We're trying to decide and don't have all the info we need to decide on a company. What are pros and cons? Thanks.
OT What security system/company do you have for your home?
- Thread starter TheReelEss
- Start date
A dog in the backyard and a sign in the front yard flowerbed saying that I have a security system (I don’t).
I have an Sig Sauer AR15, 2 Glock 45’s, and a sign that says, “Virginia Is For Lovers. South Carolina Ain’t”.
Haha. These responses are about what I expected. Seriously, a decent sized dog inside the house is about the best deterrent and early warning system you can buy. They are also pretty fun when not on guard duty. As for the previous advice about firearms, keep whatever gun you can safely and comfortably store, retrieve quickly, and shoot in low-light conditions. I love Coup's sign, but I wouldn't advise putting up any sort of humorous or flippant sign about shooting people. If you ever had to use it in self-defense, that's probably just something the bad guy's family would use against you in a civil action when they attempt to label you as "blood thirsty" or "trigger happy."
As for security companies, there's no need to spend more than about $10 for monthly monitoring. Don't over-complicate things with a bunch of stuff you don't need.
As for security companies, there's no need to spend more than about $10 for monthly monitoring. Don't over-complicate things with a bunch of stuff you don't need.
In all honesty I bought these $25 Wyze cameras from Amazon and they work terrific . I used them for mice more than intruders but they work great . The motion sensor is ridiculous. Mine would pick up flies . Any event will send an immediate notification to my phone . Funny my buddy has a motion sensor that triggers a recorded Big dog bark thru his bose sound system . Thought that was pretty cool
CPI.....they are responsive and have quality equipment. The monthly fee is a little high, but I have a lot of people running around my neighborhood doing new construction and they look very questionable. When the neighborhood gets built out I will go a cheaper route.
I use CPI and have a Ring doorbell. Also, front and back cameras.
And these guard your house when you're not there?
It’s up to the bad guy to decide if I’m there or not. 50-50 chance, but my Rottweiler puts the odds in my favor. The concern about alarm systems isn’t something I give much thought to. When the lady in the commercial says, “Stop. Identify yourself,” chances are he’s not, and that police car won’t be sitting right around the corner.
As our society has deteriorated, life has become mano a mano, whether you’re at home or not. I’ve kind of changed the subject. I apologize to the OP.
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Well, the rottweiler is a great alarm system. That changes things. But just owning firearms doesn't deter break-ins. If it did I wouldn't even be asking the question. People actually break into houses specifically to steal guns. It's not hard to figure out when people are home.
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I have the same. Works great. I also have a driveway alarm. My driveway is over 200 yards long. Works well. And the required arsenal of handguns, shotguns and rifles. Someone would be really brave or stupid to come down that long driveway with ill intent. I am not sure that the attack ducks help much though.
I have a fenced in backyard that I keep locked, with a dog inside the fence that barks when anyone except me, my wife, and my kids come into the yard. He is scared of his own shadow but he does bark when nervous and he barks loud. He at least sounds mean when he’s fired up. Thankfully, he doesn’t bark that often and other dogs barking doesn’t impact him. So if he barks, he sees something.
I have my fake security alarm sign in the front yard. (My sister use to have a company monitor her home and she got a few extra signs and gave me one so it’s a legit company that anyone would recognize)
my neighbor across the street is retired and always home. She watches out for my house and I do the same for her. She knows to text me if she sees anyone in my yard in the daytime.
I have a storm door on my front and back door. Makes my house less enticing for anyone wanting to kick the door in compared to other houses in my neighborhood. The two windows on the side of my house are high enough off the ground that it would require a 6 foot step ladder to break and enter. Otherwise they’d have to break a window right on front of the house in plain view of my neighbor across the street.)
I have motion lights on the front of my house. Lights up like the sun if someone walks into my yard at night.
I have a safe in my house where I keep valuables. It’s as heavy as a truck and awkward. It would take 2 big guys to carry that out and even then it would be a pain to find, and carry. If they really want my 10 year old Vizio TVs, or our old pottery barn dishes they can have them. My wife’s valuable jewelry is on her everyday. The rest is dollar store costume stuff. I can’t think of much of anything in my house they’d want to try to carry out in a quick manner. Our China pattern and good stuff is hidden away in boxes in closets. It’s also heavy and very awkward to carry.
I don’t have a regular morning schedule. Sometimes I leave at 7, sometimes 8:30, sometimes 10 or 11. I also work from home 1-2 days a week, which varies. It can be any 2 days of the week. Someone casing my house would never figure that schedule out because I don’t k ow it myself more than 2-3 days out. Anyone watching my house would never nail down when the house is really empty. As we have a 3rd car, the driveway is almost never empty.
