Advice On Pet Proof Alarm System?

[Guest EnglishDude]

Hello all - new here, so not sure where this should go, so putting it in here - so if I have put this in the wrong area, please let me know, and I'll move it.

Anyway. Recently, my parents house had a spate of break-ins and they live right in the sticks, and I knew already the security in my own house is extremely poor - some of you might have a heart attack if you saw my house Anyway, that has prompted me to improve security in my house now rather than later - have started the progress, but have also decided to install a burglar alarm. My main fear is false alarms - obviously if a system has too much false positives, it's going to be ignored by my neighbors and myself. So I want a good quality system, but as I certainly won't be able to afford a professionally installed top notch system, I've decided that I will be installing it myself - I am confident I will be able to install it, I've tackled much more complicated electronics projects in the past including stripping a car completely and taking out the loom (looked like spaghetti), restoring it and rebuilding. And it has worked fine - so far!

Anyway, my main fear is that I've got a very active young cat - currently 9 months - tho I do know she might calm down a little in the future, but that's very unlikely! I am worried that she will set off the alarm a lot, so I want to aim to prevent false alarms as much as possible.

First of all, I've already decided on the basics - a Texecom Premier 24 control panel, Premier LCD keypad with proximity keytags, and an Odyssey 4 sounder. Is this a good start so far? (This is not a high priority question for me really - the sensors question below are)

Have done quite a bit of search on the 'net - I found some info that recommended vibration sensors for people with pets so I have done a bit of thinking. But first, a basic description of the layout of my house - looking at the front:

Front door on the right, goes into hallway. Stairs go upstairs after door. Hall goes past stairs, leading left into the living room. Next left goes into the dining room. Going straight on goes into the kitchen. That is it. Kitchen has a large window with a small shallow opening window on top. Dining room has a similar one but the opening window is split into two. The living room has a large bay window with 4 opening - 2 larger ones and 2 smaller one. The hallway has a very tiny window looking into the garage. The garage is attached to the right of the house with 2 wooden doors for the main entrance (but will be changed in the future, not sure what yet). There is a back door and a large ancient single glazed window with 2 openings. There is no way through to the house via the garage apart from the tiny window mentioned earlier.

Anyway, I was thinking of 5 vibration sensors - the Impaq-Plus, put in living room, dining room, kitchen, hallway and garage. 1 glassbreak sensor for front door. 4 reed switches covering the rear door, front door, garage rear door, and garage front door. No PIRs.

But started to read warnings about false alarms caused by other things such as fireworks and others, also that they don't detect breakins good enough and reading a bit on this forum worries me somewhat, so am quite unsure what I should do really in regards with sensor - I don't know how effective Pet proof PIR's are against active young cats - will microwave equipped PIRs help? Which are good? Or should I go for the Impaq Plus vibration sensors anyway?

Also, can I "pix and mix" alarm systems - e.g. can I have a Texecom control panel/keypad, ADE siren along with Intellisense sensors? Or is it best to keep it all from one manufacturer?

Thanks very much for your help in advance!

Regards - Piers

[secboy]

A"top notch" system is not as expensive as you may think as a first step I would suggest that you at least consider having the system installed and maintained for you especially as I think you would best fit "pet friendly" internal trap protection(they need to be a good make and fitted correctly as well as set up correctly).

Have a couple of local approved companies give you a quote, if you can find the pennies it will be better in the long run and more of a costable asset if you sell the property in the future,although advise is given on this forem for diy systems it really is better to get someone in to do it for you if you can afford it!.

As far as "pet proof" detection is concerned there is no such thing as pet proof only "pet resistant", sorry this reply seems to be biased towards a professionally installed system,but if you can afford it the investment is worth it! and you should get over ten years minimal trouble service from it,devide the cost by ten and take into account a service contract and it still works out pretty good hope this has been of help ,regards Paul.

[Guest]

As above, I'd be inclined to get some quotes in just so you have a guide to work too.

Also, any particular reason why the cat needs full run of the house at all times? I've got 2 cats here and they are restricted to 1 room when the alarm is set so I can use standard detection devices throughout the property and just use perimiter protection on the 1 room containing the cats.

You can also 'pick and mix' manufacturers for the majority.

[Guest EnglishDude]

As above, I'd be inclined to get some quotes in just so you have a guide to work too.

