Anyone got recommendations for the best home
security option?
What I mean is, how to handle the alarm
triggering and what to do. I am currently considering options for
installing an alarm system and need to know what kit I should be installing
(Cameras, sirens, trigger to monitoring station etc.)
Speaking to a friend in the business, he
suggests that monitored systems have a number of restrictions and end
up
being quite costly for service contracts and having to be reset by official
engineers each time they are triggered etc. He also suggests that
some
companies make you agree to have them officially serviced every 6 months
etc. Just thinking this might be a bit tricky if I go the Comfort/HA
controller route where a lot of the security logic may end up being
programmed.
So my question is really, what does your
system do when the alarm goes off?
[Scott Crowther] If you install a
compatible security
alarm panel and connect to our 'Home Manager' service, you and your
nominated
friends (eg next door neighbour) will receive text messages, phone calls
and
emails when there's an alarm at your property (burglary, fire, panic alarm,
flood, anything that can be monitored really), allowing you to deal with
the
incident quickly. Compatible panels include the Visonic PowerMax which
is wireless and has X10 capabilities, and the Scantronic 9750 range.
Home
Manager starts at £7.50 per month (no set up fee once alarm and sensors
installed). More at our website www.intamac.com
You should be aware that the police now operate a
very 'liberal' attitude to non-monitored burglar alarms due to the high
number
of false alarms that occur every day (ny neighbour went off 6 times on
boxing
day!). They won't be too prompt (unless there's a report of an intruder on
the
premises), and they operate a sort of 'two strikes and your out' system
whereby if they attend 2 reports at your house that turn out to be false
alarms, you're effectively 'blacklisted', and they won't attend any
calls
to your premises again for (I think) 12
months...
Should I be buying security cameras and
recording video on alarm, or phoning my neighbours and getting them to come
round, or just turning on all the lights and hoping that the intuders get
scared off?
[Scott
Crowther]
Bottom line is you need to decide what YOU want to
happen
when the alarm goes off. Do you want to know about it as soon as it
happens? Do you want your neighbours and trusted friends to know too so
they
can get round if you're away? Do you need to record CCTV - will it be of
use
if someone does get in?
Personally the biggest peace of mind is knowing
that
both myself and my friend who lives close and has a key will know
immediately
when there's an alarm, so we can hotfoot round to deal with it
straightaway...
Hope this helps - please ask if you've any other
questions...
Scott
Other than comfort, are there any other alarm
systems that ppl rate?
Any help appreciated as always,
-Dan
For
more information: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
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