Alarm Feature Request

I don’t think so. I press a button at night for home and press one in the morning to disarm. Then I press it again for away mode. Really simple stuff. I’d like it to just read my brain and know what I want, when I want.

I think that you could improve the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Currently it is just an adapter for wired contact sensors. It is to expensive and doesn’t have enough features to be considered a true retrofit kit. It is more of a wired contact sensor adapter kit.

It could be improved by adding the following features:

  1. An option to power motion and glass break sensors.

  2. Adding power (or at least a contact that could be used with external power) to drive existing external sireins.

  3. Utilizing an external transformer for power with a larger internal backup battery. More like a wired alarm system.

The Installation guide states that this is an “advanced DIY” project. That said I don’t believe that you need to be as constrained by size or ease of installation.

P.S. I recently installed the Ring dorbell pro and ring alarm kit and am very impressed with both. I just wish that I could still utilize the glass break and motion sensors along with the sireins from my existing wired alarm system.

Thanks,

Walt10

2 Likes

@Eagle328 wrote:
I don’t think so. I press a button at night for home and press one in the morning to disarm. Then I press it again for away mode. Really simple stuff. I’d like it to just read my brain and know what I want, when I want.

Or just tell Alexa, I’m leaving or Goodnight…

Ring is not for everyone for sure. But I wonder how many come in bashing the product just because.

@Walt10 wrote:

  1. An option to power motion and glass break sensors.

  2. Adding power (or at least a contact that could be used with external power) to drive existing external sireins.

  3. Utilizing an external transformer for power with a larger internal backup battery. More like a wired alarm system.

The Installation guide states that this is an “advanced DIY” project. That said I don’t believe that you need to be as constrained by size or ease of installation.

P.S. I recently installed the Ring dorbell pro and ring alarm kit and am very impressed with both. I just wish that I could still utilize the glass break and motion sensors along with the sireins from my existing wired alarm system.

Thanks,

Walt10

I guess it probably related to cost on the expansion kit. A motion sensor retails for $30. Most homes have no more than 2 or 3, so you’re better off with a 10 or 14 piece kit to start instead. This kit is best for those with 10+ contacts to cover (I think that’s the break even point, or if you want to use hidden contacts).

Glass sensors are needed for sure. Would not surprise me if the existing Alexa Guard feature is a beta for a specific device. But echo dots as low as $25 (or even given away) it’s a good stop-gag solution for now. Only issue is this only works in Away mode at this time.

About an external backup, simply add your own UPS. Even a $50 will give it plenty of extra time.

Plus the 250’ range sucks.

Is should be at least 1,000’

1 Like

Would love the ability to control door sensor placement ( Main Door) by Mode. For example, if I have the alarm in Home mode (I am home right) and would like the exit delay on all or some door sensors. When the alarm is in away mode I want the alarm to sound as soon as the door opens. This would prevent false alarms as to when my wife forgets to disarm the system to let the dog out the back door and that sensor is set to secondary door. From what I have found If I change the sensor setting to “Main Door” to trigger the dealy that door has the delay no matter what mode the system is in. I don’t want all or certain doors to have a 30-sec delay when I am in away mode.

Thx

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Time of day control for an indoor lamp on a GE outlet (all devices really) and then off. I want to be able to turn on a lamp plugged into a GE outlet at night to make it look like I am home.

Other alarm systems allow me to control it based on alarm state as well: If the alarm is armed, then turn the outlet for the lamp on at sundown and turn it off at 11 PM .

This is a REALLY powerful idea to keep intruders away and should be really simple since Ring Alarm already has ‘time of day’ for some functions, and it has control of the GE outlet!

@BGorgas wrote:

Time of day control for an indoor lamp on a GE outlet (all devices really) and then off. I want to be able to turn on a lamp plugged into a GE outlet at night to make it look like I am home.

Other alarm systems allow me to control it based on alarm state as well: If the alarm is armed, then turn the outlet for the lamp on at sundown and turn it off at 11 PM .

This is a REALLY powerful idea to keep intruders away and should be really simple since Ring Alarm already has ‘time of day’ for some functions, and it has control of the GE outlet!

In general, those are features of the devices themselves and not the alarm system. You could create schedules with their individual apps or automation with Alexa, Google or HomeKit.

