"Doug Miller" wrote in message
. ..
Rebel1 wrote in
:

Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

[snip discussion of alternatives]

You left out the most obvious -- and most effective -- burglary deterrent
there is: a dog. If
they hear a barking dog inside a house, most burglars will just go
somewhere else. They're
looking for quick and easy pickings, not a hassle.

I have both a real dog (JRT) and an electronic dog:

http://www.x10.com/products/x10_pk9.htm

I'd consider the electrodog much more effective and easier to care for. (-:
A much better solution for people who travel a lot. The new units are much
more flexible than the older ones I have and this thread has spurred me to
pick up a newer one.

There's also a unit out that simulates a TV using LEDs. Very low power
drain and very useful to give a house that lived-in look.

http://www.amazon.com/Hydreon-Corpor.../dp/B003S5SOLG

--
Bobby G.

lets all remember if someone wants in bad enough they will find a way:
(

its best to keep a low profile, valuables not in plain site, dont tell
anyone i have a diamond in the cookie jar, stuff like this is near
free and mostly effective.

dead bot locks where the dead bolt goes not only thru the plate but
into and thru a 2 by 4 stud wall saved me once.

having the home look lived in, with lights on timers etc, getting
someone to pick up mail and phone books and trash left around yard
helps too.

ultimattely if they want in bad enough they will get in.......

wrote in message
...

stuff snipped

My brother's vacation home/trailer was a target for theives until he
installed an X10 alarm system with cameras and PC recorder - and a set
of Fiamm air horms - all run off a good UPS system so it works even 8
hours after the power is disconnected.

Our neighborhood got hit hard during a recent blackout with several houses
broken into. My X-10 REX electronic dog has been beefed up with a 12V gel
cell that runs it for 72 plus hours.

http://www.x10.com/products/x10_pk9.htm

Hearing a dog apparently barking in the basement when the neighborhood is
eerily quite from a blackout gives burglars (and Jehovah's Witnesses) pause.
It's run by battery operated motion detectors so it appears to "respond" to
their movement. My neighbor's cat thinks it's real and no longer comes to
my porch to visit.

One miscreant left a patch of denim with better than a square inch of
skin/flesh from his shin on the "downspoout re-enforcement" at the
back corner of the trailer when he headed for the bush when the
flood-lights came on and blinded him.

Start collecting DNA samples from your neighbors. (-:

That was the last episode - on a cold stormy winter night when the
power was out in the whole area and the guy must have figured the
"obvious" alarm system would be useless.

When my car was broken into a long, long time ago, it was during a very bad
rainstorm. Thieves like to have the cover of darkness and they know fewer
people are likely to be out of their houses to catch them in bad weather.

--
Bobby G.

My friend,
I think you're right. Of course, burglars are lazy. So, if your house is
protected, they will go to a different house.
You can expect HeBe-ub to give you grief, now. Read the "who is it"
thread to understand why.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
lets all remember if someone wants in bad enough they will find a way:
(

its best to keep a low profile, valuables not in plain site, dont tell
anyone i have a diamond in the cookie jar, stuff like this is near
free and mostly effective.

dead bot locks where the dead bolt goes not only thru the plate but
into and thru a 2 by 4 stud wall saved me once.

having the home look lived in, with lights on timers etc, getting
someone to pick up mail and phone books and trash left around yard
helps too.

ultimattely if they want in bad enough they will get in.......

My friend,
I have known people whose pets got diabetes. No fun at all.
You can expect HeBe-ub to give you grief, now. Read the "who is it"
thread to understand why.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...

Hi,
I just lost our 10 yo Aussie shepherds. One of best dogs we had. It
developed a severe case of diabetes, went blind last year and quit
eating couple weeks ago. We had to have him put down. We already have
replacement in the house. After, I found out this breed is prone to
diabetes due to it's genetics. Don't let your dog go over weight, that
is warning sign.

On 4/6/2012 3:48 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:


Home Guy wrote:
George wrote:

My experience with alarm systems is that I've installed 3 alarm
systems over the past 13 years

You go on and on ad naseum how perfect everything is in Canada.

Yes I do. And it is.

So why would you need an alarm system in Canada?

I see your point.

After 14 years of having alarm systems at two locations - and not a
single attempted or actual break-in, I clearly don't have as much of a
need for an alarm system as you do in the United States of Thievery.
Hmmm,
I left Ontario(used to live in Scarboro) about this time of the year
1970. I never looked back. U.S. has lot more population than Canada.
A fact to keep in mind when comparing two neighbors. Ontario the
province soon to be have not place.

"home guy" always demonstrates that he is totally incapable of any
reasoned or logical thinking...

On 4/6/2012 2:58 PM, Home Guy wrote:
George wrote:

My experience with alarm systems is that I've installed 3 alarm
systems over the past 13 years

You go on and on ad naseum how perfect everything is in Canada.

Yes I do. And it is.

So why would you need an alarm system in Canada?

I see your point.

After 14 years of having alarm systems at two locations - and not a
single attempted or actual break-in, I clearly don't have as much of a
need for an alarm system as you do in the United States of Thievery.

I guess I am confused. You imagine you live in a perfect place where
there is sunshine every day and the animals sing. So why did you go
through the effort to install an alarm in your perfect place?

On 4/6/2012 4:12 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:44:52 -0400,
wrote:

On 4/6/2012 1:47 PM, Home Guy wrote:
Rebel1 wrote:

Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system
in my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone.

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act,

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend
myself with a gun.

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding
doors, and high quality door locks.

4. How easy is it to defeat?

My experience with alarm systems is that I've installed 3 alarm systems
over the past 13 years - twice at my office (which moved to a different
location) and once in my home.

