Not ready for prime time
I am greatly dissapointed by this system, it has so much potential. Where to start?
1. The siren is either broken, or a complete joke. Everyone laughed when we pressed the panic button, what is this, a car alarm? It will not scare an intruder, will not wake a homeowner in the event of a break in, and will certainly NOT alert neighbors.
2. The base station cannot communicate with the keypad unless it is in the same room. This defeats the purpose of the alarm, by putting it in plain view right next to the entrance, you invite a burglar to use the simple but effective alarm system bypass method of ripping out/destroying the control panel before it can transmit a signal. And since this system is all in 1, i.e the SIREN, CONTROL MODULE, and TRANSMITTER are all in the base station, it makes it ever so easy to defeat.
3. The keypad should really have keys that backlight upon pressing a key. So add another lithium battey and raise the price by $10. Well worth it.
4. The motion sensors are a bit flimsy, and have limited sensitivity. I was able to walk by them in test mode with them only sensing me about one out of three times.
5. In addition to immediate resolution of the above shortcomings and/or flaws with the system, the following are suggestions:
A glass break is needed, as is a second keypad, and advanced features like internet connectivity so that the system can be monitored and controlled via a web control panel are already being touted by a few competitors, with iphone apps and even streaming live surveillance video.
@paulhatz, Sorry to hear
@paulhatz,
Sorry to hear about your dissapointment. But I think we can address all of your issues:
1) The best way to get additional siren volume is to use the wireless siren we recently introduced:
http://simplisafe.com/105-decibel-alarm-siren
It is very loud, can be placed in a location to get the maximum impact (even outside), and you can use as many as you like. The built-in Base Station siren works great for some installations and isn't loud enough for others. It really depends upon the size of the home, the acoustics of the location, nearness of neighbors, thickness of walls, etc, etc. We've found the modular approach of additional sirens gets the best results. Since this is a new addition to our product line, you probably hadn't seen this yet.
2) The Base Station and Keypad should certainly be able to be in separate rooms. I'm not sure why you had trouble with it -- customer support can help track it down. We agree that separating the Keypad and Base Station can be an important safety measure (and we're proud that we're the only self-install system that does this with every system we sell).
3) The Keypad screen has a backlight. The Keypad keys currently do not. This is something we're working on adding, but want to do it in the right way, without dramatically reducing battery life or increasing cost. When the new Keypad is available, you'll certainly be able to add it into your system.
4) When testing Motion Sensors, make sure you press the "test" button on the bottom of the sensor. This increases trigger notifications to about once every 10 seconds to make it easier to test. If you're still not getting the sensitivity or angle of view you need, contact customer support. This really shouldn't be a problem, there are lots of ways to work with the Motion Sensor.
5) Glass break, second Keypad, remote connectivity, and video surveillance are all in the works. Stay tuned and thanks for your patience!
Best,
Chad
------------
SimpliSafe
Live. Safely.
Its great that you guys are
Its great that you guys are very responsive. Despite the problems and concerns, it appears you really listen to the customer and have some very good features in development.
I hope the equipment lasts at least a few years, the price is so low compared to honywell parts it makes me wonder.
Only time will tell.
thanks again for the reponse.
Just a quick response from
Just a quick response from an owner of a year+.
1. I have two of the new wireless sirens. They are LOUD!
2. I had the same issue with the keypad and base station not connecting but found that they were too close. As soon as I moved the base station away, the problem went away.
3. I also, at first, wished the keypad had a back-light like the screen. After having the system for a few weeks I stopped looking at the keypad altogether. The keys are well pronounced and I enter the code by touch without thinking about it.
4. I had the same concern with the trigger time of the motion sensors. However, if I arm the system in away mode and wait for the exit timer to lapse, I can't walk through the house without tripping the sensor. When I think I have passed by one undetected, within about ten second I hear the keypad chime.
5. Since purchasing the system, new components and design changes have appeared in response to this forum. The battery contact configuration change in the remote last year and the new wireless siren are prime examples. In addition, should a user have special circumstances, customer support is able to adjust the system's programming tailored to the user's needs via the USB setup program and an e-mail.
Re @paulhatz comments . .
Re @paulhatz comments . . .
It is true that the siren in the base unit is not terribly loud, but it is certainly loud enough to alert anyone in the residence of an intruder, asleep or not; and it is certainly loud enough to let the intruder know he or she has been detected. The great majority of intruders would then get out fast!
Although the keypad is poorly illuminated, placed at eye level it is easy to read, even by someone as myopic as I am. The dim light is at worst a minor inconvenience. No big deal unless one is significantly visually impaired.
As for the remaining comments made by @paulhatz, I think they are bogus. The components of the system are of high quality and even, in an odd way, attractive. The base station could easily be confused for a piece of modern sculpture (a Brancusi, perhaps?). There is nothing "flimsy" about any of them.
I suspect @paulhatz may have been hired by some jealous competitor.
Hey all, I have had this
Hey all,
I have had this system for over 5 months now and it is just awesome. I was searching around on the internet and stumbled on this system. I am a college student on a budget and I am living off my GI Bill. I searched for two days with plans to make my own system by getting a cell module and a bunch of other stuff (I am a engineering student), since Brinks and ADT wanted me to pay way too much money. You get a better value, if not enormously better in my opinion, with Simpli safe.(I think they are going to put Brinks and ADT out of business) I follow the same routine everyday going to classes, at the same time and this adds so much peace of mind not having to worry about my place.
The only sensor I had a problem with was the entry sensor I put it in my storage shed behind my apartment.(that’s outside the apartment in a metal shed) It kept going out of range, so I replaced the battery with a really good lithium battery and now it works just fine. I know my neighbors will hear the alarm that was supplied in the module; but since they have an extra alarm now you may want to add it after you see if it’s insufficient. The dispatch company calls with-in ten seconds of an alarm and I have no complaints, only praises. If you have thought about it get this system, you wont be disappointed and customer service is awesome too.
Mike
Blacksburg ,VA