Topic: Brink's, ADT or Other Security Systems, What's Your Preference Or Experience?

[bill440cars]

       Yep, I think it's a necessity, with David & Jan involved. So, how about some input from anyone with some knowledge of these systems and/or experience too.

                                   Thanks all,  Bill  

[Sam Green Racing]

The company that I work for think that I am the ultimate security system

Sam.

[bill440cars]

The company that I work for think that I am the ultimate security system

Sam.

                             Yeah but I can't afford you Sam.


        Would you be like Paladin? "Have Gun Will Travel"? 

                               Take care, Bill      

[kghost]

A Cheap video camera with a motion sensor would probably tell you what you want to know.

Without the expense of an alarm system

[mrbreeze]

I have a sign that somebody that comes in the front door will see.....It has a pic of a PITT BULL and says....If you can read this...TOO LATE!!!...your ass is mine!!!! Other than that.....I guess its between me and the intruder..........because I don't really have the pit bull.

[burmashave]

I did some quick grepping about and then realized that it'd be easy to hit overkill, given that your brother is the only criminal about which you are concerned. I'd agree with the kghost. If you've got a PC in the house that can always be on, you can connect a couple of webcams. For a few bucks more, you can get wireless cams that don't need to be wired up to the PC. I saw some software that does "motion sensing" in that it doesn't capture frames/send alerts unless motion is detected. I am by no means an expert in this area. I'm sure we've got members with a bit more experience.

There are some gimmicks, of course, such as some official-looking security company stickers. That company and others sell cheap motion detectors that sound an alarm sound.

If you're interested in a decent alarm system, I have a PowerMax System that I picked up but never installed (NIB). Like you, I needed it only for a short time for a specific threat. I'd be happy to send it off to you for the cost of shipping. I've got the alarm system, two window sensors, several motion sensors and two alarm sirens. All the components are X10 wireless and easy to install. The system will also dial out an automated message.

It's yours for the cost of postage if you want to use it. I doubt that I'll have another use for it.

[fuzzybutt]

both places i had alarms were brinks, great service and they connect you to the sheriffs department. one thing, check the local laws on what happens if you have too many false alarms and maybe have someone there that has the code that wont give it to david or his wife.

[DarkRider]

The company that I work for think that I am the ultimate security system

Sam.

Excuse for the two security officers on the board to take a vacation there sam? lol

[MrZxp]

Hi Bill - my chief source of income is the installation of security systems.

Obviously I cannot comment on the systems/services you have available to you in your neck of the woods.

That being said, it is great peace of mind to leave our house for work in the mornings with the alarm on and to know that there is some form of protection for our possessions and property.
I monitor our alarm myself - it is programmed to dial out to my cellphone and notify me should it go into alarm. In the past 4 years since I installed this new system we have now, I have had no false alarms. I think the technology has advanced to the stage such that false alarms are largely a thing of the past. This all depends upon the quality of the system you get of course - "you get what you pay for" is as true for alarms as it is for anything else.

If you do decide to get a system installed, I would advise to get the best you can afford, installed by professionals and to solicit opinions from friends/family etc who have security systems so you can weigh up the pro's and con's for yourself.

Personally, I would recommend the Paradox (a Canadian company!) line of products - I would imagine since I can get their gear here in NZ, it ought to be available to you in the US?

Cheers, Phil

[mystic_1]

I mentioned this in your other thread, but my local Fry's Electronics has a number of digital video security system complete with multiple cameras and DVRs for under $300.

mystic_1

[Soos]

Having been in the past a .... uhhh... "shady character" at times....
(I have since gone the straight and narrow for a LONG time)

Just the sign in your window will scare off MOST burglars.(most home invaders have no real skillz at overcoming a pro security system anyways)

But they only work if you turn them on. and actually cover ALL entrances to your house.
INCLUDING the 2nd or 3rd floor.(and basement entrances, old coal loading chutes, attic vents, etc....)


Want to test one, try to break in yourself.


---------Just remember if you can fit your head through, it can be entered by a determined thief.------------(and yes I have done this.... )
Most long term thieves I have met are quite limber.

Motion sensors are REALLY easy to get around/not set off.
But only when the potential thief can SEE it.

Mount any all video cameras and motion/thermal sensors :
1.) OUT OF REACH!
2.) out of direct sight.

