Home Alarm/Security Solutions?

[Phog Allen]

Gents, we are contemplating some security upgrades at our domicile. The old neighbourhood is still pretty friendly but the encroaching area is starting to get dodgy at times.

We are updating outdoor lighting soon and I will handle that since I do electrical work daily. There are some additional steps we are contemplating and I would be more tha happy to hear other peoples experiences before proceeding.

First up will be some perimeter alarm security. Entry points, garage doors, and probably the lower level windows. A keypad front and back would be appropriate. I will likely buy and install these components myself. If you check the online security device stores they sell established(read that easy to get parts and support) brands like Honeywell and DSC for VERY good prices these days. The wireless versions are considerably more for the sensors and devices but you can hybridise the wired systems pretty easily with wireless adapters. We will probably not be going with a paid monitoring service but with a cellular dialer to call one of our phones.

Cameras. This is a really interesting aspect of home security. And the most confusing as well. You can spend 50 dollars on a cheap ip capabile webcam, $200 on a Drop Cam, or just as much as you want on a dedicated surveillance system with loads of cameras and a pvr to archive it. Well we don't need a bank's security system but we would like to have two, maybe three cameras. One at each entry door and another on the corner of the house to watch the driveway. Monitoring is the issue. We have a decent network in our house and I was wondering if there was possibly an application for our Fire Tv that would act as a link to the cameras? I understand the cams would need to be networked and made 'live' to do it but networking is not my strong suit and I am sure there is much I am overlooking. I wouldn't mind spending a few hundred dollars on this but certainly don't want to spend thousand(s). Suggestions please.

Entry door intercom and driveway monitors. If you search the web for 'Chamberlain driveway monitor' you will see a nifty $60 wireless device that notifies you when someone pulls into your drive. Additional sensors are about $25 apiece and you can add three more to the system. Nice. I am unsure about the intercom. It would be really nice if my family did not have to answer the door some night without speaking to whoever is on the other side. I do not want the intecom installed by the door. At least not the inside station. I want it away from the door so any potential perp does not have an easy grab by immediately busting through the door. Any ideas about this equipment? I am hoping the video cameras will suffice for visuals since I am sure any sort of video/phone/intercom for the doors would be very pricey.

Alright, lets hear it. What do you have that works the way you want? On the other hand, what to avoid?

 

[mretzloff]

One thing to consider is whether or not you will actually use this stuff. Almost everyone I know has a security system in their home, but none of them ever turn it on. My parents did the whole intercom thing, and when it broke, they never repaired it, and it has remained that way for over a decade.

Good luck, Todd. I wish I could offer you some insight.

 

[Phog Allen]

Matt, that is a very astute observation. I cannot tell you how many people I have run into over the years who paid big money for an installed security system and then always kept it turned off because it was a nuisance. It is why I do not want a monitored system. This is more like a 'hello, someone just pulled up in the drive' sort of thing. And if you check closely at the name brand security monitoring companies their reviews are not so great. A lot of it has to do with installers and their almost non-existent relationship with the sellers. And monitoring costs for the subsidised systems is 40-65 a month now depending upon how much is monitored. And most are demanding THREE YEAR contracts. And you still have a somewhat large up front investment in hardware install. Usually somewhere between 200 and 500 dollars. You have almost paid for most equipment up front and then get soaked monthly with subsidy charges in the monitoring fee. Remember, no one is actually monitoring your home. You alarm panel sends a signal to the monitoring agency once it has detected a problem. Then the company will usually wait 30 seconds anyway before attempting to call you first(they do that you know) and only then will they call the authorities. This is typical from what I have gathered.


I want the cams more than anything so we can keep an eye on things without having to approach the doors if there is skullduggery afoot. We also have a small female Husky mix who is about as good an early warning system as anything. She can hear REALLY well and you will never have a person approach the house that she doesn't know about. If you see the ears perk you know by default someone is there. It will be kind of interesting to see what guys are suggesting. I hope to get some feedback.

 

[Edcculus]

motion activated floods could go a long way. Cheap and easy. That doesn't help for when you aren't home though. Maybe steal an ADT sign from someone's yard?

 

[COHunter]

I've opted for the old school "layered protection" model. If you make it past the 80lb pit/lab mix it's on to the 150lb Great Pyrenees. If any of your limbs are intact after that, the 175lb Mastiff/Great Dane gets his turn. And who knows, maybe the cat has latched onto the prowlers face and is clawing eyes out..

What's left (if anything) is looking at the business end of an armed homeowner not interested in discussing the socioeconomic factors that drove said prowler into a criminal enterprise.

