Hi all, hoping for some guidance from the knowledgeable folks here on upgrading my home security system.
Current Setup
I have a 2GIG GC3 main panel plus two SP1 accessory panels, all wall-mounted. In my primary bedroom closet there are also some circuit boards that I believe convert my hardwired sensors to work with the panel, along with a large wall-pack adapter that I was told provides backup power to the GC3.
Problems I’m Having
My system has become increasingly unreliable over the past few months:
My door locks no longer sync properly. Locking a door still shows as unlocked in the app and on the panel, and vice versa. Sensors randomly go offline and reappear about 24 hours later for no apparent reason. Z-Wave devices constantly drop off and require rediscovery. Firmware updates have never worked on my GC3. Brinks sent a tech out twice to sort it out and they couldn’t get it to work either.
Why I Want to Switch
I’m ready to move to a Qolsys IQ5 and also break away from Brinks, whose monitoring costs keep going up.
Two small but important WAF considerations before I commit: the 2GIG’s automated door chime voice is noticeably smoother and more pleasant than the robotic, fast-talking voice on the Qolsys IQ4, and the GC3’s default screen just looks better. I’m not sure if either of these were improved on the IQ5.
What I’m Working With
When my original installer set up the 2GIG system with Alarm.com, they told me many of my windows were already hardwired by the home builder, so they only needed to add wireless sensors in a few spots. I also have a few glass break sensors and smoke detectors that appear to listen for my regular smoke alarms and relay alerts to Alarm.com.
My Questions
I want to reach full parity with my current setup. That means keeping three wall-mounted panels (one near the front entry, one at the garage entry, one in the primary bedroom), ensuring my existing hardwired sensors are compatible with or convertible for the new system, and ideally avoiding those large, bulky white plastic sensors that sit on door and window frames. My current setup doesn’t use those and I’d like to keep it that way.
Is there a way to pull a full list of my current sensors and zones from the GC3 before I make the switch? I do have my installer code and can get into the backend if that helps.
Any other things I should be thinking about that I might be missing? Appreciate any help. Thanks so much!