Anyone recommend a good domestic alarm system

[UNG]

I would go for a Scantronic 9561. Excellent alarm if installed and programmed correctly. 8 zone panel around £50 IIRC

Any alarm that is not installed and programmed correctly usually results in call backs and no end of problems so your comment goes for all alarm panels. For the reasons previously stated personally I don't rate Scantronic kit. With alarm systems the price depends on what you want it to do as they all have various setups from basic home and away setting to multiple part set areas and add on communication facilities

 

[timbobelfast]

Each to their own. Same ways as I don't rate Texacom. Personally would not even put one in my shed.

 

[oldtimer]

If you are new to alarms then ADE Optima/Accenta or the Veritas stay away from Scantronic as they have the "remove CP lid" to access engineers section also horses for courses sometimes people just want a simple panel so they dont have to feed the dog and take it for a walk at night

 

[UNG]

Each to their own. Same ways as I don't rate Texacom. Personally would not even put one in my shed.

Ahh an I will always fit Scantronic engineer no matter how out of date they are, thought they died out years ago. I find it interesting that you would spec a panel manufactured to BS 4737 a standard that was superseded years ago by BS EN 50131

 

[polo1]

Just my twopence worth - I have installed Scantronic, ADE, Ademco Galaxy over the years, both hard wired and wireless. I don't personally agree with the bad spec given here to Scannys - generally found them to be well built panels with a lower than average failure rate.

If you are aiming mainly for the "bells only" market with no monitoring, most of the main panels on the market will do you fine. My advice is to stick to two, max three makes and get to know them well - it's half the battle when you can programme, reprogramme etc without having to constantly refer to the installation manual. I also pay a bit of a premium for external sounders - after all they are out there in all weathers.

Domestic/small commercial intruder systems is approx 25% of my turnover, with access growing from 10% - I get very little hassle from my own installations and a reasonable margin. It's like the thread on today about satellite installation - you can never have too many strings to your bow, but play them all competently!
Regards.

 

[UNG]

I don't personally agree with the bad spec given here to Scannys - generally found them to be well built panels with a lower than average failure rate.

Scantronic panels were good years ago but tried to live on their name rather than move with the market and the technology changes, the tech support was also very lacking. Personally I always used Menvier panels (previously Munford & White and then Tunstall) up to a couple of years after Cooper bought them, once the old Menvier guys left the tech support dept it became harder to support the equipment and so I moved on

 

[oldtimer]

Scantronic panels were good years ago but tried to live on their name rather than move with the market and the technology changes, the tech support was also very lacking. Personally I always used Menvier panels (previously Munford & White and then Tunstall) up to a couple of years after Cooper bought them, once the old Menvier guys left the tech support dept it became harder to support the equipment and so I moved on

Munford and White CPA2 by any chance thats going back a bit (like me) Also just to add my last mail I was critical of Scantronic because of the "open control panel" as I had to go to a 8136 yesterday and had a job trying to reset the battery low fault after I changed the battery . As I said if the poster is new to alarm and it is domestic then a good starting place is ADE Optima or Texcom and then he can progress from there.
Plus as you say Scantronic is no worse or better than the rest it is just down to preference a lot of guys get comfortable with one make and model I was lucky I started with Thorn on the 7000 series where the failure rate was 1 in3 moved on to M&W and A&G (My eyes still water when I think about the Micro 3 Deluxe LOL) Bentley,ADE, Scantronic but the catch is you need to as UNG says move on and you have to asses the job ie multiple keyholders or a 2 bedroom semi

 

[Edd]

Was asked to fit a Yale wireless system, about 3 months ago, they supplyed the materials took me about 3 hrs (including wireing the spur) and I was quite impressed, familiy then asked me to do the same for a friend of theirs. Not one call back, and would happily fit them again.

 

[timbobelfast]

What tech support could you possibly need for a hard wired modern scantronic? For commercial installs I use the Galaxy Dimension panels.
And the Scanny previously may have been manufactured around 4737 but they now comply with BS EN 50131 or else I wouldn't be installing them.

 

[telectrix]

Was asked to fit a Yale wireless system, about 3 months ago, they supplyed the materials took me about 3 hrs (including wireing the spur) and I was quite impressed, familiy then asked me to do the same for a friend of theirs. Not one call back, and would happily fit them again.

was a thread on here a few days ago, where the yale systems could be disabled with a car remote or similar.