Over the course of the next few weeks we will be providing a step-by-step installation guide on how to install a D.I.Y. home security alarm. Our intent is to be as thorough as possible and provide a great resource for our readers that can be utilized time and time again by those interested in protecting their home and valuables with a self-monitored security system. Our assumption is that you have already read our article: Professional vs. Self-Monitored Alarm and have chosen the path of a DIY Self-Monitored alarm. The instructions that we provide throughout this series of articles will be focused on the security systems listed below but you will find that our tips and tricks can be utilized with just about any DIY Home Security Alarm available on the market. In the end, it really does not matter where or what kind of security alarm that you get, the important thing is that you get a security system that you feel comfortable with and that it provides you with the peace of mind that you are seeking.

• $99 Basic Security System

• $199 Gold Series Home Security Solution Package

• $249 Platinum Series Home Security Solution Package

Evaluating Your Home And Deciding On The Right Alarm Package

Homes come in many shapes and sizes. Some are very large, some are very small. Some homes have multiple floors while others have only one. A home can also be a condo, an apartment, a lakeside cabin, or a mobile home. Regardless of what you call home, you will want to have a good understanding of all the access points and areas that you want to provide protection.

How Many Sensors Do I Need?

Typically, you can do some quick math and count how many windows and doors you have and immediately know how many sensors you are going to need. However, while this is the easiest approach to determining the size of the alarm you will need to invest in, it does not always provide an accurate account of what you really need. For instance, do you have a room that has multiple windows and/or doors? If so, you can probably get by with just installing a single motion sensor in that area of the house and not worry about putting a sensor on each window and door.  Also, does your house have multiple levels? If the answer is yes, then you can probably do without sensors on your second story windows. We do recommend that you think about putting a motion sensor at the top of the stairs pointing down to capture any potential intruders making their way up the stairs in the middle of the night. Another way to save on sensors or to expand the coverage provided by your sensors is to have one window sensor wired up to cover multiple windows. This usually works best with side-by-side windows. We will cover this more in depth when we get into the installation.

How Many Sirens Should I Have?

When it comes to sirens, we have always been told by our customers that the more the better. It really depends on the square footage of your house and how loud you want your alarm to be. The alarms that we provide all have a siren built into the security console and then they have additional sirens that you can plug into any standard outlet in your home. The additional sirens come in 2 sizes (Compact 80db & PowerHorn 115db). Regardless of the size you choose, they both have a similar effect in that they make a lot of noise and will be sure to wake anybody up that may be home and scare off any intruder that is trying to break in. Our personal recommendation is to have a siren on each level of the house. They should be placed in the hallways and the larger gathering spaces of your home (living room, dining room, family room, etc…). It is probably not a bad idea to put one in your garage as well. You can always start out with whatever your alarm package comes with and add more sirens down the road as necessary.

Should I Worry About Lamp Modules and Light Automation Units?

In most cases, the answer is yes. All of the DIY alarms that we provide have a light automation feature built into them. This allows you the opportunity to turn lights on or off at the push of a button. The benefit of this is that you will never have to enter a dark home again. These lamp modules also provide you with the ability to turn any incandescent light in your home into a dimmable light…again… at the push of a button. Lastly, any light that you have plugged into the security lamp module will be notified when the alarm is triggered and they will begin to flash at the same time your sirens are blaring. This is a really nice feature that draws attention to your home in case of a break-in.

Do I Want Keychain Remotes And How Many?

Keychain remotes that can turn your alarm on and off are very convenient. It makes simple work of activating your alarm on your way out the door or deactivating it before carrying groceries inside. The best part is that you don’t have to remember (or worry about forgetting) any codes to push into the security console. Our keychain remotes feature a panic button that will automatically trigger your alarm and they also offer the ability turn your lights on or off by remote control. You will want to get enough keychain remotes to provide one to everyone in your home and possibly even some of your closest relatives or neighbors. Our DIY alarm allows you to program up to 8 remotes. So if you need more than that you may have to figure out a buddy system to make sure everyone leaving the house has the ability to get back in without triggering the alarm.

