home security systems
 

what are you using?
does your system give you a piece of mind?
any specific systems you disliked?
anyone use the wireless systems?


Came home at 10:30 last night to see my 42" tv ripped off the wall along with my xbox, laptop, and a vx1000 sony video camera gone. They used a garden hoe to get in the side window. I live in a old historic carriage house so I don't have a foundation. Almost street level, and super simple to climp through.

Bummed, but not surprised. Two nights ago I put a soaking wet M&D's hat and two soaking wet Aquaskinz gloves on my back porch railing, only to find them missing the next morning. Hat must have still been soaking wet.

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I do not have the system but it is wireless and they were willing to install a $1200 system for free, plus I was talking about 1st 3 months free ($99/month) earlier this year. I just never pulled the trigger on the deal and hopefully I don't regret not installing.

Whatever you do, don't pay whatever it is they are asking for monitoring fees. I was able to negotiate $15 off my monthly monitoring fee because I know how much it costs the company to do it. Also, there is a ridiculous mark up on the equipment. Wireless sensors cost less than $10 a piece. Don't let them charge you much more than that. I have wireless window sensors and my doors and motion sensors are hardwired. I also have my smoke detectors hardwired into the system.

follow fishbones advice.i have a local co good rates had big national co before when contract was up it was like jumping through hoops to get them to cancel.

Looking into now. Will keep that in mind FB. Any problems with the wireless?

Roomate and I are just never home and it would absolutely make me feel better when out all night.
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The only problem is replacing the batteries. It's not hard to do, but when they die, the system starts making an annoying beeping sound every couple of minutes. You either have to order batteries online or get them at Radio Shack. If I remember correctly, they cost about $17 a piece. That's for my system, but it's probably similar for any wireless system. Good luck. I only know about this stuff because my brother in law owns a commercial security company. He doesn't do residential, but he knows theins and outs of pricing, etc...

Eskimo
 

Real sorry to hear about your theft and LOSS.

I hope you had serial numbers written down.

and if you didn't make sure you do for the replaced equipment.

I installed two Wildeye game cameras. I let it be known that if my house gets broken into again or my paper goes missing I'll trash whoever winds up on the cam. Their bleeding body will be tossed into the street for all to see and anyone who tries to help them will get the same treatment. Haven't missed a paper since.

Raven, I have numbers for three out of four of the major items.

I think I care more about them in my home then the items be stolen. Although it's sucks to work hard for things you want and then a couple bozos yank them all in a few minutes time.
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Backbeach, is all of this recorded? Or shown up on your tv?

Hope they enjoy my gloves.
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Last house, we had an alarm system, the dudes broke in and left with chit before the cops arrived.
Several burglaries where there was even snow melting in their footprints.
Don't leave your chit in plain sight. I don't have an answer other than that

They are motion activated cameras used by deer hunters. They record to a chip. Plug the chip into the puter and view the pix or movie. I built it into my porch roof and hid another for a different angle. After my spaz tirade all I got pix of was family taking care of my cats when I was away, They were something like 2 for 80 bucks at Bass-Pro.

I hope the image quality/resolution is better than on all the bank/convenience store security systems where the tapes are shown on the nightly news. The guy in those pictures could be anyone of 1000 people.