DIY Security Systems Posts

You may have noticed, particularly if you have attempted to purchase an alarm communicator in recent months, that a lot of products are on backorder. This situation is related to the global chip shortage that has recently made headlines for disrupting the automotive industry.

Microchips can be found in just about everything, from ATMs to pacemakers, and in such varied products as smart pens and running shoes. Human beings love to rev up their traditionally low-tech devices in order to improve their usefulness, or at least their perceived usefulness. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chips required to make some of these improvements are currently in short supply.

The automotive industry was both a cause, and a victim, of the global chip shortage. According to TechRepublic.com, due to COVID-19, automotive manufacturers were required to shut down in 2020 along with most other businesses. But rather than take delivery of the chips they'd already ordered, they decided to cancel those orders. Chip manufacturers were forced to either pivot, or get stuck holding the bag.

Fortunately for them, the shutdown meant that a lot of people were now working and attending school from home. The need for both online access and cloud computing went through the roof, as did the sale of computers, tablets, and laptops. Add to this a huge rollout of 5G smartphones and the folks manufacturing and selling chips were recovering pretty well.

Fast-forward to 2021, the automotive manufacturers have gone back to work, but the chip producers who were forced to pivot away from them have not really been incentivized to do what it takes to increase their supply. To do so would require a major investment in building more foundries for chip production, with no guarantee that they would see the necessary return on that investment. The chip manufacturers seem to be saying, "Poor planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on our part." So, as long as demand outstrips supply, we're likely to see shortages of any device that requires a chip. Alarm panels, communicators, peripherals such as expansion modules, the list goes on.

Experts in the chip manufacturing industry have provided various estimates as to when the chip shortage may abate. None of those estimates are within 2021. The CEO's of a couple of chip manufacturers, and an automotive industry insider were quoted in Popular Science this past August saying that they expect the shortage to last into 2022, and most likely beyond that, into early 2023. Until equilibrium is reached between supply and demand, expect to wait for some items, and to pay more for others.

Have you been affected by the global chip shortage? Are you waiting for an item that's on backorder? Leave us a comment and let us know how you're dealing with the shortage, or if you're not bothered by it at all. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Drop us a note, start a conversation or just say hello!

Resideo's Pro Series Products, including the PROA7PLUS with Amazon Alexa built in, the PROWIFIZW, PROLTE-A, PROLTE-V and all of its other peripherals have won CEPro's BEST Award for Best Integrated Security System/Module/Device/Surveillance Cameras system. This is a big win for Resideo.

Each year, CEPro Magazine announces the winners of their BEST Awards at the CEDIA Expo. CEDIA is the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. It represents professionals in the home automation/smart technology industry. This is the biggest trade show geared specifically toward smart home and automation integrators.

The CEDIA Expo, owned and operated by EmeraldX, LLC. was held in Indianapolis this year beginning on September 1. The 2021 show returned to an in-person format after the 2020 show was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19. Exhibitors and attendees alike were happy to meet in person once again.

The Integrated Security System/Module/Device/Surveillance Cameras award is given in the Control and Automation Category. Some other awards in this segment were for Lighting, Lighting Controls & Accessories, which was won by the Alisse Wall Control which is offered by Lutron Electronics, Motorized Shade Controls & Accessories, which was awarded to Somfy Systems for their PoE Touch Panel Room Controller. There were a number of other categories and winners.

Resideo's Honeywell Home Pro Series Products offer a comprehensive platform to support existing legacy RF sensors using the PROTAKEOVER module (available separately or in one of our kits). With the PROTAKEOVER, a customer can replace an older alarm system that used older wireless technology without having to also replace every single sensor.

This saves both time and money, allowing the customer to concentrate on adding more automation devices, or new sensors in areas that weren't protected before. For example, by not having to replace all of the existing burglary sensors, a homeowner may be able to add smoke detectors or other life safety sensors that are tied to the alarm system where they didn't have this type of protection on the older system. The PROTAKEOVER can support wireless devices from the Honeywell or 2GIG 345 MHz lineup (one or the other, but not both), sensors from the Qolsys or Interlogix/GE 319.5 MHz lineup, and 433 MHz Bosch, or 433 MHz DSC sensors.

