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Advice on home security system?
- Thread starter Isocene
- Start date
If it's Monitronics, stay very, very far away. We had something similar happen a couple of years ago -- "free system", huge monthly monitoring fee. Went with it and had nothing but headaches for 6 months before we had them come back out and tear the thing out.
It was an absolute nitemare. I regret doing any kind of business with Monitronics.
It was an absolute nitemare. I regret doing any kind of business with Monitronics.
meltdown75
Lifer
I deal with Reliance Home Security - used to be Voxcom.
I pay ~30 month for monitoring fees.
Decided to get it after garage was broken into several years ago and we were sleeping in the house while it all went down. The door from the garage to the house was unlocked, my then wife and I could have been assaulted or worse had the thieves come in.
Better safe than sorry. Once in a while I will step into my garage and set off the motion sensor on accident, or hit the panic button on the key fob on accident.... it's a pain in the ass sometimes, but worth it for peace of mind.
I pay ~30 month for monitoring fees.
Decided to get it after garage was broken into several years ago and we were sleeping in the house while it all went down. The door from the garage to the house was unlocked, my then wife and I could have been assaulted or worse had the thieves come in.
Better safe than sorry. Once in a while I will step into my garage and set off the motion sensor on accident, or hit the panic button on the key fob on accident.... it's a pain in the ass sometimes, but worth it for peace of mind.
hanoverphist
Diamond Member
steal your neighbors sign
Red Squirrel
No Lifer
Just put a sign that reads "Please do not break into this house, thank you" on the door.
In all seriousnous maybe something like this?
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/appl...pNo=3810051&CatId=1925
I'd be curious to hear if anyone uses their products and if they're good or not as I'm thinking about it for my own house.
In all seriousnous maybe something like this?
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/appl...pNo=3810051&CatId=1925
I'd be curious to hear if anyone uses their products and if they're good or not as I'm thinking about it for my own house.
meltdown75
Lifer
yeah. i hit the panic button on accident on Saturday, and the cops were there within minutes. two cruisers, two cops.
interrupted the session i was having in the garage 0_0
fo rly.
interrupted the session i was having in the garage 0_0
fo rly.
hanoverphist
Diamond Member
you get a few freebies a year. we regularly have idiots tripping our alarm here at work, and ive done it at my moms house by accident. sucky thing is, when i set off my moms alarm, i waited for 40 minutes and never got the call from the monitor company and cops never showed up. my stepdad was royally PISSED at the monitoring co, even tho he knew it was me. i called him as soon as i did it.
Gooberlx2
Lifer
After haggling the APX people down on their monthly cost and contract length, We found the price we'll pay over the contract comes out as a wash with buying your own equipment from here. After the contract expires, we'll just turn over to a cheaper monitoring service, or haggle APX down again.
So far, for the accidental trips we've made, they've had quick response. They've also been quite helpful with support calls.
So far, for the accidental trips we've made, they've had quick response. They've also been quite helpful with support calls.
SarcasticDwarf
Diamond Member
Keep in mind though that the component quality from the alarm companies is very low, and there is (usually) no way to get out of your contract. So if you pay for a five year contract and move after one, you are still paying for another four years.
My Aunt's house was broken into last summer (lives close to us), and our next door neighbor was broken into earlier this year. This finally pushed my wife over the edge, and we had an alarm system put in. We pay $39 a month, with a 3 year commitment. This pays for the monitoring service and the equipment. The basic alarm would have been $20 per month, but we put in some upgrades.
If you are going to install an alarm, make sure it offers appropriate protection. After talking to people that have been robbed, we've found rarely do thieves open doors or windows, so sensors on those entrances will rarely trip the alarm. In our area, a large window is typically broken out and the crooks crawl inside. Jewelry/cash seems to be the goal, with less emphasis on technology (computers/tv's/stereos/etc.) Many times the crooks never leave the master bedroom.
We had glass break sensors installed in all rooms. If the sign outside doesn't work, I expect these will be the deterent of any would-be thieves in our home. We'll still have to replace a window, but it should prevent them from entering the home
We've had multiple motion detectors installed in our house. Our home was pre-wired for 1 motion detector in the middle of the house, but it does no good if the crooks remain in the master bedroom (as happened to our neighbors).
We also had smoke detectors installed that tie into the system. While they won't help with a robbery, maybe they will help save our home in the event of a fire.
The cellular monitoring is actually a really cool feature that adds $15-$20 a month onto the typical monitoring costs (from our price quotes). We skipped it, but might add it in later.
We moved into a new subdivision a few years back, and didn't really know how the subdivision would develop. It was a low-crime area until recently. We are guessing the job-losses and a handful of foreclosures in our area are contributing to the rising crime. Its up across the board in Houston.
If you are going to install an alarm, make sure it offers appropriate protection. After talking to people that have been robbed, we've found rarely do thieves open doors or windows, so sensors on those entrances will rarely trip the alarm. In our area, a large window is typically broken out and the crooks crawl inside. Jewelry/cash seems to be the goal, with less emphasis on technology (computers/tv's/stereos/etc.) Many times the crooks never leave the master bedroom.
We had glass break sensors installed in all rooms. If the sign outside doesn't work, I expect these will be the deterent of any would-be thieves in our home. We'll still have to replace a window, but it should prevent them from entering the home
We've had multiple motion detectors installed in our house. Our home was pre-wired for 1 motion detector in the middle of the house, but it does no good if the crooks remain in the master bedroom (as happened to our neighbors).
We also had smoke detectors installed that tie into the system. While they won't help with a robbery, maybe they will help save our home in the event of a fire.
The cellular monitoring is actually a really cool feature that adds $15-$20 a month onto the typical monitoring costs (from our price quotes). We skipped it, but might add it in later.
We moved into a new subdivision a few years back, and didn't really know how the subdivision would develop. It was a low-crime area until recently. We are guessing the job-losses and a handful of foreclosures in our area are contributing to the rising crime. Its up across the board in Houston.
meltdown75
Lifer
i'm not following. i just walked from my garage to my front door, told the cop it was a false alarm (nervously because i was freshly buzzed), let him walk through my house, went out to the garage, opened the door, talked to the other cop that was walking up my driveway (2nd cruiser), had a cigarette in the garage while they talked in my driveway, and that's it. they left. i resumed my session. *shrug*
it never cost me anything. every year though, you have to sign a form at the local police office because we have the police monitoring thing installed.
to avoid this in the future, i removed the alarm key fob from my keychain... to hopefully prevent any accidental police calls.
CalvinHobbes
Diamond Member
We have to pay a yearly alarm tax where we live. I don't recall how much it is but it's not a lot. If you have an alarm system that is monitored you have to pay.
boomerang
Lifer
There was a similar thread here within the last few weeks.
I have a monitored alarm.
You can do the install yourself. Everything is available wireless these days.
The equipment is available from a number of websites at similar prices.
If you're paying more than $10 a month for monitoring, you're paying too much. If your only means of monitoring is cellular, it will cost more.
I save enough on my homeowners insurance with the monitored alarm to put money in my pocket.
These are the cliffs.
I have a land line. Do your homework if you have VOIP.
I have a monitored alarm.
You can do the install yourself. Everything is available wireless these days.
The equipment is available from a number of websites at similar prices.
If you're paying more than $10 a month for monitoring, you're paying too much. If your only means of monitoring is cellular, it will cost more.
I save enough on my homeowners insurance with the monitored alarm to put money in my pocket.
These are the cliffs.
I have a land line. Do your homework if you have VOIP.
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