 

[tvad]

We have a home security system with monitoring. My wife wants it. I think it's a waste of money.

The LAPD recommends motion sensing lights and a loud dog. That sounds about right to me.

Home security systems don't poop though...I'll give them that.

 

[Orville]

Dogs and motion detectors for when you're home. Insurance for when you're not.

 

[bamafan64]

We went with a local contractor. I have a wireless monitored system with glass break detectors and contacts on each door. It is a cellular unit with a battery backup, so cutting a phone line won't affect it. We also have the remote key fobs to arm and disarm it remotely. We feel pretty secure with it.

 

[Phog Allen]

Great responses lads. Anthony, that is really the crux of it.

The motion controlled lighting is really a good deterrent. Most people who work the 'late shift' as it were are none too fond of being seen. Same with porch crashers who like to steal your UPS packages. The "Smile, You're on the Camera" signs tend to make people much more sociable.

bamafan, how does the wireless stuff work as far as reliability?

COHunter, if they get past that multitasking security perimeter I certainly hope they have a cell phone themselves. Then they can call the ambulance to haul their sorry bums away.

 

[bamafan64]

bamafan, how does the wireless stuff work as far as reliability?

We've set it off a few times, by accident and for testing. So far, every time it's gone off, within a few seconds, the monitoring company is on the phone. We have a preset password we give them to let them know it's not a real alarm. We had the same contractor put the same system in at my mother's house and she's had the same results. Our key fobs are also programmed for both houses, which is also very convenient. The glass break detectors are sensitive enough that the garage door opening and closing will activate it, as well as a sneeze or slamming a door. We may set it off by accident every now and then, but I seriously doubt anyone is going to be able to get by the alarm when breaking a window.

 

[pault]

I had a wired system for 15 years, but i have moved and installed a simplisafe system in my new home, my sone bought one for hks and i bought one for my daughters new house.
It is installed your selft, wireless, if you move take it with you and install it next place,
It works well, and MOST OF ALL. It use a cell card to call out, no land lines and no internet access(those are jokes). Cost is around $15 month for monitoring no matter how many units you have installed. Also if you buy 15 pieces. It is all pre set up , makes installation easier.
I strongly recommend look into these, pm if u have more questions.
As far as cameras i had 1 indoor and outdoor, wifi connected to pc, used software to collect data, it was ok, saw critters at night. C ant help ya much there.

 

[Phog Allen]

pault, thank you for the nice response. Indeed, we will be looking at all options.

As an aside, if you look at the 'standard' hardwired offerings by the big 3 of Honeywell, DSC, and GE, other than the wireless systems very little has changed since the 1980s. It is why basic control panels are now well under $100. I remember asking a guy who did this work on the side back in the early 1990s how much it would cost to have my parents new country property covered. The panel and keypads(by today's standards little more than a numeric keypad) were close on $1000. Before any installation took place and minus the cost of the trips(contacts for windows, doors, motion sensors). We passed on it. I have been mucking around diysecurityforum and from what I gather the tech has not really changed at all. You cannot even program the ruddy things from a pc without a special expansion module and even then most of the panels don't seem to support it. The hardware that runs these things is dead simple. Microcontrollers as far as I can tell. Not even a full processor. This also makes them cheap and reliable. Still, I wonder that someone had not written a stand alone Linux appliance type OS that would run on one of the tiny little one board computers. If you could find a way to interface the peripherals to the main board(Arduino maybe?) I would think it would be rather simple as far as coding went. I don't know 'smart' things like keypads and motion sensors are. It may not be feasible to have a way for the OS to properly communicate with them. Anyway, daydreaming aside I am sure we will come up with something.

 

[TheWhitePadlock]

One of the advantages to a centrally monitored system is that they may prevent a burglary in the first place. The potential criminal may see the decals on your doors and windows and decide the risk is too great; easier pickings may be had by moving on to your neighbor who doesn't have an alarm system.

 

[Edcculus]

I agree with Todd. Its odd that the technology hasn't advanced. I'm sure there is someone out there who has rigged up something with a Raspberry Pi controller running a Linux OS.

One of the advantages to a centrally monitored system is that they may prevent a burglary in the first place. The potential criminal may see the decals on your doors and windows and decide the risk is too great; easier pickings may be had by moving on to your neighbor who doesn't have an alarm system.

So just buy or counterfeit the decals? I definitely see your point, buy why pay thousands of dollars for decals? I've also heard arguments that having the signs/decals when you actually have a real system is a bad idea, because a good thief would possibly know how to disable those systems.