You go on and on ad naseum how perfect everything is in Canada. So why
would you need an alarm system in Canada?

Hey, Canada's not PERFECT, but you are a lot less likely to get shot
- and having an alarm makes it less likely you will be broken into -
and more likely that IF broken into the theif will leave empty-handed
- and do less damage.




I am really confused now. "home guy" says EVERYONE in Canada knows that
it is superior to the US and you don't?





I've installed a good half dozen alarm systems over the years - plus
alarms on several vehicles.
The alarm at the shop caught the guy who had been breaking into auto
repair shops in the area the FIRST NIGHT it was in operation - and
before he even got the door open. He was still trying to pry open the
(un-used, bolted) rear door of the shop when the cops responded to the
glass breakage detector that went off when he drove over the service
bell hose in front of the shop that the boss had forgoten to shut off
when he left the shop!!! They got there, did their walk-around, and
caught the guy busy with his crowbar.

On Apr 6, 3:39*pm, wrote:
On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:12:43 -0400, Rebel1
wrote:





Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one *that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...uide/dp/145373...

it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1

*As for defeating the system - put OBVIOUS phone and cable connections
- but actually dummies, where they would be expected, and hide the
real ones. *A cellular backup is almost standard equipment now on
monitored systems - and the whole system is set up to run off a backup
battery in case of power disconnect.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't know about Canada, but when I checked about a year
ago here in the USA there was quite a
big price differential between a monitored service you can get
via phone or internet connection and one that includes cellular
backup. You could be paying $50 more a month for the cellular
one. Whether it's worth it depends on what you have to protect,
how prevalent crime is in your area, etc. I suspect any system
that goes off is going to send 99% of the thieves running.
You could probably find a sticker that says "Protected by a
cellular system", even if you don't have one, which might
add some discouragement.

I think for most people seeking one, a good system that is
installed correctly, with loud sirens inside and outside the
house, that is monitored in some way can be effective.

As for the OP's silent alarm so that police can catch the burglar,
forget that. Police get lots of alarm calls and almost all
of them are false. There is no guarantee as to how fast
they will respond. You want the perp detered before he
actually enters the building if possible. An alarm going
off when they force a door or break glass can do that.

Same thing for the silent alarm so you can use your
gun to defend your property. You want the burglar
defeated before they even enter the house, by the
alarm going off. Or failing that, as soon after they
enter the house as possible. The gun is for last
resort.

Also, some mention was made of having the alarm
system contact a neighbor. In most cases, I think
that is a bad idea with all kinds of problems. Ranging
from the neighbor getting false alarm calls at 3AM.
To, what do you want the neighbor to do? Go over
and find out if a burglar is really there? How about
the burglar attacks them or since the alarm should
also have gone to the police, they show up and
the neighbor winds up against the wall or worse?

On 4/6/2012 11:12 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...der_1453732039


it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1


You need to decide what your risk is, and who is likely to provide that
risk. If your neighborhood has had few burglers your risk is probably
low. If it has had many..... Are you really trying to protect
valuables or are more concerned about personal safety if you are home
during an attempted break-in? Are your valuables insured? Are they
replaceable if stolen? How important would it be to replace them if
only of sentimental value? Are the burglars you are concerned about
likely to be amateurs or professional?

The answers to these questions will guide you to what type of security
investment is most appropriate for your circumstances. There is not one
optimal solution for all situations.

And, with the rare exception of certain types of military sites, almost
every conceivable valuable and security protected place has been
burglarized at one time or another. So, you need to realize that you
will not be preventing burglary, only making it less likely.

On Sat, 07 Apr 2012 02:10:31 -0500, "Doug"
wrote:

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:14:48 -0400, wrote:

On 06 Apr 2012 19:20:01 GMT, Steve wrote:

Rebel1 wrote in
:

Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one
that lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free
to strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend
myself with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door
neighbor, a monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three
false alarms a year before charging. (I believe there are systems that
will call my cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is
used only for calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors,
and high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that
there is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed
in heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy
pin that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter.
The cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that
the house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...de/dp/14537320
39/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1333721382&s r=1-14#reader_1453
732039

it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have
not considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the
systems (consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published
(so what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations.
The other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1



Having been in the security system business for the last 33 years I can
give you several caveats:

1 A professional thief will get what he wants from your home with no real
problems. The good news is it has to something very valuable for them to
waste their time on. An alarm system will make them think long and hard
before deciding to either attempt your place or the one done the street
with no alarm system.

2 The cops take forever to respond in most alarm system activations. So
my suggestion is the install an indoor siren. If you make the interior
loud enough the amateurs burgulars will leave quickly.

3 Modern systems have battery backup that should be good for at least 72
hours without AC power.

4 Get a system that is centrally monitored. You will have the peace of
mind that as soon as the system activates someone will be on duty to call
the police. In the case of a false alarm while you are home, you can call
them and give them your abort code which will stop them from dispatching
the police or fire dept. I would add a cellular backup transmitter so
that if the thieves cut the phone lines to your house, the signal will be
sent to the central station anyway and the authorities will be
dispatched.

5 Add at least 1 smoke detector to the system so if your home catches
fire while you are away at least the fire dept. will respond, hopefully
in time to prevent a total loss.

6 Connect all doors and operable windows to the system with magnetic
sensors. I would also tamper the covers on the electrical and telephone
panels so that the alarm would activate as soon as someone attempted to
cut the power or phone lines.

7 Infrared motion detectors are a second line of defense in case the
intruder gets past the door or window sensors somehow. If you have pets
get a "dual-tech" style detector that is more resistant to false alarms
from pets.

