Re: Wireless - Simon 3 or Visonic Powermax Plus

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 12:28:05 -0700, Karl Magnus
<magnus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Robert L. Bass wrote:
>
> >
> > When I worked in Connecticut I preferred to install the master control panel
> > in the basement.  In Florida there are almost no basements so people often
> > install the panel in a laundry or utility room.  Some techs put them in the
> > garage but that's not a good idea -- too easy to defeat.
> >
>
> ??? -- Don't FBI statistics show that MOST residential burglary/robbery
> suspects enter through the front door? The second favorite entry was, if
>   I'm not mistaken, the back sliding glass door.

True, but proper system design doesn't stop at the most common
points of entry.  You want to design a system that is likely to
detect any reasonably feasible entry and is unlikely to be easily
defeated.

Some time ago I read another FBI statistic.  Most burglaries
don't involve "bresaking and entering" at all.  The thief simply
walks in through an unl;ocked door.  If one follows your logic
above it isn't necessary to install any alarm at all.  *Most*
thieves will be stopped by a locked door.

> Now, if this is true, how does the panel being located in the garage
> make it "too easy to defeat" in comparison to the laundry room/pantry?

For one thing, a panel in the garage is more likely to be seen by
neighborhood kids, especially if you have children of your own.
Also, many folks don't have curtains on the garage window.  I've
seen "professional" installations where the panel was in plain
view of a garage window.

> It seems that the laundry room/pantry is just as accessible.

If I were to select the laundry room, I'd most likely opt for a
location inside the closet.  Where I worked for many years
(southern New England) most homes had basements.  I prefer a
concealed basement location whenever possible.

> This "too easy to defeat" paranoia is coming from people
>  who think about alarm installation too much without
> actually doing it.

I've been in the trade for more than 28 years.  Although I no
longer install for a living, I have installed and/or serviced
thousands of security systems over the years.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com