Suppose so, but I am pretty limited for cash. I guess it's worth getting a couple quotes in, and see what they suggest. Though, I have priced up an alarm system and it comes to about

[Guest graale00]

I used ADE Quad PIR with animal immunity, from Alert Electrical, good price and good bits of kit. Althought remember to set it to Auto and not pulse if you want Animal immunity, i added a detector and forgot this, this resulted in very annoyed neugbours

[arfur mo]

if cash is that tight then a large dollop of blue tac to each paw and a clear spot on the ceiling. please ensure its well away from the light bulb as we do not condone any forms of cruelty on this forum and you want to avaoid 'scorched fur' smells. technically pirs 'look' down so the cat will not be detected - if its tail is not too long (mank cats score high here).

seriously like your car, you could fix things yourself, but do you have all the equipment and the know how to use it to effect a good rather than a 'passable' job? you pay for what a proffesional knows how to do, as well as what he actually does - less costs more, but eventually costs less!

many companies will offer finance terms or accept credit cards as payment. if you use the plastic approach i think you will get 90 days cover from credit regulations, which should be time to claim if you are un lucky and get a 'duff' installation.

look down your street, if you see a bell cover knock on the door an get an opinion on that installer from the resident ask would they use them again?.

if you can not get a recommendation then its the yellow pages but do NOT dismiss installers just because they are not affiliated to NACOSS or other bodies. many many small companies like mine are honest and of high quality. you will be more likely to get a very experienced engineer - the proprietor himself. manny large companies are culpable of sending out an 'engineer' who has only had 2 weeks training on a YTS scheme (although they are not supposed to).

unlike a disaffected employee, companies like mine have a vested interest in pleasing you, wanting not only your alarm system but all your freinds, neighbours, family and eventually all the kids houses too.

if you can get 2 or 3 others to have alarms fitted, you can ask for and may get a 'lead house' discount. its something i do as a thankyou for being my salesperson. with me if i get 5 systems from your leads you get 2 years full p&l warrenty on yours, for 10 systems you get yours absolutely free with 2 years p&l all no quibble - so do i want your buisness? you bet, but you have to be either within or no more than 40 miles outside of the M25 any direction.

[Guest Alarm Guard]

if you can get 2 or 3 others to have alarms fitted, you can ask for and may get a 'lead house' discount. its something i do as a thankyou for being my salesperson. with me if i get 5 systems from your leads you get 2 years full p&l warrenty on yours, for 10 systems you get yours absolutely free with 2 years p&l all no quibble - so do i want your buisness? you bet, but you have to be either within or no more than 40 miles outside of the M25 any direction.

Crikey! .. What about if the customer offers to do your accounts as well, how many years warantee would that earn?..

[Guest]

manny large companies are culpable of sending out an 'engineer' who has only had 2 weeks training on a YTS scheme (although they are not supposed to).

have you been in a coma...

[arfur mo]

have you been in a coma...

thats a strange remark - please explain why you think i'm in a coma

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! ooops sorry!

its wide awake to me, as a straight forward sales policy/stratagy. or do you think in some way its an immoral approach?

in a store enviorment its called discount like or 3 fo 2, do you not buy those items? i think its a fair honest and up front stratagy. my clients can get a no strings benifit from the saving on their install price. i get the benifit of higher turnover, lower advertising and selling costs, while forming a cluster of future maintenance contracts, again as its a cluster they can have maintenance a bit cheaper.

think it through, how sweet do you want it, 5 to 10 maintenance calls regularly within say all in a 2 - 3 mile radius. project this over say 20 'initial' contacts per year, need i say more? all by introduction which, like recommendation is a powerful sales allie, from the lead house without knocking on doors or cold calling by phone.

some companies i have worked for in the past used to do the install dirt cheap, sign the client up for 5 years cast iron contract and double the service contract price every year. fortunately the unfair contracts legislation killed that off.

i beleive Modern alarms used to sell the system, but rent the chubb lock to the client, which i always thought was strange. i remember an article in the press from the then wizz bang accountant at Moderns, along the lines of we install systems below cost and rely on the maintenance contracts to eventually pay for the work. well the problem with that was is if the people decided not to pay or moved out, and the next owner used say Banhams, no more maintenance money, so systems not paid for. i think that stratagy was key in Modern Alarms demise, but i'm no finacial wizard.

we all have our different ways of selling, mine works well for me. as outright sales there is no 'hook' into the client to stay with me for more than 1 year. so if i do not 'perform' i lose the service agreement and any future recommendations, so its very self policing.

so what do you feel is wrong with what i do to sell?

we have crossed swords in the posts, mainly because you (mistakenly) feel i have an axe to grind or a chip on my shoulder with big companies, just because they are big or with their engineers. that actually is far from the trueth. i do have issues where i see bad practic or unfair tactics, which the root cause usually can be traced to eminating from way up the the ladder.

i honestly would like to know and would value your concidered opinion , and please I am not sniping or intending to bash at you .

alan

[Guest]

thats a strange remark - please explain why you think i'm in a coma

alan

coz you keep replying to dead topics....

i beleive Modern alarms used to sell the system, but rent the chubb lock to the client, which i always thought was strange. i remember an article in the press from the then wizz bang accountant at Moderns, along the lines of we install systems below cost and rely on the maintenance contracts to eventually pay for the work. well the problem with that was is if the people decided not to pay or moved out, and the next owner used say Banhams, no more maintenance money, so systems not paid for. i think that stratagy was key in Modern Alarms demise, but i'm no finacial wizard.

alan

ive suspected it for a while..now i know you dont know what your talking about...dont mean to be harsh like...