Re: Newbie questions on alarms

["Bill" <billnomailnospamx@xxxxxxxxx>]

Beware that some large alarm companies can be larger crooks than the crooks
they are protecting you from!

Read EVERY SINGLE WORD of any contract / paperwork they ask you to sign.
Don't be pressured into signing anything. Say to leave it and you will read
it at your leisure.

Be sure you purchase and own the alarm equipment. Get the key to the control
box, the password for programming, and a programming instruction manual. (or
no deal!) With this you can reprogram it to use another monitoring service
if you so choose.

You can buy your own equipment on the internet as well. Some alarm panels
may require a specific keypad for you to be able to program it. Be sure you
will be able to do this yourself before purchasing.

Be sure you can get and installation and programming manual before
purchasing.

They will try to keep the key and "lock out" the control unit with a
password so you can't change to a different monitoring service. Or they will
"own" the main control unit and will not allow you to switch to a less
expensive monitoring service.

They will try to lock you into paying for monitoring for several years in a
contract and this automatically renews. Again read every word!

You can get monitoring at the following link for $8.95 a month...
http://www.alarmrelay.com

For other companies which also have reasonable rates, search google.com for
Alarm Monitoring.

Then wireless sensors use batteries which need to be replaced every so
often. Find out what type batteries these are, then go to the store and see
how expensive each one of these batteries are. They are not cheap! In my
opinion it is less expensive in the long run to get hard wired sensors. Then
you don't need to replace batteries every year.

If I were you, I would find out what is the best equipment to buy and buy it
on the internet. Then if you decide to go with a wired system, find a small
local company to run the wires for you and connect them. But don't sign any
monitoring contracts with that company. Learn how to set that part up
yourself and choose your own company. Then you could switch it as you
choose.

There is an "art" to running wires in an existing home. These wires and
window/door sensors can be totally concealed. Need an experienced installer
for that.