Home alarm & monitoring GTA?
08-24-2012, 01:17 PM
#32
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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I had an alarm specialist acquaintance set up my home and bought the system outright. ($1200). He set up the system so that I did not spend too much money on sensors but it has a complete sweep of entry points with a combination of contacts and motion sensors. There is an extremely loud horn that goes off, which actually hurts my ears, when the alarm is triggered. I can have a multitude of additional sensors hooked up to this system - smoke, temp, glass break, etc. but i didn't think it was what I wanted.
I had him set up an auto-dialer to call my cell, then my wife's cell, then my parents. I could have up to seven or eight phone numbers programmed in. This works EXTREMELY well. This works for me since I work only about 6 minutes from my house. I can be there not quite as fast as the police, but faster than a paid securty guard. This saves me the false alarm fees when my kids dont close the door properly. I can also set it up that i am notified when they leave and when they come home.
I figure by the time the cops would get there, or I get there, the intruders are long gone. My business is monitored and they always ask me if I want them to send the police. Depending on the time of day it goes off, I usually do have the police show up since the business is in a more industrial area.
Even with that quick response, my office was still broken into and they managed to take some computers and expensive software - twice! These were pros who staked our facilty and "tested" our alarm system and response 6 weeks earlier with a "false alarm". There is even 24 hours manned surveillance with a clear view of my facility across the street from my place and they still managed to get in. If the intruders want to get in they will.
When I wired my old house, I set up a horn that goes off outside so that the neighbours would look out thier windows if they heard it go off. I didn't do it this time since i have two teenagers who may not be the most careful at setting the alarm with all of the doors closed properly.
I am contemplating on adding cameras at various access points I previously set up. (I put over a mile and a half of Cat 5e cable in the house when i completely renovated it, which the pros still say is still better than wireless) so that I can monitor the house via my smartphone. Just getting prices.
I had him set up an auto-dialer to call my cell, then my wife's cell, then my parents. I could have up to seven or eight phone numbers programmed in. This works EXTREMELY well. This works for me since I work only about 6 minutes from my house. I can be there not quite as fast as the police, but faster than a paid securty guard. This saves me the false alarm fees when my kids dont close the door properly. I can also set it up that i am notified when they leave and when they come home.
I figure by the time the cops would get there, or I get there, the intruders are long gone. My business is monitored and they always ask me if I want them to send the police. Depending on the time of day it goes off, I usually do have the police show up since the business is in a more industrial area.
Even with that quick response, my office was still broken into and they managed to take some computers and expensive software - twice! These were pros who staked our facilty and "tested" our alarm system and response 6 weeks earlier with a "false alarm". There is even 24 hours manned surveillance with a clear view of my facility across the street from my place and they still managed to get in. If the intruders want to get in they will.
When I wired my old house, I set up a horn that goes off outside so that the neighbours would look out thier windows if they heard it go off. I didn't do it this time since i have two teenagers who may not be the most careful at setting the alarm with all of the doors closed properly.
I am contemplating on adding cameras at various access points I previously set up. (I put over a mile and a half of Cat 5e cable in the house when i completely renovated it, which the pros still say is still better than wireless) so that I can monitor the house via my smartphone. Just getting prices.
