Macally AirAlarm Securityman DIY Wireless Home Alarm System

good value poor manual
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The cons:

This security systems as mentioned by most persons has a very poor manual and if you are not technically inclined it will be confusing. The unit does not have an option for how many rings to answer on and this may require you to choose between your voicemail service and security feature. I had problems disabling the audible alarm on the console, it appears that only the remote siring can be disabled.

The Pros:

I paid $78 for it and compared to the other units being sold that is a good price. The system comes with an additional siren which allows you to not only get alerts from the console but also in remote locations. Comes with 2 remotes which are attractive and not as cheap looking as those seen with other units. Support responded to email sent so hopefully if you have problems understanding aspects of the manual you can get them solved. Has 8 hrs battery backup, loud alarm from console does not work when on battery but that is fine if you are near to unit or have dialout enabled.Allows personal recorded voice message for callout but there is no way to notify which sensor has triggered over the phone. Comes with everything needed to install including batteries.

Overall price is good and if you get it working then it is a good buy, I am not able to compare all aspects to other models so some issues with this unit may also exist with others.

rmm
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The user manual could have been written better. My advise is to read it two or three times before attempting to program the unit.

Once you understand, it really isn’t that hard to do. Other then that the unit is working fine. I would recommend a second motion sensor with the kit

Money down the drain
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
this product is sooooo crappy.The instruction where hard to understand for setting the codes. After 2 months of owning this system the key chain only can active the system also the control pannel button aren’t working properly to manually active or deactive alarm…..I would not reccommend this product….but I do reccommend a longer warranty for this product.

Programming
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
As someone else mentioned the instruction booklet is not very good. The window/door sensor has to be triggered DURING learn 2 times. Same with remote, push any button two times DURING learn. Another thing it that you cannot remotely access the unit by phone if you have a phone answering system that picks up sooner than 30 seconds. One drawback it that it calls phone numbers immediately if it is alarmed, no delay. So keep that in mind when testing or if you have a “false”. It easy to operate after the programming. This DIY system will call 5 phone numbers after alarm. But, you must have a land line! It is a good inexpensive system that has a lot of features. It will allow you to monitor the doors and windows while you are at home/sleep and a activate all sensor setting which includes IR sensors when you are away. The features and the low cost for extra sensing devices makes this a good system. I would recommend it.

I must have been one of the lucky ones
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had a little problem initially with programing, but figured it out. The motion sensors and siren work great. We have cable phone service and when we had a glitch with that, the alarm sounded (as it’s suppose to if the phone goes dead). The window sensor has a very limited range. I purchased a 2nd motion sensor for my back door. The remotes work very well. For the price, it can’t be beat. I wouldn’t dismiss this as crap so easily. Would have given a 5 star rating if the window sensor had a better range. It does what I want, provide basic protection.

Great value!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I loved it, very easy to install and it served its purpose, the only problem is, whenever I turn the sensors on, it will trigger the alarm regardless of its operating mode.

Very very disappointed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
When I received this, it was defective. The power wouldn’t stay on. I should have returned it, but I was in a hurry, so I repaired it myself. The alarm itself only partially worked. I couldn’t get the auto dialer to work, nor could I get the external siren to work. I reprogrammed it no less than three times, to no avail. I would NOT recommend this to anyone! I have since purchased a Skylink alarm system.

defective
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I got a defective one, the AC plug is loose and won’t stay powered, and the console won’t recognize the sensors except for the remotes. It seems it was opened and repackaged before i got it. The instruction manual was poorly edited, though with practice it is not that hard to use. Specs are great on paper, but not the actual product. I returned it.