OK.. lets summarize… by this point you have taken a good look at your home, you have decided what size alarm you need, you know where you want to place window/door sensors and motion sensors, and you know where you are going to put your sirens. You are making great progress and should feel good about all you have accomplished thus far. Give yourself a pat on the back or ask your spouse or a friend to do it for you.

Next article in this series will cover the installation process for window/door sensors. We will show you all kinds of tips and tricks to maximize the coverage provided by your window and door sensors. We will even be sure to include some pictures to help stimulate your need for visual aids. Sound like fun?

This article is the third of a series devoted to helping the common person install a DIY Self-Monitored Home Security Alarm. The instructions that we provide throughout this series of articles will be focused on the security systems listed below but you will find that our tips and tricks can be utilized with just about any DIY Home Security Alarm available on the market. In the end, it really does not matter where or what kind of security alarm that you get, the important thing is that you get a security system that you feel comfortable with and that it provides you with the peace of mind that you are seeking.

• $99 Basic Security System
• $199 Gold Series Home Security Solution Package
• $249 Platinum Series Home Security Solution Package

MOTION SENSORS

How Do They Work?

The Motion Sensors that you find with alarm systems today are much more technologically advanced than the motion sensors of old. In the past, motion sensors did just what they were intended to do.. detect motion. Some models were triggered by vibration and others by simple movement. As you can imagine, this type of sensor was not very reliable and probably quick to provide false alarms. The motion sensors you find today work off of infrared technology. Which means that they track motion by sensing heat movement. If a mass of heat moves within range of the sensor, it will be triggered. So, if a book were to fall off of a shelf, since it does not generate a heat trail, it would not trigger the new style of sensors (but it would be sure to set off the old style).

Motion sensors have a zone of reference that depicts the range and spectrum of the sensors. When you are installing your motion sensors, you will to know what the  zone of reference is for your sensor to better identify the best location for it to be installed. The motion sensor that you can find with our kits mentioned above has a fairly standard zone of reference. It can pick up movement up to 30ft to the front of it. It has a 90 degree range of horizontal coverage and a 30 degree range for vertical coverage. The following picture helps to demonstrate this better.

Where Do I Install Them?

Motion sensors are a wonderful compliment to any home security system. Some people even choose to protect their homes with nothing but motion sensors (However, SmartSecurityPeople.com recommends that you maintain window/door sensors on the most accessible entry points to your home). When you are installing them in your home or business setting, you will want to find a place in which they will be the most effective. Usually, this can be in a stairwell, at the end of a hallway, or in the corner of a large open room. Basically, you want to install them anywhere that would be a normal traffic pattern for people moving through your house.

In addition, the nice thing about motion sensors is that you can protect an entire room with just one of them. So, if you have a room that has a lot of windows and doors, you may want to consider installing a motion sensor and only a few window/door sensors. Hopefully this gives you some ideas to work with regarding location of your motion sensors.

How Do I Install Them?

All of our motion sensors (like many others out there) operate wirelessly using encrypted radio frequency. So you don’t have to worry about running wires all over your house like you did with the older versions. Our motion sensors need 4AA batteries to operate and we encourage you to use alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries are recommended for any technologically advanced electrical device so your motion sensors definitely would benefit from them. We estimate that you will get at least 5 years of use from one round of alkaline batteries in your motion sensor.

It is important that your motion sensors do not have an obstructed view of sight. They should not be installed behind large pieces of furniture, flower arrangements, or in areas that inhibit their zone of reference. Over the years we have found that motion sensors work best when placed in a corner of a room. We also recommend that you install them at about 7-8 ft from the floor (as close to the ceiling as possible). This will allow the motion to have greater range for sensing movement. If you have to use a dining room chair to install them, then you are at the right height. If you are going for the ladder in your garage, you may be installing them too high.

The motion sensors include a tilt/swivel mounting bracket. So, once you have them installed, you can adjust them up and down and side to side to see what position works best for the area you are trying to provide coverage. If you are putting the motion sensor at the top of a staircase, you will definitely want to point it down so that it picks up any movement at the bottom of the stairs.

Any Tips and Tricks?

We wouldn’t be very Smart Security People if we didn’t have a tip or trick for our readers now would we? Motion sensors provide pretty basic operation so there really isn’t anything too amazing or brain rattling that we can share with you. However, over the years we have had numerous inquiries from our readers about pet immune motion sensors. The following information hopefully helps to clarify how you can make any standard motion sensor into a pet immune motion sensor for free (or almost free).

We already discussed how motion sensors have a zone of reference and we supplied you with the sample chart above going into greater detail. So what does all that mean? Well, this information helps up to figure out how we can make the best use of your motion sensor while avoiding false alarms from “Fido”.  You have 2 solutions: You can either tilt your motion sensor up or you can put a piece of medical tape on the bottom half of the sensor. (We suggest medical tape only because it will blend in better with the color of your sensor.) The ultimate effect of either of these solutions is that you now have a motion sensor that only detects movement that occurs higher than 3 feet off of the floor. If your dog is taller than 3 feet, then you probably don’t need a security system! Keep in mind though, if your potential robbers are vertically challenged (short) they could avoid this set-up as well.

The question that always comes to mind: Is this how other pet-immune motion sensors work? The answer is most probably no. The pet-immune motions sensors of today have circuitry built into them that only cause the alarm to be triggered if a large mass of movement is detected (usually anything under 40 lbs is ok). That is how these sensors differentiate between human movement and pet movement. If the sensor detects movement by an object larger than 40 lbs, it will trigger the alarm. Under 40lbs, no alarm.  As long as you are not being robbed by anorexic robbers or kindergartners, you should be just fine with a standard pet-immune motion sensor.

Visual Aids!

We know you like pictures, so we are always glad to please our reader base by providing you with plenty of them! The following are a few pictures of motion sensors in action from different installations over the years. Enjoy!

Motion Sensor On Swivel Tilt Wall Mount

Straight On View Of Motion Sensor

Motion Sensor Pointing Down Stairwell

ok..let’s summarize once again.. You have picked the alarm system that is right for you and now you have successfully installed all of your Window/Door Sensors and your Motion Sensors. So what is next you ask? Well, the next article in this series will be touching upon Sirens! What would an alarm be without a siren..um I guess it would be a silent alarm.

Anyway, we hope that you are finding these articles useful. We appreciate all of our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com. If you have additional tips and tricks you would like to share, please feel free to do so by leaving a comment below!

This article is the fifth in a series devoted to helping the common person install a DIY Self-Monitored Home Security Alarm. The instructions that we provide throughout this series of articles will be focused on the security systems listed below but you will find that our tips and tricks can be utilized with just about any DIY Home Security Alarm available on the market. In the end, it really does not matter where or what kind of security alarm that you get, the important thing is that you get a security system that you feel comfortable with and that it provides you with the peace of mind that you are seeking.

• $99 Basic Security System
• $199 Gold Series Home Security Solution Package
• $249 Platinum Series Home Security Solution Package

Remotes and Lamp Modules

With each of the security alarm packages that we offer, you will see that we provide not only Key Chain remotes but also a Master Security Control remote. These remotes are very useful in that they can turn your alarm off and on at the push of a button. The best part about these remotes is that you no longer have to remember any pin numbers or security codes to activate/deactivate your alarm. This feature is very handy because if you accidentally trigger your alarm, the stress of your alarm going off quickly renders your memory useless for remembering any codes. You can program up to 8 remotes for each security system.

In addition, all of our alarms include at least one lamp module. These lamp modules help to bring home automation functions to the lighting in your home. They can turn any standard incandescent light into a dimmable light and all at the push of a button.

The KeyChain Remote

The Key Chain remote is fairly small and does not weigh down your key chain even with the 2 AAA batteries installed. It measures at 2 1/2 inches long, an inch and a half wide and about half an inch thick. In our testing we have found the Key Chain remote to have about a 200 foot working radio frequency range. This means that as long as you are within a couple hundred feet of the main security console, it should have no problem communicating with your alarm. Most people just utilize the Key Chain remote after they have left their home or right before they are about to enter.  So..the 200 foot range should be more than enough for most.

