Re: Best place to buy parts for those of us who don't have a dealers license ?

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> A few of the posters here are childish idiots, just
> like every other newsgroup in existence. Yes, any
> "primate" can install alarm systems (and many do,
> as evidenced by high false alarm rates and
> substandard workmanship)...

Agreed so far.

> - but only a qualified professional can do it properly.

On that we disagree.  Alarm installation isn't rocket science.
There are a few basic principals to properly installing motion
detectors, glass breaks, magnetic contacts and smoke detectors.
With advice from an experienced technician, anyone with a modicum
of tool skills and a bit of patience can do a proper
installation.

The problems with DIY installations are most often associated
with poor quality hardware sold by some vendors (both online and
brick and mortar) and the lack of technical support.

> Unlike cable tv, LAN, or telephone installation, which are
> fairly straightforward, there are numerous environmental,
> electronic, and application oriented considerations that,
> when applied properly, are invisible to the end user.

Anything invisible to the end user is likely invisible to a paid
installer as well.

> This is why my alarm system never falses or does anything
> unexpected- (unless it eventually happens to develop a
> problem due to electronics failure) I know what environmental
> factors to account for in designing the system, which
> equipment & options best suit my particular application &
> lifestyle, and some simple but very important electrical/electronic
> principles that guide the installation parameters for not just the
> system at "rest", but also in every conceivable situation or
> condition that it might be called upon to react to.

The reality is that those considerations are mainly determined by
discussing the alarm plan before selecting the equipment and
planning the installation.  A good DIY store will employ
experienced technicians who know what questions to ask to help
the client make those assessments.

> If you botch your cable tv installation, you can't watch your
> favorite program. If you don't install your telephones properly,
> you might have to use your cell phone. If you don't install your
> alarm system properly, (which is much more than running a
> wire from point A to point B, in most cases) you put your life
> and property at greater risk...

If you screw up while driving you put yourself and your family at
much greater risk.  Yet most Americans choose to DIY rather than
hire a professional driver.  Frankly, alarm installation is not a
complex art.  There are certain basic questions that must be
answered to determine which system is appropriate, which
detectors will best work in the environment (for example, are
there pets, how many, how active and how large).

A good technician can determine whether the homeowner's needs
will be better suited by a simple, burg only system or a complete
home automation system.  Beyond that, running wire from A to B
and physically connecting the components together is simple
enough.

I'll grant you that many DIY projects are not properly supported
and that those installations are subject to greater incidence of
false alarms, as well as possible failure.  But when the DIYer is
experienced or has proper technical support from the store where
s/he bought the system false alarms and system failures are less
of a problem than with many alarm companies.

The other side of this coin is that while there are many truly
talented, caring individuals in this trade whose installations
are impeccable, there are also far too many jerks like that moron
from Milford who have zero technical skill and even less concern
for their vict... er, customers' security.

You may be a fine, competent installer and your installations
might employ nothing but the best.  Without having seen your work
or heard anything to the contrary, I prefer to assume as much.
But you and I both know the kind of trash work many of these
so-called "authorized dealers" do every day.

We all know that false alarm problems that plague our industry
are, by and large, the result of shoddy professional workmanship
and poor customer training.  Since the prospective customer has
no way to know in advance whether the fellow proposing to install
an alarm system is like you or like Milford, he may have a better
chance of getting it right by DIY.

> That's not to say it "can't" be done, but someone who advises
> that "anyone can do it- no problem" is misleading you and
> minimizing the risks involved- usually for their own financial
> benefit...

That is patently unfair.  The reality is that most people can
indeed install their own alarms and do so effectively and
properly.  I might just as easily say that anyone who tells a
customer that the only way to get a proper installation is to
hire a paid technician is misleading them for financial gain.
The truth is that most consumers don't want to DIY -- some
because they haven't the time or inclination and others because
they don't have any tool skills.  DIY is probably less than 2% of
the alarm industry marketplace.  I wouldn't be surprised to hear
that DIY plumbing and electrical work are a similar proportion.

For those with zero ability to install anything, professional
installation is a good choice as long as they know for certain
the kind of workmanship and support they are going to receive
before signing the contract.  For those who can handle a drill
and a few simple tools plus the willingness to learn something
new, DIY is a viable choice.

> If you still think that "any monkey" can install security systems...

You are aware, I assume, that monkeys are not the only primates.
I had a good laugh when one particularly obnoxious alarm
installer said here that he didn't like being called a primate.
:^)

> install your own, then call your local electrical inspector to
> have him inspect your work...

By way of contrast, most professionally installed alarms on
existing homes are not inspected because most alarm companies
don't bother pulling permits unless it's new construction.  In
many places this is a violation of law and in some it exposes the
consumer to fines should an inspector see the work later.

> If your workmanship passes muster, keep track of your false
> alarm rate over a period of time...

If it's anything better than 98% false, the DIY job is better
than the industry standard for professionally installed systems.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com