The PROA7PLUS comes with the PROWIFIZW already installed. This module adds support for WIFI (802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz only) as well as Z-Wave (908 MHz North American frequency). One of the big differences between the PROA7PLUS and the PROA7 is that the PROA7 does not have a WIFI module installed from the factory. Support for WIFI can be added using the PROWIFIZW, or if Z-Wave is not going to be used, then the PROWIFI can be installed. This modular design means that you will only pay for what you intend to use.

The modular design also means that if a component should fail, only the component needs to be replaced, rather than the entire panel. In the future, when technology changes and either WIFI or cellular technology requires an update, only the modules will have to be replaced in order to keep the panel current. If you've ever had to replace a panel with numerous security sensors, or Z-Wave automation devices, you'll know that this alone makes the Pro Series panels worth considering.

With built-in Amazon Alexa for both the PROA7PLUS panel itself, and the PROWLTOUCH Pro Wireless Touchscreen Keypad you can control the system as well as automation devices using just your voice and the Total Connect 2.0 Skill for Alexa. Some of the Alexa features supported are flash briefings, weather, time, add to calendar, create shopping lists, answer general questions, and more. Some features that are not supported are the ability to read books aloud (Audible) and the ability to place calls or Drop-in to another Alexa device.

Tell us what you think of the Resideo and Honeywell Home Pro Series Panels. Do you think these new panels are worthy of accolades? Have you had an experience with one of these systems that you'd like to tell us about? Leave a comment below, we'd love to hear what you think.

Entergy Mississippi utility subscribers will soon be eligible to sign up for the Alarm.com Give Back, Get Back Program. The program allows Alarm.com users with a smart thermostat to receive incentives for allowing Entergy Mississippi to adjust their thermostat during peak summer months.

For enrolling in this program, Entergy Mississippi will send subscribers a one-time $50 sign-up incentive. In addition, subscribers who remain enrolled will receive a $25 bill credit at the end of each year that they are enrolled. If for any reason a subscriber decides they do not wish to remain in the program, they can opt out.

To be eligible, users must meet the following criteria:

• Be an Entergy Mississippi residential customer with the electric service in your name.
• Use an eligible internet-connected smart thermostat for cooling.
• Allow Entergy Mississippi to make brief, small thermostat adjustments on days of high energy demand.

Once you sign up, it will take about four (4) to six (6) weeks from the time you are accepted into the program to receive the $50 incentive check. The $25 credit at the end of the year will be applied directly to your utility bill. The adjustments Entergy will make are of four (4) degrees or less and will only occur during peak hours of electric demand beginning on June 1 of each year, and ending on September 30. Most customers will never notice a difference in their comfort.

Just about any thermostat that can be used with Alarm.com will qualify to be used with this program. Below is a list of approved thermostats:

Eligible users can opt into this program directly from the Alarm.com website when any compatible Alarm.com thermostat is used. Just go to the Thermostat Card after logging into your Alarm.com account. This must be done from the website, it can't be done from the app at the time of this writing. Click the > symbol on the Thermostat card. If you have an eligible thermostat, you should see an option for Give Back, Get Back. Click this option, then click Settings and Notifications and follow the instructions.

If you're not in the Entergy Mississippi market area, never fear. You may still live in an area where the Demand Response Give Back, Get Back program is available. We've written numerous blogs in the past for different areas. Alectra Utilities in Ontario Canada, LA Department of Water and Power in California, Duke Energy of Indiana, and Magic Valley Electric Coop, Delaware Electric, and Wabash Valley, and Baltimore Gas & Electric are just a few of the places whose utilities participate in this program. Alarm.com continues to add partners as time goes on. If you don't yet have a smart thermostat that supports this feature, now may be the perfect time to upgrade to one! Then, by this time next summer, the thermostat will likely have already paid for itself.

What do you think about Alarm.com's Give Back, Get Back program? Is it something you fell is worthwhile? Perhaps you're already enrolled in the program in another market. Leave us a comment below and let us know what your experience has been like. It may seem like a very small contribution toward lowering your carbon footprint and contributing to conservation, but every little bit helps. Until next time, stay safe!

Update February 2024: We Won! For now, at least. LOL. It has been confirmed by Resideo and now a customer, that the weather is now working. This is on the older style Tuxedo Touch WIFI keypads. We have been fighting this fight to keep the weather going on these keypads. It took a while for Resideo to resolve this, and we appreciate everyone's input and patience. So go and enjoy it while you can.

