Home Security System advice needed

18 years ago

We own a duplex, and live mainly upstairs (which is finished) while I slowly-but-surely work on the 1st floor. Therefore, nobody is really living on the first floor, and, frankly, the place is a wreck, between furniture, boxes, and construction materials.

The neighborhood, like that in most cities, is starting to decline. We're beginning to get very uneasy, and would like to get an alarm system.

I'd like to get some feedback on a professionally-installed system versus a purchased system. Which would be better for us, both now and in the long run when/if we begin to rent out either one or both floors? Wired or wireless? I think for now, we'd want to cover the main front door, the back door, and four windows around the first floor. Not too concerned about the upstairs.

I'm pretty handy when it comes to electronics, so if we're just doing a wireless system, I feel very capable of doing it myself. I'm just leary of the "free systems" that require you to sign a 5 year contract, and whose companies won't answer any questions until they sent a "technician" (salesperson) out to your home. I can see it now: "You know, you should really put a motion sensor in this toilet here. 7% of home invasions actually occur due to breaching the plumbing! So why don't we just sign you up for that too..."

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sniffdog
18 years ago
I installed my own alarm system that I purchased on line at www.aesecurity.com - talk to Shermin Eisner. It turned out better than I expected. If you go that route, purchase the 1 year monitoring thru them and it includes technical support (~$180 for the year). The tech support was superb.

I used a wired approach since it was a new home but they also sell wireless systems as well. If you have the studs exposed - then wiring things up is easy. If not - then go with wireless. You can also do a hybrid approach where some sensors are wired and some are wireless.

The monitoring is provided via Emergency24 and I think is costs about 180 dollars a year - a lot less than ADT was charging me in my last house.

I am very happy that I installed my own system. Now I can expand my system without calling ADT and getting robbed (in my last house they charged me over 400 bucks just to add another keypad).

I have a good knowledge of electronics and programming and that certainly helped. It was easy to do and fun - and I have an incredible system that would have cost a fortune if I had a commercial company install.

You can set up multiple partions so that the same alarm system can control two areas independently - that might work for the duplex with renters. Make sure you factor your long term plans into the contoller selection for handling the partitions and number of zones - make sure you have the ability to expand.

I used magnetic sensors on the doors, glass break sensors for windows, and then motion sensors. I am also in the process of firing up exterior IR beams that will be connected to my lighting system so that I can get some advanced warning before someone breaks in - and the alarm conroller has on board relays that can be programmed to provide this interface. I live in a remote area and can't get the movie Deliverance out of my mind - I can still hear the banjo's playing right now!

Good luck with the system.
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