GSM based building alarm?

[T i m]

I was just wondering if anyone here had any personal experience of / with any of the various GSM / Autodialer type alarms, the likes of eBay is cluttered with these days please?

The usage would be some general indication (via text / auto voice message) of activity into (door switch x 2) or within (IR) a remote building (that has mains power) and possibly in 'silent' mode (no need / point annoying the neighbours for accidental / nuisance trips).

We wouldn't mind spending a couple of extra quid for something tried and tested and sanctioned by the panel. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[tony sayer]

In article , T i m scribeth thus

Cooper security do a GSM model alarm panel IIRC.

Or use a GSM phone adapter from TLC here;

Then you can plug most any autodialler into that:)...

[RJH]

I've had one of these:

working for a few months. Seems reliable so far, although I switched off the push texts as I don't arm the system as such. When I'm interested, I check via an app on my smartphone.

[T i m]

Thanks for that Tony. Have you used anything like those OOI?

I think the prices of their (Cooper) alarm panels + autodialer makes it a bit more expensive than we were initially considering and I was thinking of having an all_in-one solution. However (and thinking back to HiFi / TV recording / decoding solutions), it might be 'better' to have the alarm and dialler separate as 1) you my get more choice and

2) you don't have all your eggs in one basket?

The sort of thing I have since found and looks like it might meet our needs is this:

... but then one of the reviews suggests it is fussy about the SIM used ... ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

That's an interesting alternative to what I was first considering Rob. ;-)

Does it have an alarm panel type function with a keypad or wireless fob to give you some sort of entry / exit delay to any 'protected' areas?

As an aside ... I was wondering if the Samsung 'Smarthings' kit would interconnect with my Dometicz logger project?

Cheers, T i m

[Adam Aglionby]

Have an ebay cheapy GSM alarm, currently on a GiffGaff sim, it`s fine, has an SMA connector and external GSM attenna, save mounting whole box in odd position.

Use it with the supplied wireless PIRs and a door switch, has couple of switched zones on if wanted to use it just as a dialler, also has a Open Collector switeched output if ever get round to using it for triggering additional floods via GSM.

has battery backup that seems to last about an hour and half but does text on mains power fail.

It was a lot cheaper than dedicated diallers or GSM modules from more Western retailers .

Think about where an alarm fits into your security priorities, floodlights are convenient for you and scroats , they ain`t a deterrent.

CCTV is other half of having an alert on your phone, believe me when the thing bleeps when your 100 miles away you want to know immediately what is happening, not when neighbour picks up phone.

Physical security is first line,big f**k off padlocks, padbars, reinforced hinges are things that make scroat with his lidl 18" boltcutters move on

[T i m]

Understood.

Ok.

Ok (I did wonder if it could be used as a 'silent alarm'.

Ok. ;-)

Ok.

Yes, the 'pucker' ones do seem to be quite expensive and I wasn't sure if we would get what we were paying for and / or / if a quality unit would be that much better in actual use (given what you say at the end etc).

Noted.

;-)

Some of these GSM alarms suggest they have either audio (you can hear the scroats), two way audio (you can talk to the scroats) and / or CCTV.

I think is there could be some technology crossover here with say the use of a CCTV unit with remote (GSM) access and either movement and/or external hard triggers (door switches etc) versus an alarm with CCTV or even one of these GSM doorbells wired to door switches rather than the pushbutton?

Plan already in action Adam. Either, home made (or bought / approved, if it helps any insurance etc) ground / wall anchors and h/d wire / chain / locks.

Yup, you can only go so far with any of this eh.

Cheers, T i m

[RJH]

There is a proximity fob thing that I haven't activated yet. IIRC it does 'things' - controls the heating, activates/deactivates alarms, switches lights on/off and so on. But I'm so half-soaked I'd lose track of what was going on.

No physical panel. I use a smartphone - and it connects very quickly from anywhere, couple of seconds. There may be a web interface:

There is a lot of forum activity around it all, as people connect and customise. Which does surprise me, given Samsung's reputation for locking things down, and the recent snooping scandal. I'd have thought they'd be more Pi-inclined.

It's all a hoot - the sensors do temperature for example, and are small enough to slot inside a door, say, so they're invisible and easy to fit. I bought the Samsung kit and an Amazon Echo for £160 on some promotion or other on Amazon. Altogether, though, for me at least, of little utility.

[tony sayer]

In article , T i m scribeth thus

Yes in several remote monitoring applications..

Yes there not cheap but they do work and keep working:)

[alan_m]

I have a Advant GSM auto dialler card in my alarm box and the manufacturer gives this advice.

[quote] Insert a SIM from any GSM network into the SIM card holder. Please note the ?3? network is not a GSM network (they offer only UMTS) ? avoid 3 Mobile as only a roaming connection will be available. Please note even though networks such as O2/Orange/Vodafone offer 3G and 4G SIM cards they also have 2G voice/SMS infrastructure and so all of their SIMs are perfectly valid. [/quote]

They also state that a PIN on the SIM card mustn't be used.

It may be beneficial to use a PAYG SIM where the credit doesn't run out, say, after 30 days. I use a PAYG Giffgaff SIM with £10 credit in the basic PAYG mode in my card which is programmed to send a periodic text message to keep the card alive (the SIM must be used at least once every

3?? months).

[T i m]

Thanks for that. So there does seem to be some SIM / service compatibility issues you need to keep an eye on.

A lock you mean ... that would make sense.

That was my plan.

I have a GiffGaff PAYG SIM on my spare phone and the Mrs has such reminders in her diary. I think many of the PAYG SIMS require you to make a chargeable call within 6 months.

Cheers, T i m

[Adam Aglionby]

One piece of advice last Scene of Crime Officer had, was round picking up padlock parts , can match the chomp to specific cutters, was that scroats dislike noise, triggering an alarm will make them retreat for a while .

Beware of the deliberate multi trigger, until you put it down as fault and disable for the night....

Or in case of bike dealers here , break in mince alarm panel and hide, wait for cops to come and go and and building to be secured, then break out and load out 30 grands worth of trials bikes.

Condisdering fitting couple of these in new premises, internally, triggered remotely in unfortunate event of confirmed scroat activity, literally painful in an enclosed environment

The GSM module is quite literally that a small shielded module on the PCB, mebbe not had the QA shakedown of a big name, been reliable for last few years here.

Scroat life is unammusing enough to watch in silent CCTV without the audio...

Android phones but its the hardware interface.

Bars , not chains or wires, big scroat with aforementioned 18" or weed with the stolen Record 4 footers make chain and wire look like cable ties.

Closed shoulder padlocks and andge iron over the hasp on a bar makes it difficult to get in with cutters.

Round here they broke into the forking car wash, not sire if they thought were going to get rich selling stolen car shampoo, but must have seemed easy to get in.

Pereceived internal value dosent seem to effect desire to break and enter, big locks dinna emake it more attractive don`t think.

[charles]

or, as the SCO here put it: "Burglar Alarms alarm burglars"