Cell card in the base unit. No cost except monitoring. Unless you want bells and whstles like access fron an app on phone
Home Alarm/Security Solutions?
- Thread starter Phog Allen
- Start date
Take a look at the Ademco/Honeywell zone expander type of system. You run a 4 wire out to the zone expander and from there to your remote sensors (reed, magnet, motion, fire, horn/siren, etc). It is a "hub and spoke" type of system. For hard wire it is easier to run the single cable to a location (attic, closet, basement, etc) then from the remote to the actual sensors near the remote. The remotes can be home run back to the panel or daisy chained one after the other as each gets a unique transponder identifier. This is much less work than using the typical home run type of wiring from each sensor to the main panel
The issue with wireless is battery life. Go hard wire. With a little planning wires can be located in a closet or under door molding.
The layer suggestion of protection is the best suggestion and one you should do regardless of whether you have an alarm or not.
Our home example:
We have no shrubbery between the street and the house to conceal anyone.
We have a 4' picket fence around the front which is set on a 2' retaining wall so the fence is 4' inside and 6' tall outside.
There is NO gate at the front of our house (at the street). To get to the front door you must walk up the driveway 25' (to within 5' of the house) to get to the entry gate. The front entry gate is on a spring/hydraulic auto closer which requires a bit of shove to get it moving and once you go through it closes behind you. All gates have a sign that says "Dog in Yard" not "Beware". Off of the driveway is one of the gates to the back yard which is ringed by 6' solid board privacy fence. The gate is 8' tall as it is against the garage on one side and a 4' retaining wall on the other where the privacy fence goes to the side of the property.
All gates into the fully fenced rear yard are key in key out (you climb over the fence you have to climb back over to get out).
We have 4 dusk to dawn florescent lights from Kendell lighting, 2 at the front door, 2 in the drive flanking the 2 garage doors. These are prison/parking-garage/commercial lights that are called high abuse lighting, almost indestructible http://www.kenall.com/Products/Product-Categories/Architectural-High-Abuse.htm
All windows have storm windows outside of them so harder to get to the actual window itself. All double hung windows have a bolt through them at the center, locking them together so would need to be broken completely out, not opened.
All doors have 1/2" angle steel screwed to the frame with kitchen cabinet screws (under the interior trim) at the door frame/jamb and all doors have wrap around metal at 2 of the locks (dead bolt and knob lock).
All locks on all doors are both dead bolt and entry knob. All are Abloy pick proof. You lose your key, you call a lock smith, they use a diamond drill to drill out the cylinder. Don't lose your key http://www.abloyusa.com/operating_principles.htm
All outside doors have steel pins in the door that go into the frame at the hing so even if the hinge pins are removed the door is held by the pin in the door through the frame
Garage doors are NOT automatic and have a pass through shaft/lock that is opperated from the INSIDE only
We have an Alarm sign at the street and a CCTV sign as well.
My objective is to make my neighbors house more inviting to the bad guys which is what I have done.
We have not had anyone come to our front door in years. When someone does come they call us from the drive way as the intimidation factor of the gate and signage is on the + side of don't go there.
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I went on the old style masonry castle defense theory.
Sally port then withdraw back to the draw bridge type of defense.
Our cabin in the "great white north" has a similar type of "defense" except there we have 1/2" thick wooden shutters over all windows and doors when we are gone. Nothing says "unwelcome to our house" than 1/2" of hard pine surrounding it
The neighbors are much more inviting than our wooden castle.
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I have not read all the responses but the DSC power 1832 panel is best. Honeywell Ademco you need the expensive keypad to program. I like the DSC wirless vanishing sensors or if you are really handy look at there NEO system. You only need NEO if major squarefootage or tough conditions with wireless and building materials.
Wireless perimeter sensors are the way to go, no drilling and wire runs. Hardwired sensors freeze after time or with storms and unless you open the door or window on a regular basis you will not know it is not working. Rodents in the attic or under the house chew on the wires and they act like lightning rods. Go wireless. For motions and glassbreak detectors you have more choices with those if hardwired.