I often leave my kitchen radio on when I am gone. It’s turned up moderately loud so anyone near my front door would hear the radio going assuming someone might be home.
i had rather take these steps than pay a monthly fee.
I have my fake security alarm sign in the front yard. (My sister use to have a company monitor her home and she got a few extra signs and gave me one so it’s a legit company that anyone would recognize)
my neighbor across the street is retired and always home. She watches out for my house and I do the same for her. She knows to text me if she sees anyone in my yard in the daytime.
I have a storm door on my front and back door. Makes my house less enticing for anyone wanting to kick the door in compared to other houses in my neighborhood. The two windows on the side of my house are high enough off the ground that it would require a 6 foot step ladder to break and enter. Otherwise they’d have to break a window right on front of the house in plain view of my neighbor across the street.)
I have motion lights on the front of my house. Lights up like the sun if someone walks into my yard at night.
I have a safe in my house where I keep valuables. It’s as heavy as a truck and awkward. It would take 2 big guys to carry that out and even then it would be a pain to find, and carry. If they really want my 10 year old Vizio TVs, or our old pottery barn dishes they can have them. My wife’s valuable jewelry is on her everyday. The rest is dollar store costume stuff. I can’t think of much of anything in my house they’d want to try to carry out in a quick manner. Our China pattern and good stuff is hidden away in boxes in closets. It’s also heavy and very awkward to carry.
I don’t have a regular morning schedule. Sometimes I leave at 7, sometimes 8:30, sometimes 10 or 11. I also work from home 1-2 days a week, which varies. It can be any 2 days of the week. Someone casing my house would never figure that schedule out because I don’t k ow it myself more than 2-3 days out. Anyone watching my house would never nail down when the house is really empty. As we have a 3rd car, the driveway is almost never empty.
I often leave my kitchen radio on when I am gone. It’s turned up moderately loud so anyone near my front door would hear the radio going assuming someone might be home.
i had rather take these steps than pay a monthly fee.
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Well if you get broken into and you’re home, I hope you have a lethal weapon at your disposal. You’ll have only precious seconds to save yourself and your loved ones. If you don’t have one, dial 911. The police will arrive in 5-7 minutes.
Real life example to prove a point:
I had a Doberman. Female. (no matter) At about the 1 1/2 yr stage of her life, there was an incident....... I was at the computer on a ground level apartment. A stranger approached the sliding glass door and right about the time he got his hand on the handle the dog appeared almost out of nowhere. Somehow, she knew I was worried.
It was the first time I ever saw that dog pissed off. Believe me when I say this and read this carefully > If he had opened that door, there was nothing, NOTHING I could do, nor would do to stop the carnage. My knees were shaking and I'm 6 ft and weighed 200. Pass. No thank you. She would have killed him. Zero doubts.
Turns out he had the wrong apartment. Fast forward a few years:
I lived in a sketchy neighborhood and I was warned there had been some break-ins. I got on google and found a picture of one of those elite k-9 trainers that train dobermans and german sheppards in police work. It was a picture of the dog literally hanging on one of the "bite" arm pads they wear during training.
I had that photo blown up and underneath the photo were these words > WARNING: Attack dog lives here. If you open the door, there is nothing I can do to stop it. < (English and spanish)
While I lived there, BOTH of my neighbors on either side were broken into. One of them 3 times.
I left for work with the doors unlocked and often slept through the night that way too.
Doberman > There is no substitute.
I had a Doberman. Female. (no matter) At about the 1 1/2 yr stage of her life, there was an incident....... I was at the computer on a ground level apartment. A stranger approached the sliding glass door and right about the time he got his hand on the handle the dog appeared almost out of nowhere. Somehow, she knew I was worried.
It was the first time I ever saw that dog pissed off. Believe me when I say this and read this carefully > If he had opened that door, there was nothing, NOTHING I could do, nor would do to stop the carnage. My knees were shaking and I'm 6 ft and weighed 200. Pass. No thank you. She would have killed him. Zero doubts.
Turns out he had the wrong apartment. Fast forward a few years:
I lived in a sketchy neighborhood and I was warned there had been some break-ins. I got on google and found a picture of one of those elite k-9 trainers that train dobermans and german sheppards in police work. It was a picture of the dog literally hanging on one of the "bite" arm pads they wear during training.
I had that photo blown up and underneath the photo were these words > WARNING: Attack dog lives here. If you open the door, there is nothing I can do to stop it. < (English and spanish)
While I lived there, BOTH of my neighbors on either side were broken into. One of them 3 times.
I left for work with the doors unlocked and often slept through the night that way too.
