Re: X10 replacement?

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:38:29 GMT, nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston) wrote in
message  <451edb0d.973501187@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

>After all the only reason to have a security system
>is to get a discount on your insurance - it will not deter the typical
>burglar.

This is the sort of self-indulgent know-nothing, trolling that diminishes the
value of usenet and,in extremis, can cost lives.

A powerful reason to install one of the security systems mentioned in this
newsgroup (ELk MG1, HAI Omni, Stargate, Ademco, Napco, Caddx, etc) is that
they also the ability to add smoke detectors and so also have the capability
of reducing loss of life and property from fire and smoke.

That is part and parcel of the reason for the insurance discount that has
nothing at all to do with theft-loss reduction.

Dave's other assertion that it "will not deter the typical burglar is
(purposefully ?) misleading because it has been well demonstrated in US and
UK that a security system reduces the _amount_ of the per-incident loss by
theft.

A security 'system' should include a layered strategy. Discouraging folks
from installing  a major component of a layered approach is not helpful in my
opinion. Video monitoring has become integral to virtually all serious
security systems. Bad guys don't like being on camera.

As one of many examples of mutually supporting approaches to theft reduction,
a 'lock box' by itself won't deter the burglar who has all the time needed to
enter/remove it.  But it is less likely that s/he will get what's in a
properly installed 'lock box' if an alarm is wailing and the police notified
and video cameras rolling.

And the concept of "lock box' extends beyond the traditional 'safe'. For
example, each piece of visible AV gear in my house is secured to a rack by
tamper-resistant screws and other tricks. The whole rack is too heavy to
easily carry.

(FWIW, I testified in court against the last dude who broke into our house. I
got my stereo gear back and he's doing 18 years without parole. )

Don't let self-indulgent usenet trolls mislead you into being the next victim
with significant losses.

In particular, _do_ install a security system if only for the fire-protection
aspects.

Around 7PM on Christmas eve a few years back, a candle placed too near a
smoke detector in our home triggered the fire alarm. Before I was able to
call in the false alarm to the monitoring company, they had notified the
local fire department. After the monitoring company informed the fire
department that it had been _reported_ as a false alarm, they recalled the
trucks but still sent an officer in a car. Had it been a real fire, the
prompt response would have saved in the insurance $ and possibly lives.

This in a town in which ~18% live below US poverty line, in other words, not
an expensive suburb.

I submit that for many US homes, the single most important HA improvement is
a monitored, preferably hard-wired, intrusion and fire system.

.. Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org