Cellular security options? No internet No landline

Industrial Toys · Sep 7, 2016

I guess if you see a stranger asleep on your couch, you have a problem.

When I got into the business in a small town, only the banks, jewellery, stereo stores, doctors homes and high end homes had alarms. And my Boss, insisted, they all be silent and mostly employed dedicated class "A" signal channel.

Now you get subdivision with thousands of homes where half may have alarms. Then (usually) ignorant or stupid people create false alarms, and you begin to see why the lack of urgency.

On the other side of the coin. Most apprehensions (not convictions) in burglary cases were the result of security systems. The Police, on their own, don't do very well in this regard. They are too busy with revenue producing endeavors, I guess.

TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark · Sep 7, 2016

Industrial Toys said:
The Police, on their own, don't do very well in this regard. They are too busy with revenue producing endeavors, I guess.

They are just too busy, period, and there aren't enough of them.

But back to the question of communication channels, y'all do know that cellular transmitters go down from time to time, don't you? Mishaps aside, they get taken off air for routine maintenance, sometimes all night long, more typically for an hour or less, at various times and for various reasons. We have what we call a "maintenance window", which is typically 11PM to 5 or 6 AM. That varies by company and by market, but that's generally the range. We try to do all service-affecting maintenance during that window.

Hope your alarm isn't needed when your nearest site is down for maintenance!

sparc · Nov 18, 2016

Anyone know of a cellular solution that does not use monitoring? I'd like to add a line to my cell service
for $9/month and have it call me when there is trouble, not a monitoring station or the police.

hawkeye08 · Nov 18, 2016

I've been looking at this one, not sure if it will call you if there is no monitoring, but with the $15/month monitoring, they will call you first if I read it right. Home Security Systems from SimpliSafe

joefromga · Nov 18, 2016

Most of them use a cellular data only uplink so they make a call to a computer, transmit codes, like a old modem and that's translated to the monitoring service who then calls you or the cops depending on the alarm code.

Some codes would be interior motion which can be a calling to you for a password validation. No cops unless the person doesn't have the password.

Another code may be fire alarm trip which calls fire department.

Another may be glass break which would trigger a police call.

sparc · Nov 18, 2016

OK, my situation is I only need to protect equipment and a small storage shed. There is no house on the property. Cell signal is strong there though. I'd like to have some motion sensors and switches on the shed doors, and maybe a camera looking at the equipment laydown area where all the attachments are sitting.