Neat features now available:
Call for a FREE, NO OBLIGATION quote. We will come to your home or business,
explain what is available, make recommendations, and provide a quote. We will NOT try
to pressure you to sign up right away - we want you to have time to think about it and
make sure you are comfortable.
All devices are connected by wires into the main control
panel which is tucked away in an obscure area of the
building. If wire running is relatively easy, this is a better
system for 2 reasons:
1.
The signals between devices travel over wires
instead of through the air as radio frequencies which
can be blocked.
2.
The only battery is the main control panel battery
which is generally good for about 4 years.
The equipment cost of wired systems is substantially
less, but the labour cost is higher because wires have to
be run and connected. With a visit to your premises, we
can advise on which system would be most economical
for you.
Devices transmit RF (radio frequency) signals through
the air to a receiver which forwards the signal to the
main control panel. Sometimes the keypad is the main
control panel or receiver. Wireless systems have
improved greatly over the last few years and can be a
good choice if wire running is not practical. However,
be prepared to replace batteries since all of the
transmitting devices are battery operated.
The equipment cost of a wireless system is higher
than a wired system because the devices have a
transmitter built in and batteries. How-ever, installation
is quicker, saving on the labour cost.
We have systems which can have a combination of wired and wireless
devices. Run wires where possible and use wireless where you can’t
reasonably run wires. This is generally the most economical way.
Purchase your alarm system at the
start. It will be professionally installed
by our trained technicians. There is no
locked-in monitoring contract. Have
your system monitored if and when you
want. You are in the driver’s seat. If we
want to keep you as a customer, we
have to earn it.
Pay no money up front. We’ll adjust the
monthly fees so that you pay for the
system over time. Your alarm system
will be professionally installed by our
trained technicians. Monitoring service
is required. We won’t try to fool you into
thinking it’s a “free system”. We’re
honest and up front in every way.
We’ll custom design a payment plan to fit your needs and budget. As
always, your burglar alarm system will be professionally installed by our
trained technicians.
You Choose...
What Type of Systems Are There?
How Do Burglar Alarm Systems Work?
Alarm systems incorporate a variety of devices linked together either by wires or wirelessly. The system is turned on
(armed) and off (disarmed) by means of a keypad or remotely by means of a keyfob. When an intruder enters and trips
the system while it is armed, a siren sounds on the premises and a signal is transmitted to the monitoring station who will
notify those you have indicated you want called. The various components are explained below;
Control panel is the heart of the alarm system and determines all the features of the
system. Each control panel can handle a certain number of zones (each door contact,
motion detector, etc. are put on a separate zone). You can get systems from 6 right up
to 128 zones. Any future expansions should be considered when choosing the control
panel. It consists of a main circuit board inside a metal cabinet and is usually located in
the basement or somewhere out of the way. You seldom need to access it. All devices
in the system connect to this control.
Keypads (left) are what you use to arm and disarm the system. They
also tell you the status of the system and each detector . You can get
keypads with an LCD readout as shown in this picture and usually cost
a little more, or they can have lights to show the status of the different
devices, or zones.
Keyfobs (right) go on your keychain and are used to arm and disarm
the system from inside or outside the building. Your system must have
wireless capability for them to work.
Door/Window Contact is a magnetic switch which is placed on doors or windows. When
the switch and magnet are close together, the alarm system considers the door or
window closed. When they separate, the door or window is open. When the system is
armed, opening the door or window will trip the alarm.
If a door which is designated as an entry/exit door is tripped, the keypad will sound to
remind you to turn off the system before the entry delay expires. Failure to disarm the
system within the designated entry time will result in an alarm.
Motion detectors scan the room and see an intruder by
detecting body heat. When a warm body moves into the path
of a detector, there is a sharp and sudden contrast between
the background (blue) and the body. Higher quality detectors
have built-in processors which can distinguish between a
small animal and a person by the amount of infrared energy
(body heat) that is emitted.
Glassbreak Detectors have a built-in microphone which "hears" the sound of breaking
glass. When a window is broken, the detectors picks up the sounds, analyses them, and
trips the alarm if the sound is consistent with breaking glass. They typically have a direct-
line-of-sight range of 20-25 feet depending on the acoustics of the room.