That pretty much covers the basics. I would contact a licensed alarm
contractor to give you an estimate. At that point you can decide if you
want to attempt the job yourself or let someone else do it. Make sure if
you hire someone that they are bonded and have undergone a background
check.

Hope this helps.
Steve
You forgot the "dual mode" glass breakage detectors. Trigger the
alarm BEFORE they actually get inside if possible.


Trying to recall the conversation I had about 14 years ago, I think
what you said has to do with the type of windows. I admit tho, you
are making me struggle to remember what I was told back then.

In my old house I think I had what you mentioned on my windows and in
one case, I believe it saved my house from a break in. I was very
glad I had an alarm.
Dual mode detects thump and tinkle. Much less liable to false trigger
from thingls like wind chimes, telephones, or doorbells.

bob haller wrote:

lets all remember if someone wants in bad enough they will find
a way:

That's not a very rational or realistic piece of advice, because it's
probably true that the average juvenille delinquent doesn't necessarily
have a strong desire to enter any particular house. He just wants to
enter at least ONE house as he trolls around looking for a candidate.

ultimattely if they want in bad enough they will get in.......

No, because they will rarely have any specific knowledge about what
could be in your house to give them a strong desire to break-in in the
first place.

So I question the idea that someone, anyone, will want to break into any
house "bad enough". The only people that would ever want to break into
your house "bad enough" are the police and firemen.

It's probably the case that the average juvenille delinquent who is out
on a house-robbing adventure is going to troll through a neighborhood
that is relatively far from where he lives. This is because he doesn't
want to be recognized by any locals after the fact. As such, he won't
have much of an opportunity to "case" any particular house if he follows
this sort of behavior.

On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 05:57:37 -0400, "Robert Green"
wrote:

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...


Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

Hi,
How about a good trained guard dog. No matter how good security shield
you deploy, bad guys are always one step ahead of you. I have a live-in
domestic helper and a professionally trained guard dog. Alarm system
is very seldom armed.

They're useful to people who are mostly home, but for the OP, who says he's
gone for weeks at a time, I don't think it will help much. He'll either
have to board the dog or depend on neighbors to feed and care for him. That
opens up several cans of worms at once.
A former customer used to have rottweilers. The dog had a radio
collar that openned the "doggy door" and the on-demand feeder, so they
could leave the dog at home alone for a week or too with no problem.
They left for a week's holiday and the first or second night they were
gone a guy broke in. The dog cornered him in the livingroom and put
the "fear of the lord" in him. The dog could eat without loosing sight
of him - and could also hang his ass out the door to do his business,
but the poor bugger who broke in couldn't move 6 feet without risking
having some important parts dissapear. When they returned the guy was
very dehydrated, very tired,very stinky, and VERY ****ed off!!

On 4/6/2012 12:38 PM, Robert Green wrote:
wrote in message
...
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).

Don't succumb to mission creep. (-: Your job is to protect your home.
Sadly, part of good protection means that you make yourself less of a
potential target and that makes your neighbors more of one.

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)

You want them out ASAP and you want your neighbors (if you have them)
alerted to a problem in your house ASAP, too. Silent alarm + you wandering
around armed when the cops arrive could = dead you.

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

That's part of the problem of balance. How much security is enough? How
much is too much?

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

Which is why I am a proponent of the extremely loud inside and outside
alarms. You can have alarm sensors setups that detect the cutting of the
phone line and start the sirens and bells on battery backup. That causes
your neighbors to call the police - what I call the "human wireless
network." No monthly fee.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible e
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Knock on wood but . . . My neighbors all knew I had CCTV. It's pretty
obvious. A whole street of cars got broken into just outside the range of
my front door cam. I figure it was our local crackhead who knew to stay
clear of the camera. Caught one burglar on CCTV, but not the way you'd
think. Just walked in the house and turned on the lights and the CCTV
monitor that's on the same switch. Saw someone walking along the side of
the house (11PM!), grabbed my 2 million candlepower spot and shined it on
his face, not realizing it had burned out his night vision. The cops were
called while I questioned the guy. They came *amazingly* fast.

As for the chance of actually making an ID off the typical consumer grade
CCTV stuff from late at night? Very small. Put on a hoodie and even the
prosumer stuff won't be able to tell Zimmerman from Martin a distances
greater than 20 feet. Video from nite IR cams (except for the stuff NatGeo
uses) and recording equipment looks green and white or black and white and
is usually pretty awful recorded at anything less than HQ. Many consumer
CCTV recorders don't even offer an HQ option since it eats so much disk
space.

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.

Always. I use X-10. Much more sophisticated.

2. Radio or TV on all the time.

I have one hooked up to a motion sensor through X-10 that starts and stops
radio play in a back room. I also have one of their REX electronic dogs
that barks (very convincingly!) when motion is detected on the porch.

3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.

Definitely. I put translucent film on the basement windows as well.

4. Locking bars on sliding doors.

Yes.

5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.

Yes.

6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

Couldn't hurt. Steal an ADT sign from someone elses' home. ()-"

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,


http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...der_1453732039

it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

You may also want to talk to your local police. Many departments will give
you a safety walkaound. They can give you lots of important local info,
too.

--
Bobby G.

Thanks for the feedback, Bobby, and everyone else.

On Apr 7, 7:48*am, wrote:
On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 05:57:37 -0400, "Robert Green"





wrote:
"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...

Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

Hi,
How about a good trained guard dog. No matter how good security shield
you deploy, bad guys are always one step ahead of you. I have a live-in
domestic helper and a professionally *trained guard dog. *Alarm system
is very seldom armed.

They're useful to people who are mostly home, but for the OP, who says he's
gone for weeks at a time, I don't think it will help much. *He'll either
have to board the dog or depend on neighbors to feed and care for him. *That
opens up several cans of worms at once.

