Re: I just got my first cell phone!

[Nomen Nescio <nobody@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bill said:

>Anyway I have an Ademco Vista 10SE which is connected to a phone line, but I
>have not set up monitoring with anyone (yet). I don't really need an alarm
>system as I live in a small town with almost no crime. I do have a smoke
>detector on it though and fire would be my main concern. I got the alarm box
>at a yard sale for $5, and got it to work, so ordered a few peripherals,
>text keypad, and installed it.
>
>Anyway, since I have been out of the alarm business for 20 years, what are
>my options with a cell phone and a Vista 10SE and not having a monitoring
>company?
>
>Is there any type of optional gizmo these days which could call my cell
>phone and tell me what type of alarm it is (fire/intruder)?
>
>I suppose I could program the Vista 10SE to call my cell phone and my caller
>ID would show my home number calling is all (would not tell me any
>information about type of alarm). They I could call my neighbor and ask him
>to see what is going on. (budget monitoring.)
>
>Suggestions/options?

Are you sure you used to work in the alarm business?  If so, you should
know better than to ask a question like that.

Let's think this through.  Your primary concern is fire.  You want your
system to call/page you, so you can call your neighbor.

Your house catches fire.  A minute (or more) later, your pager goes off.
You call your neighbor and ask him to see if your house is on fire.
Assuming he answers the phone (suppose he's not home?), you ask him to
check and see if your house is on fire.  He goes off to check.  He tells
you your house is now fully involved, and suggests one of you call the fire
department.  In which case your discount monitoring has cost you a couple
of minutes in fire department response time.  Or, he tells you he doesn't
see any fire, in which case you don't call the fire department.  Except a
few minutes later, the small fire your neighbor didn't see has become a big
fire.  Ten minutes later, your neighbor notices the flames going through
the roof.

I'd say your $5 alarm system and no-cost monitoring was money well spent,
wouldn't you?

- badenov