For now, the weather, and hence the Sunrise/Sunset feature is working on older Tuxedo Touch WIFI keypads, but there is no guarantee that it will continue to work. Resideo never rescinded their original Technical Notice about discontinuation of this feature and if the weather feature stops working again, they will likely fall back on this notice to say that it is not meant to work.

Update November 2023: After daylight savings time ended on 11/5/2023, we received multiple reports of the weather no longer updating. We have reported this to Resideo and they are looking into the issue. We will continue to provide the most accurate information we have. We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Update Christmas 2022: It appears the weather stopped updating on Tuxedo keypads once again around Christmas, 2022. However, it appears that as of January 3, 2023, it is back up and working again. This feature has been hit or miss for a while now, and officially, it's not supposed to be working. The last official word from Resideo was in September, 2021, where they said the older style Tux keypads would no longer support weather and only the newer Tuxedo keypads would support it. You can read that notice here.

Newer style Tuxedo Keypad:

Older style Tuxedo Touch WIFI:

Update April 2022: Per Resideo, though this feature seems to be working again, it is not officially fixed until we receive a new Technical Bulletin from them saying that it is. For now, if your keypad is not displaying the weather, refresh the weather on the forecast page. Do this by pressing the refresh button in the lower-left corner of the forecast screen.

Update December 2021: This issue has been resolved and the weather feature is now working as expected again.

Original Post 09/09/21: For some time customers have been reporting issues with the weather feature on the TUXWIFI products from Resideo. Either the weather is blank, or it doesn't update properly. This week, Resideo released a technical bulletin advising that the TUXWIFI product line no longer supports weather.

Alarm Grid first reported on this issue in a blog back in April of this year. At that time, there was some hope that the issue would be resolved, but it appears that is not the case. The older Tuxedo Touch line, the TUXWIFIW the TUXWIFIS, and the VAM no longer support the weather feature or the Sunrise/Sunset programming feature as of October 31, 2021. Any scenes that were previously created using Sunrise or Sunset as a triggering event will no longer work. According to the notice, the issue has to do with the weather information provider that was originally used.

It should also be noted that these products have been discontinued by Resideo as of July 2020. That means that once stock of these items is depleted, they will no longer be available for sale. Customers interested in a new Tuxedo keypad should look to the Honeywell Home Tuxedo or the Resideo Tuxedo instead. The only difference between these two products is the branding on the front. The new, redesigned Tuxedo will continue to support the Weather Feature, including the Sunrise and Sunset scheduling option.

We know this is probably not the news those of you with one of these keypads, and who uses these features, wanted to hear. You can read the full technical notice from Resideo here. Tell us what you think in a comment below. One good thing is that pricing is much more reasonable on the newer Honeywell Home Tuxedo, than it was on the original TUXWIFI. So replacing an older model with a newer version won't be as painful as it would otherwise have been.

Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on Sunday, August 29, 2021. It hit the shore as a Category 4 storm and slowly lost strength as it traversed the state. Sunday evening it slowed to Category 3, but continued to pummel the state and dump huge amounts of rain.

Over one million homes and businesses are without power in Louisiana, with over 400,000 in New Orleans alone. In addition, it has been reported that the New Orleans Emergency Communications Center (911 service) has been experiencing technical issues that will make it even more difficult to reach help in the event of an emergency. Officials have asked people experiencing an emergency to please go to the nearest fire station, or approach a nearby police officer for assistance.

In St. Charles Parish, the phone lines to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are currently down. This, according to a post on the Facebook account for the St. Charles Parish. Officials there posted that if assistance is needed, please call 911. If you need to report something to the EOC or Public Works, such as live wires down, or other hazards, then please email help@stcharlesgov.net.

In neighboring Mississippi, nearly 50,000 locations are without power. American and United Airlines canceled outbound flights from the Jackson - Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport on Monday, August 30. Tennessee officials are imploring their residents to prepare for the impact of now Tropical Storm Ida. The remnants of the storm are expected to hit the west and middle portions of the state Monday evening into Tuesday August 31, 2021.

