Alarm Grid's mission: 'perfect panel' for DIY

Honeywell has released its new LYNX 5200 wireless security system and Alarm Grid DIY Security Solutions, a new Florida company that focuses on helping customers install their own security systems to keep costs affordable, says it is “on a mission to make the L5200 the perfect panel for security system Do-It-Yourselfers.”

It will be interesting to see how much traction Alarm Grid—founded in 2012 and based in Lighthouse Point, Fla., and which offers its customers no-contract central station monitoring—is able to achieve with its DIY approach.

It's clear the company really likes the new Honeywell panel.

“The L5200 is the sister panel to this year's ISC [West] 'Best in Intrusion' winner, the Honeywell L7000, which is expected to be released in the latter half of 2014,” Alarm Grid said in a June 11 news release. “Like the predecessors of these two panels, Honeywell has designed the L5200 to be an integrated system that combines state-of-the art wireless security features such as Advanced Protection Logic (APL) and interactive services that allow an user to control the system from any smart device, with the incredible convenience afforded by modern home automation products.”

Alarm Grid said that with the new panel, “Honeywell has gone far to address many of their consumers' demands, and it's clear that with this panel the company is furthering its commitment to improved user experience. … The Honeywell L5200 comes with more zones of protection, the ability to display a camera on screen, and one of the most exciting developments in Honeywell's technology comes with the announcement that the L5200 is flash upgradeable … which allows the panel to download the latest software updates that have been released for the unit.”

Alarm Grid believes that DIY is the wave of the future and that Honeywell's new panel is perfect for DIYers. The company says it is making it available to end users through its website.

"Do-It-Yourselfers have really taken up the reins in this industry. These panels are easy to understand, they are simple to program, and they are simple to install," said Joshua Unseth, Alarm Grid's director of marketing, in a prepared statement.

The news release continues: “While the release of a security system like the L5200 would generally mean big money for installers who bank on consumers knowing very little about how these systems work, Alarm Grid has already released the L5200 manuals, they have begun writing L5200 frequently asked questions, and they have even released a L5200 DIY installation video, which they say shows just how simple installing this system yourself can be.”

"We don't think you have to be an experienced DIYer to install a security system," Sterling Donnelly, Alarm Grid president, said in a statement. “… Our goal is to make it easy. For those who want to give it a try, our tech team patiently guides them through every step of the way."