I've never owned a security system, so I have no real basis on how they're programmed to work during scenarios regarding alerts, etc. So I thought I would check with everyone using the same HSM system as I, mostly revolving around functionality during the Night or Away arming modes.
At this time I'm just using an echo device in my room, may upgrade to a physical siren in the future.
While at home during the night: what sort of audible alerts trigger? Being sensitive to not want to hear simple door chimes, but do want to know if someone has broken in and not caught snoozing on the job.
Scenario 1: We're all away, come home and disarm away mode to change to night mode. Will this cancel the alerts we just triggered utilizing intrusion delay or is a cancel trigger switch still needed?
Scenario 2: We're home sleeping, kid comes home later, is it just using the cancel alert switch as we wouldn't want to "disarm" and change mode from the current night mode?
Scenario 3: Someone needs to leave in the middle of the night. Assuming you want that person completely out of the house to not risk tripping another alert, you set an intrusion delay of 3 mins, and then they have to cancel alert while trying to driving away within that time? Just a case of another cancel alert?
How are you notified while on vacation and sleeping? Basically you're gone, but sleeping. HSM provides a text, but that won't wake anyone up. I know other systems provide monitoring and they'll call you, but how have you all handled this scenario? The best solution I've got is to setup a RM switch that Alexa sees based on intrusion alerts that will have her speak on my phone. Obviously requires internet connectivity to work which I know isn't preferred.
Probably other scenarios, and follow up questions, but as you can see I'm trying to understand how a system might function during arming periods, etc.
We primarily use our phones presence to arm/disarm. I have our night mode delayed by 10 minutes using RM so when we arrive home after the time it would go into night mode it disarms for 10 minutes then arms to night automatically. This same rule also automatically enters night mode at the preferred time. If we go out of the house after night mode we disarm and it automatically arms again in 10 minutes to night mode. When we are away the siren is used for alerting as well as high alert pushover messages and Hubitat pushover messages. I haven't used it yet but there is Noonlight integration if you want them to be notified and automatically call the police for you if they cannot contact you first to verify it wasn't a false alarm. At night we use high priority pushover alerts to override the Do not disturb on our phones so we hear the alert and we also have our Sonos speakers announce through the house at 50% volume and certain lights come on.
Lots of options and different ways to do it though.
Do you rely on the pushover while away on vacation? Even with high priority, does it audibly wake you? You mentioned the siren when away, so how does that help? Lastly, why disarm for 10 mins? Genuinely curious as I had the question which I think this may answer, does disarming cancel alerts? Would switching from Away to Night also cancel those alerts?
Pushover always wakes me, my wife will even wake up and ask what it was before rolling back over and falling asleep instantly. The siren only helps to make someone think twice before entering if they trigger it since it would be noticed by the neighbors along with lights coming on. Disarming will prevent alerts from happening when the doors are opened and 10 minutes is long enough for us to get the mail, pull stuff out of the car if there is anything and close the garage.