Tennessee had flooding emergencies the weekend of August 21, 2021, and the impact from Hurricane Ida is expected to affect those same areas. The Tennessee Emergency Management Association asks residents to do the following:

• Know the flooding risk for your area.
• Have a plan in place if Flash Flood warnings are issued and you must evacuate.
• Have multiple ways to receive weather information and updates, be sure at least one method operates on battery power and has fresh batteries.
• Download the ReadyTN app, or any app that provides you with accurate weather updates to your smartphone. Be sure your phone is charged.
• NOAA weather radios can provide alerts and warnings for your area and can operate on batteries.

Hurricane Ida brought torrential rain, damaging winds, and a tremendous storm surge to coastal areas of Louisiana. In addition to locations in Louisiana, there is a storm surge warning in effect for areas of Gulfport and Biloxi, MS, and Mobile, AL. The forecast is for many of these areas, in addition to storm surge, to get 8 to 10 inches of rain.

Alarm Grid would like to extend our condolences to anyone who is affected by Hurricane Ida. Our headquarters is in Florida, and though we weren't in the path of this storm, we understand what it feels like to be in your shoes. Please follow all guidance provided by officials in your area, and if there is anything Alarm Grid can do to assist you with your alarm during this stressful time, please let us know.

Significant, prolonged power outages, such as those that coincide with hurricanes will likely exceed the available backup battery for your alarm system. Most modern systems have a feature built into them that shuts the panel down before it has a chance to completely discharge the battery. This "battery-save" feature should allow the battery to charge back up once AC power is restored, and prevents the necessity of replacing the battery after a prolonged power outage.

If the power outage lasts more than 24 hours, expect the panel to power down, and when AC is restored to power back up with a low battery condition being displayed. The low battery condition will last for some time, up to 24 hours. If, after 24 hours, the low battery condition persists, then contact your alarm dealer for troubleshooting and possible battery replacement.

If you are in the area affected by the storm, and you have ordered products from Alarm Grid, please understand that shipping times will be affected. Packages that are being shipped to Hurricane Ida affected areas will arrive later than expected and it's possible that tracking information may also be in disarray for a time. We apologize for any inconvenience and will get your products to you as soon as humanly possible.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to send us an email to support@alarmgrid.com. We're here Monday - Friday from 9 am to 8 pm Eastern Time. We'll get back to you as quickly as possible. You can also give us a call at 888-818-7728. We sincerely hope that you, your family, your pets, and your belongings are safe.

2GIG has announced the release of their first big firmware update for the 2GIG Edge. This update adds support for image sensors in the form of the 2GIG-IMAGE3. In order to support image sensors, the 2GIG XCVR3-GC3 must be installed. Image sensors can be used without losing any other features.

The 2GIG Edge is a great addition to the 2GIG panel lineup. It has built-in facial recognition, Z-Wave Plus V2 (700 Series) support, up to four (4) Smart Area partitions, Bluetooth disarming, and so much more. One of the disappointing aspects of the panel rollout, is that it didn't support image sensors at the time of its release. That problem is now rectified with the new 3.1.0.011 firmware.

If you have a 2GIG Edge, then there are a couple of ways that you can get your panel updated. Alarm.com is still in the testing phase with this firmware, so it can't be pushed remotely quite yet, but remote over-the-air (OTA) updates will be available soon. Once this form of upgrade is available, you'll need to request the update from your alarm dealer. If your panel has a WIFI connection, the update will be completely free. If your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only, then a small fee will be incurred when updating OTA.

If you're an Alarm Grid monitoring customer, you can request the upgrade by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Once the update is available, we'll verify the cost, if any, and if you give the go ahead, we'll push the update to your panel, and pass the cost along to you on your next monthly monitoring bill, with no markup. Remember, there will only be a fee if your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only. The cost for this type of update varies, depending on the size of the file to be downloaded. It could be as little as fifty-cents, or as much as a few dollars.

The other way that your panel can be updated is via USB. There is a USB port on the top of the 2GIG Edge. You can download the firmware update files from Alarm Grid here. This is a free download. Use a standard USB drive with at least 1GB capacity, and not more than 16GB capacity. Be sure the drive is formatted using FAT32, and that it has only one (1) partition. The file you download should be saved to the root directory of the USB drive. Full instructions for downloading and upgrading can be found here.

