Alarm / HA system advice

["Lee" <muddyboots@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all

I normally frequent the Yahoo UK_selfbuild group, but I'm looking for
advice on an alarm system, or maybe a basic HA system.

(Waffle alert!)

Initially I'd been thinking of the following alarm system:

Texecom Premier 48 panel, 8 dual-tech PIRs, wireless receiver, 4 wireless
door contacts (to go where I didn't run any alarm cable...doh), speech
dialler, microphone, Odyssey 5 bellbox, 4 keypads, and USB interface.

I liked the idea of being able to dial-in, listen & talkback, and the
ability to control/stop the alarm remotely by phone. Various people had
recommended Texecom kit, plus their manuals are meant to be very good - I
managed to locate myself an installer manual and it is indeed very
comprehensive.

I saw there is an option for an X10 add-on interface, and started wondering
- thinking it might be useful to maybe turn various lights on if the alarm
was setoff etc using X10 modules.

So I was all set on the Texecom system.

Then I started looking at basic HA controllers such as the Marmitek CM15
etc. The ability to use macros, timed events etc seemed quite appealing and
offered quite a bit of scope for say, turning equipment off at night to
save power, time towel rails, garden lights etc and maybe respond to event
from PIR sensors etc.

And then I stumbled across the Comfort system - which from what I can see
offers the functionality of an alarm system, plus programmable X10 HA
functions.

What I haven't sussed yet is:
- whether Comfort will offer all the same functions as the Texecom setup
I'd specced
- how easy is it to interface to other makes of PIR sensors, bellboxes etc
- how expensive it'd be compared to say, my Texecom setup plus a separate
Marmitek controller (budget is pretty small, SWMBO isn't really convinced
with HA stuff and thinks the alarm already sounds pricey....)

So I was after some advice from people who've used the Comfort system for a
bit more info on what it might offer me, and how expensive it would be !

Cheers
Lee



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