This method of detecting a burglar is often used when there are pets in the home which
will trip motion detectors. They allow you to have perimeter protection of the building with
the freedom to walk around inside without setting off the alarm. They can provide an
earlier detection of a break-in because they trip the alarm BEFORE the burglar enters the
premises; thus they are often referred to as "pre-entry" alarms.
Other Devices: Alarm systems can also be made to detect the presence of smoke, water
on the floor, toxic gases, etc. Smoke Alarms can be added to your security system to
detect the presence of smoke and automatically notify the monitoring station - even
when no one is in the premises to make a call.
Sirens: When an alarm is tripped, the siren makes a loud sound to hopefully scare the
intruder off.
Monitoring Service:
Hopefully the siren will scare the burglar away, but it doesn't always work; and usually
burglars don't even have the courtesy to close the door after them when they do run out,
leaving your premises vulnerable to others. It is important to have someone you know
and trust notified in case of a break-in so they can investigate, or meet the police with a
key at the premises so they can get in and check things out.
When an alarm trips, a signal is immediately sent to the monitoring station indicating that
the alarm has been violated - and it even tells what area(s) have been entered. The
monitoring station will then notify police, neighbours, relatives etc. in whatever order you
have indicated. There is a monthly charge for monitoring services. It is an important part
of your protection.
Wireless Alarm Communicator (cellular back-up radio) is a device which can be added to
your system as a back-up method of getting alarm signals to the monitoring station.
Usually alarm signals are sent to the monitoring station via a phone line. However,
because phone lines are not always reliable, you can also choose to add a cellular back-
up radio which will send signals to the monitoring station if your phone line is cut or
otherwise not working. This is highly recommended for a more secure system. These
units can also be your primary method of communicating to the monitoring station if you
have no phone line on the premises.
Is a “Free” Burglar Alarm System Really Free?
or
Is It a Marketing Trap?
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! (quoted by a BBB representative)
We are not aware of any charity burglar alarm companies. Every business needs to make a profit in order to survive.
Unfortunately, some want a bigger share of the profits and so they devise clever marketing schemes to lure in
unsuspecting and often vulnerable people. Once in the door, the cleverly trained salesman works you over like putty to
get you to buy whatever he wants you to... and many are good at it. Here are some of the things that often happen, or
they forget to tell you about:
•
The “free” system only includes a small
amount of equipment. Of course you’ll need
more to do a proper job, but the additional
equipment is not free - in fact, it is often over
priced to make up the difference of the “free”
portion.
•
The “free” system is a low-end, basic system
and you should upgrade to a better system...
for a “special” low price (only if you sign up
now).
•
There is a monthly fee for monitoring... with a
multi-year locked-in contract that automatically
renews. Oh, and that monthly fee has
increases each year. All this is in the fine print
of the contract which is barely large enough to
read with a magnifying glass.
•
You don’t own the equipment - the alarm
company does. If, at the renewal point of the
contract, you decide to cancel because the
monthly rate has climbed too high, the
company will come and take out their system,
leaving you the holes in the walls.
•
The installing company sells your account to
the large national company whose familiar
name they used during the sales pitch. When
a problem arises, the blame game ensues.
•
If they didn’t get your money up front, they’ll
get it later from the above average number of
service calls you’ll need to repair your “basic”
system... at above average service rates.
At H & B Security Centre we don’t play these games. We’ll give you options and tell you up front what each
option entails so you can make an informed decision. If we offer no cost up front, we won’t try and fool you
into thinking you are getting a free system - we will simply be allowing you to pay for the system over time so
that after the initial contract period you will own the system and not be locked-in.
To see our wide range
of security products and
services, click on an
item below:
Become an educated consumer.
Click on a question below:
)
Operate your alarm system with
voice prompts from any phone in
the world. Find out the status, arm,
disarm, change codes, etc.
Anything you can do at the keypad,
you can do over the phone.
Operate your alarm system from
any computer, your Blackberry, or
iPhone. It’s like you are standing
right in front of your keypad.
Receive an email when your
system is turned on or off or when
there is an alarm activated.