Once the file has been downloaded to the USB drive, remove the drive and take it to the 2GIG Edge panel. The USB port is on top of the panel, covered by a rubber boot. Remove the boot, and insert the drive. A message should appear on the panel, letting you know that an update is available. Press "Update", enter either the Installer Code (default 1561) or Master Code (1111) and the update will then proceed. Be sure the panel has AC power, and that AC power is not interrupted during the update process. The panel will reboot and provide a message letting you know when the update is complete. Remove the USB drive and reinsert the rubber boot.

If you have a 2GIG Edge Remote Keypad, it will be updated by the 2GIG Edge panel, once the panel has completed updating. Be sure the keypad has AC power and that it is connected to WIFI and to the Edge panel. You can verify this by making sure the keypad shows the panel home screen, and the proper panel status. Once the panel has been updated, it should automatically update the keypad. Again, once the firmware has been installed, the keypad will reboot to complete the update process.

In addition to support for image sensors, this firmware also corrects a few known issues regarding WIFI connection problems, and both remote keypad and main panel touchscreen issues. You can read the full firmware Release Notes Here.

So, what do you think about this firmware update? Do you have a 2GIG Edge and want to share your experience with it? Have you been anxiously awaiting image sensor support? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts. We always look forward to hearing from you.

Today, Resideo and Honeywell Home released Technical Notification #63. This bulletin describes a compatibility issue between some 6160RF keypads and the 5800WAVE and/or 5800RL. Keypad Date Codes D147 - E049 may be affected. Customers with the issue can return the keypad for a replacement.

The 6160RF is one of our most recommended products for those using a VISTA system. It solves two potential problems by providing both a programming (Alpha-Numeric) keypad, and a high-capacity transceiver. High-capacity means that as a receiver it can support as many wireless zones as the panel allows. Depending on the panel, this equates to as many as 249 wireless zones. As a transceiver, it can support all bi-directional 5800 Series devices. It does this using a House ID protocol in most instances.

The Honeywell 5800RL and the Honeywell 5800WAVE are two devices that receive status information from the panel through a transceiver using a House ID. The 5800RL is a wireless relay module with two relays. Relay A activates following the siren output of the panel. Any activity that causes the siren to sound will also cause the relay to activate. When the siren stops sounding, either because bell timeout has been reached, or because someone has disarmed, the relay goes back to its OFF position. The 5800RL is customarily used to add a high-current siren in a location where it is impossible to wire from the desired location all the way back to the panel. Relay B on the 5800RL follows the panel's arming state. This can be used to externally show the panel's armed status using an LED.

The 5800WAVE is a wireless siren. It also follows the panel's siren output. It provides an 85 dB alarm sounder in a location where a wired siren cannot be installed for any reason. It plugs into an AC outlet, and has its own battery for backup power. The problem described in the bulletin exists with only certain 6160RF keypads. These keypads fall within a particular date code range, and have a specific firmware version.

For the affected 6160RF keypads when used with the wireless siren or relay, the 5800RL Armed Status Relay (Relay B) may not provide the proper status. It may show Armed when the system is actually Disarmed, or vice versa. The 5800WAVE siren may also behave improperly, with the siren either continuing to sound when it should shut off or not sounding when it should. Remember, the issue is not with the 5800RL or the 5800WAVE, but with the 6160RF keypad.

To determine if you have a 6160RF keypad that is affected by this issue you need to check two (2) things. The date code of the 6160RF, and its firmware version. To check the date code you must open the keypad. Press in the two (2) locking tabs on the bottom edge of the keypad, then pull the front toward you. The Date Code should be either printed on the circuit board in black ink, or may be on a small white sticker on the board. It will be a letter followed by a 3-digit number. With the letter indicating the year of manufacture, and the number indicating the day of that year. The Date Codes to look for are: D147 - E049. This equates to May 26, 2020 through February 18, 2021. This is a date code range, so if your date code shows D226, then it is within the range. If it shows E037, it is within the range. If it shows D025 or E059, that is not within the affected range.

If you are using a 5800RL and/or a 5800WAVE with a 6160RF, and you are having issues like those described above, and you confirm that you have a keypad within the affected date code range, then you need to confirm the firmware version. Only keypads that fit the date code criteria and have Firmware Version 1.06 are affected by this particular issue. If you are having issues but with different products or with the same products within a different date code range, then you should troubleshoot with your alarm dealer or with Resideo technical support as a separate, unique issue.

