Do-it-yourself home security systems depend on a linked network of triggers and beacons placed at key points around a person’s house. Noise or movement can trigger any one of the beacons placed at doors, windows, or electrical grids if the system is armed. Many systems have controllable settings so that pets or other animals and weather will not set off the alarm. Once the alarm is set off, depending on a motion sensor or if the beacon registers smoke and carbon monoxide, the system sends an alarm through the house to notify the inhabitants. Some systems automatically contact the police or fire department.
Wireless home security systems are different in that they can be monitored and adjusted from external locations, without having to input with the beacons manually. Some wireless security systems can be armed, disarmed, and adjusted with a control panel small enough to fit on a keychain, similar to external car alarms and locks. Others can be activated by phone. Most wireless beacons come with 10-12 transmitters to be placed in and around the home at a customer’s discretion. These models are highly secure in and of themselves, being waterproof, immune to tampering, resilient to most damage, and boasting considerable battery life. A standard beacon/trigger system can cost anywhere from one to three hundred dollars, which could be a fraction of the cost of a professional security installation.
Some beacons only monitor movement, sound, and chemical composition, but higher-end models can do much more. Glass-break detectors can not only detect the exact resonance, sound, and duration of a window pane breaking, but can adjust settings to individual windows and compensate to reduce the chances of false alarms. Many glass-break detectors are available for fewer than one hundred dollars, and a single detector may be enough for a small house or apartment, as it carries a 25-foot sensory range.