Also, there are some common sense things that could help too:
-keep shrubbery trimmed next to windows and doors
-motion sensor flood lights
-park expensive cars in the garage
-keep blinds closed that a potential thief could see expensive electronics through.
-don't put the box for your brand new flatscreen, computer or sound system out at the curb. Shred the box or take it to the dump.
-if you think you are i a more "impulsive"/"crackhead" break in area, buy some cheap low hanging fruit to leave in easy places. A broken laptop sitting near the entrance area for example. Impulsive thieves may be just looking for something easy and portable. A more determined thief will probably get away with your stuff no matter what. If you have something they really want, the will probably break in when they know nobody is home, know how to break/disable your security system etc.

I was also looking around and found these: window smash alarms. Install it on a window, and it will sound if the window is broken. It won't alert authorities, but would likely deter a thief.

Finally, document your valuables. If your house gets broken into, insurance will kick in. Having everything documented will help. If you have anything truly non replaceable (heirlooms, jewelry etc), consider keeping it in a bank lock box, or a heavy safe bolted to the floor.

 

[OkieStubble]

I am a 15 year veteran police officer. I have worked a burglary or two, so I would like to give a little advice to the OP from my own personal experience of securing my home.

First off I would like to say that home security should be like peeling an onion. Have you ever peeled the skin on an onion? If so, then you know that it has many layers. Home security is about having as many layers of security features that is feasable for "your specific" needs. As there is no two situations alike, so personal home security should be "tailored" to what works best for you, your family, and the specific layout of your home and neighborhood. Even the entire neighborhood encompasses a 'layer of the onion". This layering effect is what will send not only the petty thief looking else where for a "crime of opportunity" and a more softer target, but it will also deter the "professional boogeyman" as well.

Here is a list of feasable and inexpensive ways to add layers to your home and other surroundings that even if you cannot institute all of them, the ones you do will still provide a web of protection for you and your loved ones.

1. Let's start with the outer layers of that onion shall we? First. Before Mr. boogeyman attempts to gain access to your home, he must gain access to your neighborhood without being seen. So, is there a neighborhood watch program where you live? Are you an active part of it? If not, join up. If it doesn't exist, create one, become the leader. It will allow you to get to know people and start a social network of nosey neighbors. People are so unsocial anymore they don't get to know whats going on around them by simply not knowing everyone around them.

Retired and elderly neighbors are the best. Most, are home in the day when most burglaries happen. They notice strangers who are driving around casing homes for opportunity. So why have they not told you? Because they don't know you to tell you. Get to know them, give them your phone number. Tell them if they ever need you no matter what time of night to call you for help. trust me, the elderly will take you up on it. Change their light bulb, help them carry something heavy, or just talk to them because they may be lonely. And you will have an alert friend who will not only advise you of everything that goes on but will also pick up your mail and feed your dogs while you are on vacation. First layer done.

2. Secure your perimeter. If you can put a fence around the outer perimeter of your front and or back yards and house, you have just put a mental barrier up that tells the stranger to KEEP OUT! It doesn't have to be some huge wall of china type fence which makes your house look like a prison. A small chain link or other type of ornamental fence will not only be aesthetically pleasing, it will deter access from someone just walking onto your property unannounced. Second layer done.

3. And Now that you have installed a perimeter fence, put a big dog inside that fence. The bigger the better as far as intimidation factor goes. Big dogs don't have to be vicious or trained to kill to be useful. That deep, heavy bark will deter most anyone. However, even a medium sized dog will bite, and can and will be protective. At my house, I have an 150 lb Rottweiler who stays outside and guards the perimeter, and a small dachsund "weenie dog" who stays inside and barks at the slighest noise that she is not familiar with. If an alarm system is not in the budget; a small, highly alert yapping dog is just as good. A yapper on the inside and a big ole 'cujo' on the outside is a fearsome pair indeed. 3rd layer done.

4. Motion lights. These are not expensive and the benefits are self explanatory. Place in strategic areas around your house. There is no wasted electricity unless they sense movement. 4th layer complete. Man, this is easy!

5. Deadbolt locks. And not just any deadbolt but the ones with at least a 2 1/2" inch bolt that goes into a reinforced striker plate with solid wood or metal doors. 5th layer.

6. You should cut down any large bush in front of exterior windows that would block someone trying to get in from view of the street. Then, build some window sill planter boxes and put small clay pots with flowers in them. Have you ever tried to crawl into a window from the outside over an attached planter box on the window sill? Believe me, it ain't easy and it makes a whole lot of noise. 6th layer done. pretty big onion so far.

