Burglars in here please.

Caporegime
Joined
29 Aug 2007
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28,768
Location
Auckland
Hello, home alarm enthusiasts!

I would like your opinion on the positioning of an exterior siren/strobe for my home. The item in question looks like this:

6ld2Lc6.jpg


Currently it sits under the eves at the front of the house and is visible but not obvious or intrusive; it's facing down from the eves to the ground, rather than mounted facing outwards.

Do you favour a more obvious approach or the more subtle?


[mod note: I've posted this in GD as it attracts a better class of low grade criminal so results should be more useful to me than in the other House Stuff forum, I can't remember the name]
 
The exterior siren is pretty much pointless if it isn't a linked alarm.

1. Neighbours will assume your alarm has tripped

2. Police won't dispatch to a burglary unless the person saw someone enter the house
 
Pic is broken. When I mouse over the image to magnify it doesn't work.

(I'm expecting it to either get bigger or magn(olia)ify by turning into an anime collage)
 
Not sure what this means. The siren/strobe is on the exterior, there is an interior piezo sounder inside, all linked to a brain which is in a very difficult place to get to, and three PIR sensors downstairs and 2 upstairs.

e : do you mean linked to a security monitoring service or similar?
 
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[FnG]magnolia;25996429 said:
Currently it sits under the eves at the front of the house and is visible but not obvious or intrusive; it's facing down from the eves to the ground, rather than mounted facing outwards.

Do you favour a more obvious approach or the more subtle?

That sounds fine to me, as long as it's not possible to reach without ladders.
However its non standard facing does suggest a home install, and the likely absence of it being monitored by a security company.

A burglar knows what he is looking for and isn't going to miss a white and blue box. I do wonder why some home owners make a big thing about having the box set right in the middle of what would otherwise be a nice house.
 
That sounds fine to me, as long as it's not possible to reach without ladders.
However its non standard facing does suggest a home install, and the likely absence of it being monitored by a security company.

It's at the apex of our second story so ladders would have to first get over our electric gate/neighbours aware etc etc.

Not a home install. We had the electricians who had been onboard for our renovation do it so they wired everything.

A burglar knows what he is looking for and isn't going to miss a white and blue box. I do wonder why some home owners make a big thing about having the box set right in the middle of what would otherwise be a nice house.

This was what our electrician said although he did also point out that if people want your stuff they're going to get your stuff one way or the other.

I think this just bugs me because although I like it being very subtle, the part of my brain that doesn't know how or why burglaries happen thinks it should be more obvious.
 
When I knock off a place, I like to know in advance that they have an alarm system. I consider it rude for the fact not to be advertised, and usually take my revenge by loosening the cap on their salt shaker, so next time they pour out some salt - SALT AVALANCHE MOFO!
 
[FnG]magnolia;25996499 said:
do you mean linked to a security monitoring service or similar?

Yes.

Unless you get a linked alarm it's a total waste of time.

Ie. One which is monitored by a security company who will then dispatch the police.
 
An electric gate is good, no point breaking in if you can't carry anything away easily or roll up in a transit.

All an alarm does is limit the burglars time to whatever the police response time is, maybe five minutes? It's pretty unlikely a neighbour is going to charge over there unless you are good friends.

Subtle is fine, wander around your area and see how long it takes you to spot people's alarm boxes and cameras, it's mere seconds. I notice people's awful aerial installations as I drive past.


One tip I thought was good was to leave big bowls of water at the front, people then think you have a big dog :)
 
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pfft OP is going about this all wrong what he needs to invest in are:

A Mine Field

A Moat & Drawbridge

Piranhas'/ Crocodiles'

Murder holes

Punji Pits

Sniper's nest

Artillery

Mercenaries
 
The exterior siren is pretty much pointless if it isn't a linked alarm.

1. Neighbours will assume your alarm has tripped

2. Police won't dispatch to a burglary unless the person saw someone enter the house

Utter nonsense!
The vast majority of burglars will simply move onto another house if they believe it is alarmed.
I use to work with youths that had convictions for burglary!
 
Yes.

Unless you get a linked alarm it's a total waste of time.

Ie. One which is monitored by a security company who will then dispatch the police.

Ok, thanks for the input. I think there';s a lot more to it than that but that's useful.

1. Buy a Bullmastiff
2. Get burgled
3. ????
4. Profit!

Heh, saw your thread. I'm thinking Greyhounds instead of bullmastiff's right now and completely separate to this thread.
 
An electric gate is good, no point breaking in if you can't carry anything away easily or roll up in a transit.

All an alarm does is limit the burglars time to whatever the police response time is, maybe five minutes? It's pretty unlikely a neighbour is going to charge over there unless you are good friends.

Subtle is fine, wander around your area and see how long it takes you to spot people's alarm boxes and cameras, it's mere seconds. I notice people's awful aerial installations as I drive past.


One tip I thought was good was to leave big bowls of water at the front, people then think you have a big dog :)

Thanks for this, very useful :)
 
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