Thats right – you heard me – security is a grudge purchase

why’s that you say?

let me explain my first sentence.

Nobody ever wants a security system, you may need one but you never want a security system. You never wake up in the morning with excitement and anticipation thinking that you can’t wait to go out and buy the latest burglar alarm system. 

In an ideal world nobody would ever need security for their home or their business, everyone would get along nicely and there would be no theft, crime or burglary.

Unfortunatley this isn’t the case, due to peoples nature and criminal activities we often need a security system,  its never nice to have to pay for a system to protect your home or business so hence it being a grudge purchase!

another way to look at it is this;

if you had £500 in your pocket would you rather go out and buy a big television or a burglar alarm? Most people would pick the telly (if you picked the burglar alarm then please call me). The problem arises when people see your new big telly and the fact that you have no security system to protect it, they take it and you end up £500 poorer with no telly.

That’s why security is a grudge purchase – it will never make you money, it doesn’t do stuff and make noises like a telly or a games machine but it will make sure that it protects the goods you have spent your money on, making sure that you, your business and your family are protected and safe (which is priceless!).

So although a burglar alarm or security system may be a grudge purchase, its also an essential one – for home and work – act now before its too late.

Here are some simple tips and advice for protecting your garden and the areas around your home, simple ideas can go a long way to keeping the burglars at bay.

• Make sure your garden has the ability to be illuminated, this is usually carried out by a security floodlight, although a a total security lighting system can be installed to give you full control.
• Try to keep the main areas of your garden and driveway free of large objects, this ensures that you get maximum vision and the criminals have more potential exposure areas.
• Avoid large branches or objects that be climbed from being near any windows or potential entrance points, if a burglar sees an opening to his advantage they will take and use it.
• Makes sure that all tools and ladders are kept stored away and not left out in the open as these will be used by a burglar to gain access to your home.
• Makes sure your garage door is locked at all time, try to install an additional lock on the door, maybe a padlock that secures a clasp and bracket that is bolted to the floor, simple to install, cheap and very effective. It is very important to do this if your garage is attached to your house with an adjoining door, once the burglar is in they are hidden from view and has as long as they like. If you have a  burglar alarm consider excteding the system to include protection in the garage.
• Keep garden gates locked at all time, again preferably with a padlock.
• Fit a trellis or similar fence toppings on top of your fences. This makes it more difficult for burglars to climb into your garden without being noticed. combine this with legal, naturally spiky plants that will trp and scratch burglars.
• Never leave door keys under the doormat or under a plant pot or anyo other obvious hiding places outside. If you want to leave a key outside make sure it is left in a keylock that requires a code to gain access to the key. 

Home Security Tips – When you go away on holiday

Burglars target homes that look and appear to be empty, so the easiest way to deter thieves is to make your home look like its not empty – its not rocket science!!.

I have jotted down some simple tips that will make your home look full even when it isn’t

• Use timers to turn on and off lights, tv’s and any other items that can give the impression of someone being at home, a radio is a good example. These appliances can be controlled can be a simple digital timer or you could use your burglar alarm system and X-10 to do this for you.
• Never leave an answering machine message indicating you’re not home / have gone on holiday – you would be amazed how many people change their answer phone message to “sorry we can’t take you call, we are on holiday from the xxx till the yyy”. its an invitation and time window for burglars
• Don’t let letters, newspapers or flyers build up or be left sticking out of your letterbox. Ask a friendly neighbour to push anything through or remove it.
• A home without rubbish shows burglars no-one is at home. Let a neighbour use your wheely bin when you are away.

See, simple tips that are more common sense but its worthwhile using them when you are away, i mean what could be worse than comin home to find your house has been burgled?

Guardcam

3 security systems in one – cctv, security floodlight and voice warning system.

CCTV at home? thats bit over the top and expensive isn’t it?

Not now it isn’t, with the all new Guardcam, an effective CCTV system for the home that provides three secutity deterrents in one, all for hundreds rather than thousands of pounds.

 Guardcam Domestic CCTV & Security Floodlight System pdf

Sounds Great tell me more about the Guardcam.