If you want to self monitor for DSC or Honeywell this is the only item to consider, http://www.eyezon.com/ The envia link EVL-3 no monthly fees. If you network goes down it will tell you unlike a hardwired phone connection. Cellular is great but you will have to pay.
Wireless perimeter sensors are the way to go, no drilling and wire runs. Hardwired sensors freeze after time or with storms and unless you open the door or window on a regular basis you will not know it is not working. Rodents in the attic or under the house chew on the wires and they act like lightning rods. Go wireless. For motions and glassbreak detectors you have more choices with those if hardwired.
If you want to self monitor for DSC or Honeywell this is the only item to consider, http://www.eyezon.com/ The envia link EVL-3 no monthly fees. If you network goes down it will tell you unlike a hardwired phone connection. Cellular is great but you will have to pay.
- Thread starter
- #46
Nice information. The eyeson product makes things very interesting. This is exactly the kind of module these old hard wired panels need. And the manufacturers refuse to add to their product lines by default. If they can come up with a keypad emulator on the pc to programme the panels from the keyboard rather than the keypad them I am all in. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
- Thread starter
- #47
Holy smokes Mick! Do the in-laws know how to approach the compound at holiday? On second thought...
They do have downloading software by phone and internet that makes things very easy to program. DSC is called DLS-5 and honeywell is the called compass I believe. Programming these panels even through download is complex not in the process but the knowledge of knowing what you need and how to set what. A local company over a national is going to be the best way to go to not get sold national companies standard one fits all junk or less than or more than you need.
The insurance industry and the alarm industry do not want self monitoring, the mail order lick and stick junk like simply safe is for the handy and tech savy not for regular people. The eyeson manufacturer makes the INTRAnet modules for dsc but not this one under the DSC label. It is amazing DSC or even ADT or Tyco did not buy them out and shelf the product. Still if something happens at the house and you are in a meeting and don't get a call and can't verify with cameras then what happens?
Stickers and signs would probably be the smartest, cheapest, and most effective thing you can do. The odds are very high you would be passed on for standard breakins assuming an average home and regular career (meaning a non criminal attorney). An amazon foscam camera on your kitchen counter set for motion text alert and you are set not to get cleaned out and not to come home to someone in the house. This covers 95% of what you would most likely deal with. Have a gun and a cell phone at bedside and you will cover the rest just about.
The insurance industry and the alarm industry do not want self monitoring, the mail order lick and stick junk like simply safe is for the handy and tech savy not for regular people. The eyeson manufacturer makes the INTRAnet modules for dsc but not this one under the DSC label. It is amazing DSC or even ADT or Tyco did not buy them out and shelf the product. Still if something happens at the house and you are in a meeting and don't get a call and can't verify with cameras then what happens?
Stickers and signs would probably be the smartest, cheapest, and most effective thing you can do. The odds are very high you would be passed on for standard breakins assuming an average home and regular career (meaning a non criminal attorney). An amazon foscam camera on your kitchen counter set for motion text alert and you are set not to get cleaned out and not to come home to someone in the house. This covers 95% of what you would most likely deal with. Have a gun and a cell phone at bedside and you will cover the rest just about.
Tonight, I was reminded again of why I like the system we and my mom have. After I took her to Mass, while I was driving away, I heard the audible alarm from where she armed her system. Probably not important to many people, but it gives me peace of mind that I know she didn't forget to set her alarm.
I love living in Japan for the lack of crime. Every morning I walk past a bicycle shop on my way to work. There are often boxes with new bicycles in them which were dropped off by the shipping company during the night. These are high-end bikes which cost upward of $1000, yet no bike has ever been stolen. I once left my briefcase sitting in the subway station, the briefcase was quite expensive, and inside was a black paint Leica M4, and Macbook Pro. When I got back to the subway station 30 minutes later, my briefcase was still there.
Ironically enough, as safe as Japan is, my Tokyo home has three cameras, one at the gate, one along the drive, and one at the front door. I use an IC card to get through the gate and the front door, the locks are what Americans call "medical" locks, which are said to be pick-proof. I am not a security nut, these are standard features on new homes here. My cameras and locks are controlled inside the house, and the control panel has a panic button which will alert the police or fire department. Interesting place, Japan is.
