Best professional wireless Alarm system choice for Hass.io (Europe/France)

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You could previously integrate Texecom to HA I believe via the ‘Crestron’ protocol and another ‘Simple’ (maybe SIA or the COM-IP protocol) and you’re right that the Crestron variant has more real time information. I might be confusing HA and HomeSeer re. availability of these integrations though.

However Texecom have now completed their own API / protocol which you can get access to via NDA if you’re a professional . Home users are no longer allowed within the NDA. Correspondingly Texecom have removed access via NDA to the previous protocols documentation. They are still implemented in the panel though.

There are a couple of ‘web available’ reverse engineered projects using the new Texecom Protocol which is very capable. I use one of these currently (standalone python) via MQTT and it works very well, so that’s one way into HA. However I am not aware of a direct integration to HA using this protocol.

I have written my own direct integration to another controller by participating in the NDA and it provides real time updates of zone triggers even when disarmed . The online MQTT version does too.

I have a professionally installed Honeywell Galaxy alarm system and intend to replace it with Texecom Premier Elite so I have bought a panel to play with but can’t give you much feedback yet on it’s nuances or RF dependability. As my Galaxy has mostly wired sensors I shall retain those and will just be using a few wireless motion detectors, lots of window contacts as previously I didn’t have any and a couple of keypads. My test system works well but it’s just time availability that’s problematic.

If you’re cost sensitive then panels and ‘systems in a box’ come up brand new on eBay UK quite frequently at good discounts and there are online re sellers that offer good prices and service. Firmware can be updated (over recent models) but you need a cable.

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Here’s the link to the MQTT capable code that I’ve adapted from and uses the newer Texecom Connect Protocol.

I guess, if permission was given, this could offer the majority of the code needed to create a HA plugin…

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I’ve taken some time to check again all official HomeAssistant components and also custom components having an active community.
So far the 2 best options seem to be : Visonic PowerMaster and Paradox Magellan.

I still need to read the whole long threads of these components before taking a decision.

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Im running a Visonic pm10 currently and my automation’s are working flawlessly. 2 doors, 1 vibration, 1 smoke, 8 pirs

The newer pm360r panel has some improvements and a newer firmware as standard (these are normally custom written for the service provider so updates aren’t available) with this the newer 802 pir has temp and lux data sent to the panel which could be integrated.

Any questions about the panel and devices drop me a message.

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Thank you.
Personnaly I like the PowerMaster 33. Looks very nice.
You’re using this custom component I guess ? :

And it works and is stable for you ?

I thought that I’ve read somewhere that the new pm360r was not compatible or had some issue, but I will cross-check in the Visonic component thread.

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Never ever tell your insurance company you have an alarm. The one time you forget to set it will be the time you get burgled and they won’t pay out.

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the point of integrating your alarm into HA is that you don’t need to set it… it will be set automatically
when everyone leaves the house. If your premiums come down because you have an alarm, then why not??

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Is it the main panel or the kp250 keypad that you like the look of? the kp140, 160 and 250 work with all the panels.

Yep, that component is what i use and has a good active group of users

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Because you have insurance for them to take on the risk, the reason they are discounting you is because you are sharing more of the risk by having to make sure it is set. Automations are great, but not always 100% reliable

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That’s a good point, you’re probably right.
I never had an alarm system before .I will keep it in mind, thanks.

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That’s not my objective.
I intend to do the exact opposite : the alarm will be armed/disarmed/put in night mode manually, that will be forwarded to Home Assistant that will manage our Home Mode and all relative automations according to the alarm Status. I don’t think I can find a more reliable presence detection system.

Ideally I would even prefer a one-way connection between alarm et Home Assistant, so that Home Assistant could not change any alarm setting and only read the status. But if the connection is finally 2 ways, that’s no big deal either, I will live with it and probably just try to create a firewall rule on my router if it’s an IP link.

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Depending on where you plan the install being located the connection be via usb to your HA instance.

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I’m looking at the PM 30 or 33 with keypad KP-250.

I’m asking about the component because I’ve read some of the thread about it and I’ve seen some stability issues after Home Assistant, or component, or Visonic firmware updates.
That does not look as stable as Paradox but I might be wrong.

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Automations are more reliable than humans… If the case stacks up where you can quatify your risk/reward and include redundancy, I don’t see why you wouldn’t go with the discounted premiums.

Your statement regarding making your insurer aware of the various premium reducing tehnologies basically invalidates the entire IoT industry from an insurers point of view.

Insurers are, for the most part, the middle men with policies underritten by a much larger financial institution. Anything that they can do to cut their costs, which in turn cuts your costs and therefore widens their market through lower prices is obviouslly something that they are pushing for and for all intense purposes are one of the biggest drivers for IoT services. (look at what car insurers are doing with regards to driving behaviour)

Do you tell your car insurer that you have an approved car alarm (That you have to manually enable)?

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I wouldn’t tell them that I had one, no.
Insurers are generally looking to make the most money, which unfortunately means they employ people to find reasons not to pay you out.

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each to their own…

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I got a discount of 2.5% from having a professionally monitored and maintained alarm installed. I later tried to change it to home installed and got a 25% increase ! I totally agree. , don’t tell them.

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For Paradox you can use PAI. https://github.com/ParadoxAlarmInterface/pai
EVO/SP/MG are supported. Has hassio plugin. Via IP150 or serial.

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For Paradox, that’s at least 4 different existing components :

I don’t know if it’s good point or not … ! :slight_smile: