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Posted: 8/23/2013 5:01:45 AM EDT
I noticed a couple houses on the way to work this morning that had the familiar blue ADT signs up by their front doors and windows. I can't help but think that a pretty good percentage of these homes don't actually have ADT protection, outside of the protection that the signs alone might provide.
Curious to hear ARfcom's thoughts on doing this sort of thing. |
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It's only like $39 a month. Why not get the real thing? Even when the system isn't armed, when "door chime" is active, you get a sound anytime anyone opens any of the doors with sensors. At night, if someone does get a door open, you'll definitely be awoken and be able to arm yourself. I think it's worth it.
They're supposedly a deterrent because burglars want the easiest target. They don't like cameras, either. |
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I'd rather not give a heads up to my security situation. Let the fuckers be surprised.
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Meh. I think signs are an indicator that there is probably something in there worth stealing.
IMO having a dog or evidence of a dog would be a bigger deterrent because it's alarming effects are instantaneous. |
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Unless some criminal is an expert at breaking into ADT protected houses, I think they would consider it a more difficult target and pass. I know my system pretty well and it makes me concerned. Cut the cable, use a cell phone jammer, and hope the neighbors are deaf. Luckily I live on a street with lots of old, easily pissed off retired people who think it is the high point in their day to call the po-po. I also have another surprise system hooked into the gun room that is separate and independent from ADT. The pros will get in, they spend their whole lives stealing and studying from each other (jail time), the kids and other dumbasses will get caught. Sort of Dawinism in crime.
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Does it help? Maybe.
Does it hurt? No. A normal dumb thief would see that sign and probably hit another house. A pro will know that the best response time by police will be around 10 minutes from the time an alarm is tripped. They can be in and out in under 5. |
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I had somebody kick in my front door while standing right next to an ADT sign.
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I suggest having a real system, but using signs from another company. It makes it more difficult to try and gameplan your security if a criminal is so inclined.
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It's better than nothing. But, unfortunately, it's not the 80's anymore, and burglars walk right past them.
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In college I worked doing construction demolition in the summers. I worked with a guy who had done time for B&E and burglary. He said that the signs just told him which type of security system he had to study and learn how to bypass and disable. Other than that, they weren't a deterrent at all.
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I'd rather not give a heads up to my security situation. Let the fuckers be surprised. This too. Fuck that. I would rather not have to replace my front door because i get a kick out of it when burglars are surprised. I'm not trying to ambush people, i want to them to go rob someone else. |
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I'm a fan of any signage that may prevent a break in (security company, beware of dog, or other...)
I also have a camera in plain sight of my front door. You'd have to be on an f*in mission to come through my door, at which point you've earned the prize that awaits for you on the other side. Personally I have a beware of dog sign on my door, and a camera sign in the window, and the camera at the door of course :) The goal is to make them think twice about my house, and perhaps persuade them to look for another or "easier" target. On an semi related matter... My sister awoke this AM in Jacksonville FL to find her house had been broken into. Her TV, cash, and security cat were all missing when she made her way downstairs. Thank god they didn't go upstairs. Could have been WAY worse. |
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Meh. I think signs are an indicator that there is probably something in there worth stealing. IMO having a dog or evidence of a dog would be a bigger deterrent because it's alarming effects are instantaneous. View Quote You know, a smart thief would just throw poison meat over the fence and wait. Rat poison is pretty cheap and fairly fast and silent. Why not have a complete package? Well lit property, Signs, dog's, good doors and locks, alarm, vigilant neighbors, A safe, thorny bushes under windows, Window planters under windows with Cactus in them, etc. |
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In college I worked doing construction demolition in the summers. I worked with a guy who had done time for B&E and burglary. He said that the signs just told him which type of security system he had to study and learn how to bypass and disable. Other than that, they weren't a deterrent at all. View Quote ADT uses systems from about a dozen vendors now. Totally different connection systems with options. Good luck guessing. |
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I noticed a couple houses on the way to work this morning that had the familiar blue ADT signs up by their front doors and windows. I can't help but think that a pretty good percentage of these homes don't actually have ADT protection, outside of the protection that the signs alone might provide. Curious to hear ARfcom's thoughts on doing this sort of thing. View Quote 1911 |
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It works for me. I even got a home insurance discount when my insurance company came to check on property and take pictures for their records. Got a letter in the mail about my new rate because they thought i had alarm system.
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For 500$ you can install your own, with your own sensors, and monitor it yourself.
I have added 4 cameras and have signs from 3 different alarm systems and three dogs. Two who would attack and make someone suffer. Good luck getting in and out. |
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ADT uses systems from about a dozen vendors now. Totally different connection systems with options. Good luck guessing. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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In college I worked doing construction demolition in the summers. I worked with a guy who had done time for B&E and burglary. He said that the signs just told him which type of security system he had to study and learn how to bypass and disable. Other than that, they weren't a deterrent at all. ADT uses systems from about a dozen vendors now. Totally different connection systems with options. Good luck guessing. To be fair, that was in 1990. ![]() |
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I have a system I designed and installed professionally. The signs are generic so you can't prepare for what you will run into. Cut the power and you will have to wait 3 days before my backup batteries die. Cut my phone line and I have a cellular backup. Inside I use a combination of switches and sensors (some visible and some not) to cover every space in the house.
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I have the signs, but also have and use the ADT system. I do admit giving my son some ADT window stickers for use at his campus house. Doubt that deterred anyone, being on campus and all.
How effective are they? Not sure. Just hope the lazy hit and run thiefs pick another house to burgle. |
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After my last home burglary which resulted in my clock getting literally cleaned
![]() So I placed on every window on my house as well as my girlfriends and my late fathers house. The three homes have not been violated in the last 12 years. And all three had been burglarized before. So maybe they work. |
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Quoted: For 500$ you can install your own, with your own sensors, and monitor it yourself. I have added 4 cameras and have signs from 3 different alarm systems and three dogs. Two who would attack and make someone suffer. Good luck getting in and out. View Quote I'm thinking this. In this technological age, I don't understand why anyone would want to pay $30 a month for a company to do something that a smartphone app can do for you for free. |
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Does it help? Maybe. Does it hurt? No. A normal dumb thief would see that sign and probably hit another house. A pro will know that the best response time by police will be around 10 minutes from the time an alarm is tripped. They can be in and out in under 5. View Quote A sign tells them to cut your phone line before they enter, and to immediately seek out the control box to disable the alarm if they can. |
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I have three different brands of signs around my house.
When I change companies, new company goes to the front, older companies to back and sides. |
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In college I worked doing construction demolition in the summers. I worked with a guy who had done time for B&E and burglary. He said that the signs just told him which type of security system he had to study and learn how to bypass and disable. Other than that, they weren't a deterrent at all. View Quote Sounds like he should have spent less time playing Ocean's 11 and more time breaking into houses without ADT... ![]() Seriously though, I would think most lowlifes are going to go for the easy mark - not the house that automatically notifies the owner and calls the police in the event of a break-in. If you really want to drive the point home you could leave a bunch of spent casings on your window sill, get a big dog, and dig a couple 6' deep holes in the front lawn with a sign that says "Space available, inquire within". |
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I'm thinking this. In this technological age, I don't understand why anyone would want to pay $30 a month for a company to do something that a smartphone app can do for you for free. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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For 500$ you can install your own, with your own sensors, and monitor it yourself. I have added 4 cameras and have signs from 3 different alarm systems and three dogs. Two who would attack and make someone suffer. Good luck getting in and out. I'm thinking this. In this technological age, I don't understand why anyone would want to pay $30 a month for a company to do something that a smartphone app can do for you for free. One of the options with ADT is a very powerful cell transmitter module that looks like it belongs in a network rack, lots of flickering network lights. I think that'd be a lot harder to jam than a smartphone, and while you're busy shooting at a home invader, the system is busy sending the cops to back you up. Quoted:
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Does it help? Maybe. Does it hurt? No. A normal dumb thief would see that sign and probably hit another house. A pro will know that the best response time by police will be around 10 minutes from the time an alarm is tripped. They can be in and out in under 5. A sign tells them to cut your phone line before they enter, and to immediately seek out the control box to disable the alarm if they can. Anything newer uses phone + cellular, cutting the phone line does nothing. The console on mine is just a console, it has nothing to do with the alarm control that's hidden elsewhere. That is why I had it put on a kitchen wall view of the patio doors, so anyone nosing around over the back fence would see the LCD blue screen and very bright red ARMED glow, and hopefully decide to try elsewhere. Everything I've ever read says they prefer the easy targets. |
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Put a sign on your front door that says
"There is nothing in this house worth dying for."
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Anything newer uses phone + cellular, cutting the phone line does nothing. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Wrong. Plenty of systems are installed by builders and have no cellular option, or you have to pay ADT more every month for it and people choose not to do that. The console on mine is just a console, it has nothing to do with the alarm control that's hidden elsewhere.
I'm not talking about the console "keypad" where you control it. I'm talking about the actual nerve center, with the backup battery and everything else. It's not that hard to find for a pro. |
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I'm not talking about the console "keypad" where you control it. I'm talking about the actual nerve center, with the backup battery and everything else. It's not that hard to find for a pro. View Quote Unless you have an art collection that's public, most breakins aren't "pros", they're addicts smashing in and looking for something to pawn for their next hit. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Meh. I think signs are an indicator that there is probably something in there worth stealing. IMO having a dog or evidence of a dog would be a bigger deterrent because it's alarming effects are instantaneous. This. I have three large dogs. |
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Unless you have an art collection that's public, most breakins aren't "pros", they're addicts smashing in and looking for something to pawn for their next hit. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I'm not talking about the console "keypad" where you control it. I'm talking about the actual nerve center, with the backup battery and everything else. It's not that hard to find for a pro. Unless you have an art collection that's public, most breakins aren't "pros", they're addicts smashing in and looking for something to pawn for their next hit. Stop making sense damn it. obviously any one with a ADT sign in their yard is crazy rich and is just hiding all the goods inside. Good lord people. Its a 35 dollar monthly fee. It isn't like its rare to have a home alarm now a days. |
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It can't hurt. Won't stop the pros but anything that might deter the crack addict from smashing in looking for some easy cash can be helpful. For the pros you need OPSEC, they generally like targets where they already know what is inside.
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You know, a smart thief would just throw poison meat over the fence and wait. Rat poison is pretty cheap and fairly fast and silent. Why not have a complete package? Well lit property, Signs, dog's, good doors and locks, alarm, vigilant neighbors, A safe, thorny bushes under windows, Window planters under windows with Cactus in them, etc. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Meh. I think signs are an indicator that there is probably something in there worth stealing. IMO having a dog or evidence of a dog would be a bigger deterrent because it's alarming effects are instantaneous. You know, a smart thief would just throw poison meat over the fence and wait. Rat poison is pretty cheap and fairly fast and silent. Why not have a complete package? Well lit property, Signs, dog's, good doors and locks, alarm, vigilant neighbors, A safe, thorny bushes under windows, Window planters under windows with Cactus in them, etc. Several layers of security is the best idea with dogs, alarms, shrubbery, safes, etc. all being part of it. If someone wants in they will figure out a way. |
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Quoted: I'd rather not give a heads up to my security situation. Let the fuckers be surprised. View Quote Home security is all about layers. Good lighting, appropriate landscaping, alarm signs, and dog(s) are great at telling folks driving by to leave your house alone. |
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Quoted: Meh. I think signs are an indicator that there is probably something in there worth stealing. IMO having a dog or evidence of a dog would be a bigger deterrent because it's alarming effects are instantaneous. View Quote haha If you live in a nice neighborhood, everybody has something worth stealing. Encourage the crook to go down the street. |
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Quoted: Fuck that. I would rather not have to replace my front door because i get a kick out of it when burglars are surprised. I'm not trying to ambush people, i want to them to go rob someone else. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'd rather not give a heads up to my security situation. Let the fuckers be surprised. This too. Fuck that. I would rather not have to replace my front door because i get a kick out of it when burglars are surprised. I'm not trying to ambush people, i want to them to go rob someone else. This.
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I'd rather not give a heads up to my security situation. Let the fuckers be surprised. This too. Fuck that. I would rather not have to replace my front door because i get a kick out of it when burglars are surprised. I'm not trying to ambush people, i want to them to go rob someone else. This. I don't recall a house with signs of an alarm system being broke into, except when the theif knew the victim and exactly what they were going after to steal. |
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It's better than nothing. But, unfortunately, it's not the 80's anymore, and burglars walk right past them. View Quote Most of the typical home break-in bandits are too stupid to even realize what those blue and white hexagon signs mean. I'm talking about those yahoos that still shop-lift in WalMart while 117 cctv cameras cover every square foot of those stores, and watch and record their every move. ![]() |
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Does it help? Maybe. Does it hurt? No. A normal dumb thief would see that sign and probably hit another house. A pro will know that the best response time by police will be around 10 minutes from the time an alarm is tripped. They can be in and out in under 5. View Quote I have an alarm and a gun safe and the in and out in five minutes if the alarm is going off is one of the things I count on. Any safe can be gotten into with sufficient time, but not by someone who hears an alarm going off and knows the police are on the way. In that case someone would probably just grab the old laptop from my coffee table and run back out the door. |
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Does it help? Maybe. Does it hurt? No. A normal dumb thief would see that sign and probably hit another house. A pro will know that the best response time by police will be around 10 minutes from the time an alarm is tripped. They can be in and out in under 5. View Quote +1 I have added outside motion lights and want to add a camera or faux camera. |
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I have them because the whole block has them, I don't want to be the one without them
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