Doberman > There is no substitute.
Nothing worth stealing. I’m so cheap and poor i’m On a free board
Ah, the kitchen radio. That's so old school. My parents and grandparents had a kitchen radio. I never have and I'm almost 50.
I am a commercial and residential security field consultant for a good solid company but it depends on where you live. We serve several ,markets in SC and 8 other Southeastern states. Let me know and I will be glad to help.
We've got a pitbull in the house. He's sweet as pie but sounds ferocious. That being said, I don't know how he'd act with a stranger coming in the house. Most any dog is going to be protective of their territory and people.
Alarms are a waste of time and money. If it makes a girl in your house fee better, fine get one. I have had security systems as long as I have had houses practically and they never did a damn thing to deter robberies or to help police catch anyone who robbed me. In the end no reasonable amount of security will protect your home (obviously you could like build a 20 ft barbed wire fence and hire armed guards to patrol the grounds.. that might help! But the standard options are worthless). If someone wants in, they can get in. If they want your TV they can take it... alarms alert you but the culprit will be long gone before you or the police arrive.
Dogs- scare some people off but not most... again if someone wants in they can get by your dog. We had a dog inside one time, they wrapped him up in a blanket and tossed him in a locked room...
If you have a gun... maybe you can do something if they break in while you are home? But 90% of responsible gun owners have the guns locked up in a place it takes a while to get into.. You think someone breaking into your house to cause you harm will stand around and wait while you unlock a gun case and reload your gun? Or fumble with a trigger lock in the dark? If you keep a shotgun under your pillow you might get the drop on them but statistically speaking you are about 5000%(made up stat but it is a huge difference) more likely to take your own life with a gun, to have the gun taken from you and used on you/your family, or to have a kid/family member mistakenly injured by said firearm than for it to ever be used in any sort of protection situation. You are way better off with a baseball bat beside the bed.
perhaps installing one of those doorbell cameras is helpful... If you are ok with being alerted every time a bee or the mailman walks by your porch?
I have also worked with/ talked to multiple security companies... most use the exact same equipment and their service all sucks. Go with the cheapest option if you decide to get one.
Follow up question to the OP: What passcode are you using? Just curious before I set mine? 
My dog doesn't even bark when the doorbell rings, much less when someone she doesn't know comes inside, which is kinda funny considering she's a chihuahua mix. I want my money back! (j/k - she's a rescue and I wouldn't give her away for anything)
I want to know how this guys police are gonna get there in 5-7 minutes if dialing 911. My guess here would be 25-30 minutes. My gun is not locked up. It is ready to go, when I am. If they want to guess when I'm not home, good luck to them.
A lot of people would be surprised to learn their dog doesn't bark or get aggressive when they're not home. My dog barks at EVERYTHING when we're there. But I've been told by a builder who worked on our house she can't even be found when we're gone.
Law enforcement agencies agree that the greatest deterrent to a home invasion is a barking dog. A common practice is for a perpetrator to ring the front doorbell first before kicking in the back door. Most dogs go nuts when a doorbell rings.
Ring plus smith and Wesson. I have a dog but she doesn’t bother getting up most of the time when someone is at the door.
All bedrooms are upstairs and if someone came up I could pick them off before they knew what hit them. Home field advantage.
All bedrooms are upstairs and if someone came up I could pick them off before they knew what hit them. Home field advantage.
The best deterrent is not just one single thing.
my dog barks when strangers come up in the yard. If I’m home, I notice. If I am not, then it doesn’t matter.
but I have other things that reduce my chances of being a target (security sign in front yard, attentive neighbor that is retired and can text me, I leave my radio on in the house most days when I am not home, etc)
the chances of a nighttime burglar attack are VERY, VERY, VERY low if you are not engaged in using illegal drugs, and lock your doors and windows, and don’t have a habit of making enemies.
Per our HOA, the only house in our neighborhood that has suffered an evening or nighttime burglary attempt was one in which there was suspected drug use by one of the occupants, who had a bad habit of owing money to his supplier. That’s a recipe for disaster.
the other few attempts were attempts to steal stuff out of unlocked cars. Why someone is stupid enough to leave their cars unlocked in today’s’ world is beyond my understanding but law enforcement tells us that this happens all the time and is one of their biggest issues-an issue that people keep ignoring.
Mine will only bark at the doorbell or a car pulling up in the driveway if other dogs are at the house and start barking. Loves to bark at other dogs though when we're out walking.
I've had folks ring my doorbell offering to rake my leaves but had no rake. That could easily be a ploy to see if anyone was home and "case the joint". Greeted by my snarling half pit and chow they would have second thoughts.
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