Strobe Light Component for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

Hi @sergiovergara ,

Thanks for your suggestions! In this section of the Community, we request that you create one new post for each suggestion, so we can track progress for them separately. You can find the full guidelines on this page.

You can also find an existing request for a Heat Detector here, and a Vibration Alarm here. Surprisingly, I can't seem to find an existing post for a Strobe Light component, so I'm leaving your post up to serve as the first.

I would like to see a remote status light and speaker. Something around the size of an Echo Dot, perhaps even smaller. My base station is located in the living room, which is ideal because it is pretty much centrally located. I know others actually have theirs in a utility closet, and utilize an additional alarm unit in the hallway However, we spend a great of time in the family room, so I’m not able to hear the chime as a door is opened or closed. Something I like since I can monitor children’s activity. I even have a sensor on

the pet door and I am alerted when my dogs go outside and come back in.  I also like the light feature on the base station. I can quickly look and see if the system is activated or not, or if there is an update or other issue. I can’t see the light or hear the voice indicating that the system is armed or disarmed, or the chime feature,  with the actual base station in another room. I believe it would be a nice addition to your products if you added something like this. Customers could place one in any room they wish and benefit from the indicator lights and voice prompts. It should plug in and contain a back up battery, of course, in case of power outage.  I am hopeful something like this can be added. I don’t see where the cost would be prohibitive. It doesn’t need a large speaker to be used as a supplement alarm. Like I said, similar to an Amazon Dot. 

Also, I have my elderly mother here with us. Have you considered a smaller fob, something that acts as a panic button only smaller, to be worn around the neck? It could be waterproof as well. Nothing fancy. I realize medical alert services are not your primary purpose. But you do offer a panic devices, and we have options of having medical, fire, or police notification. For you customers, it would be a nice addition to offer, saving us from subscribing to a separate service for medical alerts. I know those services have fancier devices to wear on the wrist or around the neck. Usually with some automatic feature that alerts when a person falls down. I’m just talking about a smaller panic button. A fob without the ability to arm and disarm the system. Just a thought. 

Otherwise, your system is outstanding. I have no concerns or complaints. The equipment is all very nice. It’s so easy to install and add to. Easy to use. And when I had a sensor magnet fall from a window early one morning, which was my fault entirely, the response was immediate. Within one minute of activation, I received a text, a push notification, and a phone call. The customer service was friendly and courteous. I couldn’t expect more. 

Thank you!

I'd like to add that a strobe light that could be placed outside would aid in first responders locating the residents and attract greater attention of passerby/neighbors. 

Jim R 

If I'm correct doesn't simplisafe already have something like this in the uk. Bell box is what I believe it's called. 

I am deaf so I cannot hear an alarm when it trips, especially at night. Is there a device that can turn on a light or lights to wake me up in the event of an alarm? I could not find one on the website.

I am hearing impaired and agree wholeheartedly with Sergio.

I have been asking for this for many years since my father is hearing impaired and cannot hear the siren when it is going off and he is 10ft away. This is a life safety issue and should be addressed immediately! What good is an alarm if you don't know it is going off? Thankfully the only alarms we have had are false alarms because he either forgets to turn it off in the morning when letting out the dog or he accidentally sets it to away instead of home and walks out in to the living room. His memory is failing and we have this system to help keep him safe and it simply isn't doing that. 

My husband is hearing impaired and when I’m not home he can’t hear the alarm especially at night when he’s asleep. He’s woken up to police banging on the door when he’s not heard the alarm. 

This has been an ongoing concern for at least 10 years. Guess what, all you have done is post a canned responses. A simple fix would surely be available in the state of technology today. Or you simply non committed to a true need.

I'd second this request!  I just bought a system and am going to have to do a bunch of custom modifications to a remote siren speaker to get it to flash a strobe light.  Not super easy and it'd be way easier if we could just buy something!

This thread ( and many before it) got me thinking that this would be an excellent customer hack for a small Etsy business.  Two wires leading from an entry sensor connected to a small battery powered trobe light unit. Can't be that hard to do for somebody with engineering talent and could sell a million of them. 

There are several non critical ways for a strobe and a few, ok, maybe several, 😉 dollars for devices, a smart bulb etc.

If you have a Samsung phone one ui5 or later there's a way tondo some stuff. Their hub, smartthings etc. modes and routines.

You could buy an Aqara smart home hub and add parallel Aqara Zigbee entry sensors where needed, the hub does some smart things with lights, switches etc.

May even be Google home and Alexa compatible if you talk to your smart home, I don't.

I went all the way with home assistant. I can do "almost" anything. Too lengthy to explain here. And probably not appropriate per terms and conditions. Lol 

It seems many, many, many, did I say many enough, requests are outside of Simplisafes closed system and DIY only. IMHO.

As suggested, someone might hack a sensor. So far the only known hack to me is the RF antenna wire in an entry sensor on Etsy for sensor signal drops etc. He should add motion, keypads, doorbells, outdoor cameras etc etc.😁

Lots of 3D plastic print devices there for hanging SS a garage door, or in my case Zigbee sensors etc. Doorbell swivel mounts etc.

Skys the limit, but it's DIY unfortunately.

All require some effort, willingness to learn and some 🤑. 😂  If you can use an app and IFTTT, plug in an Ethernet cable and power brick, none of the above are any harder than that for standard automations.