recommendation for a "simple" home invasion alarm...

[cluttonfred]

Not all little dogs are the same. You want a smart dog with some hunting or herding background.

+1 for the terrier, especially if your better half is hesitant about getting a dog. Something small, but not tiny, alert, but not hyperactive.

We have a Cairn Terrier and are very happy with her. Not exactly intimidating (after she barks she rolls over to get her belly scratched) but she does alert us if a stranger comes around. West Highland, Scottish, etc. are all similar.

Back to the original thread, Radio Shack, Home Depot, even WalMart all sell basic DIY wireless alarm systems.

 

[AStone]

wake me up/alert me if someone breaches an established perimeter.
I'm looking for time to roll out of bed, put glasses on, open gun vault and
arm myself and then get to the top of the stairs before BG does.

Yeah, dogs are nice.

But I can't have one right now.

Here's my solution.

Interior window bars on downstairs windows.
(Easy for me; YMMV.)

Leave revolver on the bedside table.
(or in a locking box on bedside table).

Sleeping room door is metal exterior door with deadbolt.
Sleeping room also overlooks downstairs via an open interior window
with a clear shot into all parts of the main studio space below.

Breaking glass followed by sounds of a hacksaw
cutting through bars will wake me up.

No dog poop to clean up.

Yappy dogs are not my thing.

 

[razzle]

Three yappy dachshunds as the early warning system and a french bulldog that just doesn't care.

 

[Bubbles]

I'd like to set up a simple to use, specific purpose home alarm "system".

Here's what I'd like it to do...

1. wake me up/alert me if someone breaches an established perimeter. I'm looking for time to roll out of bed, put glasses on, open gun vault and arm myself and then get to the top of the stairs before BG does.

Here's a list of what I don't want it to do.

1. sound a loud alarm.... I want it to wake me up, and me alone.

2. go off every time the cat jumps off of a chair.

3. alert a monitoring agency

4. make a phone call.

5. scare the wife and kids with false alarms.


Ideally it would have three wireless door switches, one motion sensor (for the part of the basement which the cat's are shut out of). And half a dozen window switches.

I'd prefer a controll panel on my night stand that makes a door bell type noise and which can be easilly turned off.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Six-Sensor Voice Alert System - would also let you know where your perimeter was being breached (front door, back door, garage, etc).

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

Geese!

 

[Blakenzy]

+1 on the German shepherd.

 

[mgkdrgn]

I'm working on the dog with my wife.... I'm about 75% of the way there. My hearts desire is for a Golden though.... not changing my mind on that one.

Hmmm, then you will -definatly- need the little yappy dog to wake up the big dog!

I'm on my 2nd golden now. This is =not= a watch dog, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Geese!

Now THAT would work for sure! Really!

 

[MinnMooney]

http://www.x10.com/security/wireless_systems.html#powerflash_alarm

Here's one that I just found. I've been thinking about the same set-up as you describe. I don't want something that blasts a 200db alarm but something that will set off a small alarm (like an alarm clock) next to my bed. It would have to hook to a couple of doors and 1 or 2 motion detectors.


The other option is a 400lb gorilla. In the middle of a coal black night, there's just no reasoning with a sleep-deprived gorilla!

 

[Loomis]

When you say "a french bulldog that just doesn't care"...do you mean the dog doesn't care about his own personal safety and will attack anything up to and including a tyrannosaurus rex? Or do you mean the dog is ok with intruders and doesn't mind if they come and go as they please?

 

[Loomis]

A golden retriever is not known to be a good watch dog. There are exception, of course, every dog is an individual with it's own character. But a typical golden would try to be buddies with an intruder, not try to scare one away.

My dog is not your typical lab. She's small, very wirey, dark red, extremely aggressive, extremely territiorial, and enjoys killing things. Eats them too. She can actually catch squirrels and rabbits...full grown ones...generally eats the heads off right away, then burries the rest and eats it later.

These are not "typical" traits for a lab.

 

[LongRider]

Our Akita is about to have pups be ready for Christmas.

 

[sean m]

Mine are a female daschund beagle mix and a male jack russell. They're pretty good at protecting what they think is theirs.

 

[plumberroy]

Brie our lab mix sleeps outside our bedroom door You step off the side walk towards the door and I know it or touch any door or widow I know it. Deacon our 4 1/2 month old cocker/shis tzu mix is learning from the master . Retta and C.J. my beagles watch the back yard and garage and let me know if something isn't right or there is rabbit in the yard they are only disarmable by hurting If that happens you have a lot worse problems than a barking dog because I'm all ready up to see what is wrong and now instead of a dog to deal with your dealing with a large well armed P.Oed hillbilly it won't end good.
Roy

 

[Realbigo]

I have a buddy who went a little secret squirrel on this same issue. He ended up wiring up three motion sensors around the outside of the house to a cheapo pre paid cell in the attic, and it calls his regular phone, which is always on vibrate next to the bed anyway.

 

[RioShooter]

My vote is for a GS.

 

[RobNDenver]

I have a Rottweiler. All the home invasion alarm I need. I'm serious. If the sound of the door getting kicked in, or the window broken doesn't wake the dog, or me, we are in deep kimchee. . . .

 

[elsullo]

Battery Power!

A midnight intruder is first going to cut your phone line. Then, he will yank your electric meter to cut your power and deprive all of your alarms of juice. All he needs is a scissors for these actions.

All security efforts must bear this in mind...............elsullo

 

[waterhill]

Peacocks. They are LOUD. They will wake the dead, and all of your neighbors.

 

[bgeddes]

I used to work for a company that builds sensors for security and automatic doors (Grocery stores and the like). We had three basic technologies of sensors, Passive Infra Red, Ultrasonic, and Microwave. On evening whilst a group of us technicians and engineers were enjoying a few adult beverages, the topic of defeating our sensors came up.

Passive Infra Red: like most cheapo 'motion sensors' were a space blanket away from failure to detect.

Ultrasonic: Took some creative electronics but nothing a determined criminal could not figure out. A tricky timing thing but they can be fooled with effort.

Microwave: Like the ones that set off radar detectors, we could not get past. They are true motion detectors. With careful placement a few good sensors could cover multiple windows and doors. Most can be set up to not detect the cat(s).

The ones we built ran on DC or AC power so they could be set up to run on batteries with a simple relay to automatically switch when the power fails.

The amount of time and energy you spend running wires and mounting cheap switches might offset the costs of good sensors and a simple alarm.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

If you are from out in the country the geese and guineas do the trick if you can put up with the guineas. Both are great for outside during daylight hours.
German shepherd dog for the inside. I will remind you it will take a while for one to prime out. I do have misgivings concerning the American Kennel Club and their guidelines. Breeding over the years has left out the natural agressiveness needed in alot of their breeds. Good breeders put to shame the AKC. I wish I knew then what I know now.

 

[krs]

I don't know if it's true everywhere or even in most places, but my power meter doesn't have anything much to do with the house power beyond being a way for me to watch the wheel in it go faster or slower.

Several years ago the local power company made the power uninterruptable at the house, presumably to prevent the practice of bootlegging by wiring in in front of the meter and/or bypassing the measurement of usage, and also to automate their billing practice to a central location that can electronically 'read my meter'.

I found this out when I pulled my meter in order to panel up under it and nothing happened. I thought somehow there was a short around the meter that could be a problem so I called and they told me the fun facts above.

So BG won't be able to chop the power here and it's worth finding out if he can still do it at your house.

 

[Korbin]

This is what you see as soon as you come up the stairs in my house.

Ok, he's actually chasing a tennis ball and I photoshopped the picture dark.

 

[LongRider]

Oh well if we are showing pup pics here is our male Akita. A 125lb clown dog until he meets a stranger, than he is the quiet leery one. The wrong move gets you nailed, so I have to watch him if he does not like someone that tells me all I need to know about that person. Depending on the situation I move him into another room until the person he does not like leaves. If they are not a threat

 

[Ghost Rider1976]

I would go with the dog. Always on call and always ready to protect you and the family. I have a boston terrier he only barks at folks he knows and seriously growls hackles up when he doesnt know you. which when all this is taking place the 120 lb weimerainer comes thru his outside door to greet the person thinking of coming in the house both dogs work and both are family pets.
Just my 2 cents