On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 21:51:30 +0800, Old Nick
calmly ranted:
(1) I have just purchased a wireless SecurePro burglar alarm. In an
unusually rash moment (we had been broken into for the 3rd time) I
bought without my usual obsessive research. Needless to say I now find
I am not happy. Reponse from the vendor has been umm...
A quick note: NEVER buy a wireless system again. They're much more
easily interrupted, are more prone to failure, and have a MUCH higher
rate of maintenance. Hardwiring is the only way to go and is also
usually about half the price, excluding installation.
(2) Has anyone heard about Securepro?
No, but you're half a world away. Judging by their blank main
page on the website, they're not too hot. Did you get the $690
system? It doesn't appear to be monitored. Ask your local cops
if they respond to automated phone messages from these systems.
(3) My main problem is that the PIRs have two modes. Test and Working.
You stick them on a wall in a likely place and in Test mode you walk
around and they flick on and off to show a "catch".
(4) The base unit also flashes a LED to show a "catch". This worked
great.
(5) The PIRS have a 3-minute "rest period" after they made their last
catch in Working Mode. Saves batteries when there is a lot of movement
in the house when I am home, and a "catch" has already set the alarm
off. This I believ is standard enough.
That's another downside to wireless. They can't be turned off while
you are "home" which eats up batteries.
I put them in Working Mode, and waited the required (and carefully
timed plus 30 seconds) 3-minute "rest period" then walked into the
room and walked the same places as I did in the test.
_As far as I could understand_ (as indicated by a LED flash on PIR and
on base station) I was not "caught" until I had walked in quite a few
places around the room, and the area of catch seemed a lot less than
it was under "test". But within maybe 5-15 seconds I _was_ caught,
after varying amounts of jumping about. So the unit was not having its
3-minute "sulk".
PIRs need both body heat and movement before they react. The cheaper
units require more movement while the more expensive units have a
settable threshold for movement to allow for animals, etc. (Burglars
love animals since they require less sensitive settings of the alarm
systems and small burglars can come in through larger doggie doors.)
If yours are adjustable, set them at a lower threshold. If not, ask
for their better units which are.
(6) The guy who sold me the unit "failed to understand" and suggested
I moved the base unti to where it could communicate better with the
PIRs. See Para (4)
Any thoughts? Have I made a bad buy? Is this pretty standard?
Also, does anyone know if these things have a sort of standard of
digital coding. Could I try a PIR from another maker and expect it to
work?
I doubt it. They're probably keyed to the mfgr's electronics.
Appreciate any helpful input. That includes a genuine "I had one of
those and they are crap" etc.
God Bless the Internet. I read about them and determined that I wanted
a wired solution. I, too, bought one (for my Vista, CA USA home) right
after a burglary/just before I left for a week at COMDEX (Las Vegas
Computer show) The guy also accepted a project bike (250 CZ dirtbike)
as a $250 prepayment on the $800 price tag. The installer took 4 hours
to set it up and gave me 3 -good- PIRs (cheap ones are much less
sensitive to motion and much more succeptible to fade during hot
weather), 3 door switches, and 2 extra window switches. This was a
central monitored alarm (locked box in the hallway closet) with
connection to the phone line for calling in the alarms.
If this was an expensive investment, you might ask them if they have a
wired solution and a better grade of equipment. Otherwise, maybe you
could ask for a refund and then do more research before purchasing
again. Another good resource is the comp.home.automation group. The
guys there are a better lot than at a.s.a. Several of the guys there
sell alarm systems. (I think Robert Bass is actually a good guy so
beware the guys dissing him. He may have stepped on toes over at
alt.security.alarms and cost them some sales by having better pricing
and service.)
Did you check with any local alarm companies who do local monitoring?
This is something you really want because they are colleagues with the
local cops: -their- alarms get responded to.
G'luck, Mate.
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