External Alarm Box - Yes or No?
Poll: External Alarm Box - Yes or No?
Total Members Polled: 35
Discussion
Just about to have an alarm system fitted to fulfil the requirements of our house insurance.
Can't decide whether or not to have a box outside.
Alarm fitter says it is a deterrant, and that by the time anyone has set off the internal alarm, it's too late.
Always felt that it may draw attention to your house.
Nobody else in the street has an alarm (at least not with an external box!)
Interested in the consensus.
Can't decide whether or not to have a box outside.
Alarm fitter says it is a deterrant, and that by the time anyone has set off the internal alarm, it's too late.
Always felt that it may draw attention to your house.
Nobody else in the street has an alarm (at least not with an external box!)
Interested in the consensus.
Several of my neighbours have alarms. All they do is go off by mistake, or when their cat gets shut in, thus infuriating everybody else. One of them got a bike stolen from his garage because he forgot to lock it. You could argue it merely makes Johnny Criminal think there's something worth nicking.
If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
We had a couple of attempted break ins years back. We were advised by the Police to get an alarm fitted. He wouldn't be forced into a recommendation, but suggested that we looked at who supplied the one to the local constabulary. 
We have an alarm box front and rear. The advice we were given was that a burglar will know if it's a decent system, and know if the box is genuine or fake. We've not had another attempt, but it's worth noting that other properites in the area without alarms have been broken into.
Ours has various options, so you can tell who set in and when. The missus and I have separate codes (we don't know each others) and the cleaner has her own as well. The system also covers the garage, and will even send a text if set off - or even call the Police.
In the 5 or 6 years the system has been on the house it has had one false alarm (cause by something falling over in a room)... and becuase it doesn't have a habit of going off the neighbours phoned us immediately (one even vaulted the wall to check
).
Get a decent system and it shouldn't be a problem. Get a crap one, and as Simpo says it may cry wolf too often and be ignored.
We have an alarm box front and rear. The advice we were given was that a burglar will know if it's a decent system, and know if the box is genuine or fake. We've not had another attempt, but it's worth noting that other properites in the area without alarms have been broken into.
Ours has various options, so you can tell who set in and when. The missus and I have separate codes (we don't know each others) and the cleaner has her own as well. The system also covers the garage, and will even send a text if set off - or even call the Police.
In the 5 or 6 years the system has been on the house it has had one false alarm (cause by something falling over in a room)... and becuase it doesn't have a habit of going off the neighbours phoned us immediately (one even vaulted the wall to check
).Get a decent system and it shouldn't be a problem. Get a crap one, and as Simpo says it may cry wolf too often and be ignored.
My thoughts too.
A decent well installed one will only go off when it's needed. 'Cheap' ones, ill thought out and badly installed are a bane of a neighbourhood.
I'd say get a box. Puts off the opportunists who don't know any better and will make the pro guys move onto you unprotected neighbours.
Yes, it could be seen that you have something to protect but then again so does having a nice car in the drive.
A decent well installed one will only go off when it's needed. 'Cheap' ones, ill thought out and badly installed are a bane of a neighbourhood.
I'd say get a box. Puts off the opportunists who don't know any better and will make the pro guys move onto you unprotected neighbours.
Yes, it could be seen that you have something to protect but then again so does having a nice car in the drive.
Hi Liz 
We've got an alarm and the usual formation is a working box at the front of the house and a (matching) dummy box at the back of the house.
The installation firm said it will deter the scallys/opportunists who'll simply move onto the next house which doesn't have an obvious alarm. After all its a bit of a no-brainer to the scrote - "hmmm, let me see, shall I try the house that says it has an alarm or next door which doesn't seem to have one..."
Don't listen to the nay-sayers, provided the system isn't from the Tesco-value range then they don't usually go off for no reason nowadays - the technology has moved on. Even flies/spiders walking across the sensors wont trigger the newer systems.
