Home Alarm systems
 

Has anyone installed an alarm system, either a DIY or professional. I would be interested if you are happy with it and how expensive it was. Thanks

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As a follow on, has anyone installed a Simply Safe alarm system? I really don't want to get taken by ADT again.

Love SimpliSafe
 

Very easy to install. Very good monitoring

There are many on line. I don't believe in monitoring since when the alarm blasts off they will usually take off. By the time the monitoring company calls you to confirm the break-in, then the police, and when they respond it will be way too late.
When someone breaks into your home the first place they will go is the master bedroom since that is usually where the jewelry, money, etc is kept.
Find a place not in the bedroom to store valuables. There are many hiding places in the garage, laundry room, etc. that you can find.
I bought a motion sensor on line that is set up in the master bedroom that blasts a loud alarm as soon as someone enters the bedroom. The less time they have to look for valuables the better it is.

Motion sensors are better than window triggers. A glass breaker is also good. DYI alarms are among the best out there now. No wires and no high monthly bills.

I do believe in monitoring, especially when we are traveling and gone for any number of days. Agreed that we hope the alarm scares them off and that it might take time to dispatch but would prefer to have professionals investigate the break-in and not wait a couple days until I return. I have neighbors that have access and police are aware who they are so they have access and can disable the alarm after the police have cleared the property. Since there can be hostage situations those that break in if we are home could force us to turn off the alarm, but by then the monitoring station has been notified. Also, when we travel we authorize the monitoring company to dispatch BEFORE the contact us. Our smokes are also tied into the monitoring company so if a fire occurs when we are not there dispatch will occur. Add motion detectors and glass breaks and over sized door and window sensors that are obvious from the outside and placards and we feel fairly secure. HD cameras will be installed shortly. Yep, it costs money but I think my wife's safety makes it worth every penny spent.

Yes we have one... Highly Recommended !

We have SimpliSafe wireless with door sensors, motion detectors and glass break sensors. We also use their smoke detector. 24/7 monitoring and the iPhone App works well. Twice we inadvertently triggered the silent alarm by putting in the distress code by mistake. Sheriffs showed up within 5 minutes and the second time two Sheriffs showed up. I recommend them highly.

Take a look at Thoroughbred Alarm out of Ocala if you are shopping systems.

SimpliSafe is great
 

After I retired as a LEO, I worked for ADT for 5 years in sales in STL; made good money and was in the top 10 in the nation in sales. Who do I recommend? Simplisafe - very easy to self-install, no contract, very low monitoring fees - you can't go wrong with them. And no, I don't work for them.

As you do your research make sure you look Into Front Point security systems.
There are several excellent wireless companies available.
Most of the wireless are easy do it yourself installs.
We chose to go with window and door sensors in combination with motion.
We have a dog and want to be able to have a secure environment with her wandering around when left alone.
Also provides an alarmed while here option.
Good luck.

I've started a couple of alarm companies, one is Wright Hennepin Security a subsidiary of WH Electric which is now the Nations 22nd largest alarm company competing with the likes of ADT, Floyds, etc. GE has gotten into the alarm business by buying up leading mfg. of alarm equipment and their equipment is very good and reliable. After reaching 10,000 accounts we created our own monitoring center which monitors retail and wholesale accounts. A good test of a monitoring company is to coordinate with the designated law enforcement dispatcher then trip your alarm system and timing the monitoring center's response time to notify the local law enforcement dispatcher. Our dispatchers record was always under one minute. Most monitoring centers use minimum wage employees with little communication skills. Technology is always changing and I've been out of the loop for a few years but am in the process of upgrading my system to report directly to my smart phone. I understand there are a couple of companies with aps to provide this service. Design your system to fit your needs and lifestyle. I have four wireless fobs to remotely arm and disarm the system, extras for neighbors and friends, when upgrades are completed, my smart phone will be the 5th device. Instead of door window or glass bread sensors, I've places motion detectors in every area where a thief may enter the home. I've left most of the motions un-mounted so at night I can redirect or dis-arm the bedroom motion while the rest of the motions remain active. Hope this helps.

Empty house
 

There will be nothing in the house to steal until we move down do we need to put in something to discourage vandalism? Would you leave the slider shutters open so anyone looking in can see it is empty or closed so they don't know? I can see pluses to both ways.