Hi there,
I just bought a house with the full Vivint package with the Sky panel. I’ve been doing some reading and am sure not going to sign up for $60/mo monitoring with them and from what I’ve read on this site the GC3 has caught my attention as a replacement. My questions before purchasing the new panel are: Is the GC3 a direct (or close to it) replacement for the Sky panel? Will replacing with the GC3 and cell radio allow me to have full automation control (smiliar to the Sky as it is now) and monitoring through alarm.com? Are there any other steps I need to consider before replacing the Sky panel with the GC3?
I realize these questions have likely been answered elsewhere on this forum but appreciate the help as I don’t want to make a bad purchase! Thank you!
There are some limitations currently to GC3 automation, simply by virtue of it being new. Firmware updates are needed to add full functionality and compatibility with certain Z-wave devices like the ADC Thermostat, etc.
However, for the most part, yes, you would be able to reuse existing sensors, etc., with the new panel and Alarm.com service. We would need specific device models found at the location to give a definitive yes or no for automation devices.
Thanks for the quick reply Jason. My main concern is the new GC3 being a plug and play replacement for the alarm system. The previous owners did not leave us the alarm code for the Vivnt panel and have become unresponsive. Guess that’s their way of getting back at us for not taking over their Vivint contract. I can work around any compatibiliy issues as updates are rolled out.