It's best to use a housing for your security lights/cameras that are shatterproof, both on the housing and the lens used as well.

A motion sensor hooked to a light that was knocked out the night before(from a wrist rocket/pellet gun/thrown rock) does no better than a dead dog.

AUDIBLE alarms are good at scaring someone away, but can turn into a bad event(you want to meet the burglar while he is amped on adrenaline from the alarm going off??), SILENT ALARMS(IMO) are best. Let the cops/security company guys deal with the crack/meth/coke junkie in your garage/house/basement/attic.


And if nothing else.... ILLUMINATION is a thieves enemy.
Simple good illumination kept me(and the crew i ran with) from MANY a house back in my drug daze.....


And thinking a dog will protect your yard...... Sometimes, if the dog is trained... yes.
But a hungry dog will eat a good steak.
And the dog will never know what was stuffed in the steak either remove his ability to bark, or knock him out.
And I have seen both happen more than once to pits, rotty's, pincers... even pomeranians.
(the little ones are the hardest though, they don't eat much and tend to be pampered by the owners and less likely to take the food you offer/throw over the fence)

Another thought, thieves LIKE tall security fences, the neighbors can't see in your yard as well.
Chainlink is better IMO.

l8r

[tramp]

a friend of mine was thinking of buying a house in detroit in a not to good section
he did what all the others did
iron bars and big dogs
also had a friend that did nothing to the outside of the house
the inside was great but the outside gave no evidence on what was inside

[Steve F]

I did some quick grepping about and then realized that it'd be easy to hit overkill, given that your brother is the only criminal about which you are concerned. I'd agree with the kghost. If you've got a PC in the house that can always be on, you can connect a couple of webcams. For a few bucks more, you can get wireless cams that don't need to be wired up to the PC. I saw some software that does "motion sensing" in that it doesn't capture frames/send alerts unless motion is detected. I am by no means an expert in this area. I'm sure we've got members with a bit more experience.

There are some gimmicks, of course, such as some official-looking security company stickers. That company and others sell cheap motion detectors that sound an alarm sound.

If you're interested in a decent alarm system, I have a PowerMax System that I picked up but never installed (NIB). Like you, I needed it only for a short time for a specific threat. I'd be happy to send it off to you for the cost of shipping. I've got the alarm system, two window sensors, several motion sensors and two alarm sirens. All the components are X10 wireless and easy to install. The system will also dial out an automated message.

It's yours for the cost of postage if you want to use it. I doubt that I'll have another use for it.

Burma,
If Bill isn't interested, I'd be interested in that system you have.  I have concerns in my neighborhood, somewhat rural enough to have problems with the neighbors not seeing other homes if there's trouble lurking about.  I've personally experienced things around the property that are suspicious.

[Steve F]

also had a friend that did nothing to the outside of the house
the inside was great but the outside gave no evidence on what was inside

sounds like my place   

[333]

I'm with the video surveillance crowd.  After all, you're not trying to stop a burglar, you're trying to deal with David and Skank.  

[upperlake04]

Good post Soos 

[burmashave]

Good post Soos 

+1, good info for all of us. I don't know how many of us have been following Bill's thread about his pop and his no account brother, but the primary purpose of an alarm, as I understand it, is to deter his brother who has been stealing from Bill's dad. So, a system may boil down to discouraging just Bill's brother.

One thing about peace of mind that comes with an ADT type package, your dad will have a panic button that he can use if he has an emergency. He could use my alarm the same way, but somehow I'd have more confidence that the call was being routed to a call center.

On the other hand, when pricing ADT type systems, the basic packages come with very few sensors. I'll bet that they advertise a low cost basic package and then sell additional sensors, but it'd be easy enough to get an estimate.

How about an exploding dye pack? ;-) That would be funny.

[bunghole]

I have ADT and am very pleased with it.  The nice feature is that everything is wireless, so we didn't have to poke any holes in the walls.  It also works via satellite, so we don't need a land line telephone system.  I also have the garage (most important room in the house) wired with a sensor.

I got a call from ADT as I was leaving work one day saying that the upstairs balcony door alarm had triggered.  I raced home (pulled over for 3 simultaneous violations on the freeway, but that's another story) and ADT contacted the local police.  The police called me and asked what kind of car I drove so that they wouldn't shoot me when I pulled up I guess.  When I got there, the police had swarmed the house and cleared every room and put my dog and her bed into the walk-in closet.

