How Burglar Alarm Systems Fend Off Intruders

Today's thieves are smart and knowledgeable in the various types of burglar alarm systems from the conventional battery operated bell-type to high-end wireless and monitored alarm systems. Just like in any career, professional burglars need to keep themselves updated with the advancing technologies used in burglar alarm systems.

With that in mind, a homeowner must build their defences around this idea so as not to be outwitted by these wily thieves. Some are extremely good; they can steal your valuables in broad daylight and right under your nose. They have learned to use technology to disarm your high-end wireless driveway alert system in no time.

What can homeowners do to protect themselves against unwanted "visitors"?

The most important thing is to know more about burglar alarms. This is how you make informed decisions. There are good resources that you can access in the Internet. However, in order to make sure what brand to buy, to know how they are performing and what are the customers saying about it, look for independent product reviews. You can also check out burglar alarm forums for a more honest-to-goodness opinions and comments.

Alarm systems can have a single purpose of burglary protection. Other systems may have combination or dual purposes for both intrusion and fire. The driveway alarm system can be combined with technologies to undertake television surveillance and interface to access control systems for electronically controlled locks.

The most basic types of burglar alarm systems have sensors that respond to various kinds of stimuli and an alerting device to signal the intrusion. Alarms may be categorized based on the sensors built into the system and these are ultrasonic detectors, passive infrared detectors, photoelectric beams, microwave detectors, glass break detectors, and heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc.

These, in turn, are connected to alerting devices by way of wires or wireless means. Wires are best used when sensors require power to operate. Wireless systems like radio, infrared and line carrier often rely on battery-powered transmitters. Hybrid systems make use of either wired or wireless sensors or transmitters.

The alarm system business is big. There are many types with each one offering a different level of security. The cheapest or lowest level of security is the bells-only that entails one-time installation fee and relies on someone else phoning the police when it goes off. There are also monitored alarm systems that entail extra charges for the additional services wanted. There are various ways by which monitoring can be done such as using the broadband alarm monitoring or radio alarm dual signaling. These can be connected to a receiving center of a monitoring service provider that makes the necessary responses such as contacting the police, the hospital, or the ambulance depending on the emergency situation.

The higher is the level of security service, the more expensive it gets. If you want to cut the expense of monitoring, the best alternative is a "Speech Dialer." This is a device that calls a pre-programmed set of numbers when the theft alarm goes off.

Being secured is getting expensive these days. One just misses those days when you can sleep with your windows open for fresh air without fearing for your life or property. Technology offers a convenience and another technology takes it away.