by SouthLondonDaddy » Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:12 am
Also:
Barry Bros in Paddington is one of the largest locksmiths and security installers in central London; they do everything and anything from cheap locks to expensive European bulletproof doors, alarms, safes, registered security keys, etc. For a cheap mortice lock it's better to call a local locksmith, but for security doors alarms etc they cover the whole of London. They install Texecom or Honeywell Galaxy alarms. Like with Barking Dog, the monitoring contract is with them but the actual monitoring is outsourced to another company (Custodian-monitoring-something near Nottingham). A colleague recommended them but doesn't remember how much he's been paying.
Banham has its own monitoring centre but must use Pyronix alarms - if you search the Google play store for the Banham app, you'll see it's made by Pyronix. I found a 4-year old quote from Banham in my inbox, for a smaller property: £ 680 installation, £240 annual (including annual maintenance visit), but I don't remember for how many sensors. Prices may have gone up in the meanwhile but it was actually less than I feared (the prices for Banham keys, doors and locks are ridiculous).
I'll probably narrow it down to Amco, Verisure and Barry Bros.
I am only considering monitored alarms as I believe non-monitored ones are useless.
Verisure has "photodetectors", thingies which take still pictures when the alarm is triggered. This should reduce the risk of false alarms because the monitoring centre can see what's happening and alert the police if needed. Or, if you're away, you can connect to the app and tale pictures to check everything is fine.
With the other systems you can install cameras, but with all these things I always have the doubt: could a rogue employee from the monitoring centre spy on us when we're home? If you're technically proficient and have a NAS (a mini server that acts as network storage) it would probably be cheap to connect an IP camera to your network, so that only you, and not the monitoring centre, has access to it.
Also, I will probably get a keyholding and alarm response service, so that they can bring us the keys if we get mugged/lose them, and can attend if the alarm gets activated. Banham offers this service even if you don't have a Banham alarm. They are now based in Earlsfield and use motorcycles, so they can reach most of SW London quite quickly. Another one is the Keyholding company in Fulham, They cost about the same, about £250 per year.
Also:
[b]Barry Bros in Paddington[/b] is one of the largest locksmiths and security installers in central London; they do everything and anything from cheap locks to expensive European bulletproof doors, alarms, safes, registered security keys, etc. For a cheap mortice lock it's better to call a local locksmith, but for security doors alarms etc they cover the whole of London. They install Texecom or Honeywell Galaxy alarms. Like with Barking Dog, the monitoring contract is with them but the actual monitoring is outsourced to another company (Custodian-monitoring-something near Nottingham). A colleague recommended them but doesn't remember how much he's been paying.
[b]Banham[/b] has its own monitoring centre but must use Pyronix alarms - if you search the Google play store for the Banham app, you'll see it's made by Pyronix. I found a 4-year old quote from Banham in my inbox, for a smaller property: £ 680 installation, £240 annual (including annual maintenance visit), but I don't remember for how many sensors. Prices may have gone up in the meanwhile but it was actually less than I feared (the prices for Banham keys, doors and locks are ridiculous).
[b]I'll probably narrow it down to [/b]Amco, Verisure and Barry Bros.
I am only considering monitored alarms as I believe non-monitored ones are useless.
Verisure has "photodetectors", thingies which take still pictures when the alarm is triggered. This should reduce the risk of false alarms because the monitoring centre can see what's happening and alert the police if needed. Or, if you're away, you can connect to the app and tale pictures to check everything is fine.
With the other systems you can install cameras, but [b]with all these things I always have the doubt: could a rogue employee from the monitoring centre spy on us when we're home? [/b]If you're technically proficient and have a NAS (a mini server that acts as network storage) it would probably be cheap to connect an IP camera to your network, so that only you, and not the monitoring centre, has access to it.
Also, I will probably get a [b]keyholding and alarm response service[/b], so that they can bring us the keys if we get mugged/lose them, and can attend if the alarm gets activated. Banham offers this service even if you don't have a Banham alarm. They are now based in Earlsfield and use motorcycles, so they can reach most of SW London quite quickly. Another one is the Keyholding company in Fulham, They cost about the same, about £250 per year.