*A former customer used to have rottweilers. The dog had a radio
collar that openned the "doggy door" and the on-demand feeder, so they
could leave the dog at home alone for a week or too with no problem.
They left for a week's holiday and the first or second night they were
gone a guy broke in. The dog cornered him in the livingroom and put
the "fear of the lord" in him. The dog could eat without loosing sight
of him - and could also hang his ass out the door to do his business,
but the poor bugger who broke in couldn't move 6 feet without risking
having some important parts dissapear. When they returned the guy was
very dehydrated, very tired,very stinky, and VERY ****ed off!!

If he claimed breaking in to seek shelter [since he has not left with
any items yet]; it's a misdemeanor.

I wonder if he could sue?

wrote:

Everybody in my neighborhood has alarms and everybody ignores it
when a neighbor's alarm goes off as 99% are false alarms. If your
alarm goes directly to the police you risk a fine for a 2nd false
alarm and a third will cost you more. Neighbor was complaining that
it cost her $500 last year.
If you have false alarms something is wrong with your system, or
your residents - and a $500 charge for the false alarms would be much
better spent fixing the system.

Heh! We used to get an occassional false alarm from a motion detector. It
was located high on the wall in a corner of the room.

Finally deduced it was the cat getting to the top of a bookcase directly
below the alarm.

We masked off the bottom of the detector where it still scanned the room but
ignored whatever might be on top of the bookcase.

On 4/6/2012 1:28 PM, Robert Macy wrote:
On Apr 6, 8:12 am, wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...uide/dp/145373...

it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1

My comments/opinions:

I was told by police of 7th largest city in US that in their
experience NEVER had power/telephone lines cut by a burglar, even when
all is prominently above ground and accessible.

ALARMS:
local alarm
external: loud/obnoxious for 5+ minutes, won't anger neighbors too
much, lights flashing for 10+ minutes. There may be ordinances
concerning noise makers. I mounted my siren INSIDE our home pointing
out through vent opening to meet local ordinance, yet still make noise
outside.
internal: loud/obnoxious 120+dB WITH lights flashing for 20 minutes

silent/monitored alarm
1-2 minutes BEFORE loud local alarms, silent alarm - maybe local
response actually catch someone exiting

cameras: for record/review, possible identification, system connect to
internet to notify you via cell phone, or to service. It is a nice
feature to be able to check for prowlers while you're inside. Once, I
put in military grade proximity alarms, even included radar that
looked through walls to 10 foot regions outside. You could NOT believe
the number of people that wandered around outside at night!

outside indicators:
no decal, just a visible alarm bell - not so discretely tucked away.

As far as 'fortressing' your home...
For valuables, after having a safety deposit box mysteriously lose
some contents [had written list of complete contents at home for
comparison] decided to NEVER let valuables out of my hands again.
Thus, used the dead spaces under our cabinetry in bathroom and kitchen
and built fake back walls into several closets. I converted the
kickstep covers for the cabinetry to become removable. Each was held
in place with those "push to open" latches. Contents under cabinets
were those heavy coin collections etc, heavy, thin flat items, more
than 200 lb total. The spaces made by the fake back walls in the
closets were to enclose larger items, like sterlingware, special
jewelry, etc. and wife's collection of furs. NOBODY knew about the
false areas, except us. Then added a more conventional, and
prominent, bolt down safe to occupy anyone who wanted to hang around
and get the lollipop out of it. Thus, the home was secure, but did
not appear to be fortified.
Pass the word around that your home has NOTHING of value inside it,
has cameras security etc just to prevent potential vandalism from any
angry intruder.

Super suggestions.

These guys missed some obvious things, like sterling silverware right in
one of the kitchen drawers. (Maybe they didn't recognize it as
sterling.) The hallway closet had a silverware box that they didn't
bother to check for silver. The gold they took was at one end of a 9'
closet. If they bothered pushing shirts away at the other end, they
would have seen a steel strongbox containing about $3700 of silver coins.

Hard to figure these guys out. The place was messy, but the only damage
was the casement operator. If you look at the video I took
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWyMY3L8DvQ), at time 3:46 you'll see a
polished mahogany box on the dresser. They didn't damage the box, or
even outer blue slip case it was in. They just took the coin.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9027891...in/photostream

At time 4:14, you'll see another similar mahogany box that was
undamaged, as was its slipcase. Hardly the deliberate actions of junkies
looking for a quick exit.

They didn't take mirrors or pictures off the walls to check for shallow
wall safes (less than 3.5" deep).

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 05:57:37 -0400, "Robert Green"
wrote:

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...


Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system
in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

Hi,
How about a good trained guard dog. No matter how good security shield
you deploy, bad guys are always one step ahead of you. I have a live-in
domestic helper and a professionally trained guard dog. Alarm system
is very seldom armed.

They're useful to people who are mostly home, but for the OP, who says
he's
gone for weeks at a time, I don't think it will help much. He'll either
have to board the dog or depend on neighbors to feed and care for him.
That
opens up several cans of worms at once.
A former customer used to have rottweilers. The dog had a radio
collar that openned the "doggy door" and the on-demand feeder, so they
could leave the dog at home alone for a week or too with no problem.

A dog that you can leave home for a week with no problem is a miracle dog.
I've seen dogs that you can't leave home alone for 20 minutes!

They left for a week's holiday and the first or second night they were
gone a guy broke in. The dog cornered him in the livingroom and put
the "fear of the lord" in him. The dog could eat without loosing sight
of him - and could also hang his ass out the door to do his business,
but the poor bugger who broke in couldn't move 6 feet without risking
having some important parts dissapear. When they returned the guy was
very dehydrated, very tired,very stinky, and VERY ****ed off!!

