I'd suggest using quad (22/4) for addressable systems as well. Typically the sensors are more expensive and require larger holes for concealed contacts in doors and windows. If you're going to do the prewire then use a good quality concealed contact with terminals like the GRI 20RS-T. Order them in "wide gap".
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Tell us what kind of windows you've got so we can make some suggestions on installing them (or an alternative). I'd suggest two quads for every keypad drop. This allows you more flexibility in the type of system you can install.
As for a suggested control... Unless you decide on one that's hybrid or has an addressable loop (or zone expanders), I'd suggest home running all the wires to a secure central location (like a wiring closet). You can also run all your cable TV wires from here to the various rooms that need it... Run two runs of RG-6 to the cable company's termination point at the outside of the house from this closet. While you're at it, install your telco and network cables as well...
GASP!!!
I beg to differ... never aim a motion sensor at a window. Always corner mount them on the same wall so that an intruder will walk through the protected curtain rather than directly toward the sensor. Aiming a PIR at a window (no matter how good it is) is askin' for trouble as well. The other thing about using motion sensors instead of contacts and glass break detectors in the rooms with accessible windows is that you'll have to bypass the motions if the homeowner wants to walk around inside the home with the system armed. Perimeter protection can't be beat. For rooms with a single opening window that may be used as a point of entry, contact the window and ensure it's covered by either a good quality glass break detector or an alarmed screen.
Have a look at the FAQS page at
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Go to a cable wholesaler. You shouldn't be paying more than about $30 - $40 for a 1000 ft box of quad... Quit buying from Bass... :-))
True, and its a vastly better deterrent than any alarm system too.
Its got some downsides tho, mine was so keen to go for a run in the car that I never had the heart to leave him behind when it was at all possible to take him with me when out of the house.
Caused a rather hilarious result when I had him in the computer room at work one weekend and one of users came into the room.
The dog had him bailed up against the wall in a flash and the wimp nearly died of fright |-)
Sure, tho its distinctly arguable if its worth paying for the armed-response security patrol if the dog is left inside the house when the owners are not home.
Wouldnt happen with mine. Mine did get run over by one of the neighbour's cars, came around the side of the house looking pretty hyped up. It was never very clear exactly what happened to him, no one saw what happened. He was one for chasing cars.
Hilarious watching him whenever that particular car went down the street after that, he was determined to kill it.
A homeowner with a pistol (or the fear of a homeowner with a pistol) is the only guaranteed burglary deterent. Guard dogs can be killed, alarms don't bother the smash-and-grab crooks, burglar bars only slow the squints.
Don't believe me? Put the following sign on your front door:
Bullshit. Say you've got a house with no alarm and no dog. Want to find out if there's a homeowner there with a gun? Use foolproof method: RING THE DOORBELL. If nobody answers, then you don't have to worry about the "guaranteed burglary deterrent" being a problem.
Oh, and don't forget that you vastly increase the chances that you or a family member will get shot if you decide to keep a loaded weapon in your house.
All of these methods are perfectly reasonable ways of making your house a less desirable target than the one next to it, which is all you really need to do to prevent break-ins. Crooks (for the most part) aren't stupid - they'll target the house that looks like it's the least trouble to get in and out of.
If you want a dog to deter break-ins, you don't need to have a big and scary one to get the job done. Even small dogs reduce the chances of a break-in - even if they can't bite effectively, they can still make a lot of noise.
Thanks for your help (and others, too). I visited your and other sites mentioned in this thread, and I wish I could do a DIY. It looks like the most fun anyone could have (I am an electrical engineer by education, and a S/W engineer by trade). The problem is, I am about 250mi away from my new house, and will be for the next few weeks :(, and I can't delay the finishing of the house without getting into a domestic battle.
I am meeting with the builder on Tuesday, and I will ask for the schedule to see if it is possible to fit myself into it :).
To summarize what I gained through the net-wisdom:
Design a wiring closet in a secure location. Since I am already planning to have a home network and file server, and I can use CAT5 cables for the security system, then I only need to have additional CAT5s for the security system. Does it matter if I use stranded or solid CAT5?
Call around for an installer who does this for a living (I-zheet M'drurz, take notes :) ) and willing to do the pre-install only. Most likely I will go with the original installer when the time comes anyway, as long the fees are not outrageous (again, I-zheet M'drurz, take notes :) ).
Cat 5 is quite a large wire. It would probably be better to use plain old 4 conductor solid phone wire for the doors and windows. This is because sensors in homes are usually concealed. If you have a window which slides up/down for example, the wire would come up from the bottom into the area where the window slides down. Then be soldered to a thin contact and the wire and contact lie flat at the bottom of the window. A magnet is glued to the bottom of the sliding portion of the window. A large fat wire may not allow the window to close.