We've had ours since 1994 and its only gone off falsly on 1 occasion and that was because the box at the front of the house developed a fault. Even then - simply keying in the appropriate code shut it all down until I could get the firm who supplied the system out to deal with it.
All IMHO
We've got an alarm and the usual formation is a working box at the front of the house and a (matching) dummy box at the back of the house.
The installation firm said it will deter the scallys/opportunists who'll simply move onto the next house which doesn't have an obvious alarm. After all its a bit of a no-brainer to the scrote - "hmmm, let me see, shall I try the house that says it has an alarm or next door which doesn't seem to have one..."
Don't listen to the nay-sayers, provided the system isn't from the Tesco-value range then they don't usually go off for no reason nowadays - the technology has moved on. Even flies/spiders walking across the sensors wont trigger the newer systems.
We've had ours since 1994 and its only gone off falsly on 1 occasion and that was because the box at the front of the house developed a fault. Even then - simply keying in the appropriate code shut it all down until I could get the firm who supplied the system out to deal with it.
All IMHO
i have an alarm box on the front and a dummy on the back of the house. the local police station is a few streets away so there is usually a response if one goes off.
that said, i really only put one up as mine was one of very few houses not to have one and i was burgled shortly after i moved in.
that said, i really only put one up as mine was one of very few houses not to have one and i was burgled shortly after i moved in.
Podie said:
mk1fan said:
Yes, it could be seen that you have something to protect but then again so does having a nice car in the drive.
Hence the reason we keep the interesting car in the locked, alarmed garage. 
Looks like it's a yes to the box, being fitted by a highly recommended firm so it shouldn't go off randomly, with any luck!
We have an ADT alarm and they only fit dummy boxes. The sounder is inside and the noise it makes is designed to make it uncomfortable to stay in the house while it goes off (it is pretty unpleasant when they set it off every 6 months when they check it). At the same time of course, it is alerting their response centre who will contact you or the key holders and it also has police response. (Last time it went off [fecking cat got the kitchen door open somehow] I got there before the BiB though and I was miles away).
Simpo Two said:
Several of my neighbours have alarms. All they do is go off by mistake, or when their cat gets shut in, thus infuriating everybody else. One of them got a bike stolen from his garage because he forgot to lock it. You could argue it merely makes Johnny Criminal think there's something worth nicking.
If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
Sounds like you live in a decent area If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
. Let me guess, your neighbours don't bother with having their alarms serviced and most houses are fitted with cheap DIY tat.
As I have said in other threads, we had 18 break in's in 5 weeks round my way. Not one house was broken into that had an alarm and by the pattern of the break in's the houses with alarms where avoided, make of that what you will.
Alarms are not the be all and end all and you'll never stop somebody breaking in if that is their intention, no matter what your security is. But having an alarm fitted by a reputable company is a very good deterrant and worth while investment......plus i'm biased
Oh......yes you want a visable deterent of a working bell box
Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Thursday 23 July 14:18
Westy Pre-Lit said:
Simpo Two said:
Several of my neighbours have alarms. All they do is go off by mistake, or when their cat gets shut in, thus infuriating everybody else. One of them got a bike stolen from his garage because he forgot to lock it. You could argue it merely makes Johnny Criminal think there's something worth nicking.
If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
Sounds like you live in a decent area If it cuts your insurance premium then I suppose it's worth it, but practically speaking and from my personal experience round here, I wouldn't bother. And haven't. And I haven't had anything nicked in the 20 years I've been here. I appreciate your situation might be different though.
. IMHO I'd have at least one external bellbox.
Current house has dual external boxes, PIR's in all the rooms (including the Garages), and contact switches on the doors / windows.
You can choose which zones to set, and it has battery backup.
We've only ever had one 'false' trip of the alarm, and that was when the carpet fitter cut through part of the tamper circuit. I fixed the problem myself in 5 minutes.
