Scout Alarm System: An Expert Review (2019)
The Scout Alarm system is another do-it-yourself, self-install home security system that requires no contracts. How do they stack up against more traditional home security offerings on the market? Let’s find out.
Equipment
Scout offers customizable solutions for your home and offer several different options in terms of equipment. Their alarm system is completely wireless and DIY so you can easily set it up yourself without any hassle.
Scout Hub
The brains of their system is called the Scout Hub. The Scout Hub is a wireless system that connects all of the security sensors to it wirelessly. It works by connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network but also includes a cellular backup in case your internet goes down.
The Scout Hub also includes an internal 105-decibel alarm (extremely loud) that can be clearly heard no matter where you are in your home. A backup battery in case of a power outage is built in, so you can rest assured your system won’t go down when there’s a loss of power.
One feature that really stands out is the way the Scout Hub uses zones. The Hub will tell you exactly which zone (sensor) has been triggered which will give you a better idea of where and what is exactly happening in your home. For a non-touchscreen panel, this is a nice feature to have.
The hub also uses Z-Wave technology, which will allow you to expand your system by connecting to different smart home devices such as door locks, lights and thermostats.
Scout Door Panel
The Scout Door Panel is a larger sensor meant to be placed on the outside of an entryway door. This sensor will alert you to any time it has been opened or closed. It can also be used to quickly arm and disarm your system tapping a RFID sticker on the Door Panel or using Scout’s key fob. RFID stickers are pretty revolutionary when it comes to home security. These stickers can be placed on anything that is easy to move around. When you tap the sticker on your hub or Door Panel, it will automatically arm/disarm your system. The Door Panel also includes a built-in 105-decibel alarm.
Access sensor
The Access Sensor is just a regular door/window sensor that can be placed on either doors or windows and will alert you any time a door or window has been opened or closed.
Motion sensor
Scout’s motion sensors use PIR technology to detect motion and have a 90-degree field of view. They are battery-operated and can easily be installed by using double-side tape.
Glass break sensor
The glass break sensors are used to detect the sound of breaking glass within a 15 ft. range of the sensor and should be placed near/adjacent to the windows.
Additional devices
In addition to intrusion sensors Scout Alarm also offers environmental sensors such as carbon monoxide, heat, smoke and flood sensors. You can also purchase smart home devices such as automated door locks, lights and thermostats and connect them to your Scout system.
Limited equipment
Although Scout offers a range of different security sensors, they’re still somewhat limited compared to traditional DIY companies in terms of variety. For example, Scout does not offer a garage tilt sensor (which alerts you to garage door openings and closings). They also do not offer any recessed door sensors (door/window sensors that you can conceal into a door or window panel). At Link Interactive, we offer both of these kinds of sensors, and a host of other ancillary devices that can make or break your home security experience, such as cellular range extenders (antennas) and touchscreen keypads.
Another area where traditional DIY companies like us shine is in our ability to integrate sensors or peripherals that you may have from a previous system. For example, if your new home came pre-configured with a security system (in most cases this would be an old ADT or Brinks system) and you would like to take advantage of as many existing sensors as possible, we have special translator devices that will allow you to wire all your existing sensor into a box, which will in turn shoot out wireless signals and make it compatible with your new system.
Scout Camera
When it comes to video surveillance equipment, Scout Alarm only offers an indoor camera. The indoor camera records in full 1080p (high-definition) and produces crystal clear images. It has a 155-degree field of view and comes with night vision that provides coverage even in low light situations.
The Scout indoor camera also has a built-in motion detector that will trigger the camera to start recording whenever motion is detected near the camera. Video footage from the camera can be accessed live or you can view recorded clips that are stored on the cloud.
Monitoring Plans
There are a few different ways you can monitor your Scout Alarm system. Scout offers both professional and self-monitoring and they require no contracts. Let’s take a look at the monitoring plans they offer.
Always On
With Scout’s Always On plan you can use the app to arm/disarm your system, check sensor history, view video and control smart home devices. This plan also includes 4G LTE cellular backup (in addition to the primary internet connection), email notifications and push notifications.
The Always On plan costs $9.99/month and no contract is required. If you want to add a video camera to your security system, you will need to pay $2.99/month with this plan for the ability to view recorded video.
Always On Plus
Scout’s premium plan is called the Always On Plus. This plan includes all of the features of the Always On plan plus 24/7 professional monitoring. This plan cost $19.99/month but also includes cloud storage for 1 indoor camera at no additional cost and the plan requires no contract.
No-contract
Scout Alarm might not be the most affordable DIY option around, but they do offer no-contract monitoring (which has its own upside). The downside though is that all your equipment must be purchased at full price, and it can all add it up pretty quickly.
Contract advantages
This is where traditional DIY (do-it-yourself) companies like Link Interactive shine. At Link Interactive, you can get professional grade equipment (2GIG and Qolsys) at a much lower cost out the door. The trade-off? A 36-month contract, which allows us to get you that huge discount on your upfront costs.
Signing a 36-month agreement with a home security company like us is worth it. Not only do you save a lot of money on the front end, but you also stand to benefit from a professional quality system that’s loaded with features and up to date with the latest smart home perks.
To get an instant quote call us at 1-877-826-5443. You can also visit our offer online here.
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