Burglars hate dogs. That's why I like my Robodogs so much. When I have
time, I am going to build a much better one out of a couple of broken MP3
players I have so I can rotate through a number of different styles of dog
barks. What I really need is a simulator that sounds like a dog scratching
at the front door, eager to get at whoever's knocking. (-:

--
Bobby G.

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
lets all remember if someone wants in bad enough they will find a way:
(

its best to keep a low profile, valuables not in plain site, dont tell
anyone i have a diamond in the cookie jar, stuff like this is near
free and mostly effective.

I've known a lot of people that got into trouble from bragging to the wrong
people. Tell your neighbor you've got a stash of junk silver and soon the
whole neighborhood will know. In Cold Blood was about cons who murdered a
family because they just *thought* they had a safe with money.

--
Bobby G.

"Home Guy" wrote in message ...

stuff snipped

So I question the idea that someone, anyone, will want to break into any
house "bad enough". The only people that would ever want to break into
your house "bad enough" are the police and firemen.

Tell that to the woman a few doors down whose drunken husband smashed his
way into the house to express his displeasure at the protective order she
had filed against him. I guess Canadians don't have domestic violence cases.
The people who shot my friend's dog were determined to get into THAT house
because it had been occupied by drug dealers that kept cash and drugs on
hand in large quantities.

We just convicted this rapist who forced his way into the homes of women he
followed home because he found them attractive.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/mary...ut-bond-011712

By PAUL WAGNER/myfoxdc

ROCKVILLE, Md. - A convicted sex offender accused of three violent home
invasions in Montgomery and Prince George's County has been ordered held
without bond.

Prosecutors say Kevin Ray confessed to forcing his way into homes at
gunpoint and robbing, raping and sexually assaulting several victims over a
four-day period.

After he was arrested last weekend in North Carolina, prosecutors say Ray
was interviewed by detectives and admitted sexually assaulting a housekeeper
in Bethesda at knifepoint and tying up the homeowner and her 14-year-old
son.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm on Bob H's side with this. There is definitely a class of people that
for whatever reason, pick a particular house with the intent of breaching
it. More sex than stealing, but there.

--
Bobby G.

Peter wrote in :

On 4/6/2012 11:12 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system
in my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone.
The street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one
that lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're
free to strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend
myself with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door
neighbor, a monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three
false alarms a year before charging. (I believe there are systems
that will call my cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as
it is used only for calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors,
and high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too
fortified, rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a
sign that there is really valuable stuff inside and make a more
determined (and damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed
in heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy
pin that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter.
The cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is
present. In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a
major highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication
that the house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...ide/dp/1453732
039/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1333721382&s r=1-14#reader_14
53732039


it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have
not considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the
systems (consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published
(so what?) and because there were no specific product
recommendations. The other reviews gave it high marks for at least
pointing out vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1


You need to decide what your risk is, and who is likely to provide
that risk. If your neighborhood has had few burglers your risk is
probably low. If it has had many..... Are you really trying to
protect valuables or are more concerned about personal safety if you
are home during an attempted break-in? Are your valuables insured?
Are they replaceable if stolen? How important would it be to replace
them if only of sentimental value? Are the burglars you are concerned
about likely to be amateurs or professional?

The answers to these questions will guide you to what type of security
investment is most appropriate for your circumstances. There is not
one optimal solution for all situations.

And, with the rare exception of certain types of military sites,
almost every conceivable valuable and security protected place has
been burglarized at one time or another. So, you need to realize that
you will not be preventing burglary, only making it less likely.


burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

I had security doors installed. They really don't look that bad, or they
didn't on my old house. Some say they are a hazard because they can be
difficult to escape in case of a fire. It's something to consider.

http://www.fourseasonssunrooms.com/D...urity_door.jpg


That way the burglars can't walk right out the front door with your
stuff. They usually go with the path of least resistance. My neighbor
got a little upset when I put mine in but too bad. They don't cost that
much and he can buy his own if he doesn't like it.

I lived in a real high crime area (Abq NM) and after that we never got
burgled again.

What's to keep a burglar from breaking one of the side windows, which
isn't covered by the security door, and simply reach in to undo the
locks from inside? Do you have a double-cylinder deadbolt on the main door?

"Jim Yanik" wrote in message

stuff snipped

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner
has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

They are just like rats. They got the cheese and didn't get caught and now
they've gotten the lay of the land, making them even more comfortable.
That's why it's important to try to find out from police if the burglary was
part of a trend.

--
Bobby G.

Rebel1 wrote in
:


I had security doors installed. They really don't look that bad, or
they didn't on my old house. Some say they are a hazard because they
can be difficult to escape in case of a fire. It's something to
consider.

http://www.fourseasonssunrooms.com/D.../defender_secu
rity_door.jpg


That way the burglars can't walk right out the front door with your
stuff. They usually go with the path of least resistance. My neighbor
got a little upset when I put mine in but too bad. They don't cost
that much and he can buy his own if he doesn't like it.

I lived in a real high crime area (Abq NM) and after that we never
got burgled again.

What's to keep a burglar from breaking one of the side windows, which
isn't covered by the security door, and simply reach in to undo the
locks from inside? Do you have a double-cylinder deadbolt on the main
door?





make a side window that is not breakable. maybe 1/2" plexiglas or Lexan.
it's kinda dumb to have a window right next to your door anyways.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Robert Green wrote:

The only people that would ever want to break into
your house "bad enough" are the police and firemen.

Tell that to the woman a few doors down whose drunken husband
smashed his way into the house ...

