Hello, I have an IQ through Frontpoint (switching to Surety when contract ends!). I called them as I have a very large shop that is about 80ft from the house and my sensors were being flakey. I asked about a 2nd panel and they said the only possible way to do it would be to list the address appended with a letter or a 1/2. So the shop would be 1107a when my address is 1107. This sounded bad as fire or police responders would drive up and down looking for it. They also implied they would pretty much act as independent systems.
They sold me a repeater for the sensors, but I would MUCH rather have another panel. I’m out there a lot and would like notifications.
Is it possible to add another panel?
Does ADC/the reseller really have to set it up as a different address?
If I can just add another panel, which is the cheapest option (unless I can convince my wife to let me move the IQ to the shop and get the IQ2)?
Is it possible to add another panel?
They also implied they would pretty much act as independent systems.
You cannot have two primary alarm panels on one Alarm.com account, and they cannot be part of a single local system. They would be two independent systems. You can link the two accounts afterward through Alarm.com multi-system access, but another panel and cellular communicator requires another Alarm.com account. I cannot speak to how another provider might present any options to the end user.
With suretyDIY, you would simply need to purchase a second subscription on our website in order to set up the second alarm system.
Multi-system access would give you the ability to swap from one system to the other within the app or on the Alarm.com website, without having to log out and log back in.
Does ADC/the reseller really have to set it up as a different address?
I could not say if their system does not allow duplicate addresses, etc. This is something you would need to clarify with your provider. I can only tell you how we would set it up.
Some designation would be recommended to differentiate the two. If the two were accounts through suretyDIY, we would simply append the one system address with “Shop” in our records as a descriptor so that operators could relay the correct location of an alarm for authorities. If it is not a separate address it would not be otherwise arbitrarily changed. I would avoid that to avoid confusion.
If I can just add another panel, which is the cheapest option
The cheapest option undoubtedly would be a used system purchased online, though there are risks in choosing to purchase a used system that are avoided with new equipment.
You can find all available systems through suretyDIY in our store. The lowest cost primary panel sold by suretyDIY is the 2GIG Go!Control Panel.
As for the lowest cost used panel, I could not say, though you might find used Simon XT/XTi’s or Go!Control Panels in larger quantity listed online as they have been very commonly used panels and the manufacturers have newer models which have been slowly displacing some of the older ones.
Thanks for the response. I guess I’m a little confused what the Qolsys 2nd panel in the online store does.
I guess I’m a little confused what the Qolsys 2nd panel in the online store does.
Can you clarify? Are you referring to the IQ2 secondary touchscreen for the original IQ Panel? It has been discontinued, but it is a secondary control keypad for the IQ Panel. It does not have a sensor radio - it only connects via wifi and acts as a arming/disarming location with chimes etc.