Any home alarm installers?

[CrkdLtr]

Just curious if we have any security alarm installers on the board.

I just installed a DIY wireless alarm kit that dials out through the phone line and wanted to add an additional measure of security with a RJ31x jack(for line seizure) and wasn't sure how to go about this. It seems the only option is some kind of external box that's about 3" x 3". I was hoping to find one that I can just wire up by replacing the plate on my wall but doesn't look as though such a thing exists.

As it stands my phone service, VOIP, is wired from the EMTA to where the house wiring came out to the old AT&T NID and from there the wiring is daisy chained to 5 phone jacks. The first phone jack is in the kitchen where the alarm is currently tied into.

Any suggestions as to what I can do?

Thanks.

 

[aard3]

I'm not an installer, but I work for a alarm manufacturer... As far as I'm aware, in order for your panel to be able to seize the line, you need to place it in "series" after where the service comes in (in your case, on the output end of the VOIP system),but BEFORE any wall jacks. Essentially what the panel does is under normal operation, it just acts as a pass-through, then in the case of an alarm, just breaks the "circuit" to the rest of the wall jacks, and proceeds to seize the line.

Aaron

 

[Frnchyse]

hey crkdltr, I have a similar type of alarm that i installed at the place I rent. It has a dialer that you program numbers in for it to dial with a prerecorded message. I don't know if yours was similar and if you were thinking of programming 911 to be dialed. If so you may want to think about having it dial 911; not saying its a bad idea just if you accidentally set it off and it starts dialing you may not stop the call in time. I have mine programed to call me and if I know it wasn't my wife setting it off by accident I can call the police myself.

 

[Suburbazine]

I'm not an installer, but I work for a alarm manufacturer... As far as I'm aware, in order for your panel to be able to seize the line, you need to place it in "series" after where the service comes in (in your case, on the output end of the VOIP system),but BEFORE any wall jacks. Essentially what the panel does is under normal operation, it just acts as a pass-through, then in the case of an alarm, just breaks the "circuit" to the rest of the wall jacks, and proceeds to seize the line.

Aaron

Yeah, you use CAT-3 telephone cable between the service box and the alarm panel. If the alarm has a CAT-3 or CAT-5 jack in it already, it probably has a service interrupt. Just need to figure out the pinout so you can route house service through the panel.

On most new house installations CAT-3 is standard behind the wall plate, so you can grab the extra pair and wire them up.

 

[aard3]

hey crkdltr, I have a similar type of alarm that i installed at the place I rent. It has a dialer that you program numbers in for it to dial with a prerecorded message. I don't know if yours was similar and if you were thinking of programming 911 to be dialed. If so you may want to think about having it dial 911; not saying its a bad idea just if you accidentally set it off and it starts dialing you may not stop the call in time. I have mine programed to call me and if I know it wasn't my wife setting it off by accident I can call the police myself.

Definitely DO NOT have it dial 911. You can use the dialer to call you, or something like that, but 911 is out of the question. A lot of places have ordinances / laws about this. 911 is for emergencies only, not for alarm reporting.

Traditional alarm systems will dial a central station, who has people working there 24/7, THEY call the police if there is a problem. Since you're doing a DIY install, you might have a hard time getting a company to monitor your system, usually they want a professional installer to have done it.

Aaron

 

[nola_]

Can a non Adt company service an ADT alarm system? Or does it have to be ADT only? Thanks

 

[f350drvr]

Any licensed installer can service it. You can probably negotiate a free service call if you switch your monitoring. I use Campo and they have been good.

 

[aard3]

Can a non Adt company service an ADT alarm system? Or does it have to be ADT only? Thanks

It actually depends. Sometimes when a company like ADT/Brinks, etc installs the panel, you don't actually "own" it. They install it for practically free since they known they'll have you on the monthly payments. In some cases, only they can monitor their panels. It really just depends.

Other times, when there is nothing preventing them, local guys will do it. I'd just call a couple places and see what they say.

Aaron