Re: Need Advice For Packaged Home Alarm Purchase

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike wrote:
> Very interesting and useful post.  Can DIY systems be monitored remotely
> by a CS?


Yes.  Most independent CS's (and many owned by actual alarmcos) will
deal with registered (licensed) dealers.  There are a few companies out
there that offer service direct to the the DIY, but if you examine their
FAQ's carefully, you'll often find that you're not actually dealing
direct but through a dealer.  A prime example is http://nextalarm.com.
If you don't have control (the installer code) of your alarm system
they'll send you an "add-on device" that is essentially an independently
programmed communicator with instructions on how to install it or the
number of a local dealer to call that will install it for you.  The UL
listed stations that NextAlarm deals with have the same safeguards in
place than the independents I first mentioned.  UL listed stations won't
allow a DIY to program their own systems to call their receivers.  If
you think about it for a moment, you'll understand the reason why.