# Forum Home Renovation Television, Computers & Phones  Home alarm with SMS...

## ReP0

Does anyone know of a reliable home alarm with SMS. I hear alot of alarms have dialers but with me moving to VOIP etc I don't wish to be tied to a traditional telephone line to be notified of an intrusion. Would be nice if I could arm/disarm the house from the mobile as well for tradesmen etc.  
If you know of any likely candidates it'd be great. Also are there any particular brands I should stay away from?

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## patty

Have you tried NESS?

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## ReP0

> Have you tried NESS?

  Given I have no idea what NESS is I think it may be safe to say no  :Redface:  
Edit: Google helps though..will check it out.

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## arose62

You might be able to add it yourself:  http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KC5400 
Cheers,
Andrew

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## OBBob

I use a Clipsal alarm because it is reliable (I have ha bad experiences with false alarms on other models ... PITA). It doesn't have SMS but it does have a dialer and I use that over VOIP with a voice box. It is fantastic to say that my house is Telstra phone line free and I pay 10c for calls!!

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## ReP0

> I use a Clipsal alarm because it is reliable (I have ha bad experiences with false alarms on other models ... PITA). It doesn't have SMS but it does have a dialer and I use that over VOIP with a voice box. It is fantastic to say that my house is Telstra phone line free and I pay 10c for calls!!

  Thanks. I guess I could do something similar. My only problem is if the power is cut then no notification though while with SMS there might be (I assume that any decent home alarm with SMS would have an internal battery). If no such beast exists I guess I could do what you did and just buy a cheap UPS.

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## OBBob

> Thanks. I guess I could do something similar. My only problem is if the power is cut then no notification though while with SMS there might be (I assume that any decent home alarm with SMS would have an internal battery). If no such beast exists I guess I could do what you did and just buy a cheap UPS.

  But if the power is cut you still have an issue with the SMS variety because they use your nowmal phone line for the SMS. 
Here is one -  http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.st...uct/View/L7320 
What you are after is one with a built in mobile, which I haven't seen and you would also have to have it on a mobile plan.

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## pharmaboy2

since when does a power cut kill the phone line? 
If you are going away on holidays,. and a professional wants to break in - they will.  alarms stop the 95% of breakins perpetrated by idiots and junkies - to keep the professionals out you need an alarm that would keep a professional alarm installer out.  Try keeping the local nrma guy out of your car for instance!   :Wink:

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## OBBob

> since when does a power cut kill the phone line?

  If you are using Voice Over IP (i.e. an internet phone) then the power is required.   

> If you are going away on holidays,. and a professional wants to break in - they will. alarms stop the 95% of breakins perpetrated by idiots and junkies - to keep the professionals out you need an alarm that would keep a professional alarm installer out. Try keeping the local nrma guy out of your car for instance!

  Agree entirely.

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## ReP0

> since when does a power cut kill the phone line?

  Plan to go fully voip. Infact already have. Will be disconnecting the landline in 3 months once it's out of contract. Unfortunately the ATA requires mains power and doesn't work off the line voltage because there isn't any.   

> If you are going away on holidays,. and a professional wants to break in - they will.  alarms stop the 95% of breakins perpetrated by idiots and junkies - to keep the professionals out you need an alarm that would keep a professional alarm installer out.  Try keeping the local nrma guy out of your car for instance!

  Sure I understand. I do have friends and family living a few minutes by car away from my place and if I configure it to give them the SMS they can easily look in on it as soon as the alarm is triggered if I go on holidays. Better than having an alarm flashing for hours on end that others just ingore.   

> But if the power is cut you still have an issue with the SMS variety because they use your nowmal phone line for the SMS. 
> Here is one -  http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.st...uct/View/L7320 
> What you are after is one with a built in mobile, which I haven't seen and you would also have to have it on a mobile plan.

  The mobile plan isn't a problem. $10 for 6 months including $10 credit isn't expensive and it's what I'm already doing for my car. Infact I have the rhino car alarm installed with SMS. I'm not convinced of there sensors though. Seems like they use cheap ???? stuff that gives a few false positives. Switching sensors isn't that easy since they seem to use ones that differ from everyone else. The rhino seems to have a 7Ah battery included which I guess is to overcome the power cut issue. If only I had faith in their cheapie sensors. Which I could get a clispal with SMS mobile.

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## journeyman Mick

There was an ad in the Queensland Master Builders magazine for a portable self contained alarm system which had a SIM card socket. It dialled you (can't remember if it was a recording or an SMS) to notify of a breakin. I also recall a similar setup in a rural supplies magazine. They do exist, but I doubt I could find anything in my office at the moment if my life depended on it :Redface: , so you'll have to search it out yourself. 
Mick

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## ReP0

Sorry to kind of resurrect this thread. Been looking at the clipsal homesafe (5400) and the Ness (see http://www.ness.com.au/ViewProduct.a...Number=100-667) and they seem very similar, at least the keypads etc. Did clispsal just buy the Ness unit and rebadge it? Is there any significant difference in sensor quality between Ness alarms and Clispal? 
I've given up on the SMS. Don't think I need it. A dialer is enough. Any other recommendations or a forum specialising in alarms which I could gleam some more knowledge from? 
TIA 
(Not interested in the Jaycar or Rhino products. Haven't been that satisfied with either in the past)

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## patty

Repo from what i have been told in the Industry that is exactly it Clipsal are using low budget cost effective NESS products badged clipsal and  are certainly not security specailists by any stretch of the imagination and are only doing it to gain market share for the complete package on complete installations! I would go to NESS or a Ness agent for this as I would be questioning clipsal's tech support and backup on this product!

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## OBBob

> Repo from what i have been told in the Industry that is exactly it Clipsal are using low budget cost effective NESS products badged clipsal and  are certainly not security specailists by any stretch of the imagination and are only doing it to gain market share for the complete package on complete installations! I would go to NESS or a Ness agent for this as I would be questioning clipsal's tech support and backup on this product!

  Fair call. My only experince was a faulty dialer on the very first one I brought. A clipsal rep delivered me a complete new kit (including all the extra bits) and didn't take the original one. So I gave it to a friend who didn't need a dialer.

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