Re: Getting started with home lighting automation

[Some Guy <Some@xxxxxxx>]

Jules Verne wrote:

> >But from the point of view of break-in prevention, unless
> >someone is casing your house and observing it (which is
> >unlikely) then all the effort you're putting in will not
> >really be any more effective than keeping one (or more)
> >lights on all the time.
>
> Thanks for your comments.  I agree to a point, but I think it's
> better, for example, if I have the exterior lights go on after
> dark and go out around midnight.  If these lights are on all day
> it definitely looks like you're gone.

Sure, having exterior lights on a timer is good - there are small
electronic timers with LCD screens that are designed to replace a
single-gang wall switch that you can program to turn on and off at
different times of the week (and even add a 15 minute random window to
the set time).

But I wouldn't have them go off at midnight.  I think most residential
breakins occurr at something like 3 or 4 in the morning.  Also if you
keep cars parked outside near the house, keeping a light on until just
before sunrise is more of a deterrent to someone that might try to
break in than if it was completely dark.

> Maybe I don't need to run so many other lights, but a few
> going on and off I think will be a good idea.

It sounds like you are more worried about your neighbors breaking into
your house than a roving teenage delinquent.

Lights that turn on or off in a sequence are effective if a potential
thief is approaching your house when the sequence is active.  If you
have a light change every hour or half hour during the night, what are
the chances that a potential thief will be approaching your house at
the exact instant that a change happens?  (and the thief wouldn't have
known that the lights were also on during the daytime - because he
wasn't there to notice).

Only your neighbors would notice a light change every so often.  Are
they the ones you're worred about?

PS:  Get yourself an alarm system panel that can call a phone number
when an intrusion is detected.  Have it call your cell phone or some
other land-line where you are.  No need to pay for a monitoring
service.

PPS:  If a punk breaks into your house (which by the way is maybe more
likely to happen during the day when people are at work), the first
place they go is to the master bedroom and look for jewlery or money.
So don't keep your good shit there.  And they're not likely to take
your 40" big screen TV.  Sometimes they'll even raid your fridge for
any T-bones you might have.