Ironically enough, as safe as Japan is, my Tokyo home has three cameras, one at the gate, one along the drive, and one at the front door. I use an IC card to get through the gate and the front door, the locks are what Americans call "medical" locks, which are said to be pick-proof. I am not a security nut, these are standard features on new homes here. My cameras and locks are controlled inside the house, and the control panel has a panic button which will alert the police or fire department. Interesting place, Japan is.
- Thread starter
- #51
I know what you mean. My mum is 78 years young. She goes all the time. And she thinks she is a bit tougher than she really is. I worry about her like any decent offspring should. She has no internet service at her house because she doesn't need or want it. No land line phone either. And she is a renter now in her retirement so options are limited. She does keep her mobile phone handy all the time though. As you get older you think about these things.
Yes, it is nice to have that sort of neighbourhood. Lest we should all think I am fighting off the goblins day to day, no I am not. In fact I have had experiences similar to yours. Several times I have accidentally left my car windows open overnight and the Garmin and anything else was safe and sound the next day. However, recently there has been a lot of commercial development adjacent to our property and truth told, it has brought a certain element to the old residential area that is not all together good. And before anyone gets a bit offended I used to work construction for a number of years. We didn't call it working with America's most wanted for nothing. There are always a few dodgy characters around the construction trades. I just worry more about my daughter and grandchild. Early warning is the best tactic overall. The cameras are really good deterrents. Nothing makes people politer than the sign that says; smile for the camera.
Agree. We have a security system and never use it. Pretty dumb, but that's what we do (or don't do).
As to the security solutions portion of your thread question, what is the plan to protect yourself, your daughter and grandchild, or anyone that would be in the house should someone, or multiple offenders gain entrance into your house through the security measures you decide to implement?
- Thread starter
- #54
That's for us to know and them to find out.
Excellent!!
Sounds like our plan for a home invasion. Bodies stacking up like chord wood, and not ours.
A few years ago my house was broken into while I was away. Eleven firearms were stolen.
At the time I had a different view of my neighborhood, and people in general. My firearms were not in a safe, but not laying in the open either. I figured they were inside my locked house, blah, blah...
My 130 lb Bullmastiff watched them take my property, from the cofides of his crate. I am sure he would have had zero affect on the outcome if he had total unrestricted access of my house.
The thieves were my next door neighbor, and his buddies. They knew I had firearms because they noticed me cleaning one on my back porch one day after a visit to the range, and I had always been careful not to flaunt them. Basically my house was mostly a victim of their boredom, and complete lack of supervision and authority from the parents.
I now have a Simplisafe security system that I like, my firearms are in a safe, and I am (unfortunately) generally more cynical of people in general.
Take it from someone who has been violated- big dogs, firearms and security systems are helpful, but really only peace of mind.
Keep an eye on the folks in your neighborhood who may know your habits and exploit them as a weakness. Communication within the neighborhood is also a real good thing, you can learn a lot.
Take a look around your property, a 6 ft fence does nothing if your trash cans are sitting next to it, ready to be used a step stool to climb over...Bushes and trees provide good cover, Basement windows are easy entry points. Fresh liver from the grocery store is a good diversion for that big barking dog- could a thief toss some liver into a bedroom or bathroom, watch the dog go for it, and then shut the door and go about his business robbing your house?
FWIW, the police asked me when they arrived if I had any idea who might have done it, I told them my best guess, and I had all of my property back within 24 hours. In some areas the police department require you to purchase a permit from them if you are going to have a monitored security system that they (the police) may have to respond to- seemed strange to me but it is apparently not unusual.
At the time I had a different view of my neighborhood, and people in general. My firearms were not in a safe, but not laying in the open either. I figured they were inside my locked house, blah, blah...
My 130 lb Bullmastiff watched them take my property, from the cofides of his crate. I am sure he would have had zero affect on the outcome if he had total unrestricted access of my house.
The thieves were my next door neighbor, and his buddies. They knew I had firearms because they noticed me cleaning one on my back porch one day after a visit to the range, and I had always been careful not to flaunt them. Basically my house was mostly a victim of their boredom, and complete lack of supervision and authority from the parents.