The Key Chain remote features 4 buttons: ARM, DISARM, LIGHTS ON, LIGHTS OFF

• The ARM button does simply that, it arms your security system which causes the console to ding once and a light (connected to the lamp module and assigned to the same House Code as your security console and UNIT 1) to flash once.
• The DISARM button will deactivate your security alarm and will cause the console to ding twice as confirmation of the alarm be turned off.
• The LIGHTS ON button will turn on the same light mentioned above (connected to the lamp module and assigned to the same House Code as your security console and UNIT 1). This feature is sought after by many because it ensures that you will never have to enter a dark home again. By a simple push of the button, you can always have your entry way lit up before you enter.
• The LIGHTS OFF button is somewhat self-explanatory but it just turns off the same light that is turned on by the LIGHTS ON button.

If at anytime you find yourself in a panic situation and want to trigger your alarm, all you have to do is hit the ARM & DISARM buttons on the Key Chain Remote at the same time and it will trigger your alarm. The Key Chain remote also features a low-battery indicator light to notify you if the batteries are getting low.

The Master Security Remote

The Master Security Remote is about three times the size of the Key Chain Remote. This extra size is to be expected though since it is packed with a lot of features and is not intended to be strapped to your key chain! The purpose of this remote is to keep it somewhere in your house that is convenient for you. Some of our customers prefer to keep it in the living room while others have it located on their nightstand.

The Master Security Remote boasts a wireless range of 100 ft from the manufacturer. However, we have found it to work up to at least 150ft. It may work at greater distances but we have never had a need to test it further. It requires 4 AAA batteries to operate. It measures 4 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches and has a depth of about 3/4 of an inch.

The Master Security Remote has a lot more buttons and features than the Key Chain Remote. It has 9 rocker type buttons, a House Code dial and a Min/Max toggle switch.

• Starting from top to bottom, the first button is the PANIC button. If for some reason you need to trigger your alarm, you can push this button and it will set your siren off, the lights will start flashing, and the auto-dialer feature will begin calling to the preset phone numbers that you have registered in the console.
• The second button is the ARM HOME/DISARM button. This arms your alarm but only the window and door sensors. It does not activate the motion sensors (since you are supposed to be home and probably walking around your home).
• The next button is the ARM AWAY/DISARM button. This arms your alarm and all the sensors (motion sensors included).
• The SECURITY LIGHT button is used to control the lamp module that is set to the same house number and unit number as your security console. It can turn the light on and off at the push of a button.
• The next four buttons are used to control lamp modules in your home. These buttons turn any lights on and off that are connected to the corresponding lamp module.
• The last button is the DIMMING SWITCH. Any of the lights that you have plugged into a lamp module are now dimmable just by hitting this button up or down.
• The House Code Dial should be set to the same house code you have selected on your security console. This helps to make sure the security console and the remote control are in sync with each other when operating the home automation features (remote control lights).
• The MIN/MAX button allows the remote to set the alarm instantly (MIN) or after about 30 seconds (MAX). We encourage all of our customers to keep this set at MIN because if you set it to MAX, it will ding for 30 seconds before arming. If you are like us you would prefer the instant gratification of having your alarm armed right away as opposed to the 30 second delay.

The Lamp Module

The Lamp Module can turn any ordinary light into something extraordinary. It gives you the opportunity to control that light remotely from across the room and also makes it dimmable.  The Lamp Module works with incandescent lights and lamps (i.e. with a regular light bulb, not halogen or fluorescent). Plug the lamp into the Lamp Module, and plug the Lamp Module into any normal wall socket - it’s that easy! Ideal for controlling bedroom, living room, and family room lamps.

The Lamp Module receives it commands over the existing wiring in your home. When you hit the button on your remote, it send a wireless signal to your Security Console and then the Console sends an instructional signal over your electrical wiring to the Lamp module. With your remote you have the ability to turn lights on and off and dim them at the push of a button.

The Lamp Module has 2 dials on it. One is the Unit Code and the other is the House Code. The House Code(A-P) will need to match the House Code that you have set on your Security Console and Master Security Remote. The Unit Code should probably be set to 1-4. If you set it to 1, that means that this light can be turned on and off with the Key Chain remote and the Security Light button on the Master Security Remote. If you set it to 2,3, or 4, it can be controlled by the extra light buttons on the Master Security Remote.

The Lamp Module is about 2 3/4 of an inch tall, 2 1/8 inches wide, and 1 1/4 inch deep. It can plug into any standard electrical outlet and is rated to handle incandescent lights up to 300 watts.

