I have been looking at GC3 vs Qolsys and have settled on the Qolsys IQ 2 largely due to aesthetics (thinner and smaller bezel). Are there any differences I should be aware of that may cause issues down the road? I think I remember reading that the Qolsys panel is compatible with (most) GE sensors as well as Qolsys branded sensors. Are there any sensors that I am missing out on? I’m guessing alarm.com cameras, doorbells, etc. will be compatible with both the GC3 and the IQ 2. Are there any advantages/disadvantages as far as home automation is concerned? I thought that the IQ 2 may have an edge because of the Z-Wave Plus support. Is it still compatible with standard Z-Wave devices?
I’m mostly concerned with limiting my choices with sensors and features, but it seems like the two are fairly close there. After that, I’m worried about home automation features, but I’m not sure how far apart those two panels are.
It seems like the GC3 is a much more popular panel and 2Gig seems to be good at keeping their panels up to date. Should I be worried about going with a Qolsys panel as far as receiving updates? I am also worried about the product lifecycle with how quickly security/home automation products are evolving and it seems like 2Gig may have a shorter panel lifecycle allowing them to add features more rapidly. I may be overthinking this, but I’ve been out of the security arena for a while and things have changed quite a bit in the last decade.
Sorry for the novel and I’d appreciate any input or advice!
Also, I’m interested in the Ion Security Micra Wireless Window Sensor because of their low profile. With the Qolsys panel I was going to try their GE-compatible sensors but was wondering if anyone knew of any other recessed window sensors that have been confirmed to be compatible with the IQ 2.