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The idea of an intruder alarm is to simply
try and deter a potential burglary occurring at
your house, and to an extent it works a treat.
After all if your house is alarmed and another
house just up the road isn't then your house is
a lot less likely to get targeted. A burglar
does not want any attention, he just wants to
get in with as little fuss as possible take what
ever he wants and leave to go on to the next
house, if he triggers an alarm system it could
obviously ruin his entire day, noise is his
worst enemy because it attracts attention.
Burglar alarms have become standard equipment in
stores and other businesses, and they're
becoming increasingly common in private homes as
well. If you've ever shopped for a home security
system, then you know there are a wide variety
of options available. These systems range from
do-it-yourself kits you can pick up for £100 to
sophisticated whole-house security networks that
must be installed by professionals from £550 and
up to £several thousand. But, as it turns out,
most alarm systems use the same basic design
concepts.
Types of Alarm System.
There are basically 2 choices and 2 options
for you to consider regarding your types of
alarm system, as listed below.
Choice 1. Audible only (Bells
only):
The alarm sounds at the premises only. Response
is reliant on somebody contacting the police to
report it. Many forces have a policy whereby
they will not attend audible only alarms unless
there is additional evidence to suggest a crime
is being committed, in other words they are not
likely to attend unless you report perhaps a
visual sighting or noises such as glass breaking
to backup your story. Some police forces
maintain a list of key holders nominated by
house owners. They will usually call out your
key holder if they cannot contact you.
Choice 2. Monitored:
The alarm sounds at the premises and a signal is
sent to an alarm receiving centre via your phone
line, mobile network or even by satellite! The
receiving centre will contact the police and
your nominated key holders. They will also try
to filter out false alarms and, in the case of a
personal attack activation, they will try to
contact the premises. A Confirmed Monitored
alarm will usually qualify for an immediate
police response.
Option 1. Wire free (radio):
Easy to install but more expensive than a wired
system. This type of alarm comes in six classes.
The higher the class, the more safeguards are
built in. Most DIY radio alarms are class 1 up
to 3. Professional installers will normally
supply a class 5 or 6
Option 2. Hard wired:
More reliable and cheaper than wire free, but
takes longer to install. Most alarm companies
are expert in concealing the cables and they
will keep disruption and mess to a minimum.
A Third option to consider could be a mixture of
Technologies. Using a Hardwired System for the
majority of the installation and combining the
versatility of wire free devices for awkward to
reach areas which you may want protecting such
as a garage, shed or workshop.
The choice is up to you, however you should take
into account the following:
1. The more isolated you are, the more I would
suggest considering the benefits of monitoring.
2. With a monitored system you should have a
personal attack button, these normally rate
highly on police response lists and almost
guarantee a police response (Within locally
agreed service delivery standards).
3. Wire free alarms do have their uses and are
convenient and particularly useful for DIY
installation and rented
accommodation where you may not be allowed to
make any alterations.
4. Wired alarms generally cost less But are much
more difficult to install.
Control Panel Unit (CPU)
Takes AC voltage from your house supply and
converts it to 13.2v to operate the security
system devices & detectors. This is the brain of
the system. It controls how the security system
operates after it has been configured by the
installer to meet your requirements. All devices
wire into/or communicate with the control panel.
keypad (RKP)
Used to access all user functions of the
intruder alarm system such as arming and
disarming the system, Silencing and resetting
the alarm after activation, and
adding/altering/configuring user access.
Door Contact (MRS)
Used to protect doors and windows, Contacts
come in numerous shapes and sizes and can be
either surface mounted or recessed.
Passive Infra-red (PIR)
Detects space intrusion. A pir detector
splits it's protected area up into numerous
zones, so a single room for example may be seen
by the detector as 30 separate sections, and
will report any changes across those sections to
the CPU.
Siren (Bellbox, SAB, SCB)
A local alarm outside and/or inside the
premises. Usually referred to as a bellbox when
mounted outside the premises and will usually
incorporate both a visual (by means of a strobe
light) and audible means of alerting an
intrusion. Internal units are usually much
smaller and will mimic the bellbox but usually
only audibly.
Speaker
A siren without an electronic driver signal.
Mainly used to mimic any sounds generated by RKP,
such as your Entry/Exit and general warning
tones.
Battery
A 12v backup battery is used to allow the
alarm system to carry on working for a minimum
period of 8 hours should the premises suffer a
mains failure. It is continually trickle charged
by your CPU. |
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