I've fitted a few DIY alarm systems, including a wireless one. None of these have ever given a false alarm.
I always think that you can tell what an area is like if you measure the alarm box to sky dish ratio
Current house has dual external boxes, PIR's in all the rooms (including the Garages), and contact switches on the doors / windows.
You can choose which zones to set, and it has battery backup.
We've only ever had one 'false' trip of the alarm, and that was when the carpet fitter cut through part of the tamper circuit. I fixed the problem myself in 5 minutes.
I've fitted a few DIY alarm systems, including a wireless one. None of these have ever given a false alarm.
I always think that you can tell what an area is like if you measure the alarm box to sky dish ratio
Get a decent system and a decent installer,ours has only gone off twice in 10 years,my fault both times for not shutting a window properly.
As stated the scumbags usually avoid places with a decent alarm box on view working or dummy.
When we last changed insurance companies they said we could pay less premium by having an alarm fitted to the garden shed,enough to actually pay for the fitting,this has a huge siren inside,it makes so much noise you can't stand by it for less than 2/3 seconds.
As stated the scumbags usually avoid places with a decent alarm box on view working or dummy.
When we last changed insurance companies they said we could pay less premium by having an alarm fitted to the garden shed,enough to actually pay for the fitting,this has a huge siren inside,it makes so much noise you can't stand by it for less than 2/3 seconds.
I was in the electronic security business for more than twenty five years and my opinion based on loads of thought and conversations with quite few people in the business and for what it's worth, is this:
Most roads consist of similar value houses to each other and most people live in a house that reflects their income and general prosperity. A would-be house breaker chooses a road based on the style and value of house and an assessment of the sort of stuff likely to be available to him if he makes an entry: cash in poorer houses, expensive electronics and the like that can be flogged easily in middle income houses, and fine art and jewellery in high-end places. Generalisation I know, but it's true in the main. So, he chooses your road without a particular property in mind and mooches up and down looking at the houses for clues as to the relative risk to his liberty if he goes for one. Open windows, loud music, Vauxhall Nova with chav gear on the drive might mean a couple of yoofs to deal with - leave that one. Yaris on the drive and well tended garden = retired occupant maybe - little risk but they might be at home, etc., you get the drift. He comes to your house and looks at it and next door. You both have similar clues to him: no car on the drive, all windows shut although it's summer; probably on holiday, I'll have one of these later he thinks. But hold on, this one (yours) has a bell box with a well known name on it on the front, next door has nothing. He chooses his target based on relative risk not on potential gain - he knows that the houses in your road will very likely have similar value items in, but does he want to be caught? Of course not, so he goes for the house with least perceived risk, i.e. you neighbour's. Job done - deterred!
Most roads consist of similar value houses to each other and most people live in a house that reflects their income and general prosperity. A would-be house breaker chooses a road based on the style and value of house and an assessment of the sort of stuff likely to be available to him if he makes an entry: cash in poorer houses, expensive electronics and the like that can be flogged easily in middle income houses, and fine art and jewellery in high-end places. Generalisation I know, but it's true in the main. So, he chooses your road without a particular property in mind and mooches up and down looking at the houses for clues as to the relative risk to his liberty if he goes for one. Open windows, loud music, Vauxhall Nova with chav gear on the drive might mean a couple of yoofs to deal with - leave that one. Yaris on the drive and well tended garden = retired occupant maybe - little risk but they might be at home, etc., you get the drift. He comes to your house and looks at it and next door. You both have similar clues to him: no car on the drive, all windows shut although it's summer; probably on holiday, I'll have one of these later he thinks. But hold on, this one (yours) has a bell box with a well known name on it on the front, next door has nothing. He chooses his target based on relative risk not on potential gain - he knows that the houses in your road will very likely have similar value items in, but does he want to be caught? Of course not, so he goes for the house with least perceived risk, i.e. you neighbour's. Job done - deterred!
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff