question about alarm systems and motion detectors?
Z Z asked:
i’m thinking of installing an alarm system yet one thing keeps troubling me. in case of a blackout all the alarms and motion sensors go out, right. so the question is this, how can you defend against a break in where the thief cuts the power line? also to this point i’d like to clear up another thing, if the power cables are underground and the intruder breaks in he’s got around 30 seconds to disarm the alarm. now if he was to find the fuse box and pull the fuses would a call still go out or not?
i’m thinking of installing an alarm system yet one thing keeps troubling me. in case of a blackout all the alarms and motion sensors go out, right. so the question is this, how can you defend against a break in where the thief cuts the power line? also to this point i’d like to clear up another thing, if the power cables are underground and the intruder breaks in he’s got around 30 seconds to disarm the alarm. now if he was to find the fuse box and pull the fuses would a call still go out or not?
i’m have just started a business and also have a storage in my house. i’ve already taken precautions and physically secured it so it’ll be harder to break in however i still want more security. i just find it pointless if all that has to be done to defeat it is to pull a fuse. its not a problem when i’m around but i want to go on vacation so i’d need a good advice.
i just want some other opinions first and find out what my options are. companies that make profit from what they sell you are not always going to give a good advice.
so how long is the battery back up going to last? and can’t that be pulled as well?
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January 31st, 2011 at 7:56 pm
motion detectors
simple way is a power inverter using a battery maintained by a charger
February 1st, 2011 at 11:41 pm
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Your question should be addressed to a company that sells and installs alarm systems.
February 4th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
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most all alarm systems have a battery back up.and as for the 30 seconds alarms are set to only give you that delay if you inter from one door if any other sensor is triggerd first it gos off with no delay
me and my mom both have an ADT alarm the main unit has a backup power that will last 24 hours if power is out.all sensors are wireless and run on aaa batterys that only have to be changed every 3 years.and if you sign a 3 year contract its all free thay even put in and set it up all you have to pay is 35 dollars a mouth for the 3 years.and every time mine has went off the police where there with in 10 mins.
all you would have to do is put the main panel some where it would take longer than 30 seconds to find 30 seconds is not enuf time to do any thing to it if you have to look for it.and once it gos off the police are called with in seconds. after that it dont matter waht thay do to it the police are on the way.if you wont to pay a little more money thay make a back up unit that you hide and if any thing happens to the mian unit it calls in to a cell tower.so even if they cut phone lines and smash the main unit police will be comeing
February 6th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
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alarm systems have a battery back-up system.
February 9th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
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The battery backup lasts anywhere from a couple of hours to 24 hours. The calls generally go out quick. Here is a thought though, if they cut the power lines they are going to get fried. Unless they know how to pull your meter socket, which in that case is a 2 minute thing and will kill all the power to your house / business.
Yes the battery can be pulled as well, but they have to find out where that is located and they have approximately 30 seconds to find that and pull it. You can secure that location well and prevent them from getting to it. They could cut your phone line though and thus prevent the call from going out. With some security companies though (ADT, Broadview, etc. you can get a backup cellular option). Here are some prices:
Most of them charge you an extra fee per month because they are signing up a cellular contract as well.
Some security systems you buy will let the system notify more than 1 phone number in the event of a problem. If you went with cellular and you had both you and the alarm company on the list, you would get a notification along with them. It sounds like you may want to consider putting in some cameras as well.
My one piece of advice is before you go with an alarm company, make sure you can support all the security options you want to. They will make you sign a three year contract most likely and then you are married to them. You can install your own system for around $400. For around $1000 you could probably put in your own alarm system and cameras. Check Amazon for some good reviews and you won’t go wrong.
On cameras, be careful that you get ones that are good cameras. They might be expensive but there’s a difference, especially in low light situations:
Night vision is not everything it is cracked up to be. Most images end up being grainy. If you look for your own alarm system, try the GE Simon XT alarm (maybe around $250). It is expandable I believe to 40 zones.
Sorry for the long answer, probably more than you wanted but there are whole aspects to security for securing your home and many different options to consider. I think you are wise to consider some of those options and ask those questions. Many alarm systems are surprisingly easy to defeat. The nice thing about the cellular backup is that the thief doesn’t know you have a cellular backup, so if they cut your phone line, they are still out of luck and they don’t know it until the police arrive.