I now have a Simplisafe security system that I like, my firearms are in a safe, and I am (unfortunately) generally more cynical of people in general.
Take it from someone who has been violated- big dogs, firearms and security systems are helpful, but really only peace of mind.
Keep an eye on the folks in your neighborhood who may know your habits and exploit them as a weakness. Communication within the neighborhood is also a real good thing, you can learn a lot.
Take a look around your property, a 6 ft fence does nothing if your trash cans are sitting next to it, ready to be used a step stool to climb over...Bushes and trees provide good cover, Basement windows are easy entry points. Fresh liver from the grocery store is a good diversion for that big barking dog- could a thief toss some liver into a bedroom or bathroom, watch the dog go for it, and then shut the door and go about his business robbing your house?
FWIW, the police asked me when they arrived if I had any idea who might have done it, I told them my best guess, and I had all of my property back within 24 hours. In some areas the police department require you to purchase a permit from them if you are going to have a monitored security system that they (the police) may have to respond to- seemed strange to me but it is apparently not unusual.
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Bummer about your "wayward neighbor kids".... Hope they did a little time for that... but I doubt it.
The alarm "permit" requirement is a result of false alarms.
Our alarm has gone off once in 25 years and it was because a squirrel (yea really) got in via the dryer vent chewed through the plastic vent tubing and got inside the basement and set off the basement motions. I knew something was up when I had multiple basement motion trips but no perimeter breaches and no other interior or exterior trips (my monitoring is zone based so I know what faulted).
The person I trust with my key met the police and when they opened the basement the squirrel made a mad break for it and ran out the front door.
I now have a squirrel proof dryer vent exhaust and metal dryer venting. NO more issues there.
- Thread starter
- #59
tinashubby, I know exactly what you mean. We suffered three robberies when I was little. The first two were odd. One was a five gallon can of petrol. And the guy left a fiver in the handle. This was around 1968 when a gallon of gasoline was 24 cents. Strange. The second was what we called the ham raid. We came home to lights on and a forced door. Nothing was missing or destroyed in the house. Dad called the sheriff but of course it was much too late. Later they discovered the ham they cooked the day before was cleaned off the bone. Along with about a half loaf of bread and a gallon of milk.
There was no 911 in those days. And the phone call was long distance to boot. We lived in the southern most region of a very large county. We were a few miles from a small/medium city but it was in another county so no help there. The last was the loss of dads firearms. In between we had a couple of run ins with drifters and no goods. This house was on a old U.S. highway with no house for at least a half mile. And we were less than one quarter mile from the Union Pacific tracks. It was just plain dangerous. We moved in 1971 and mom and dad did not look back. We were too young to really grasp the danger at the time but our parents did. The sheriff made it plain. They were too far away and too understaffed to get there in any meaningful time frame. His 'suggestion', because he couldn't really say it outright, was to shoot first and deal with the consequences later. This was a time in our nation when the right of self defence was a given and not an exception.
There was no 911 in those days. And the phone call was long distance to boot. We lived in the southern most region of a very large county. We were a few miles from a small/medium city but it was in another county so no help there. The last was the loss of dads firearms. In between we had a couple of run ins with drifters and no goods. This house was on a old U.S. highway with no house for at least a half mile. And we were less than one quarter mile from the Union Pacific tracks. It was just plain dangerous. We moved in 1971 and mom and dad did not look back. We were too young to really grasp the danger at the time but our parents did. The sheriff made it plain. They were too far away and too understaffed to get there in any meaningful time frame. His 'suggestion', because he couldn't really say it outright, was to shoot first and deal with the consequences later. This was a time in our nation when the right of self defence was a given and not an exception.
My mother had to have one of those permits on her alarm. Not only does it alert the police that there is a monitoring system in place, there was also fine print in the application that allows them to asses fines for false alarms.
As my mother got older and developed dementia, the false alarms became more frequent when she couldn't remember how to turn off the alarm. The first fine was $10, and it was waived. The second fine was $50, and it was waived. The third fine was $100, and we had to pay it.
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