However, if you need to confirm the firmware version of your 6160RF keypad, power down and back up. You can either power down the entire system (preferred), or just the keypad. In order to power down the keypad, you would need to remove the power wires at the keypad. To remove the wires at the keypad, you must remove the front as described above. Once the keypad has been taken apart, unscrew the red wire and remove it from the terminal. It is very important that the only thing this wire touches is the terminal you remove it from. Touching anything else with this wire could cause damage as it is a "live" wire. If you choose to power down the entire panel, you may need one person to perform the power cycle while the other person watches the 6160RF, depending on how far the keypad is from the transformer. Upon powering up, the keypad will display its version information. If it displays KeyPad Ver. 1.06, and all the other criteria above have also been met, then the keypad should be replaced.

If any of the criteria mentioned above are not met, if you aren't using a 5800WAVE and/or 5800RL, for example. If your keypad doesn't fall within the date code range, or if it does fall within the date code range, but the keypad firmware version is NOT version 1.06, then you do not need to replace the 6160RF. Only 6160RF devices that meet all of the above criteria should be replaced. In all other ways, the 6160RF keypad should behave as expected. If you would like to read the full Technical Notification, click here.

If you purchased a 6160RF from Alarm Grid and you are affected by this compatibility issue, please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. We will be happy to arrange a warranty replacement of your product once we confirm that the criteria are met. Remember that our support hours are Monday - Friday from 9 am - 8 pm Eastern Time.

We're back again with four (4) more videos. We rejoin Jorge and Michael with videos on the 2GIG Edge and the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS. Michael discussed the PROA7PLUS support for 5800 series sensors. Jorge provides several tutorials on the 2GIG Edge. Enjoy these videos from Alarm Grid.

Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS: Compatible with Honeywell 5800 Series Sensors

In this video, Michael from Alarm Grid discusses the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS' support for Honeywell's legacy 5800 Series Wireless Lineup. In order for the panel to support these sensors, a Honeywell Home PROTAKEOVER module must be installed. This module allows the panel to support one (1) of five (5) legacy RF frequencies. Only one (1) PROTAKEOVER is supported per panel.

2GIG Edge: Compatibility With 2GIG Sensors

In this video, Jorge discusses the ability of the 2GIG Edge to support both encrypted and unencrypted 2GIG Sensors. It may seem as though it should go without saying that a 2GIG panel supports 2GIG Sensors, but with newer panels supporting encrypted sensors, and new sensor lineups, it's good to be 100% sure before making a purchase, particularly if you have existing 2GIG sensors installed. The 2GIG Edge supports all of the 2GIG sensors.

2GIG Edge: Z Wave Support

Jorge is back again to talk about how the 2GIG Edge supports Z-Wave devices. This panel has the most advanced version of Z-Wave currently available with the 700-Series Z-Wave Plus V2 chip onboard. When used with a commensurate 700-Series Z-Wave device, all of the great new features that are included in this latest version. Some of these features include S2 encryption for all Z-Wave Plus V2 certified devices as well as SmartStart and 128-bit AES encryption. You can see a comparison between all three Z-Wave versions here.

2GIG Edge: Default Master Code

Jorge really knows his stuff when it comes to the 2GIG Edge! Here he is talking about the default Master Code on the 2GIG Edge (1111) as well as information on how to change the Master Code and also what the default Installer Code is (1561). If you happen to be moving and leaving behind an alarm system, please check out this post that discusses proper etiquette when leaving behind an alarm system for a new home or business owner.

That's the recap, we hope these videos will help you with your alarm system. We look forward to feedback, if you have comments or suggestions drop us a comment in the space below. We're here Monday - Friday from 9 am - 8 pm Eastern. You can reach us via email at support@alarmgrid.com

On Friday, July 30, 2021, Alarm Grid's monitoring partner CMS announced that this week their standard procedure for handling environmental alarms will officially change. Going forward, environmental alarms will receive one call to each specified number, with a message left where possible.

In the past, it was CMS's standard procedure on environmental alarms to continue calling all available numbers on the customer's specified contact list until a responsible party was reached and had acknowledged the alarm. Processing of the alarm was not considered complete until the operator had contacted and spoken to the property owner, or one of their designees. CMS had reason to review this policy recently, and as a result the standard procedure has been modified.

