Re: Thanks for all the replies folks, a few more questions...

["tourman" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David wrote:
> "tourman" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1162652516.175132.150490@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > 1- The first decision you have to make is not who you want to deal
> > with, but how you want to buy your system....low up front price, high
> > monthly rates with a long term contract on  one extreme, and full but
> > fair market price up front and low ongoing monthly, sometimes with no
> > long term committment at the other extreme.
>
> In general I prefer to keep contracts on the short side... a year in length,
> ocassionally I'll go monthly until I develop a warm fuzzy.  With alarms,
> are monitoring contracts usually unrelated to hardware warranty/support
> length or are they tied together?

RHC: If you look closely within the ranks of the smaller companies, you
may find one that offers month to month contract terms. This leaves you
in the driver's seat and allows you to change suppliers if their
service slips, or if their pricing becomes unreasonable over time. A
one year term is reasonable; anything more is excessive (unless you are
paying down artificially low system costs). Warranty and service costs
may or may not be included; it depends upon the company. Many tack on a
couple of bucks a month extra for a limited warranty and service costs.
Others include it in their monthly rate. Prices are all over the map !
It is also important to find out exactly what is covered and what is
not ! And ask about their hourly and driving charges. Better to find
out up front exactly what they charge than be hit with a large expense
a couple of years down the line.
>
> > 3- Generally speaking, it's best to avoid wireless equipment if it is
> > possible to install hardwired gear. In this writer's opinion, wireless
> > should only be used as a last resort if it isn't possible to
> > economically run wires. Wireless will require more maintenance
> > over the years.
>
> I'd prefer hardwired, but we'll see.  The main, seemingly impossible
> position to wire without damaging the walls (which we don't want for
> now... could change things down the road prior to a repainting) would
> be the main entrance.  So maybe we'll just end up with one wireless
> keypad until the next remodeling (shrug).

RHC: If the basement ceiling is open, there is NO reason why the
complete system cannot be put in hardwired. It will give you a far
better and more reliable system over the longer term. Don't second
guess a good installer; it's amazing where they can get wires and hide
things completely from sight !!
>
> This being a dense neighborhood I would expect there to be a fair
> amount of gear operating in the 900 MHz, 2.4GHz, and 5GHz bands.
> Are wireless alarm components pretty robust and interference free?

RHC: Yes, generally speaking, wireless from the major suppliers is good
stuff. I use it sparingly because on a couple of occasions, I have seen
ham radio systems make the use of wireless totally unusable...false
alarms like crazy. Some companies swear by it, but I give it as wide a
berth as I can. If you do go wireless, make sure it is "supervised"
wireless so the station knows when it is non functional or batteries
have gone bad.
>
> > 6- Ensure up front that you don't buy equipment which is proprietary
> > ie: can only be used to report back to one particular company. At some
> > point in the future, you may decide to shop elsewhere for your
> > monitoring services, and this will allow you to do so. And if you
> > decide to sell your home, an alarm system with no legal or proprietary
> > encumberances will add some additional albeit minor value to the home.
>
> Yes, avoiding lock-in and maximizing the control I'd have over the system
> are high-priorities.  I don't have the time to become very knowledgeable
> on the different systems, and I don't want to micromanage the alarm
> company and every component they pick and how they install it, but if
> there is anything anyone could share that could help me to differentiate
> a "good equipment" proposal from a "poor equipment" proposal I'd
> welcome it.

RHC: I'm not sure the answer to that is a simple one. Avoid high
pressure sales types....you know, the ones that say the deal is only
good for now and will go up soon. Also, make sure that the system
coverage is adequate...two doors and a motion won't cut it in most
cases, and that you compare "apples to apples" when comparing quotes.
You'll find that many companies will offer quite a few different
proposals when it comes to coverage and options. Generally, as a
minimum, all doors should be armed, all basement and low lying windows
should be armed, and there should be an adequate number of quality
motions to give generalized coverage of the major areas of the home. A
smoke detector is worth adding to the system and may entitle you to
additional discounts on your home insurance policy.

Never go with a company that boosts the monitoring rate for add ons
like smokes etc. They are just boosting your monthly rate, and it's a
pretty good indication of the type of company you will end up dealing
with (it doesn't cost them any more to monitor six hundred "points"
than it does six !! )

If you have any more questions while getting your quotes, let us
know....

R.H.Campbell
Home Security Metal Products
www.homemetal.com
>
Thanks again.