Home alarm suggestions

[TexasRedneck]

Good points Ceberus01! I'm about as close to a card-carrying redneck as you'll ever meet - hunter, gun nut, NRA Life member...every gun I own is in my safe - except the one that'll be pointed between your eyes if you break in. A shotgun resides next to my home office desk, and there are other "options" available to me throughout the house when we're home. They get put in the safe prior to leaving - but NONE of 'em are rifles - because I don't want to injure a neighbor while protecting myself.
There's a handgun called "The Judge" that'll shoot both .45 Long Colt AND 410-gauge shot shells - a VERY handy pistol for many wanting something for self-defense without having to worry about over-penetration. The downside - it's relatively heavy and bulky, so carrying it concealed isn't really very practical, especially during the summer months. Personally, I carry different handguns depending on what I'm wearing and even where I'm going - everything from .380's (pocket pistol ALWAYS on my person) to .45's (inside my waistband and under my untucked shirt). To the poster worried about the recoil on a .45 for his wife.....my better half is 5' 1", 110 lbs - and she had the same concerns. On a trip to the range some time back, I finally convinced her to try one of my .45's. THAT resulted in her getting her "own" Kimber CDP w/slim grips - she found the recoil LESS than what she got with either her .357 or .38's.
There's lots more to be discussed on this - if someone has specific questions, DM me or post here. I am NOT going to set myself out as some kind of "expert", but like Ceberus01 I'll be happy to share my thoughts/ideas and let you sort out what works best for you.
One other thing....my shotgun has #4 shot in it - NOT buckshot. Buckshot can overpenetrate just as a handgun round can - the #4 will do the job, but generally NOT overpenetrate if you miss your intended target. And don't get sucked into the "high-capacity" debate on handguns - study after study shows that most "gunfights" involve less than 3 TOTAL rounds being expended. Way I figure it, if you can't hit 'em in 6 rounds, reload an' give THEM a turn.

[Bo]

The gun tangent ends here, per the TOS section below. The topic of this thread is home alarm systems.

Stay on topic. Attempts to hi-jack threads by switching topics or going off topic will be deleted and infractions issued. This is not a chat room - when people hi-jack threads by posting messages that are of interest to only few people, the threads often stop being useful discussions of initial topics.

[Cerberus01]

[SIZE=3]At any rate some folks prefer an alarm system and that’s fine also. I recently upgraded with a company called Platinum Protection by Monitronics. They can be pricey ($44.99) per mo but the systems suits my needs. I like features like internal remote monitoring and medical notification. I recommend a system with an auto reset function and a battery back-up in case of power failures. I find it very annoying when a neighbor’s alarm system sings all day when no one is home. False alarm activations in the county reached the level that the BCSO would hardly respond to a residential alarm activation unless it was verified by a neighbor or monitoring company…when you apply for your license they want you to furnish the name and # of two neighbors who can verify a real break-in and if necessary have access to your deactivation code. Kind of defeats the rationale behind having an alrm system if you’re passing out your alarm codes huh? There are some decent systems available offered through ADT and Broadview (formerly Brinks). You need to shop around for one that fits your needs.[/SIZE]

[mitchf1]

Originally Posted by dakotamidnight

I too am curious about prices, etc for home alarm systems.

We have a system pre-installed {ADT}, but it's not monitored. Came with the house when we bought it. With my parents health declining and it soon to be just me and my daughter, I want home security because I sleep deeply and don't hear things going on in the house.

I'm in the same situation. A nice ADT system is installed in the home I bought in July. I don't want monitoring but am at a loss on how to reset and use the features installed without that. I just want the alarm to sound if I have a break-in. ADT will not give up codes. Any ideas? I cannot reach the former owners. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by mitchf1

I'm in the same situation. A nice ADT system is installed in the home I bought in July. I don't want monitoring but am at a loss on how to reset and use the features installed without that. I just want the alarm to sound if I have a break-in. ADT will not give up codes. Any ideas? I cannot reach the former owners. Thanks in advance for any help.

I recommend you call around and look for a company that will sell you an unmonitored system and has the ability to work on the brand of system hardware that you have.

[mitchf1]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I recommend you call around and look for a company that will sell you an unmonitored system and has the ability to work on the brand of system hardware that you have.

Thanks for the suggestion....

[mitchf1]

Originally Posted by Mitcht

I do not know of any alarm companies that will install a non-monitored system in San Antonio. They want the monitoring. My company can reprogam most systems on the market. Moderator cut: Contact info and business details With the new technology you can access your keypad and some cameras with your web enabled phone.

Good Luck

I'd be interested in finding out more. Also, I'm in the Atlanta area. Not sure how we'd accomplish it, but I have experience in the technical field so with the right instructions, etc I'm sure I could do it. Let me know what my options are and maybe we can do business.

Thanks for the help...

[janejanejanejanejane]

We currently pay Broadview $514 a year- about 43 a month and I know that is insane. We need to switch, but we need wireless monitoring since we don't want it hooked up to a phone line. Recs?