I'm on Bob H's side with this. There is definitely a class of
people that for whatever reason, pick a particular house with
the intent of breaching it.

Totally irrelevant to the current conversation.

If you want to talk about person A going after person B with the intent
to confront, harm, kill, etc, that is a completely different situation
vs what can a home owner do to secure, deter and/or monitor his property
/ home from a break-in / theft point of view.

Jim Yanik wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the
owner has gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

I'd like to see that theory validated by others in some real
publications or news stories / interviews.

What you find that gets stolen is cash, prescription meds, jewlery,
coins and guns. Electronic items are largely ignored (unless they're
small enough to stuff into a knap-sack or pillow case).

Every home will have that same assortment of stuff - to one extent or
another, so there's no real point to go back to the same house you've
hit before because you can be assured of getting it somewhere else
when-ever you want.

Now, whether or not a *different* thief will hit the same home that was
robbed in the past, that's another issue, and if the two thiefs know
each other and which homes they've each robbed.

On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 09:02:38 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Apr 7, 7:48Â*am, wrote:
On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 05:57:37 -0400, "Robert Green"





wrote:
"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...

Rebel1 wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

Hi,
How about a good trained guard dog. No matter how good security shield
you deploy, bad guys are always one step ahead of you. I have a live-in
domestic helper and a professionally Â*trained guard dog. Â*Alarm system
is very seldom armed.

They're useful to people who are mostly home, but for the OP, who says he's
gone for weeks at a time, I don't think it will help much. Â*He'll either
have to board the dog or depend on neighbors to feed and care for him. Â*That
opens up several cans of worms at once.

Â*A former customer used to have rottweilers. The dog had a radio
collar that openned the "doggy door" and the on-demand feeder, so they
could leave the dog at home alone for a week or too with no problem.
They left for a week's holiday and the first or second night they were
gone a guy broke in. The dog cornered him in the livingroom and put
the "fear of the lord" in him. The dog could eat without loosing sight
of him - and could also hang his ass out the door to do his business,
but the poor bugger who broke in couldn't move 6 feet without risking
having some important parts dissapear. When they returned the guy was
very dehydrated, very tired,very stinky, and VERY ****ed off!!

If he claimed breaking in to seek shelter [since he has not left with
any items yet]; it's a misdemeanor.

I wonder if he could sue?
Hardly able to claim breaking in for shelter with good weather in a
relatively built up area. Could he sue? possibly. Could he win?
Unlikely - he had a rap sheet.

On Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:46:30 -0500, Jim Yanik wrote:

Rebel1 wrote in
:


I had security doors installed. They really don't look that bad, or
they didn't on my old house. Some say they are a hazard because they
can be difficult to escape in case of a fire. It's something to
consider.

http://www.fourseasonssunrooms.com/D.../defender_secu
rity_door.jpg


That way the burglars can't walk right out the front door with your
stuff. They usually go with the path of least resistance. My neighbor
got a little upset when I put mine in but too bad. They don't cost
that much and he can buy his own if he doesn't like it.

I lived in a real high crime area (Abq NM) and after that we never
got burgled again.

What's to keep a burglar from breaking one of the side windows, which
isn't covered by the security door, and simply reach in to undo the
locks from inside? Do you have a double-cylinder deadbolt on the main
door?





make a side window that is not breakable. maybe 1/2" plexiglas or Lexan.
it's kinda dumb to have a window right next to your door anyways.

The idea is to make the neighbor's house look like an easier target than
yours. In any case, the lock is there for the neighbor kids and the insurance
company.

On 4/7/2012 7:02 PM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:46:30 -0500, Jim wrote:

wrote in
:

I had security doors installed. They really don't look that bad, or
they didn't on my old house. Some say they are a hazard because they
can be difficult to escape in case of a fire. It's something to
consider.

http://www.fourseasonssunrooms.com/D.../defender_secu
rity_door.jpg


That way the burglars can't walk right out the front door with your
stuff. They usually go with the path of least resistance. My neighbor
got a little upset when I put mine in but too bad. They don't cost
that much and he can buy his own if he doesn't like it.

I lived in a real high crime area (Abq NM) and after that we never
got burgled again.
What's to keep a burglar from breaking one of the side windows, which
isn't covered by the security door, and simply reach in to undo the
locks from inside? Do you have a double-cylinder deadbolt on the main
door?




make a side window that is not breakable. maybe 1/2" plexiglas or Lexan.
it's kinda dumb to have a window right next to your door anyways.
The idea is to make the neighbor's house look like an easier target than
yours. In any case, the lock is there for the neighbor kids and the insurance
company.

Yup. I already mentioned how my neighbor got po'ed when I installed
security doors. His response was "They'll just go to the next house."

On Apr 7, 12:09*pm, Rebel1 wrote:
On 4/6/2012 1:28 PM, Robert Macy wrote:









On Apr 6, 8:12 am, *wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).

The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one *that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).

2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)

3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.

4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.

5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?

Other measures (mainly home security):

1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.

After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...uide/dp/145373....

it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).

One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.

Thanks for your comments/feedback.

R1

My comments/opinions:

I was told by police of 7th largest city in US that in their
experience NEVER had power/telephone lines cut by a burglar, even when
all is prominently above ground and accessible.