Some visible door contacts (like those used on business doors) have small screw terminals. It would be easier to wrap a small solid wire around these screws than a stranded cat 5 wire. (Look at business alarm sensors)
Also note that alarm control units are usually placed in a closet or out of view. They need electrical outlets nearby and use large plug-in transformers for the control unit, motion detectors, and sometimes smoke detectors. So you can have 3 large transformers to plug in plus may also want an outlet to use in the room. I would install 3 separate single gang outlets so you have plenty of room for any transformers.
You need an incoming and outgoing phone line direct to your phone drop [to the main control]. This is so the alarm can disconnect the inside phones and have exclusive use of the phone line. (and no one could pick up a phone to keep the alarm from dialing out.) 8 conductor cat 5 would do fine for this. (Need 2 wires incoming and 2 wires outgoing.) So phone goes to outside drop, then to alarm control, then back to drop, then to rest of house.
For fire smoke detectors(usually part of the alarm system), special fire rated fire wire is used. New code may require smoke detectors inside and outside bedrooms, and other places. (Check with your local fire department, alarm company, and electrical inspector to see what your options are.) Regular interconnected smoke detectors may be able to connect to your alarm system? Depending on the type of smoke detector used, you may need 120 VAC at each detector, or for other types 12 VDC power plus the fire wire for sending the alarm to other detectors and/or your alarm system. Garages and storage rooms usually get a "rate of rise" detector which needs no power, but needs the fire wire. These are set off by a rapid heat increase or an extreme temperature. They have a barometric chamber/sensor and a small pressure relief opening. If the temperature slowly goes up, air bleeds out and the sensor does not trip. If temperature goes up fast, air can't bleed out fast enough, and the pressure increases inside the chamber which causes the sensor to trip.
"Pressure mats" can be placed under carpeting. Usually at a key point like hallway. May want to run wire to baseboard at this location.
Motion sensors need 4 wires (two for DC power). Better to use 6 or 8 conductor for long runs so wires can be doubled up for DC power (DC Voltage drop). Motion sensors are usually mounted near the ceiling in a corner, and usually in living room and/or hallway.
Inside detectors, mats, motion sensors, etc. have the option of being turned off while inside the house. Newer alarms can be set to turn on everything or bypass the interior stuff for when you are inside at night. Or you may want a switch on a wall somewhere. If you want a by-pass switch, run a 2 conductor minimum wire to that location. (It can be a toggle switch or an electrical key switch.) If pets are left inside, you want to be able to turn off the inside stuff. This wire could go to a multiple contact relay which would still allow inside devices to be on separate "zones".
Also run a separate wire from each sensor, door, window, to the control unit. Some controls can have many separate "zones" and will tell the monitoring company which sensor tripped the alarm. This is good for trouble shooting if having false alarm problems. (Some alarm companies run wires from window to window. Then when the alarm goes off, you only know that a window tripped the alarm, but not *which* window or which set of windows.)
Also check each and every wire before the drywall goes up. It is not unusual for wires to get cut while other work is being done.
If you live in a lightning prone area, note that all that wiring can pick up voltage via inductance. All going to that control unit. May want shielded wiring or you can use relays (tough as nails) to isolate the house sensor wiring from the sensitive electronics in the control unit. Older local alarm control units were all relays and no transistors/IC's. Very few problems with lightning on these older units.
A vibration like someone pounding hard on your door can make a door sensor very briefly open the contact (fraction of a second). An electronic control unit will sense this brief open circuit, where a relay will stay closed unless the sensor stays open for about a second.
Someone named snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (John Smith) Proclaimed on 26 Apr 2004 08:22:33 -0700,
That's not what he said. Use Cat5 for the dialer wire if you wish (good choice), and some systems can use Cat5 for the keypads (but it's not recommended for most). Use 22/4 stranded or solid for the door/window contacts and power devices (motions/glassbreaks). Use 12 gauge for the ground wire. Use 18/2 for siren and power.
It isnt guaranteed, essentially because no burglar can be sure that someone inside the house is armed, and obviously if there is no one in the house when its being burgled, the gun wont do a damned thing to the burglar.
The big advantage of a dog is that with a suitable dog, even the stupidest crim should be aware that the dog is there.
Not that easy if the dog is inside the house.
All you normally need to do is provide enough of an incentive for the crim to loot someone else's house.
Even the stupidest crim can usually be relied on to work that out.
A large dog does tho.
Oh bullshit. What its about is making it obvious that your place is a hell of a lot more of a hassle to loot that someone else's place.
Irrelevant to whether a suitable dog is more use than a gun, particularly when there is no one home.
There is a risk that someone inside will choose not to answer the door, assuming that its just a salesfool etc.
With a dog inside, that should make it obvious to even the stupidest crim that there is a dog inside and it should be obvious its a large dog when it is too.
Not if you take sensible precautions with the firearms.
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