Do-It-Yourself Home Security? 49
pussycat asks: "Having recently purchased a home in an urban area, I am investigating monitored home security options -- I'll feel better when I'm away, and I'll get a break on my insurance. I am rejecting the big security services like Brinks because of their very high monitoring fees: $25-45+/month. I've found a cheap monitoring service (911Alarm has one for $13/month), but I'm overwhelmed by the choices for hardware. SmartHome has some nifty devices, but the hardwired stuff looks like a real pain to install, and the X10 stuff seems kind of cheesy. Does anyone have experience with setting up a do-it-yourself home security system? I'm interested in reliability (minimizing false alarms) and low-cost." Has anyone wired up their own home security system? What things should one watch out for when tackling a job like this?
Re:A few suggestions... (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, ultrasonic is rarely used these days - most motion sensors are based on PIR (Passive Infra-Red, which detects the movement of body heat patterns) or microwave (which transmit microwaves into the protected area and use the Doppler effect to measure for movement). The best kinds of motion detectors use both of these (called dual-technology sensors). Dual-technology sensors are far less prone to false alarms since both technologies have to trigger before the detector will go into alarm. Also, some motion sensors are available with pet immunity, which with some restrictions allow you to have pets in your house while the alarm is on.
The comment about glass breakage detectors applies to acoustical glass breakage detectors only (which detect the sound of glass breaking) as opposed to shock sensors which are attached to the window or window frame and detect the sharp seismic signature of the glass breaking. I'd have to agree that acoustical sensors are usually rather indiscriminate and are not suited for all situations. They're fine for places like shop-fronts, but for homes you are better off with motion sensors, door reed switches and shock sensors for the windows.
Monitoring: I don't know how things work in the USA, but in NZ, the police don't generally respond to alarm calls - if your alarm is monitored then the monitoring station calls a guard company, who upon arrival will detain intruders until the police arrive. They do charge for call-outs, but it amounts to about 20 USD. This is worth it since they will make sure the house is secure and you can have them call people in to fix broken windows, etc.
If you choose quality equipment and have it professionally installed, you shouldn't have problems with false alarms. Unless you've installed alarms before, I would recommend you don't do it yourself. A lot of the DIY alarm equipment is cheap junk and should be avoided at all costs, and there are some tricky situations in installation that really require training to avoid.
Generally, simply having an alarm is deterrent enough, and there are still enough people out there who don't bother to have one that theives will go elsewhere if they see your house has an alarm. So if you do have an alarm, make sure there are plenty of window stickers prominently displayed. Also, people tend to forget that electronic security isn't everything - make sure your physical security is up to scratch as well (decent locks, don't leave windows open, etc.)
know your neighbors (Score:2, Informative)
or, start a neighborhood watch, volunteer to go cruising around your neighborhood looking for suspicious activity. the families in my sisters neighborhood all know each other too, and when her husband left the garage door open one night, a neighbor knocked on their door at 1am to make sure everything was ok.
even in the apartments i live in, which isn't in the nicest neighborhood, i make it a point to talk to my downstairs neighbor occasionally. sure, it's not perfect, but just the other day they told me that a couple of kids had been trying to break into my car (good luck, everyone in the complex knows that it takes at least 15 minutes to start on a good day). he scared them off and then came to my apartment to tell me. i'd do the same thing.