Budget Security System-Much Success!

[Amber Lamps]

Well, I mentioned in another thread that I was putting together a cheap home security set-up. Here's a short summary of what I have and how it works.

Equipment,

Simon XT alarm panel, including sensors $100 Amazon deal

Keychain remote $0

2 wireless motion sensors $0

2 wireless heat/smoke detectors $0

8 wireless door/window sensors $0

Magic Jack Plus $40 includes 1st year of unlimited phone service

Budget 500G DVR and 4 outdoor, ir cameras $110 Woot special

Mr Roboto motion activated, motorized camera $60

Used battery backup I got from work $0

Since I live alone and have a remote, I installed the panel in my bedroom close to the router that I have the Magic Jack plugged into. I programmed the unit to call me in case of an alarm. I can then (or at any time) check the cameras using my smart phone and decide what to do.

Pros,

Inexpensive peace of mind. No monthly monitoring fee or contract. No monitoring lag-when I worked for ADT, I saw 15+ minute lags in their service. No monthly home phone service bill/expense. No need for an active computer for external cameras as cameras record on dedicated DVR which also networks the images. Can monitor service/cameras remotely and check on house from virtually anywhere. Internal battery back up on alarm good for a couple days. Router/cable modem/ ext camera battery back up is good for a few hours. All accessible windows and doors are covered.


Cons,

Dependent on cable company internet service. Motorized camera needs active computer. Alarm system calls you 6 times if you accidentally trigger the alarm... All sensors are battery powered.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the system and it was pretty easy to install and program. Of course, I was lucky to find some of the stuff I have super cheap, so you might pay a bit more for the equipment but I see similar stuff every day for cheap. BTW you can program up to four numbers for the unit to call. So you can set it up to call the police, a neighbor, friends, etc... If 911 gets 6 calls from a house they will send a unit to check it out.