My home had one. It died. It didn't have one. Now it has a new one.

Wireless home alarm systems have improved, and after some recent burglaries in my neighborhood, I decided it was time to replace the old, wired system that died a few years ago. I know I could re-use the existing wiring, but buying everything else new still wouldn't have given the house the coverage it should've had in the first place. I don't mind pulling wire, but it seemed a needless hassle with so many wireless systems available. 

Installation of mine was straightforward and only took an hour or so, but I have a few tips for the wireless installer. 

When testing the sensors, I found it very helpful to use a pair of FRS radios, with one by the base station set to VOX. This allowed me to hear the trigger message of each sensor as I walked around the house. The same thing could be accomplished with a pair of mobile phones, with one set to speakerphone. A second person would've helped, but even then, not having to yell would be an improvement.

The second tip came from a surprising gap in the otherwise detailed instructions included with my system. Before installing a thing, record the type & unique identifier (UI) of every component, and record its installed location. With my system, the UIs are labeled on the component boxes and the components, but it can be much easier to record the information before a component is installed. My advice is to record an accurate list, store it online, and print out a copy to keep with the base station. 

This will make troubleshooting easier, as I don't believe many (any?) consumer grade wireless alarms allow for programming a detailed assignment list into the system. For example, if an entry sensor is open, my system's display shows "1 Entry Sensor Open" and then the UI of the balky sensor. In the settings menu, I can manually delete individual components by Type:UI, as in "Entry Sensor: THX1138". That's somewhat helpful, but there's still no way for the system to tell me where a sensor is installed. Maybe some people can accurately recall rarely used alphanumeric assignments years after installation, but I can't.

The last tip is more dependent on system specs, but worth consideration. My system uses a mobile connection for monitoring, so even if the POTS or cable TV lines are cut, it can make a call. If it loses power, it still has an internal battery backup that provides several hours of power. If your alarm system lacks backup power, you can easily correct the deficiency. It just makes sense to me to remove such an obvious point of failure.

With a few days of use, I haven't had any problems other than the one entry sensor fault, but that's due to how I had it installed on a window, which I've since fixed. With all of the bundled sensors installed, I have a better idea of how many more I need to complete the installation. Once I'm happy with the complete installation, I'll use the tiny screws that were included to mount the sensors a little more firmly. The foam tape does a good job, but over time, adhesive can release, leading to a sensor falling to the ground, and a false alarm event.