Tips & Tricks

Over the years we have done a number of installations and provided enough support for our customers to be able to pull together some of the “best practices” that are being utilized with different aspects of our security systems. the following represent a couple of the best practices adopted from our customers in regard to remotes and lamp modules.

• Key Chain Remote In The Garage: We have gotten this tip from quite a few of our customers. What they do is hide a Key Chain remote in the garage and only share that location with a few close family members or friends. Then they install an electric keypad garage door opener outside of their garage. They give these same close friends and family members the code to the opener. By doing this, they have set up a secure method to get friends and family members into their home without triggering the alarm. This saves them on passing Key Chain remotes out to everyone and it appears to be much more convenient.
• Alarm Set/Lamp Module Notification: (This is another garage tip!)As you learned above, you can set a lamp module so that it flashes a light every time you ARM your alarm. A good number of our customers say that they have set up a light in the garage with the lamp module so that before they back their car out they can hit the ARM button on the remote and if the light flashes, then they know that everything is “good-to-go”. If the light does not flash, then that means that they may have left a window or door open and they need to double check the house.

ok..let’s summarize once again.. You have picked the alarm system that is right for you, you have successfully installed all of your Window/Door Sensors and your Motion Sensors, you now have your sirens in place. you know how to work your remotes and lamp modules. So what is next you ask? Well, the next article in this series will be getting to the heart and brain of your security system… the Security Console! We will be covering the role of the Security Console but more importantly, we will discuss how you install it and tie it in with your other security components.

Anyway, we hope that you are finding these articles useful. We appreciate all of our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com. If you have additional tips and tricks you would like to share, please feel free to do so by leaving a comment below!

Those of you that have college age and college ready children will want to take note of this article. Those that do not, you will still want to read this article to make sure you can help counsel someone else that is just entering into the world of higher education and learning all the great facets of financial aid.

People claiming to be employed by the Department of Education are calling unsuspecting families and offering them a large scholarship and/or grant. The kicker though - they are asking the family for a credit card to cover a $249 processing fee. As if college was not expensive enough, now you have scam artists trying to profiteer off of people’s longing to cover the educational expense for their son or daughter.

If you are a seasoned professional when it comes to college expenses and financial aid, you can disregard the following information. If you are new to the process, please read the following tips:

• The Department of Education will never contact you directly. They will work with and through the college of your choice to see what kind of aid might be available for you.
• If someone is offering you a “free” scholarship make sure you get all the details and understand where the funds are coming from and why you are a recipient (especially if it is not one that you have applied for).
• Avoid any scholarship conversations that include the following: “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”, “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”,”I just need your credit-card or bank-account number to hold this scholarship.”,”We’ll do all the work.”,”The scholarship will cost some money.”, “You’ve been selected by a ‘national foundation’ to receive a scholarship.”,”You’re a finalist.”
• Never give anyone your private bank or credit card information - especially when it is relating to a scholarship “opportunity”.

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a particular scholarship offer, drop a call to your local financial aid office and run it by them. They are the professionals and work with this type of information every day and will be in the best position to give you clear and unbiased advice.

The Federal Trade Commission encourages families to notify them if you believe that you have been approached by a scholarship scam artist. You can contact them by sending an email to oig.hotline@ed.gov or by calling 1-800-MIS-USED.

Have any of our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com ever encountered a scholarship scam artist? Any additional tips you would like to share for the good of the order?

Very cold temperatures, like very hot ones, can be hazardous to your health. Proper dress and some sensible practices can prevent a lot of the problems associated with cold weather. In addition, knowing the symptoms of danger and how to treat them can keep problems that do occur from becoming disasters. The American Red Cross recently released the following tips to help provide guidance for surviving the winter season.

GENERAL HAZARDS

The most common hazard in the cold is frostbite. Your body doesn’t get enough heat and the body tissues freeze. Body parts most often affected by frostbite are the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, and toes.

In very bad cases, frostbite can cause permanent tissue damage and loss of movement in the affected body parts. In the worst cases, you could become unconscious and stop breathing. You could even die of heart failure.

The other cold hazard is hypothermia. That’s what it’s called when you’re exposed to cold so long that your body temperature gets dangerously low. Just like frostbite, the worst case results are unconsciousness and death.

