Advice on home alarms?
- Thread starter Sentry
- Start date
As someone who installs alarms, the best advice i can give you is hire a professional to install the system. Then shop around for monitoring.
The monitoring is where companies make their money. where I am that pice can vary from $14.00 to $60.00 a month. The prices are not based on services or value but rather preceived value. Motion Detectors are a great alternative toseperate points on windows (often you leave windows open in the warmer weather).
Shop arourd and get estimates. Remember you as the customer are the employeer. Personally I am a big fan of German Sheppards, these are the best of the best alarms.
The monitoring is where companies make their money. where I am that pice can vary from $14.00 to $60.00 a month. The prices are not based on services or value but rather preceived value. Motion Detectors are a great alternative toseperate points on windows (often you leave windows open in the warmer weather).
Shop arourd and get estimates. Remember you as the customer are the employeer. Personally I am a big fan of German Sheppards, these are the best of the best alarms.
Call Alarm Zone (one of many authorized installers for ADT). You'll get a free install, free gear (3 door/window contacts, 1 motion, 1 smoke, control panel). Catch: must maintain service with ADT for a year. Thereafter, the equipment is yours to keep. If you move, they'll re-install another free system anywhere in North America.
It's a good deal (Trust me, I'm a pornographer!).
It's a good deal (Trust me, I'm a pornographer!).
We use alarm force, and have been very happy with the service provided...at $25 plus tax a month, motion detector, free installation, and a door contact...other contacts are available, but you pay for them...ohh yeah, everything is wireless, and it works through you phone to contact them when the alarm is set off...a real person comes on telling you to identify yourself...if you can't they send police..
Those Alarm Force ads always make me laugh... "HALT- IDENTIFY YOURSELF" ... 'umm... ok, you got me- my name is Wally. Do you want my drivers license number?"
Personally, I went with the ADT free install already mentioned. After a year I will shop around for montoring.
Personally, I went with the ADT free install already mentioned. After a year I will shop around for montoring.
Winston is correct about low cost PIR (passive Infa-red) detectors causing false alarms. There are better ones on the market that are a combination of IR and Microwave. While there are installation restrictions these tend to be more reliable. You can also get them with a VARMENT setting as well as a pet alley. Pets tend to be the cause of many motion false alarms. Another cause seems to be improper installation. Hard wired is the way to go if possible. But quality wireless systems are also available. But dont be fooled into thinking a company who offers you a $199.00 total installation and start up cost is offering you anything more then an account they can bill you at.
one bit of advice here:
if any company calls you up (telemarketing) to sell you an alarm system, tell them you already have one, even if you don't!
i recall hearing a story that this was one way some theives were trying to figure out which homes to hit in certain upscale neighbourhoods. obviously, the people who said they didn't have alarms were the houses targetted!
if any company calls you up (telemarketing) to sell you an alarm system, tell them you already have one, even if you don't!
i recall hearing a story that this was one way some theives were trying to figure out which homes to hit in certain upscale neighbourhoods. obviously, the people who said they didn't have alarms were the houses targetted!
I've just upgraded to the AES intellinet radio transmitter, its a $1000 to buy or $150 to rent. Plus $150 /year to additional monitoring.(on top of your 20-30/mnth) It does not work with your phone line. So the burgalar can cut the wires to the phone line, it wont help. And the signal is sent in 2 seconds after, so after my 25second delay, the burgalars got 27 seconds to grab as much as he can. (reminds self not keep the TV so close to the door now) and if you have a mobile phone, cancel your land line, you end up saving cause most phone lines are more then 150/year to have!
