the system. See if she's still woken by the ding. See if you still forget to reset the ding after you switch it off.

User error is mis-use is not an 'undocumented feature' that belongs solely to X10 - Operator thrombosis is common to every device that is designed to be used by people. Your DVR does not record your favorite shows just because you want it to; you actually need to tell it.

Psychic electronics are rare - most people call them possessed and get them exorcised.

[tom j]

I have to agree I've been critical of some aspects in the past if I thought the design was lacking but this does seem like an installation problem did you try repositioning and setting the motion sensors to 2 step, although they say two steps it might take a little more activity to set them off but being slightly less sensitive there are less false alarms, actually I've NEVER gotten a false alarm in the #2 position. And after they activate it takes a few minuted before they will activate again this is to conserve battery power. If these is a problem with the listen in feature you should send it back under warrenty for a replacement it's possible you received a defective unit.


Tom j.

[Waynemor]

Its funny, I have had my system for 7 years now and I have had MAYBE one false alarm per year, and that is with 2 cats in the family. Mine has worked so well that I decided to take the plunge and upgrade to the new DS1200.
I work in the computer industry and more often than not when we see these kinds of issues it usually turns out to be user error.
Wayne