Home Alarm Systems

[derek]

Anyone got one? The wife and I are in the market for one. I came from a family that always had one and just lately with the way things are going we have being more interested in one.

So far I got appointments with ADT and Brinks. I'm looking at a couple local places too.

If you have what who do you use and what are the most current must have options?

 

[bballbaby]

i've got 2 systems.

the first one usually stops most intruders

the 2nd definitely stops them

#1 Golden Retriever
#2 Smith & Wesson

 

[tubaman]

I have an alarm system in my house, it makes the girls feel safer, even though we are in a pretty boring neighborhood. I have motion sensors in the basement and I would skip that in the future. Conceivably someone could get into our basement through the small windows, but I would just alarm those in the future. The motion detector is just a pain in the ass and goes off if you forget about it late at night and go downstairs for something. You can get your screens wired if you want which will go off if someone decides to cut them and break the glass to get in (which won't trigger the alarm if the screen isn't wired), but if they really want in, they'll get in anyway.

One thing I highly reccomend is linking your alarm system with smoke detectors. I don't have to remember to change the batteries in mine and it works great. (Except when I burnt some toast badly once and set the alarm off.)

 

[sportsmedjosh]

How much are you willing to spend, are you looking for monitoring as well? Are you ready to kill a foo?

Those are the important three questions in home defense.

 

[dartfrog]

Anyone got one? The wife and I are in the market for one. I came from a family that always had one and just lately with the way things are going we have being more interested in one.

So far I got appointments with ADT and Brinks. I'm looking at a couple local places too.

If you have what who do you use and what are the most current must have options?

I had the Brinks set up on the home I purchased here. Saved $50 a month on this service including the phone land line which I do not have. More money to buy smokes. When your gone from the house and if they want your stuff they can smash and dash and be gone in one minute besides its just stuff anyways. Your biggest threat is a home invasion. At my house now they will have to grow a big pair to get by my options.

Option #1, 85+ pounds of Giant Schnauzer.

Option #2, .45 ACP Remington Model 1911

 

[Daviso27]

Your in luck...before I went into Culinary, I worked for Brinks. You need to be aware that the prices are very similar. Yes, Brinks is gonna give you the whole, "we monitor our own alarms and that they have a gynormaous building with back up servers....but dont be fooled. You do not get any assurance that if equipment fails, that they would replace it at no cost to you, unless you get the premium plan, which was about $6 more a month when I worked for them.

Also, some tips on getting the best deal...Ask them if they gaurantee their alarms by paying for any stolen property or if they cover your insurance deductable in the event of a break-in...If they say no...tell them that you have another company offering you this garauntee. They will ask who...but you dont have to tell them. Tell them that the other guy is offering free pieces, such as an extra keypad, extra sensors, remote keyfobs, etc. No matter what price they give you, tell them that the other guy charges less and you feel like you arfe getting more. ADT is a good company, however they contract local electritions who are "licensed" by paying a member fee and taking a few courses on the "how-to's" of ADT. ADT does however, in my opinion uses more state-of the art equipment, they use wireless sensors which help in placing them in better places than if they needed to be wired. Also ADT can haggle better than Brinks.

I had my alarm pre-wired in my home during construction. I had a local company install the sensors and It is monitored by Monotronics. I pay about $24 a month.

Items to get...Glass break sensors cover multiple windows as a sensor would only protect 1 window. So a room with multiple windows, it would be cheaper to put in a glass break detector, however you would need to reinforce those window so you force a burglar to break the window. They will tell you all of this...Motion detectors are good, but they olny work when an intruder is already in your house. A smoke and heat detector will protect your house in case of a fire, even if the alarm is not "on" and it will reduce your homeowners insurance up tp 20%.

Alarms are deterents and do not fully protect the home. The training they use to give me in Brink was how to break into a home...Through the garage door, sliding glass...but 80% of break-ins happen by kicking in the front door. The best peice of equiptment you can get is the yard sign and the window decals.

Hope this helps..

