Introduction

A good electronic security system design is about achieving balance within your family’s environment, between your neighbourhood, lifestyle and home layout.  This article will be helpful in designing an economical system for a Queensland home where the owners live in the home and want to minimise the impact to their family and property from the type of burglary usually experienced in Queensland.  This family will be 2 – 5 people some with motor vehicles, mostly garaged.  The contents in the home are usually insured but have greater sentimental value; like jewellery.

Where does your suburb rate? http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/our-top-50-burglary-suburbs/story-e6freoof-1111115141594

In designing your system it is important to be realistic about the type of situations to which you are likely to be exposed.  Our fears might insist on a perimeter fence with guns and dogs but invasions requiring that kind of protection simply don’t happen to typical Queensland homes.

This website offers good perspective: http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/personalSafety/violence/fear.htm

Firstly, lets go over the components and how they combine to become your security system.

The main devices used for intruder detection

Magnetic switches or reed switches have been popular in the past and offer good perimeter protection to doors and windows, but best of all, they rarely false alarm.  However they are expensive to install and while they offer protection against a door or window being opened there is no protection if the intruder smashes the window to gain entry.

Passive Infra Red (PIR) detectors, Dual /Tri Tech detectors. PIR detectors use sensors to detect heat change. Dual and Tri Tech detectors use heat sensors and small microwave transmitters/receivers to detect both heat and movement within a room.  There has been significant improvement in the design of these detectors over the years and they are no longer the over-sensitive, unreliable devices they once were.  A good quality PIR is usually the cheapest and most effective way to detect an intruder.  The problem though, even with quality detectors, is that the quest for balance between good detection and zero false alarms means that sometimes movement is not detected.  For example, if an intruder were to move past 10 detectors then you might expect around 8 to detect that movement.  The solution is not to skimp on the quantity or quality of detectors.  Especially if you are considering back to base monitoring, the more information we receive from your alarm system, the better our response.

Which rooms should be protected?

Rooms should be protected if they are accessible from outside or contain items attractive to a thief.  Glass windows, garage doors or timber doors should all be considered as accessible.

Some rooms like the laundry and bathroom are not suitable for detectors. The increased humidity in these areas causes dust to stick to the sensor and deteriorate performance.  Also, condensation on the electronic circuit board will reduce detector life and reliability.  If these rooms need to be protected, then magnetic switches are the better choice.

The kitchen should also fall into this category but is too important not to protect, so location of the detector is vital to avoid problems.

For more information on making your home secure, check out this web site. http://www.aic.gov.au/crime_types/property%20crime/guides.aspx

How do I turn the Alarm System ON and OFF?

Think about this: If you have a Codepad inside your home, then your system must allow an entry delay to give you time to open the door, walk to the codepad and enter your code, lets say 30 seconds. But this delay is also available to an intruder, so it is possible the intruder can break and enter your home, grab some valuables and be back out on the street before your alarm system activates!

A better method is to locate the codepad outside your home, near the door you usually use to come and go.  The problem with this method is most people find an outdoor codepad unappealing and in most cases the codepad will need to be a more expensive weatherproof version.

Of course, whether inside or outside, codepads force you to come and go through specific doors.  So, for some, the alarm system wont always be used because it isn’t convenient to walk to the codepad when they will be absent for short periods.

The best way is to Arm and Disarm the Alarm System is using key fob radio remotes.  They are small and convenient enough to be carried with you and can be waterproof to survive the odd dunking! So even if you are away from home for just a few minutes it is convenient to use the Alarm System.  Remotes also offer a Panic Button.  Press the red button for 3 seconds to activate the sirens!

Can I have an Alarm System if I have pets?

A PIR or Dual /Tri Tech detector can’t tell the difference between a 35kg dog and a similar weight intruder.  But there is a compromise.  A good quality pet immune detector will cost a little more but will ignore a pet up to around 25kg, or two pets of 12kg.  Unfortunately, if the combined weight of pets is over 25kg, then PIR or Dual /Tri Tech detectors are probably unsuitable.

Smoke Detectors

Most homes have smoke detectors fitted.  Even the cheaper supermarket variety do an excellent job of alerting your family to the possibility of fire.  And unless you are considering back to base monitoring there is no advantage in the added expense of installing smoke detectors connected to the Alarm System. If no-one is home, non-monitored smoke detectors rely on a passerby to notice smoke coming from your home and alert the fire brigade.

However if you are considering monitoring, connecting your smoke detectors to your alarm system provides early detection of fire and a far better way to alert the Fire Brigade.

Home Arming

Particularly useful in a multi-level home, this option allows you to arm part of your home while you are inside.  For instance if your bedrooms are upstairs then you might arm downstairs at night.  The Alarm System will activate if movement is detected downstairs while allowing you to move around freely up stairs.  This is a no cost option but needs to be considered by the installer when programming your Alarm System.

Here is some useful information from people who have contacted us after they have been burgled.

Victims often reported seeing someone suspicious around their home a few days before being burgled.

You can’t stop this happening but you can make them understand your home is a difficult target.  An external sire/strobe in an obvious position is an excellent visual deterrent, as are security company stickers.  But not stickers from electronic stores Crooks also go to these stores to and recognise they are fakes.

Detectors in prominent positions are a good deterrent a detector visible to anyone at your front door confirms that you have a working security system.

Things were stolen from an open shed or garage.

Most thefts are opportunistic if your garage or shed is open and visible from the street then expect the things inside to be targeted.  Keeping doors closed and locked will make your home less attractive to a thief.  You should consider installing reed switches or detectors in these areas.  If the garage or shed is not attached to the house then running cables to the detectors can be both difficult and expensive.  For those situations radio PIR’s can be used.

They used a rock to smash the window and enter.

Burglars generally don’t carry climbing or glass breaking tools with them, but they will use yours if they are available.  Keep ladders, wheelie bins or anything else that can be used to climb into your home either out of view or secured.  Where possible, remove rocks or anything that could be used to smash windows or force open doors, inaccessible to thieves.