7. Double pane windows. Might not hear one pane of glass breaking but two? Definitely. 7th layer done.

8. Alarm system. The one in my house is wired to a built in cell phone instead of a land line. If the power or phone lines are cut, it still automatically calls the police. Threshold sensors on every door and window jams, and glass breaking sensors for the windows that can't be seen from the street. Motion sensors for the hallways which intersect the rooms in the house and the detached garage. wow 8th layer!

9. Last but not least, a safe room with cell phone and whatever gun they choose, and a "what if" "plan of action" for the three beautiful women of my house while I myself am at work at night chasing the boogeyman. I hope this helps. You will feel safer just reading this wall of text!

Old relevant post. Hope it helps.

 

[pault]

pault, thank you for the nice response. Indeed, we will be looking at all options.

As an aside, if you look at the 'standard' hardwired offerings by the big 3 of Honeywell, DSC, and GE, other than the wireless systems very little has changed since the 1980s. It is why basic control panels are now well under $100. I remember asking a guy who did this work on the side back in the early 1990s how much it would cost to have my parents new country property covered. The panel and keypads(by today's standards little more than a numeric keypad) were close on $1000. Before any installation took place and minus the cost of the trips(contacts for windows, doors, motion sensors). We passed on it. I have been mucking around diysecurityforum and from what I gather the tech has not really changed at all. You cannot even program the ruddy things from a pc without a special expansion module and even then most of the panels don't seem to support it. The hardware that runs these things is dead simple. Microcontrollers as far as I can tell. Not even a full processor. This also makes them cheap and reliable. Still, I wonder that someone had not written a stand alone Linux appliance type OS that would run on one of the tiny little one board computers. If you could find a way to interface the peripherals to the main board(Arduino maybe?) I would think it would be rather simple as far as coding went. I don't know 'smart' things like keypads and motion sensors are. It may not be feasible to have a way for the OS to properly communicate with them. Anyway, daydreaming aside I am sure we will come up with something.

Simplisafe you install your self, the home unit is programmed with your devices you can add or subtract if needed, the usb plugs into your computer and loads it up, then install it on the base unit, you pc you can log in and see every on and off, you can,pay more for using an app but i dont see the need,
Monitoring doesnt change i just gave my daughter 12 door/window units keypad keychain remote for around $400 and monitoring is $15 i believe.
If you had 15 monitors from the other guys it would be more like $45-60 .
Dont forget you get a disc on home ins, so in 4 yrs you pay for the units, and if you move u can take them off and use in new home.. Worth checking into.
All the base calla out on a cell card, whether u have lost power or not. I dont see anyone beating that.. Gl.

 

[Kit Walker]

The first thing is to secure your doors and windows.

The locks (and sometimes the hinges) on most houses are relatively worthless because they are fastened only to the door frame rather than the structure of the house, and then only with short screws. You need to pull the trim off the lock side of the door and fill in any gap between the door frame and the house structure so that the can't be sprung with a crowbar. Then fasten the strike plate to the house structure with LONG screws.

The second area of weakness may be the door itself. A door may be reinforced with metal plates around the locks to reinforce that area. Doors with inset windows are definitely a weakness, because all one has to do is break that (usually small) pane of glass, reach through, and open the door from the inside. I have such a door off my utility room. Since it is rarely used, it has a double-keyed deadbolt. To open it from either side requires a key.

If you are concerned about home invasions, you should consider creating a "safe" room, usually your bedroom. Ideally, you should have three things in that room: a stout, lockable door, a charged cell phone, and a means of retreat. Weapons are optional. The hollow core door that your house came with is unsuitable. Replace it with a solid door, and give the locks and hinges the same treatment that you did the front door.

Finally, you should talk to your family and discuss how to handle a break in. Do it at the same time that you talk about what to do in the event of a fire, and keep it on the same matter of fact level -- it's just one of those things that may happen, and here's what we'll do if it does. Remember, your job is to ensure that your family and yourself survive, not to guard the stereo, television, or computer. You gather your family, fort up, and call in the cavalry. That's what you pay taxes in insurance companies for.

 

[tvad]

Old relevant post. Hope it helps.

OkieStubble's Post #15 covers all the bases, and his advice corresponds with the advice offered by the LAPD (with the exception of the gun suggestion, which the LAPD did not mention...and is probably LAPD policy).

 

[alex2363]

motion activated floods could go a long way. Cheap and easy. That doesn't help for when you aren't home though. Maybe steal an ADT sign from someone's yard?

NO!! he may get caught by their own surveillance system [ that he is asking about] and get reported to the police

 

[alex2363]

I have Comcast home security, kinda pricey but effective for now....and motion lights can warn of lurkers as they move in darkness.