ALARMS:
local alarm
* *external: loud/obnoxious for 5+ minutes, won't anger neighbors too
much, lights flashing for 10+ minutes. There may be ordinances
concerning noise makers. *I mounted my siren INSIDE our home pointing
out through vent opening to meet local ordinance, yet still make noise
outside.
* *internal: loud/obnoxious 120+dB WITH lights flashing for 20 minutes

silent/monitored alarm
* *1-2 minutes BEFORE loud local alarms, silent alarm - maybe local
response actually catch someone exiting

cameras: for record/review, possible identification, system connect to
internet to notify you via cell phone, or to service. *It is a nice
feature to be able to check for prowlers while you're inside. *Once, I
put in military grade proximity alarms, even included radar that
looked through walls to 10 foot regions outside. You could NOT believe
the number of people that wandered around outside at night!

outside indicators:
* no decal, just a visible alarm bell - not so discretely tucked away..

As far as 'fortressing' your home...
* For valuables, after having a safety deposit box mysteriously lose
some contents [had written list of complete contents at home for
comparison] decided to NEVER let valuables out of my hands again.
Thus, used the dead spaces under our cabinetry in bathroom and kitchen
and built fake back walls into several closets. I converted the
kickstep covers for the cabinetry to become removable. Each was held
in place with those "push to open" latches. Contents under cabinets
were those heavy coin collections etc, heavy, thin flat items, more
than 200 lb total. The spaces made by the fake back walls in the
closets were to enclose larger items, like sterlingware, special
jewelry, etc. and wife's collection of furs. *NOBODY knew about the
false areas, except us. *Then added a more conventional, and
prominent, bolt down safe to occupy anyone who wanted to hang around
and get the lollipop out of it. *Thus, the home was secure, but did
not appear to be fortified.
* Pass the word around that your home has NOTHING of value inside it,
has cameras security etc just to prevent potential vandalism from any
angry intruder.

Super suggestions.

These guys missed some obvious things, like sterling silverware right in
one of the kitchen drawers. (Maybe they didn't recognize it as
sterling.) The hallway closet had a silverware box that they didn't
bother to check for silver. The gold they took was at one end of a 9'
closet. If they bothered pushing shirts away at the other end, they
would have seen a steel strongbox containing about $3700 of silver coins.

Hard to figure these guys out. The place was messy, but the only damage
was the casement operator. If you look at the video I took
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWyMY3L8DvQ), at time 3:46 you'll see a
polished mahogany box on the dresser. They didn't damage the box, or
even outer blue slip case it was in. They just took the coin.http://www.flickr.com/photos/9027891...in/photostream

At time 4:14, you'll see another similar mahogany box that was
undamaged, as was its slipcase. Hardly the deliberate actions of junkies
looking for a quick exit.

They didn't take mirrors or pictures off the walls to check for shallow
wall safes (less than 3.5" deep).

I think you are posting too much personal info in a public
forum....just sayin'

On Apr 7, 1:16*pm, Jim Yanik wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.

On 4/7/2012 11:08 PM, Ron wrote:
On Apr 7, 12:09 pm, wrote:
On 4/6/2012 1:28 PM, Robert Macy wrote:









On Apr 6, 8:12 am, wrote:
Because of a recent burglary, I am going to install an alarm system in
my single-family ranch home (no basement)that I reside in alone. The
street is a quiet, family-oriented one (no loud cars, boom boxes,
tough-looking guys of any age).
The considerations (aimed at burglar detection):
1. A silent alarm so the cops might catch them in the act, vs. one that
lights lights and beeps horns to scare them away (so they're free to
strike elsewhere).
2. A silent alarm that signals me if I'm home, so I could defend myself
with a gun. If I'm away, the alarm could notify a next-door neighbor, a
monitoring service, or the police. Police allow three false alarms a
year before charging. (I believe there are systems that will call my
cell phone, but it's always off and in my car, as it is used only for
calls that I originate.)
3. Beefed up barriers to entry, like locking bars for sliding doors, and
high quality door locks. Problem is, if place looks too fortified,
rather than being deterred burglars might see this as a sign that there
is really valuable stuff inside and make a more determined (and
damaging) effort to enter.
4. How easy is it to defeat? The incoming AC power cable is enclosed in
heavy duty metal conduit. But it would be easy to cut the flimsy pin
that locks the cover over the meter and simply remove the meter. The
cable TV and phone lines are not enclosed and are easy to cut and
thereby defeat ordinary landlines or phone service via the cable
company. This forces a battery-backup wireless system.
5. Camera: Do they really do much good in deterring via their visible
presence or in identifying a suspect that the cops catch?
Other measures (mainly home security):
1. Lights on timers.
2. Radio or TV on all the time.
3. Shades for the garage window so nobody can see if a car is present.
In my neighborhood, a car is a necessity as it's a mile to a major
highway. So if the garage is empty, it's a excellent indication that the
house is empty also.
4. Locking bars on sliding doors.
5. Double-key deadbolts on doors with glass panes, so burglars can't
break a window and simply reach in and unlock a single-key deadbolt.
6. Fake decals warning that a system is installed even if not true.
After writing the above, I came across a book on amazon.com called
Essential Home Security: A Layman's Guide. Clicking on the Table of
Contents link,
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Home...uide/dp/145373...
it appears to address my concerns and many, many factors that I have not
considered. I can't tell, however, if he addresses defeating the systems
(consideration 4 above).
One of the reviewers was annoyed because the book was self-published (so
what?) and because there were no specific product recommendations. The
other reviews gave it high marks for at least pointing out
vulnerabilities you may have.
Thanks for your comments/feedback.
R1
My comments/opinions:
I was told by police of 7th largest city in US that in their
experience NEVER had power/telephone lines cut by a burglar, even when
all is prominently above ground and accessible.
ALARMS:
local alarm
external: loud/obnoxious for 5+ minutes, won't anger neighbors too
much, lights flashing for 10+ minutes. There may be ordinances
concerning noise makers. I mounted my siren INSIDE our home pointing
out through vent opening to meet local ordinance, yet still make noise
outside.
internal: loud/obnoxious 120+dB WITH lights flashing for 20 minutes
silent/monitored alarm
1-2 minutes BEFORE loud local alarms, silent alarm - maybe local
response actually catch someone exiting
cameras: for record/review, possible identification, system connect to
internet to notify you via cell phone, or to service. It is a nice
feature to be able to check for prowlers while you're inside. Once, I
put in military grade proximity alarms, even included radar that
looked through walls to 10 foot regions outside. You could NOT believe
the number of people that wandered around outside at night!
outside indicators:
no decal, just a visible alarm bell - not so discretely tucked away.
As far as 'fortressing' your home...
For valuables, after having a safety deposit box mysteriously lose
some contents [had written list of complete contents at home for
comparison] decided to NEVER let valuables out of my hands again.
Thus, used the dead spaces under our cabinetry in bathroom and kitchen
and built fake back walls into several closets. I converted the
kickstep covers for the cabinetry to become removable. Each was held
in place with those "push to open" latches. Contents under cabinets
were those heavy coin collections etc, heavy, thin flat items, more
than 200 lb total. The spaces made by the fake back walls in the
closets were to enclose larger items, like sterlingware, special
jewelry, etc. and wife's collection of furs. NOBODY knew about the
false areas, except us. Then added a more conventional, and
prominent, bolt down safe to occupy anyone who wanted to hang around
and get the lollipop out of it. Thus, the home was secure, but did
not appear to be fortified.
Pass the word around that your home has NOTHING of value inside it,
has cameras security etc just to prevent potential vandalism from any
angry intruder.
Super suggestions.

