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[Jeremyj]

I just ordered the following because some scumbags broke into my country house, burglarized and vandalized the place in between visits. Does anyone have any tips or advice on this setup, or how not get broken into again?

Qty Part Description
6 DS10A Door/Window Sensor
3 KR10A Security Keychain Remote
2 LM465 Lamp Module
3 MM024 Security Surveillance Decal
2 MS10A Wireless Motion Sensor
1 PS561 Voice Dialer Console
2 SH10A Mini Powerhorn
2 SH624 Security Remote Control

[tom j]

Well I've found the motion detector set to 1 movement are prone to false alarms. Put three in an empty room away from the windows and within three months all three tripped!! So my advise would be to use the 2 movement mode but test them thoroughly to make sure they work correctly in the 2 movement mode. After returning five I actually got two that will reliably work in that mode. I would also recommend the large powerhorns and some x10 controlled lights that can flash off and on when and if the alarm is triggered. I saw a burglar interviewed on a local station and he was asked what a homeowner could do to prevent a burglary he went thought all the familiar stuff neighborhood watch dogs lights ect but then he said something that caught my attention, he said he broke in one house that had sirens so loud that that he couldn't stand it and and had to leave immediately, after hearing this I bought three of the large POWER HORNS when x10 had that buy one get two free. I placed two in the living room where my new stereo is. Unfortunately I did experience a break in and by the grace of God the thiefs also got nothing! my neighbor said he say them running from my house which he said looked like it was alive! so the more noise the better and with all my lights being x10 controlled as you can imagine at night it looks pretty impressive. I also saw a camera that you might find useful, I'll post the link as soon as I get a chance.  hope this helps.

tcj

[Jeremyj]

Thanks for your info. I will test the motion sensors extensively. One more question. My house loses power every once in a while. How will that effect the system?

[Sonic]

about losing power:  From what I've seen, as long its not longer than the 9volt battery backup lasts(in the console), you should be fine (at least without losing configuration).  All of the sensors run on batteries.   I don't know if it will dialout without power though, guess I should test that theory. 
About the motion sensors, I've got 4 that aren't currently being used.  I tried hooking 1 of them up, it seemed flaky at best.  I've since just installed door/window sensors on everything. 

[tom j]

Thanks for your info. I will test the motion sensors extensively. One more question. My house loses power every once in a while. How will that effect the system?

Yes I agree with the battery backup you should be fine and yes it will dial out and the siren even works on battery backup!! don't skimp on the batteries a good alkaline, Duracell or something like that believe it or not I've found the Walgreen's store brand of alkaline batteries to be very good and fairly inexpensive especially when on sale. Like I said these motion detectors on 1 movement will give you false alarms I will say I've never had a false alarm in the two moment mode in many many years not one. One thing that I've notices and that's that it takes about 3 minutes or so after you activate one of these in the 2 movement mode for it to reset itself it's suppose to take 45 seconds. This is normal and saves battery power because during this sleep phase it will not respond to motion. I only have one that will reliably reset after say a minute, all the rest take possibly several minutes or so. Another thing I've noticed is that it seems like these things don't start counting the movements in the two step mode until it senses the motion has stopped. So try this set them up in the rooms or areas you want to protect and wait say five minutes and then go into each room to see if the little light comes on to indicate it has seen you. Might be best to try this at night so you can really see the little light then wait at least a few minutes and repeat the process until you're really confident in them. Like I said I had to send mine back quite a few times before I got some that really worked hopefully they have corrected this but I wouldn't bet on it. If your power goes out frequently you better check that backup battery regularly because if it goes out you're out of luck! Say check my next post I'll give you a few interesting links I've found in my travels.

Tcj

[X10Securitysystems]

Hi Jeremy,

I am sorry to hear about your recent security troubles. I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been. It looks like you've made a good decision in adding security to your country house. The set you purchased is a very good one. I would make sure you place the security decals in a visible area to be a first line of deterrence. In the future you may want to purchase more lamp modules, or socket rockets - to make the flashing lights of the alarm more dramatic. This way if the alarm is tripped the burglars will know they made a mistake right away. Our website was created with the customer in mind, giving more detail and specific instructions on the system. See www.x10securitysystems.com for this information. Thank you for also using our forum. It is a great way for customers to bounce ideas off of one another and share experiences. Good Luck

X10 Security Team