Re: Ademco VISTA-128BP, Caddx NetworX NX-8E or ELK M1 for Residential Alarm and Home Automation

["Robert L Bass" <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I have boiled down my choices for an Alarm system that would work with my
> (future and unknown) Home Automation needs:
>
>  1)  Ademco VISTA-128BP
>  2)  Caddx NetworX NX-8E
>  3)  ELK M1
>
> I like the M1, but it doesn't have a UL Listing yet, but I wonder if that
> matters much in a home setup.  Should I care about the UL?

If you're doing the job for yourself and you don't care about an insurance
discount, don't worry about it.  Make your choice based on the prices and
features among the three panels.

> I also wonder if the M1 is as solid as the Ademco and Caddx systems.
> Anyone
> think the M1 would be less reliable?

Not in the least.  The M1Gold is one of the best engineered panels on the
market.  Programming is fairly easy with ELK's software (included free if
you buy it from an authorized online dealer).  It's also an extremely
flexible HA controller.

> The M1 will support Zwave (http://www.zen-sys.com) at some point with an
> add-on board.
> Does the VISTA-128BP and Caddx NX-8E support Zwave?

No.

> Is there any reason to avoid any of the above units?  I think I could be
> happy with any of these systems, but if your experience says otherwise,
> please let me know because I'm about to buy...

No.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
2291 Pine View Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34231
877-722-8900 Sales & Tech Support
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>