With both cold hazards, you’re more at risk if you’re older, overweight, or have allergies or poor circulation. Other factors that raise the risk are smoking, drinking, and taking medications such as sedatives.

IDENTIFYING HAZARDS

It is very important to know the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia so that you can do something before it is too late.

Frostbite can occur from being in a cold area or from touching an object whose temperature is below freezing. In many cases, people don’t have any idea that it’s happening. That’s why you have to be familiar with the symptoms.

Frostbite victims usually start by feeling uncomfortably cold, then numb. Sometimes they also get a tingling or aching feeling or a brief pain. The recommended practice is whenever you feel numbness, take action!

Hypothermia can also take you by surprise because you can get it even when the temperature is above freezing. Windy conditions, physical exhaustion, and wet clothing can all make you prone to hypothermia.

With hypothermia, you first feel cold, then pain in the extremities. You’ll shiver, which is how the body tries to raise the temperature.

Other symptoms include numbness, stiffness (especially in the neck, arms, and legs), poor coordination, drowsiness, slow or irregular breathing and heart rate, slurred speech, cool skin, and puffiness in the face.

As you can see, many of these symptoms are not unusual and could mean different things. But if you’re exposed to very cold conditions, take them seriously and take steps to relieve them.

PROTECTION AGAINST HAZARDS

The best way to deal with cold problems is to prevent them in the first place. The most sensible approach is to limit exposure to cold, especially if it’s windy or damp.

If you know you’re going to be in cold conditions, don’t bathe, smoke, or drink, alcohol just before going out.

• Dress for conditions in layers of loose, dry clothes. The most effective mix is cotton or wool underneath, with something waterproof on top.
• Get dried or changed immediately if your clothes do get wet.
• Be sure to cover hands, feet, face, and head. A hat is critical because you can lose up to 40 percent of your body heat if your head isn’t covered.
• Keep moving when you’re in the cold.
• Take regular breaks in warm area. Go where it’s warm any time you start to feel very cold or numb. Drink something warm, as long as it doesn’t contain alcohol or caffeine.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

As you know, prevention doesn’t always work. So it’s important to know what to do if you or someone you’re with shows symptoms of cold problems.

The first thing to do is to get where it’s warm. Get out of any frozen, wet, or tight clothing and into warm clothes or blankets. Drink something warm, decaffeinated, and non-alcoholic.

For hypothermia, call 911 for medical help and keep the person covered with blankets or something similar. Don’t use hot baths, electric blankets, or hot water bottles. Give artificial respiration if necessary and try to keep the person awake and dry.

For frostbite, first be aware of the don’ts:

Don’t rub the body part, or apply a heat lamp or hot water bottle.

Don’t go near a hot stove.

Don’t break any blisters.

Don’t drink caffeine.

Do warm the frozen body part quickly with sheets and blankets or warm (not hot) water.

Once the body part is warm, exercise it-with one exception: Don’t walk on frostbitten feet.

It’s dangerous to underestimate the health hazards you’re exposed to in the cold. But if you take some precautions before you’re exposed and know what symptoms can spell trouble, you substantially reduce your risk.

PROTECT YOURSELF AT HOME

• Be careful with candles - do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Inspect fireplaces and wood stoves yearly - use a sturdy fire screen with lit fires. Burn only wood - never burn paper or pine boughs.
• Use generators correctly -never operate a generator inside your home, including the basement or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to your home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.
• Prevent frozen pipes - when the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing. Keep the thermostat set to a consistent temperature.
• Check smoke alarms once a month by pressing the test button and replace batteries as necessary.
• Don’t overload your electrical outlets.
• Don’t forget your pets - bring them indoors.  If you can’t bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.
• If you plan on using an alternate heating source, never use a stove or oven to heat your home.  Keep a glass or metal fire screen around the fireplace and never leave a fireplace fire unattended.  If using a space heater, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to safely use the heater.  Place it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface.  Turn the space heater off when you leave the room or go to sleep.  Keep children and pets away from your space heater and do not use it to dry wet clothing.

We hope these tips help to keep our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com safe and sound during the winter weather season.

