One of the most effective measures you can take to keep yourself and your family safe is to install an alarm system in your home.
A well-designed alarm system supplements the physical security of your home in several important ways. If it is connected to a monitoring service, it can ensure that the police are dispatched automatically to provide help. Even if it’s a stand-alone system, a loud alarm can alert you and your neighbors and hopefully scare the intruders away. At the very least, an alarm system should alert you of the presence of a threat so you can move to a safe room and prepare your defenses.
Most folks know Security Equipment Corporation (SEC), the manufacturers of Sabre Red, as one of the premier sources of pepper sprays in the industry. However, its commitment to providing high-quality personal and family defense tools goes way beyond that. The company’s ever-expanding line of products includes a wide range of physical security devices that are ideal for both at-home and travel use. The company has also taken a very unique, modular approach to its Sabre Home Series alarm systems that makes them ideal “add-on” security for gun owners.
Standalone Security
For a more systematic approach and affordable level of alarm protection is a “standalone” sensor/alarm that monitors a specific door, window or area. Typically battery powered and completely self-contained, these alarms install in minutes and can provide early warning and deterrent protection for apartments, condos and even college dorm rooms. The Sabre Home Series’ extensive line of standalone alarms and systems include everything from conventional door/window alarms to glass-break alarms and motion detectors.
Because standalone alarms operate independently, they can be installed to protect specific areas and avenues of entry as appropriate. In addition to helping prevent unauthorized entry from outside a dwelling, they can be used to monitor key areas within a home. For example, if you want to protect your office, a gun safe or even an individual desk drawer against unauthorized access, you can easily install an appropriate alarm for the job. Most Sabre standalone components install with double-sided adhesive tape for clean, easy removal. This is a big plus for apartment dwellers who want to get their security deposits back when they move.
At the most basic level, Sabre offers small-scale wireless alarm kits containing three door/window alarms and a main door alarm. The deluxe or main door alarm has exit and entry delays, but the smaller door/window alarms are controlled individually. They are triggered upon opening of the guarded door or window.
A more advanced approach, however, is the WP-100 Wireless Home Protection System. This turnkey system includes a control panel, a motion sensor, two door/window sensors, a wireless key fob and detailed instructions that allow anyone who can operate a DVD player to install and configure the system to meet his or her needs.
The components of the WP-100 are designed to provide the foundation of a sound home alarm system for virtually any dwelling. To make the basic system even more versatile, Sabre created a complete line of wireless components that can be purchased separately and added to your system “a la carte.” By analyzing the specific needs of your apartment, college dorm, condo or house, you can supplement the base WP-100 security system with additional sensors of the appropriate type to create a customized system configuration that best meets your needs. The system’s control panel has a range of 500 feet, so any sensors installed within that range can be controlled as part of a single, seamless system. And, like Sabre’s standalone alarms, most sensors and other components can be installed with double-sided adhesive for easy removal when you move.
Sensors can also be grouped into zones, allowing you to selectively monitor different areas of your home based on your circumstances. The eight programmable zones available with the WP-100 system also enable you to precisely determine the exact area of the intrusion so you can respond appropriately to distance yourself from the intruder(s).
Set A Safe Zone Perimeter
After the system’s control panel is installed and activated with a four-digit PIN, the next step is to locate and install the sensors. All sensors have their own power sources—either two AAA batteries or one 9-volt—which allows them to be easily mounted virtually anywhere without wires or the need for A/C power.
Motion sensors mount by screwing the base to a wall and then adjusting the position, range and sensitivity of the sensor to monitor the desired area. Care should be taken not to point motion sensors toward heaters, air conditioners, fans or anything else that might cause a false trigger.
Door/window sensors consist of two parts—the transmitter body and the magnet. These sensors can be mounted on just about anything that opens, whether it’s hinged, sliding or otherwise. Using strong double-sided adhesive, the transmitter mounts to a wall or any other non-moveable surface, while the magnet mounts to the movable part—such as a door, window, drawer, etc. When the system is armed, as long as the magnet and transmitter remain close together, nothing happens. If they are separated, a reed switch in the transmitter completes the circuit and the alarm is triggered.
“For those who live in apartments, college dorms or roommate scenarios, Sabre’s Home Series systems and standalone alarms offer outstanding security.”
All the components of the base WP-100 system come out of the box already registered to the control panel. All you need to do is mount them, power them up and you’re in business. Additional components can then be “enrolled” to the system and even assigned to different zones (eight in all) to immediately identify the location of an intrusion. The instructions for doing this require careful step-by-step reading, but they are not difficult. And, besides expanding the number of sensors in the system, you can easily add modular keypad control panels, alarm sirens and key fobs.
Although a 120-decibel alarm siren is a potent part of the Sabre system, its “Alert” mode swaps the siren for a doorbell-style chime that lets you know when a door is opened without truly “sounding the alarm.”
The basic Sabre WP-100 Home Series retails for $119.99 and additional components range from $19.99 to $39.99. True to Sabre’s word, it literally sets up in minutes and is extremely versatile and scalable. For homeowners, it offers a highly effective and customizable alternative to hardwired, service-based alarm systems. For those who live in apartments, college dorms or roommate scenarios, Sabre’s Home Series systems and standalone alarms offer outstanding security.
For more information, visit http://www.sabrered.com or call 800-325-9568.