Going forward, when an environmental alarm is received CMS representatives will attempt to contact all specified numbers on the call list one (1) time. When a contact on the call list can't be reached, if the representative has an opportunity to leave a message, they will. But at that point no further calls to that number are scheduled. The representative will go through the call list in this manner until all numbers specified for environmental alarms have been called with no one being reached and messages left where possible. At this point, processing of the environmental alarm is considered complete.

If the representative receives an answer, they will notify the answering party of the alarm and no further calls will be made. At that point alarm processing is considered complete. All of this information: numbers called, messages left or not, persons reached will be noted to the account. After one (1) call to each number with no one being reached and notations being made in the customer's account regarding messages left, the alarm will be considered finalized with no further action being taken by the CMS representative.

Environmental alarms may include such things as flood detection, and freeze detection. These types of alarms don't customarily require the dispatch of authorities, but a home or business owner usually wants to be notified about them as soon as possible to avoid costly property damage.

The monitoring stations's standard operating procedure for any alarm type will determine how that alarm type is treated in the absence of any other instructions. What this means is, if a customer wants an environmental alarm to be treated differently than what is described above, they can request an alternative procedure. As long as the request is within reason, CMS will gladly follow those instructions rather than their standard procedure. If a request cannot be honored, due to legal issues or company policy, CMS will explain why, and allow the customer to adjust the request until a suitable procedure is determined.

We missed an opportunity to recap videos last week, but that just means we have more videos to cover this week. Six (6) today, with more to follow. Michael and Jorge share their knowledge of the 2GIG Edge and the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS. Summer's almost over but wade in, the water's fine.

Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS: Resolve WIFI Connection Issues

In this video, Michael discusses the various reasons why the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS might not connect to WIFI. Reasons can include range, environmental issues, and even bad equipment. In addition, there is a specific setting to watch out for on Ubiquiti Access Points. Having this setting enabled can prevent your Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS from connecting to WIFI.

2GIG Edge: What To Expect During AC Loss

During an AC Loss condition, the 2GIG Edge will go into power conservation mode. After a few seconds, the touchscreen will go dark and only illuminate when something occurs that needs to be displayed, or when a user touches the touchscreen. Jorge tells and shows users what to expect as normal behavior when an AC Loss condition occurs.

2GIG Edge: Powering Down Properly

Believe it or not, there is a right way to properly power down an alarm system. In this video Jorge will show you how to properly power down a 2GIG Edge alarm panel. Begin by removing the set screws, pulling the panel off its base then unplugging the battery. Next, unplug the transformer, either at the barrel connector on the panel side, or by unplugging the transformer from the wall. If you can't find the transformer, you can power down by turning power off at the breaker.

Qolsys IQ Remote: Behavior On a Partitioned System

In this video Michael shows you how the Qolsys IQ Remote behaves when it is used on a partitioned system. The IQ Remote will only display the status of the partition to which it is assigned. It will only allow the user to control the assigned partition as well, and only a user with a User Code that has been given access to the assigned partition will be able to interact with the system from the IQ Remote.

2GIG GC3e: Installing the XCVR3 GC3

Michael shows users how to install the 2GIG XCVR3-GC3 to the 2GIG GC3e panel. Unlike with the 2GIG GC2 panel, the installation of the 2GIG XCVR3-GC3 does not require that anything be removed from the GC3e panel first. This transceiver module simply adds 900 MHz 2-way communication capability between the GC3e and the 2GIG TS1 as well as the 2GIG Image Sensors.

Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS: Installing PROTAKEOVER

Michael shows users how to set the dial for legacy RF devices, and then properly install the Honeywell Home PROTAKEOVER module into a PROA7PLUS system. This module allows the PROA7PLUS to support one (1) of five (5) legacy RF frequencies. This allows the panel to support previously existing sensors from Honeywell or 2GIG 345 MHz sensors, existing Qolsys and/or Interlogix/GE 319.5 MHz sensors, DSC 433 MHz sensors, or Bosch 433 MHz sensors. This module allows a user to replace an older panel with the newer PROA7PLUS without having to replace all the existing wireless sensors that are still working.