On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:59:26 -0000, wrote:

I just renovated my home, and in the process I tore out the old Nutone
security alarm system that was installed back in the early 1980s when
the house was built.

I have been searching the internet for ideas and prices on a new
system, and I have just about made up my mind to go with a company
called Guardcom. Has anyone else purchased an alarm from this
company? I found them at www.guardcom.net and I also saw a less
expensive at www.ADT.com which is my second choice. I am leaning
toward the guardcom system because I don't want to get trapped into a
3 year contract, but I cannot find any feed back on their service.
Looking for any good or bad experiences.

AIUI if you are going to have monitoring you should arrange with a
monitoring company first, and I don't understand all that but maybe
you have to go through a burglar alarm company to do this. At least,
you have to find a monitoring company that won't insist that you do.

And my friend with a burglar alarm company gradually replaces all the
burglar alarm central units with the same brand so that he only has to
know the software for one company, and maybe only 1, 2, or 3 models
althought I'm sure the company keeps all the models almost identical.

This means he can make simple and complicated changes without leaving
his office, which of course means it's a lot quicker and cheaper (free
in most cases) for the customer or he's a lot more willing to do it.
Before phone commincation, hed have to come out and he'd charge for a
service call much of hte time.

Of course you could do all the maintenance yourself, deciding on
zones, letting the timer turn off the false alarms, or the monitor
company call the police.

Have you thought about this. I'm curious how one does it with the
montoring.

JW