Simple alarm system for small apartment

[PaulD]

Looking for a simple wireless alarm system suitable for a mom and a 3 year old in a small appartment. Would need to monitor one door and 3 sliding windows. All windows are sliding (two big panes) and are on the ground floor. Although they would need a circuit to monitor the open/closed position, the biggest concern is probably someone breaking the glass to gain entry. Cannot do any wiring so it needs to be all wireless. I have seen several packages advertised that that sound like the right approach but I am concerned that many are probably unreliable junk. Looking for a low cost but reliable solution.
Anyone have any experience with a system that might meet this requirement?

 

[Neurorad]

M1EZ8?

 

[russban]

DSC Alexor is the easiest to install and use that I have found. Everything is wireless including the keypad.

 

[PaulD]

DSC Alexor is the easiest to install and use that I have found. Everything is wireless including the keypad.

Looks interesting. It has a glass break detector which is one item I find missing from many other budget wireless solutions.

 

[Digger]

Look at Visonic as well. They are Plug and Play from what I remember. I saw them being tested when I was at UL and they seemed a lot easier then the Ademco LynXX etc. They are a major brand overseas but sold in the uSA as well.

 

[signal15]

ElkGuard?

 

[PaulD]

Thanks all. Looks like some good options. I am digging deeper into your suggestions.

 

[trixie09]

Actually, I have used wireless alarms on doors and windows. And the only bad things are that you always have to turn them off when opening the door or window. There are also a chance that part of the alarm may fall and cause the alarm to go off overall they are a good investment though.

 

[MrDan]

Actually, I have used wireless alarms on doors and windows. And the only bad things are that you always have to turn them off when opening the door or window. There are also a chance that part of the alarm may fall and cause the alarm to go off overall they are a good investment though.

My main problem with the self contained systems like Lynx, Simon, etc...(one where keypad and dialer and system are one unit) is that unless GSMR or GSMI monitoring, all the bad guy has to do is come in a entry exit point and simply rip the panel off the wall and disconnect telco and he is home free. With radio or gsm backup or primary, signals are sent in too fast for bad guy to get anything done. (Real time monitoring.) Contrary to what some believe, Telco monitoring (non cell or radio or gsm) can't tell when connection is lost until the first missed "test timer" (somewhere between a day and a month if it is programmed at all for test timer.) I have hears some say that the central station knows the exact moment the telco line is cut. That is only true if a radio or cell or Internet transmitter is attached. If you have a vista 20 with no backup and only hooked to the phone line, and the line is cut, there is NO WAY for the central station to get the signal that the line was cut except "missed test timer". If you must do a self contained unit, I would pay the extra for a GSMR and if you have always on Internet, I might even go the GSMI or "TLink" in the DSC world though I don't think DSC has a self contained system.

P.S.

Just had a call (again) today where the customer was told by someone that the lines are monitored "real time" with nothing but telco line hooked up.


Dan