Turns out the wind had blown the door open as it wasn't shut properly.

[bunghole]

Oh.  It also came with a key fob that you can use to arm/disarm (also has a panic button).  However, it doesn't make much sense to keep it on your keychain as it would just make it really easy for a thief to disarm the system if he got ahold of the keychain.  So I keep it next to my bed in case of emergency.

There is also a silent distress code that you enter if someone forces you do "disarm" the system.  It acts like you've disarmed it, but it sends a distress message to ADT.  There are all kinds of other cool features you can get, but I just use the basics.

[mattcb350f]

To bad it's come to this Bill. But I think you're on the right track getting a security system.

I like 'dog' security, but he's really only good at waking me up from inside the house. As Soos points out..... a dog can easily lured by meat.

This company advertises a lot up here in Canada, but I think they offer service across North America: http://www.alarmforce.com/

Anybody on here have experience with AlarmForce securtiy systems?

 Matt.

[bill440cars]

Good post Soos 

+1, good info for all of us. I don't know how many of us have been following Bill's thread about his pop and his no account brother, but the primary purpose of an alarm, as I understand it, is to deter his brother who has been stealing from Bill's dad. So, a system may boil down to discouraging just Bill's brother.

One thing about peace of mind that comes with an ADT type package, your dad will have a panic button that he can use if he has an emergency. He could use my alarm the same way, but somehow I'd have more confidence that the call was being routed to a call center.

On the other hand, when pricing ADT type systems, the basic packages come with very few sensors. I'll bet that they advertise a low cost basic package and then sell additional sensors, but it'd be easy enough to get an estimate.

How about an exploding dye pack? ;-) That would be funny.

          Hey Burma, About that offer you made, Ya got a message.

[Soos]

Good post Soos 

Actually I'm pretty embarassed to be able to admit that info.....



And as to other bits of security, if you can see in your windows and see nice things, so can burglars.
Window treatments add to the look on the outside of your house, and remove the opportunity of potential thieves to see what you have.

Not saying black out your windows, just make it so they cannot make out what all you have.

Don't brag to co-workers/bus drivers/people you don't TRULY know about this or that new toy/gadget/heirloom you have or recently bought.
Even some relatives can not be trusted sadly, and most of the time, you invite them in.

And another thing that will make people think twice... get NRA stickers for your vehicles.
A thief will think twice about a gun toting home owner, alarm or not.


Good luck, and don't get TOO paranoid, just cautious and careful.


l8r

[Soos]

Another thing to think of is is this.

A trashy yard MIGHT turn off some thieves.... but not the smart ones.
They figure you probably don't care about alarms if you don't trim your yard.

Now if you have sculptures made out of bushes and the like, it will be an attractant to thieves as well, if the house looks like it's owned by a richy rich.... Then you BETTER have a alarm....


And relatives are the hardest to deter.



l8r

[Soos]

Planting certain plants near windows will help deter even determined thieves as well.
cactus, anything with spikes etc...

l8r

[dusterdude]

soos,glad you`re on our side now

[ColinMc]

I'll have to find out what kind of system I have but I love it. Calls the fire dept and police if theres a fire, calls the police if the alarm is activated, has sensors on EVERY door but you can select if you don't want the upstairs doors set or upstairs motions sensors set. That way if you want to set it when you are home sleeping you can. Or if you have a pet you can put them in a certain room and disable the sensors in that room. If a window is broken, or even if there is a loud crash of any sort with the alarm set it'll activate...learned that when i tripped and fell with a glass of water in my hand late one night with the alarm on downstairs while I was upstairs lol. (was a little drunk). If the alarm is EVER set off, you get a phone call within a minute asking if everything is ok and what your password is. If you give the wrong one they act like it's the right one, and send the police. So if you were being forced to answer the phone you could do things that way....so anyways lots of options but wasn't cheap for sure. I'll find out tonight what system it is...when i'll also post some pics i promised in another section of something else unrelated lol.

The alarm has saved my house from at least one fire that could have been much worse, and the police nabbed one guy that tried to break in and ignored the alarm. He was trying to start one of my bikes that didn't have a battery hooked up at the time lol(my ducati). Only thing that had the keys in it...all the other keys were hidden in my "special place".

