Virtual switch to disarm alarm system

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
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Getting more and more devices into our system but keep struggling with the alarm system. The WAF (wife acceptance factor) needs to be high and disarming an alarm with a smart phone isn’t always ideal. Having a traditional keypad is preferable, especially with MIL (mother in law) and others coming over and their need to disarm the system.

Since there is not a great option for a traditional keypad, I’m looking for alternatives. One that I’ve come up with is to program one of the GE switches we have to act like an alarm panel. For instance, we have two switches in our entry, one for the porch lights and one for the foyer lights. Three clicks on the porch light switch and one on the foyer light switch could be the code, or something like that.

Is there a smart app or virtual device that I can create that would either 1.) let one switch act as a device and after a programmed number of clicks it deactivates the alarm or 2.) let two switches work together so that a programmed number of click, in order, on the two switches, could turn the alarm off?

Or option 3, I missed an easy way to disarm your alarm that doesn’t involve a prox sensor, smart phone, or tablet mounted to a wall?

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You could likely do that with CoRE.

However, my advice - and I am using this real time with children is the centralite keypad. They work great here. You need to use a custom device handler and the keypad manger app, but so far these work good here.

And I hate to say it because no idea if / when it will actually come - but @tyler mentioned ST is testing a candidate keypad for official inclusion into ST.

Last, I would probably use a Minimote to disarm before I would use a physical switch scheme as you describe. Something like hold minimote button three turns on Virtual Switch, When Button 1 is pressed and Virtual Switch is on, disarm SHM and turn of Virtual Switch.

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I have a couple of the iris centralite keypads and they both work well for me too. Some people report difficulty pairing them. I had some trouble at first too, but I found the issue seemed to be trying to pair the keypad close to the hub then moving it to where I planned to use it. Pairing it in place worked for me.

I’m not holding my breath for the arrival of the ST-approved keypad that would eventually mean better functionality in SHM.