Re: Never had an alarm before but...

["Bill" <bill190nospam@xxxxxxxxx>]

Beware! Some alarm companies can be bigger "crooks" than the crooks you are
trying to protect yourself from.

They will lock you into monitoring contracts and control the electronic
equipment so that if you cancel their monitoring, your equipment will not
function.

Don't sign any contracts.

Buy your equipment for cash/credit card on internet or wherever. Pay someone
to install it or do it yourself - no contracts.

There are companies which will do monitoring for very little and have fairly
simple contracts. The following company looks good to me, but might want to
look at others as well.

Anyway be in the position where *you* own your equipment and you decide
where it will be monitored. If not happy with your monitoring, you may be
locked in for a year, and may be required to give them notice in writing
that you want to cancel, but at least you will be able to switch.

Also alarm systems can be "locked out" by the monitoring company. Get it in
writing that they will not lock out your alarm system and that should you
cancel, they will return control of the alarm system to you.

So far as interrior motion detectors, get a "dual" type which is IR and
microwave. The are not likely to have false alarms. And wireless systems use
batteries which cost a fortune. I have my system "hard wired" and don't need
to buy any batteries.

Ask questions here about specific door contacts, smoke detectors, motion
sensors, best monitoring companies, etc. and you should get good answers.

One monitoring company...
http://www.alarmrelay.com