[Soos]

soos,glad you`re on our side now

If I wasn't I would be dead or in prison by now.

At the time I was doing those things, $100-150 a day was just enough to keep the monkey on my back barely happy.
METH SUCKS MONKEY BALLS.

Sadly enough when I smell certain chemical smells, it reminds me of either snorting of smoking that #$%*. And I still get cravings even after all those years have passed(normally after smelling those chemical smells, but I know better now, thankfully)
I go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings to help others, as well as myself stay clean.

l8r

[Soos]

Another thing to think of.....

Your sock/shirt/pants drawer... IS NOT a safe place.
Whether the occupants were home or not, thats the first place i'd check.(and I'd do day or night whenever raids, depending on how sober/desperate to get high I was)
ALWAYS found the jewels/cash/titles to vehicles/spare keys in there, the bedroom closet, between the mattress, and any other place someone thinks of "personal space"....

The bathroom is one of the rooms I rarely checked, along with the attic(unless I had entered through there)

Even with a security system(which i still got a few houses while it was going off) i could walk away with 10-5000 worth of stuff in 1-2 minutes.

the cops/security guys take normally 3-5 minutes to respond....


GET A SAFE as well.
Preferably BOLTED to something permanent, like the floor, or whatnot.

If the biggest beefcake you know could rip it out barely, then a thief with a 3 foot crowbar can bust it loose, and get it out of your house faster than the cops can respond... if they are sober and desperate at the moment.
Opening can be done in the privacy of their home so it doesn't matter how good the safe is, if it is small enough to carry and not bolted down(or kept unlocked) you may as well not have one.


90% of homes we invaded and walked away with something we needed no tools at all.


Surprisingly, daytime thefts were easier. But nighttime ones would net more loot.
You would be surprised how many people I knew that said they were light sleepers that i would steal from their bedroom while they slept.
You might sleep light, but a good thief is REALLY quiet.
I took 2-3 minuites to open dresser drawers at times.

And I never got caught.
I was questioned by the cops and held for 24 hours a few times, even had my apartment FULL of stolen loot, and searched by the cops a few times.
But since almost NO-ONE ever scribes their name on their possessions or registers anything but their vehicles with any authorities they couldn't prove anything.

Keeping a record of the serial #'s of things you own is a BIG bonus.
If people were to do that they could contact the police(after a home robbery) and let the police know the serial #'s on everything from your blender to your TV they will put those #'s on the pawn shop watch list and be able to nab the thief.

I pawned about 1/2 of the #$%* I stole, the other half I either used, or traded to the drug dealer i dealt with for dope.
The things that were to risque to pawn(anything with precious stones) at times have laser engravings that could be traced, personal engravings etc. that would allow that pawn shop transactions to be traced back to me. Those were the most common items traded straight for drugs.




If you think thieves are stupid.... ask me why i got away with it for years.
You don't have to be smart, just smarter than the systems in place to catch thieves.

And to those of you who now think i am a lowlife scum, Yes I regret what I did. And I have made lots of things in my life a priority now, such as the NA meetings, and other charity work, all aimed at those either with drug problems or the homeless getting the skills or opportunity to help themselves.
It will probably haunt me the rest of my life for what I have done, but i can try to return to society at least the damage I caused in the past.



And as a side note.
About 80-90% of all homes/buisnesses we had hit we would scope them out for 1-5 days either with a telescope, in person or otherwise beforehand and make a detailed plan of attack as well as retreat path(s).
The other 10-20% were out of desperation for drugs, and were literally random.
We chose houses based on the looks of not only the house, but the neighborhood.



l8r

[Steve F]

soos,glad you`re on our side now

If I wasn't I would be dead or in prison by now.

At the time I was doing those things, $100-150 a day was just enough to keep the monkey on my back barely happy.
METH SUCKS MONKEY BALLS.

Sadly enough when I smell certain chemical smells, it reminds me of either snorting of smoking that #$%*. And I still get cravings even after all those years have passed(normally after smelling those chemical smells, but I know better now, thankfully)
I go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings to help others, as well as myself stay clean.

l8r

More power to you and all the others that seek help, and congratulations on your ability to stay clean! You're #1 in my book!

[upperlake04]

 Dead on Steve. It takes courage to admit that stuff. And for anyone who feels the need to chirp - he who is without sin shall cast the first stone.