Just a couple teasers about it though… It’s a third smaller than the prior generation Lynx. It has a custom alpha display that is backlit, finally! It is also two way voice capable over GSM. I’m not sure if everyone will kit them the same, but another nice feature is I see AlarmSystemStore is kitting them with the new ultra small 5800PIR-RES wireless motion detector. These are a huge improvement over the big and ugly 5890PI and 5894PI wireless motions. These 5800PRI-res are among the smallest motions I’ve ever seen. Plus they are pet immune up to 80 pounds.

Stay tuned and I’ll get a review of the Lynx Plus up as soon as I can. After that, I will do a comprehensive comparison among all of the major wireless systems!

This quickstart only cover the basic programming. I have sent an email asking alarmsystemstore if they can create an additional guide that covers adding wireless and additional keypads to this system. Both are top things that can easily trip up the DIY installer of these systems and I think they are very much needed. I’ll post them if they’ll do them. As with all these quickstarts, I do recommend you read thru then once to get aquainted with what you’ll be doing before diving in. These are a real time saver if used compared to the manuals.

I called around to several online dealers last week to find out if anyone had this Lynx Plus yet or if any knew when they would get it. All of the people I talked to were not even aware of it and none had any in stock as of Friday. Most said I’d see it on their site when it became available.

AlarmSystemStore.com offered to check with Honeywell and see when they’d get them. A call back an hour later and I was advised that they expect to have some by the second week of February.

No firm pricing yet, but not surprisingly the Lynx Plus are expected to be pricier than the LynxR2. Some numbers we heard thrown around were as much as 35% more than the current generation. If that is the case, there better be more brought to the table for that than a simple size reduction. That is quite a premium. We’ll keep you posted, the fellow at AlarmSystemStore promised to shoot me an email when they get them and have firm pricing from Honeywell.

It is for these reasons I have decided that we should have a wireless security system showdown to give everyone some insight on picking a wireless security system. As a tech, myself and the other contributors to this site have worked with all of the major brands on the market today, including the newest one, Alexor from DSC. While I consider all of the top brands to be acceptable systems, there are some that are better suited for particular applications.

I think we will include the big three manufacturers in this showdown. DSC, Honeywell and GE Security. Yes there are others out there, but these are the top sellers nationwide. To do a quality comparison with strengths and weaknesses for these will take a little time. Add to that the holiday season and we are probably looking at having this done and posted sometime in early January. Sorry, we have day jobs and this site is more of a hobby for us Plus, we only want to post a quality well thought out comparison, not slap something together in a day. So keep and eye out for it and Happy Holidays in case we don’t make a post again before Christmas!

I have finally posted the Honeywell Lynx R2 Programming Guide in the “pages’ section! I got a little busy and it took longer than I expected, but I think it was work the wait. AlarmSystemStore.com who generously supplied us with the simplified programming guide for this system sent it to us in DOC format so it required some re formatting before I could get it posted here on HomeSecurityGuys.org blog.

Between the time that they sent me the guide and last week they actually sent me an additional addendum for programming this system to call you directly for alarms. I did go ahead and combine this addendum to the bottom of the posted program guide. I was sceptical of this new claim since everyone else that sells this system and even Honeywell says that the Lynx R2 cannot call you directly for alarms, but I tried it out on a system last week and it works!

To my surprise not only does it call you for alarms or even trouble conditions, but you even hear the female voice of the Lynx that announces over the phone for what zone or trouble condition she is calling about! I am not sure how AlarmSystemStore.com stumbled onto this, but it is sure a big plus for the Honeywell Lynx R2 . Note, this trick does not appear to work on previous versions of the Lynx.

Very few alarm systems on the market have the capability to call you directly with a voice message of alarm. In fact, to my knowledge the GE Simon XT is the only other one that can do this out of the box, but it generally $100 more than the Honeywell Lynx R2. And to add on a voice dialer to most alarm systems also runs an extra $100. The revelation of the Lynx having this capability really makes it a much more attractive system, especially for those on a tight budget.

The quick start programming guides that our sponsors create make the setup and programming of a system a ton easier. They are designed to enable a complete novice the capabilty to setup the system. The contents of a 50 to 100 page clumsy manual are condensed into a one to three page step by step guide that allows for a fast and easy setup.  We have in fact tested several of these quick start programming guides ourselves with complete newbies to see if a total novice can in fact get the system setup and programmed from the simplified programming guides. So far our results have been very good.

The Ademco Honeywell Lynx programming guide will be the first to go up in the next week. The Ademco Honeywell Vista programming guide will follow by about a week later.

What sets the Alexor apart from the 9047 is the options you have to mount and place the individual components.  The main console, brain, of the system is able to be placed out of sight, such as a closet.  The Alexor is bi-directional which allows for a wireless siren and completely wireless keypads.  The keypad is much like the fully programmable aplha 5500 keypads. Since the system is bi-directional that means signals can be sent to and from the brain, which will also allow the WT4989 key fob to actually show the status of your alarm (armed, disarmed, troubles, etc..) with its LCD Graphic display.  This system will be more reliable and much harder for an intruder to damage the system.  Many other alarm systems are self contained which means if an intruder breaks in, they can simply rip a unit off the wall and the keypad, siren, and power can all be affected.  The Alexor’s keypad, siren, and power are all separated from each other, which keeps the alarm functioning properly if someone wants to rip the keypad off the wall or even take down the siren.  By far, The DSC Alexor PC9155 will be one of the most reliable, if not the most reliable, wireless alarm system on the market.

Here’s a link to DSC’s website about this system: http://www.dsc.com/index.php?o=show_page&id=alexor

This wireless system is unique in that it is designed to be installed more like a traditional hardwared system in the sense that the brain of the system is installed in a tucked away out of sight location. As such, this is one of a few systems that features a wireless siren. The wireless keypad is bi directional and looks just like the 5500 alpha models. Keyfobs are also bidirectional and feature an LCD graphic display. All in all, first looks at this system are favorable, though some old school hardwire only guys will still laugh at it. For those concerned about the vulnerability of the all in one wireless systems, yet till attracted to a wireless system, this might be a good fit.

Here’s a link to DSC’s website about this system: http://www.dsc.com/index.php?o=show_page&id=alexor

Many individuals do not think they need to be monitored.  Well they are wrong IMHO and it’s gotten so affordable if you use an online company that it’s ridiculous not to have your security system monitored. You can now get UL listed alarm system monitoring for as little as $8.75 a month. This meager amount is often gained back 100% in the form of an insurance discount for having the service.

So who needs security system monitoring? Seniors, single parents, kids home alone, families, small businesses, and anyone who has a security system. Lets say your kids are at home alone and they set the alarm, but there is no monitoring. What would happen if someone broke in the house and activate the alarm, but no one see or knows anything is happening?  No one knows because no one is monitoring or watching for anything.

Finally, if you are going to have a security system be sure to actually turn them on and use them.  What good is a security system if you do not even turn it on.Test your system monthly (weekly is recommended).

So security system monitoring is greatly encouraged and will give you the peace of mind that your property is being watched, even when you are not there.