Jun 012013
Skylink SC-1000 Complete Wireless Alarm System, White
- Rolling Code Technology – Leading edge technology
- Provides maximum security and reduces false alarm
- Dials up to 9 different numbers of your choice
- Sends out your personal 40 second message
- Easy installation
The Skylink complete wireless security alarm system kit is a comprehensive DIY wireless security system that is easy to install and ready to use. Designed for a medium-sized house and can be expanded for businesses, offices, 24-hour stores, retail operations and more. When triggered, siren will sound and signal will be sent to wireless dialer to call up to 9 preprogrammed phone or pager numbers and play prerecorded message (land line required). Recommended Use: Alarm, Senses: Motion/security, D
List Price: $ 170.99
Price: $ 99.99
Find More Security Products
Paired with remote cameras makes an effective tool!,
Installed in a remote location, it has been an effective tool in a long distance ‘keep an eye on the place’. We are fortunate to have a cabin in the woods three states away. While it actually quite remote, it has electric and internet. The skylink system is a two part security blanket.
It was moderately difficult to install, but like most eletronic wonders once you get it up and running, it works great. No hassles for more than 6 months with the exception of having to replace a battery (not normal – many many power interupptions at this location). Getting the sytem set up was easy, all of the setup with the ‘nodes’ worked and the instructions were clear enough that if you really read them carefully you will be able to do it… the dialer not so much. Had to call and get help, which was not difficult and on the person on the phone was right on the money.
Our daughter is attending school only a half hour away so she now visits on weekends to get away. The extra security of turning on an alarm is a great help for her.
We monitor the location with Foscam cameras. They are wireless, let us look around and hear as well as speak. They even have an alarm in them that sends images and work at night. Perfect! If there is an alarm, it calls a succession of cell phones, we log on from our cell or any computer and LOOK before acting. Reality is that there isn’t anything of value to steal, and probably if the police were to respond they would be taking a report. BUT, with the alarm, the sirens and two cameras we at least stand a chance.
To date only two ‘real’ alarms and there wasn’t a break in either time. In an odd event, one door wandered open setting off the alarm. No harm, but again a nice test. The second was a temp sensor that went of while I was there because I lowered the bottom thermostat below that threshold – human error that scared the crap out of me at 3am, but proof of concept.
In the end it is EXACTLY what we were looking for. A system that works and doesn’t charge us monthly. The whole thing with the cameras (again purchased in a separate transaction – not included) was less then $400 and aside from some batteries there should be no more cost. As a bonus I can look out the front window if I want.
I have never owned a commercial alarm system because of the monthly costs, so for us this was a great solution worth the money. We feel confident after months of having it in place that it is working as advertised.
UPDATE 4/2013
Alarm is still working as expected with no false alarms. The system has worked as expected (again using more batteries then expected).
There was a question about hookup: It is hooked to the phone line on a separate node. The dialer is locked in a special utility closet and we feel confident that it would take more time to get in the closet – the alarm would have already dialed…
The utilities are buried coming to the house so unless they climb the pole it should work. No system is perfect, but for the $$ we still feel this one is adequate.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Could not stop false alarms,
I bought this unit because I needed to protect a vacant flip house I was working on. I had a older model, simpler Skylink alarm system that had worked pretty well in my flip houses for about a year. One day I arrived at the house, the alarm was sounding but it had no called me. The keypad was no longer working so I had to toss the unit. This one I bought from Amazon was much more complicated. Instead of having one control panel it had a control panel and a dialer unit that were supposed to work together. I installed and tested everything, then left the house. About an hour later it called me telling me it had been tripped. I rushed back and found no break in. For about a week, I moved sensors closer, reduced the number of sensors to just one, eliminated the motion sensor, changed batteries, wiped out the memory and reprogramed as instructed by Skylink technical, all with no success. I was getting up to 12 alarm calls a day, with no reason I could find. Of course after a few times getting woke up in the middle of the night and driving to the house, I shut off my cell phone, the system was useless to me as far as calling me. At the house it would go off if a sensor was tripped, in addition to going off a lot without a sensor being tripped, so it could still scare away a burgler.
After a week I contacted Amazon and told them the unit was defective. Skylink had wanted me to return it to them and wait for it to be worked on and returned to me. By then my project house probably would have been destroyed. Amazon offered to send me a replacement next day air at no charge, great customer service. I got the new unit and set it up. This one had a defective motion detector right out of the box, the control panel couldn’t link to it, but the other sensors worked. I installed it and left the house. After about 3 hours guess what, the new system called me with a false alarm. So both of these units have been returned to Amazon. I immediately bought a MACE wireless home security system through Amazon. Wireless Home Security System This system had one control panel with the dialer contained in it. It cost only $90.05. It only has one motion detector and one door sensor with it, but you can buy more. I installed it and it works perfectly. It goes off when it should. I have not had one false alarm in the 3 weeks since I got it. I recommend the MACE wireless home security system.
Was this review helpful to you?
|GREAT SYSTEM, GOOD PRICE,
I have had this system for 3 years and it has been working perfectly. I have only had one false alarm but it was my own fault for not checking and replacing the batteries after two years. The 9v battery in the dialer was nearly dead and apparently resulted in a false alarm during a power outage which occured that day. I now have the base unit and the dialer plugged into low cost Trip Lite UPS battery backup units to make sure I do not get any more false alarms. I’m lazy about checking batteries so this is my failsafe. Despite the false alarm due to dead batteries, I just now checked the batteries in my door/window sensors with my battery tester after 3 years. All the batteries were virtually dead but the sensors were still functioning. I’m really surprised. I immediatly ordered a 5 pack of 23ae 12v batteries from amazon with free shipping for just $3.20. What a bargain. They are the same GP brand that came with the unit. The motion detector, on the other hand, beeps at you when the 9v battery gets low. I’ve replaced it twice in 3 years. But to be on the safe side, it would
probably be best to treat a security system like a smoke detector and replace the batteries once, if not twice a year.
After having the system for a year, I added the Skylink SC-10 system to add an extra outside alarm. I wanted to make sure anyone outside could hear the alarm to scare them off before entering the house. As well as alert my neighbors.
I recommend this system for the do it yourself user.
UPDATE 09/26/2012
The siren/alarm in the base unit no longer makes any noise. Glad I bought the external alarm to supplement the system. Still very happy with system but I recommend purchasing the external siren/alarm to supplement the base unit. My outside placement of the extra alarm is more likely to be heard and deter entry anyway.
Was this review helpful to you?
|