Ge Concord 4, Home Security System 96 Zone with Atp1000 Keypad
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A higher quality expandable security system
Pros
Professional level quality, flexibility, expandability, contemporary design, wide variety of sensor types
Cons
Poor user manual, limited control options
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is a great system for anything from a basic home system to a more complex home or small business system. Infinitely better than the cheap ADT, Brinks, etc. systems.
We had a GE ITI Concord security system installed in our home primarily for environmental monitoring (smoke/fire, heat/freeze, water) while we were living abroad over the coarse of two years, and our house remained unoccupied.
I researched all the options for security system brands, panel types, sensor types, etc. very thoroughly before deciding three things: (1) ADT, Brinks, etc. systems are total junk, (2) GE ITI isn't the only higher quality option, but it's a good one, and (3) if you're main concern is appearance/design - GE ITI is pretty much your best bet.
One of the nice things about the Concord systems is their flexibility and expandability - we used a combination of hardwired and wireless sensors, and an expansion panel for cellular uplinking and non-GE components. We have 3rd party brand water/flood sensors, heat/freeze sensor and cellular board. The rest are GE smoke/heat sensors, motion sensors, door/window contact sensors, glass break sensors, keypads and battery back-up.
We've had a couple false-alarms, but they were our own fault. We've never had a system-related false alarm.
The huge selection of sensor types allowed us to design a mostly-invisible system - running wires where possible, and using battery-powered sensors where we couldn't. It would be hard to tell our house had a security/monitoring system without looking for it. The wireless IR motion sensors are particularly small compared to many brands, and their design is contemporary and simple.
One complaint I have is the boarderline useless manual that comes with the system. It's impossible to understand and on-line support or other resources is non-exisitant (probably for security purposes), so it's important to use a good installer.
Also, there are a few odd quirks in the keypad control options. For example, if we lose power in the middle of the night, we get warning beeps to warn us that the system is running on back-up power. Then every 15 or 20 minutes, we get another one. So this wakes everyone up and keeps everyone up until the warning beeps are silenced (one of many procedures that are not discussed in the system manual) or the power goes back on. This is idiotic. System sensors can be by-passed (for example, if the sensor goes dead, or you want to leave a door open or disable a motion sensor), but the back-up power system is not a sensor, so it can't be by-passed.
All in all, the GE ITI Concord (and Networx) systems are professional-level systems that are great for home usage.
I researched all the options for security system brands, panel types, sensor types, etc. very thoroughly before deciding three things: (1) ADT, Brinks, etc. systems are total junk, (2) GE ITI isn't the only higher quality option, but it's a good one, and (3) if you're main concern is appearance/design - GE ITI is pretty much your best bet.
One of the nice things about the Concord systems is their flexibility and expandability - we used a combination of hardwired and wireless sensors, and an expansion panel for cellular uplinking and non-GE components. We have 3rd party brand water/flood sensors, heat/freeze sensor and cellular board. The rest are GE smoke/heat sensors, motion sensors, door/window contact sensors, glass break sensors, keypads and battery back-up.
We've had a couple false-alarms, but they were our own fault. We've never had a system-related false alarm.
The huge selection of sensor types allowed us to design a mostly-invisible system - running wires where possible, and using battery-powered sensors where we couldn't. It would be hard to tell our house had a security/monitoring system without looking for it. The wireless IR motion sensors are particularly small compared to many brands, and their design is contemporary and simple.
One complaint I have is the boarderline useless manual that comes with the system. It's impossible to understand and on-line support or other resources is non-exisitant (probably for security purposes), so it's important to use a good installer.
Also, there are a few odd quirks in the keypad control options. For example, if we lose power in the middle of the night, we get warning beeps to warn us that the system is running on back-up power. Then every 15 or 20 minutes, we get another one. So this wakes everyone up and keeps everyone up until the warning beeps are silenced (one of many procedures that are not discussed in the system manual) or the power goes back on. This is idiotic. System sensors can be by-passed (for example, if the sensor goes dead, or you want to leave a door open or disable a motion sensor), but the back-up power system is not a sensor, so it can't be by-passed.
All in all, the GE ITI Concord (and Networx) systems are professional-level systems that are great for home usage.