Now, one feature of Alexa Guard is that it can randomize lights on/off when the system is armed. Look at “Away Lightning”

Not all devices have dedicated apps, they all require a hub unless they are WiFi based. I have multiple devices that are paired directly with the Ring alarm. Yes, it is possible to set up routines, etc. through the Alexa app but you are still relying on an external service to provide these actions. It adds a point of failure that isn’t necessary. I came home and my lights weren’t on and later found out the scheduler I use for lighting was having “connectivity” issues to Ring.

It would be simple to expand Ring to include schedules, routines, actions based on events, etc. This would create a very powerful smart home hub since the unit has WiFi, Z-Wave, and ZigBee protocols built in. No need for extra hubs, bridges, apps, or services to fail.

I see that Ring has IFTTT integration; does IFTTT have access to Ring Alarm functions allowing it to control the GE outlets ? If not, again that seems to be a really simple feature to add since the ‘connection’ is already there between Ring and IFTTT.

I’d rather not add something like Alexa into the Ring Alarm process. There are a lot of security conversations/concerns around Alexa.

To the previous note: This is a security system. The less we can rely on YET ANOTHER internet based “thing” to do something, the better.

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Currently IFTTT doesn’t have any triggers other than for the doorbell. I use SimpleCommands for my light schedule and that gives access to most devices on the hub. However, I am still relying on an external service for my needs and has failed me once for a few days already. FWP, I had to actually had to use the light switch or app to turn on my lights.

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Thanks for the “simplecommands” note. I guess that SimpleCommands is no better or worse than IFTTT !

It’s funny that SimpleCommands has access to the Ring Alarm GE outlet devices and IFTTT (and probably other services) do not.

Do I need an Alexa account to work with SimpleCommands and Rin Alarm or can I just setup a SimpleCommands account and link to my Ring Alarm ?

Less is more on this stuff !

Simple commands routines can run autonomously. They can be triggered by ring sensors and/or used as “scenes” within an Alexa routine. I’m not sure that you would actually need an Alexa device to use the Alexa app - probably do, but Amazon devices are cheap (currently $25 for an Echo Dot), fun and useful

SimpleCommands is completely seperate from Alexa, so no Alexa needed,. Their service connects directly to the Ring API. The thing I like about it, is that they also have a SMS service that so you can receive text messages on sensor events, instead of just a notification from the ring app. You can also set it up to only alert on a schedule, so in a way you can add another “mode” of self monitoring.

Simple Command also allows you to see the battery percentages, which I would like the Ring app to do itself.

First time logging in and seeing the community suggestions, some great ideas! Haven’t read all but I would suggest, if not done so already, a scheduling feature to change modes. Personally would be useful to avoid alarms when pulling into a detached garage and can’t disable fast enough.

A schedule, combined with the idea of another mode, could further secure our two story home allowing sensors on the first floor to be active while sleeping. The mode could then go to home when waking hours approach.

Thank you.

Integrate the alarm and the cameras.

It would be great to be able to group cameras by alarm mode so that certain cameras either only record or only provide alerts when in certain alarm modes

i.e. indoor cameras only record / alert when alarm is in AWAY mode

i.e.2. outdoor cameras only provide alerts when alarm is in HOME or AWAY mode, but they record everything in all modes – this would be great since 99% of the time, my alarm is in HOME mode and the only times it’s not, I’m usually working outside and thus I don’t need alerts but I do want recording in case someone decided to slip into my house or something (this also gets rid of the extra step I currently have to take to snooze alerts)

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Yes that would be awesome especially for the stick-up cam that has the battery so that it doesnt record motion when we are obviously home. We dont necessarily need motion notifications or recordings of ourselves when we are home. The option would be good to have for inside cameras and it should be a camera by camera setting so if i have outside cameras they will record if i so choose. Great idea. I hope they approve it.

While you wait for it to become a feature, you might be able to accomplish this with SimpleCommands. I do not own any cameras so I cannot say for sure but, I would imagine you could enable record mode on the cameras based on alaram state.

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Since the stickup cam, spotlight cam and flood light cam all have sirens built into them a easy update would be to have the siren automatically sound if the main alarm is triggered. I have watched many home security videos and a external siren is something that is highly reccomended by experts. There should be a option in the app to decide on a camer by camera basis whether you would like this feature to be activated.

The dome siren is not rated for outdoor use and would most likely not be a necessary that is if you take advantage of the ring stick-up cam. This could also be used as a compelling selling point to upgrade to the stickup cams and use them indoors as well. After all, if recording can be triggered by a alarm event then it seems reasonible that a couple lines of extra code could be added to trigger the sirens on the cameras as well. RING can you help with this???