 

[derek]

Thanks for the info guys!! Daviso that is a great help!

I want the monitoring for sure. I think the smoke detectors are a great. I have to call a friend of my fathers in the morning. He does high end home and business alarms with monitoring. If you know him or get recommend by a customer he will work with you even if your not high end. I have seem some very advance installs of his and I didn't think the technology was that advanced out there, but it is and works well for all his customers.

I do have a large German Shepherd that would make motion sensors a pain. Or give pain to anyone that doesn't belong in the house.

There is also that HK USP 40 that I don't leave home without.

 

[Electric Sheep]

I have one, setup through a respected local company (seems there's plenty around). Monitoring is under $20/month. We went for two options:

- glass break sensors
- wireless, cellular connection

The cell connection is good in case the baddies cut the phone lines, and also because we don't have to have a home land line. Course if we did have a land line, I suppose we'd have no objection to that sort of connection IN ADDITION to the cellular one, but I like the fact that it doesn't NEED a land line to work.

Oh, and of course I've got a shotgun and a barkin' ass dog. :yes:

 

[bohizzle]

I got a glock that will keep any intruder out of the house!!!

 

[smokinj]

This one of my Home Security Systems

 

[BradMc]

I have never used Home Alarm Systems, (beside a big Dog and Gun) but now that i'm i'm buying a new home w/one installed, new place and all that good stuff, and the fact that the Inc. rates drop one hell of a lot, I will go to one .....

 

[Smokey550i]

I use my system primarily for smoke, fire or heat detection with the secondary purpose being burglary.

I use a local company vice one of the brand names and also use a land line vice my cable phone due to possible outages. Land line stays up even if power to my house goes out and the alarm system is on battery back-up.

I also have two control panels, one at my entry door and one in the bedroom so I can arm/de-arm from upstairs. That way when we go to bed, I set the alarm on "no delay" ... if any sensor picks something up the alarm is instant, for both my local siren and the notification to the monitoring facility as well.

I have door sensors with full coverage of the interior using motion detectors on all floors with heat and smoke detectors on all levels (basement, 1st floor, 2nd floor and attic.

later,

 

[Jfire]

I went a diff route. Online purchase of the same system ADT was offering. Bought everything including all wireless units.(homesecuritystore.com) Xtra keypad for master bed, two wireless motions, 19 wireless window units. and 2 wireless motions. 1 first floor main and 1 basement stairs. Either way if they force a door or break glass. Ill get them either way. I installed everything in a few hours only the main pad is hardwired. It came with a company for 9.95 a month out of Cali. I paid a 1000.00 but have had it 3 yrs so I making my money back as we speak! It also has verbal chime and speak. EX. beep beep Front door open. Or beep beep Alarm activated laundry rm window 734 am.
Justin.
P.s. I also went with the highest motions wich are 40lb or 60 lb animal rated and have a very large scan area.

 

[cvm4]

Great info. on all this guys :thumbsup:

 

[PepinAddiction]

My understanding:

ADT outsources their installations and Brinks does not.

I've had Brinks for 3 years so far. Each time we've had an "event', they've been very fast to call.

 

[dpricenator]

My curent plan is working great. I make sure that I don't keep anything valuable in my house. Well for that matter I guess I just don't have anything valuable. Aside from that I have a little rat dog that barks if a bird lands on the roof and a little sig sauer 229 to back up the dog.

 

[PepinAddiction]

My curent plan is working great. I make sure that I don't keep anything valuable in my house. Well for that matter I guess I just don't have anything valuable. Aside from that I have a little rat dog that barks if a bird lands on the roof and a little sig sauer 229 to back up the dog.

That's a great plan when you are home... but when you are gone they could be teabaggin' your pillow, urinating on your dishes and adding fake entries to your man diary. Atleast these are the things that worried me. :wink:

 

[dpricenator]

That's nothing i don't already do myself, so the more the merrier

 

[PepinAddiction]

That's nothing i don't already do myself, so the more the merrier

:rolling:

I got nothing else to add to this.