These guys missed some obvious things, like sterling silverware right in
one of the kitchen drawers. (Maybe they didn't recognize it as
sterling.) The hallway closet had a silverware box that they didn't
bother to check for silver. The gold they took was at one end of a 9'
closet. If they bothered pushing shirts away at the other end, they
would have seen a steel strongbox containing about $3700 of silver coins.

Hard to figure these guys out. The place was messy, but the only damage
was the casement operator. If you look at the video I took
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWyMY3L8DvQ), at time 3:46 you'll see a
polished mahogany box on the dresser. They didn't damage the box, or
even outer blue slip case it was in. They just took the coin.http://www.flickr.com/photos/9027891...in/photostream

At time 4:14, you'll see another similar mahogany box that was
undamaged, as was its slipcase. Hardly the deliberate actions of junkies
looking for a quick exit.

They didn't take mirrors or pictures off the walls to check for shallow
wall safes (less than 3.5" deep).
I think you are posting too much personal info in a public
forum....just sayin'

I got to thinking about that too. That's why I didn't talk about my
current property.

On Apr 8, 12:13*am, Ron wrote:
On Apr 7, 1:16*pm, Jim Yanik wrote:



burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.

Oh, and the 17 yr old punk ass kid was caught because he tried to push
a window open and left palm prints. Needless to say, they already had
his prints.

On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 21:13:20 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:

On Apr 7, 1:16Â*pm, Jim Yanik wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.
There have been documented cases of "double dipping" by theives - and
even involvement of salespeople at the stereo/tv reseller tipping off
their buddies.

On Apr 8, 12:22*am, gonjah gonjah.net wrote:
On 4/7/2012 11:08 PM, Ron wrote:


I think you are posting too much personal info in a public
forum....just sayin'

I got to thinking about that too. That's why I didn't talk about my
current property.

And I sure as **** wouldn't put my broken into home on YouTube!

On 4/8/2012 12:13 AM, Ron wrote:
On Apr 7, 1:16 pm, Jim wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

Sounds like they weren't paying attention during that 5 hour course they
need to complete to be a cop..


They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.

Human nature is to go for the lowest hanging fruit. They already
succeeded one time so why not try the easy way again.

On 4/8/2012 1:09 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 21:13:20 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Apr 7, 1:16 pm, Jim wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.
There have been documented cases of "double dipping" by theives - and
even involvement of salespeople at the stereo/tv reseller tipping off
their buddies.

Exactly, if something worked the first time why not do it again?

Stormin Mormon wrote:
My friend,
I think you're right. Of course, burglars are lazy. So, if your
house is protected, they will go to a different house.
You can expect HeBe-ub to give you grief, now. Read the "who is it"
thread to understand why.


Nope. YOU are the receipent of my scorn and derision. Whether my actions
give you grief, or whether you revel in insults, is a result of your own
psychological pathology.

I suspect, although I can't tell, that objections to your claim that some of
us here are nazis, invokes feelings of righteous indignation according to
your warped and degenerate mind.

Normal people, even those somewhat less than normal, would have apologized
for the insult and moved on. The fact that you haven't done so is but
further evidence of your latent, and disgusting, preferences.

Home Guy wrote:

"G. Morgan" wrote:

You'll get better answers in alt.security.alarms

its filled with professional installers.

If it's anything like alt.hvac then it's filled with professional
assholes who **** all over "hoe-moaners".

It was for a long time, but has returned to a generally civil
group the past 2 years.

--
I'd like to get four people who do cart wheels very good, and
make a cart. -Mitch Hedberg

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:34:10 -0400, George
wrote:

On 4/8/2012 1:09 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 7 Apr 2012 21:13:20 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Apr 7, 1:16 pm, Jim wrote:

burglars often RETURN to places they burgled once,because now the owner has
gotten NEW stuff to replace his stolen items.

Not what the police told when my house was broken into once.

They told me that the burglars move on to the next target.
There have been documented cases of "double dipping" by theives - and
even involvement of salespeople at the stereo/tv reseller tipping off
their buddies.

Exactly, if something worked the first time why not do it again?
and guaranteed new stuff too!!