anyone have a home security system?

[GoingUp]

ill be buying a place in a couple of months and have been debating a security system. its in a very nice neighborhood, but i like the piece of mind it provides me. I'm looking at one from ADT that has the talking keypad that tells me what access is open.

Thoughts?

 

[leftyman]

i have a homeland security system..doesnt work too well with natural disasters though

 

[venk]

Originally posted by: leftyman
i have a homeland security system..doesnt work too well with natural disasters though

boo! Get off the Stage!

 

[meltdown75]

I tell you what Gobadgrs... we live in a very nice subdivision - quiet, peaceful, you name it. But sure as sh!t, some dickwad smashed my driver's side window and opened my garage via the garage door opener last summer. The scariest part was my wife & I slept through the entire thing, INCLUDING when a police officer was pounding on our door at 5am to let us know that we had been broken into. We got an alarm system installed about a week later. Motion detectors in the garage and basement, and on the main floor also when we're away. I'll never look back. It really does bring peace of mind.

That ADT system sounds a little more upscale than ours, but the sky's the limit with these systems.

With ours, if it goes off, the phone is ringing within a minute - reps from the company asking if everything is ok, asking for the password, etc.

 

[Utterman]

Originally posted by: leftyman
i have a homeland security system..doesnt work too well with natural disasters though

Quick..someone give this man a mic!

 

[shimsham]

this works well for me.

 

[Queasy]

In my neighborhood nearly every house has a home security system. I think we've had only one break-in and that was at a house that did not have a home security sign in their front yard.

This almost leads me to believe that just having a home security sign in your front yard is enough to scare away any would-be criminals.

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
I tell you what Gobadgrs... we live in a very nice subdivision - quiet, peaceful, you name it. But sure as sh!t, some dickwad smashed my driver's side window and opened my garage via the garage door opener last summer. The scariest part was my wife & I slept through the entire thing, INCLUDING when a police officer was pounding on our door at 5am to let us know that we had been broken into. We got an alarm system installed about a week later. Motion detectors in the garage and basement, and on the main floor also when we're away. I'll never look back. It really does bring peace of mind.

That ADT system sounds a little more upscale than ours, but the sky's the limit with these systems.

With ours, if it goes off, the phone is ringing within a minute - reps from the company asking if everything is ok, asking for the password, etc.

Yea, thats what I'm thinking. I want to pony up the extra $400 for the talking keypad for my bedroom that will tell me when someone tries to come in through the garage at 3AM. I'd be afraid that I would sleep through the beep.

 

[K1052]

A security system with signs posted is a good way to reduce your risk. Most robbers will move on to easier scores.

There was always security systems 2 thru 6 if I needed them. Text

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, she's 85lbs with glistening white teeth and a loud bark. I highly recommend getting one.

I back that up with one of these.

 

[andy9o]

Originally posted by: leftyman
i have a homeland security system..doesnt work too well with natural disasters though

ha, that was worth a good laugh. thanks.

Seriously, get a dog. And some alarm system stickers. The stickers (on windows and doors) are just as effective as a real system, and a nice sized dog can be more effective. An alarm system won't bite a robber who decides to "punish" you for having an alarm system.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs

Originally posted by: meltdown75
I tell you what Gobadgrs... we live in a very nice subdivision - quiet, peaceful, you name it. But sure as sh!t, some dickwad smashed my driver's side window and opened my garage via the garage door opener last summer. The scariest part was my wife & I slept through the entire thing, INCLUDING when a police officer was pounding on our door at 5am to let us know that we had been broken into. We got an alarm system installed about a week later. Motion detectors in the garage and basement, and on the main floor also when we're away. I'll never look back. It really does bring peace of mind.

That ADT system sounds a little more upscale than ours, but the sky's the limit with these systems.

With ours, if it goes off, the phone is ringing within a minute - reps from the company asking if everything is ok, asking for the password, etc.

Yea, thats what I'm thinking. I want to pony up the extra $400 for the talking keypad for my bedroom that will tell me when someone tries to come in through the garage at 3AM. I'd be afraid that I would sleep through the beep.

Our alarm is so freaking loud. The installer put the siren into our home's ductwork somehow, so not only is it amplified, but an intruder would not be able to determine where it was coming from. Very clever. It just sucks when we forget to disable it and walk into the garage in the morning, or into the basement. WHAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE noises. eheh

 

[sic wil]

I have a home security system and it's great. I also have dogs, and I have a couple pistols and shotguns. I like feeling safe.

Don't forget that haveing a system reduces your home owner's insurance!

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: sic wil
I have a home security system and it's great. I also have dogs, and I have a couple pistols and shotguns. I like feeling safe.

Don't forget that haveing a system reduces your home owner's insurance!

how could i forget? bolded for absolute excellence. :thumbsup:

 

[dug777]

i have a cricket bat..plus i hate assholes who break and enter..me FTW

 

[Lumathix]

One recommendation.
If you are checking out any special deal they have, make sure they include putting contacts at ALL windows and doors, not just the "most likely" points of illegal entry. ADT (and probably most other alarm service monitoring companys) will try and cut corners this way.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Lumathix
One recommendation.
If you are checking out any special deal they have, make sure they include putting contacts at ALL windows and doors, not just the "most likely" points of illegal entry. ADT (and probably most other alarm service monitoring companys) will try and cut corners this way.

And as the above poster noted, the garage needs to be covered with a couple of motion detectors as well.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: dug777
i have a cricket bat..plus i hate assholes who break and enter..me FTW

but here we don't really get people armed with anything other than a knife/bat...good old Oz

 

[mchammer]

Sounds like a nuisance to disable and enable every time you come and go though.

 

[mchammer]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: dug777
i have a cricket bat..plus i hate assholes who break and enter..me FTW

but here we don't really get people armed with anything other than a knife/bat...good old Oz

Why are you quoting yourself?

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: mchammer
Sounds like a nuisance to disable and enable every time you come and go though.

it's not bad. the SO has a keychain remote which makes it a snap. however, we were only given one of those. :roll:

 

[MustISO]

I like the piece of mind. It may not stop anyone from breaking in but if I'm home, I'll at least know they're coming.

 

[Mrvile]

We've got an alarm system where you have to set it everytime you leave and turn it off everytime you come back...with a code. It's a hassle, but I'd rather do a little extra work than get robbed.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Queasy
In my neighborhood nearly every house has a home security system. I think we've had only one break-in and that was at a house that did not have a home security sign in their front yard.

This almost leads me to believe that just having a home security sign in your front yard is enough to scare away any would-be criminals.

In my neighborhood, I don't think *anyone* has a home security system. My neighbor leaves his garage wide open all day and night, loaded with tools. I doubt any people in my neighborhood ever bother to lock their doors.

Therefore, I can only conclude that not having home security signs in your front yard is enough to scare away any would-be criminals.

Actually, I think it all boils down to the neighborhood. I live in an area with virtually no real burglaries.

 

[GoingUp]

Garage motion detectors are a good idea too. I think I'll look into that. The system I'd be getting also comes with a remote so I can just attach it to my keychain and turn the system on and off when I come and go.