Newbie - Using Cellular Service for Security System

Hey All!

We're getting ready to set up things at a vacation home. We're looking at using a mobile hotspot for internet, and we wouldn't have a land line. That would mean we would have to use a cellular service for security. Can folks point me in the right direction for where I should look to achieve the following functional specs:

1. Normal fire, smoke, and burglar monitoring via dedicated cell (contact me and appropriate authorities), plus local siren that can be silenced remotely.

2. Provide for a way to contact me (only) in case of a water leak, hi home temp, or lo home temp via dedicated cell (sensors must be available for the system).

3. Provide a means of very basic home automation. Specifically, outdoor motion detector turns on indoor lights in a programmed sequence, and turns them off after a set time.

What am I looking at in a self-install? (To the nearest $500)

Thanks

An Elk m1 security system, an hai c3 cellular unit, and some UPB or insteon light switches should cover you. Cost will depend on how many switches you automate and how many doors/windows/leak detectors/themostats you put in. But I think $1500 might get you going. You will need to put a lot of hours in pulling wires and putting your contacts/keypads in. If you choose to go wireless, cost will go up, but so will ease of installation.

$1500. Ouch! That plus $25/month monitoring fee. I was figuring I could do #3 for about $200, since it is all done locally. Which part of the functional spec makes the cost jump?

How much would the system cost if I DID have internet 12 mo/year at the vacation home?

jtw said:

$1500. Ouch! That plus $25/month monitoring fee. I was figuring I could do #3 for about $200, since it is all done locally. Which part of the functional spec makes the cost jump?

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Monitoring is about $8/mo.

$200 isn't going to buy you much as far as HA equipment. If you want a simple motion detector outdoor lighting fixture, you can pick those up at home depot for $20 or $30 each.

I'd agree with the above, with the exception of the HAI C3 unit, there's better solutions out there.

DELInstallations said:

I'd agree with the above, with the exception of the HAI C3 unit, there's better solutions out there.

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I'm not an installer and only have experience with what I own. The combo of Elk/HAI C3/Alarm Relay Monitoring/ATT prepaid card has served me flawlessly for about 18 months. Total cost is about $17/mo when you include the prepaid calling plan charges. I know there are other ways to get cellular service monitoring that are very good, but I don't know how they could be better then "flawless" and pretty darn cheap. The HAI unit price at a bit over $200 is the only thing that seems like it could be better.