Guardcam

The Guardcam is a three in one security device featuring a security floodlight and PIR, a cctv camera and recorder and a voice warning unit. The features in more details are:

1. Eco friendly Grade C 230w halogen lamp
The Guardcam uses a low energy Grade C halogen lamp offering an equivalent to older Grade D lamps with lower running costs.

2. High resolution digital camera
GuardCam’s integral camera offers clear image recording in video or still frame format. Night images retain colour and clarity due to automatic halogen light illumination.

3. Built in DVR records directly to 2Gb SD card
Up to 750, twenty second video sessions or 1500 still images are recorded onto the supplied 2GB SD card. Oldest Images are deleted and overwritten as the card reaches capacity ensuring recent events are always available.

4. Time and date setting 
The time and date, once configured will remain within GuardCam ready to be applied to all recordings. In the event of mains power failure internal back up batteries ensure the settings are not lost.

5. Easy replay on Windows Media Player
GuardCam is supplied with an SD to USB converter. Simply remove the SD card from GuardCam insert into the converter and plug into your PC’s USB port. The recorded images can then be launched and stored using Windows Media Player or any other suitable media software.

6. PIR motion detector with integral photocell
GuardCam detects the presence of intruders with proven PIR (passive infra red) technology at a distance of up to 12 metres from the unit. A photocell is employed to ensure activation is restricted to day or night operation at the users discretion.

7. PIR sensitivity and time control
GuardCam’s PIR can be adjusted to provide the best coverage whilst avoiding false alarms from passing traffic, animals etc. The time control adjusts how long the halogen light will remain activated after the first trigger.

8. Audible alert speaker with choice of 3 warnings
GuardCam has the option to deliver one of three messages upon activation. “Warning you are tresspasing”, “Warning you are being captured on video” and finally a barking dog (more effective than you may think). There’s also the option to have no voice alert.

9. 3 mode selection
Mode selection allows you to choose the most suitable combination of GuardCam’s functions. Light plus video at night, sound plus video in the day etc.

10. Secure waterproof recording control panel
The important SD card and time date controls are secured behind a waterproof door only opened with the supplied allen key.

So What is X-10? and how could it benefit me?

Simply put, X10 is a is a language or protocol that allows compatible products to talk to each other using the existing electrical wiring in the home. The units connect and communicate over the existing electrical wiring in your home or business property usually means that any additional wiring is kept to a minimum (if required at all) which in turn keeps the costs down as well as labour times are reduced. the modules can be manually operated via a controller or automatically using a compliant burglar alarm system.

Great i hear you say – but what can it do for me?

let me break it down into two examples – a simple X-10 situation and a slightly more complex and cleverer (is that a word?) situation;

Situation 1: Basic electrical operation

on weekdays mornings your burglar alarm system would automatically turn on the lighting in the required room (e.g. your bedroom) followed by the kettle so that the water was boiling for you when you walked downstairs.

when on holiday the burglar alarm could control your lighting to turn on and off as required, additional electrical devices you wanted to be active during that time (dependant on how many X-10 units you have)

So in this situation not only is the burglar alarm protecting your house whilst you are away, it is also providing a full visual deterrent by giving the impression that the house is occupied when it isn’t. Extremely simple, extremely effective and provides you with the peace of mind that you know that your house will be safe and the same as you left it.

Situation 2: Fully operation X-10 usage

Burglar alarms are fully flexible and by adding a gsm unit to the burglar alarm you can now fully control and automate your X-10 modules from anywhere in the world simply by sending a text to your burglar alarm – clever isn’t it!!

so lets give an example of how this could work for and benefit you.

Lets say you are about to leave work at 5pm (you wish) but just before you leave you could send a text to the burglar alarm system that will turn on your central heating and your emersion so that the house is nice and warm for you when you get back and there is plenty of hot water.

Another situtation could be that you are having a massive summer party at your house, as it gets a bit darker you could text your burglar alarm system to turn on the outside lighting so everyone could see properly, maybe even to see your centre peice warter feature that you has installed (that again you could turn on via text)

if its electrical then it can be operated via X-10 and your burglar alarm system, either manually or automatically – the only is how many things you want to control!!!

Make the most of your burglar alarm – feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need any advice