Like most people, you are already trying to figure out the quickest and easiest route to your Thanksgiving day destination. AAA estimates that 81% of travelers will be doing so by car this year. AAA states that 41 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving to be with friends and loved ones. This may seem like alot but actually this figure is down by 600,000 from last year (first decline in travel numbers since 2002).

At SmartSecurityPeople.com, we like to provide our readers with a number of security tips but we are also concerned about your safety as well. Given the large number of you that will be traveling this coming week, we are pleased to provide you with the following travel safety tips to help get you to and from your destination safe and sound.

• Plan your route of travel ahead of time: Nothing makes for a rough holiday experience like being 2 hours late for Thanksgiving dinner. Get a map or check MapQuest to plan your route. Also, make sure you plan an alternate route in case you encounter construction or a traffic jam.
• Travel during non-peak time: Instead of traveling the day of Thanksgiving or the day before and after; you should make your trip on Tuesday and plan your return on Saturday or Sunday. Now this tip only really lends itself to those that are making lengthy trips (4 hours or more). Those that are making day trips, really should be ok.
• Get your car checked out: This rule of thumb should apply anytime you are about to make a trip. However, it especially applies at the holiday season. Take your car to your local shop and have them check all your fluids, your windshield wipers, your brakes, and any recent noises that you have been neglecting for a while. If you don’t have the time or money, check the essential things yourself. Some other things that you may want to check is: tire pressure, belts & hoses, tire tread depth.
• Drive Cautiously: I know everyone is in a hurry to get to grandma’s to eat her special oyster dressing that she only makes once a year but let’s make sure you get there safely. A lot of people will be on the road and the more cautious you are the safer you and others will be. So.. drive slow, be aware of those around you, and yes..use your turn signals.
• Pack a Survival Kit: This could be something simple but should be things that you can use in case you get stranded. Some things to consider for your survival kit could be as follows: Blanket, food, water, flashlight, first aid kit, etc…
• Make Stops along the way: This is more applicable for those with kids. If you are taking the little ones with you, you had better plan a couple stops along the way. You can do this when you are doing Step 1 above. Also, if you are making a long drive, don’t try to be a hero and drive 16 hours without taking a break. We all like heroes but we like them better when they are not in the hospital from nodding off behind the wheel.

We hope these safety tips help you during your holiday travel. If you have additional ones that you would like to share with our readers please feel free to do so below.

From all of us at SmartSecurityPeople.com, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Steve Houseworth & U.S. News and World Report recently chimed in with their top 8 ways to help protect your home and the valuables inside. Here is what they suggest:

1. Sign Up: While home security systems are great tools for preventing burglaries, they can be quite expensive. For a more affordable alternative, Houseworth recommends a little trickery: putting a home security sign in your yard without actually obtaining the service.

2. Beware of the Garage: Garages are a common entry point for burglars, Houseworth says. Open garage doors serve to advertise your belongings to passersby, which increases the likelihood of theft. So, homeowners should make sure their garage door remains closed anytime they aren’t present.

3. Be a Neighbor: Neighbors can play a key role in preventing home thefts. Homeowners on friendly terms with their neighbors are less likely to be victimized by other members of their community.

4. Keep Valuables Outside of the Bedroom: A burglar on the hunt for valuables in a home will make the master bedroom their first stop-since that’s where the cash and jewelry are most commonly stored.

5. No Land Escaping: Burglars prefer to target homes that have hiding spots and escape routes in the yards, and abundant bushes and trees make for great cover, Houseworth says. As a result, yards with less shrubbery and more open spaces aren’t particularly appealing targets

6. Install Motion Sensors: Light is a great deterrent for nighttime break-ins. Houseworth recommends homeowners install motion sensors on outdoor lights that turn on automatically if someone triggers them.

7. Radio Running: Noise helps prevent burglaries as well. Houseworth leaves his radio on all day so that would-be burglars think that someone is at home.

8. Free Police Inventory: For homeowners looking to go a step further, Houseworth suggests contacting the local police department and having an officer stop by the house for a safety checkup.

Here is what SmartSecurityPeople thinks about these suggestions:

1. Yes, definitely. Even if you can not afford a professionally monitored alarm system, try and look like you can. If you have a close family member or friend that is contracted with an alarm service provider, they may be able to get extra signs for cheap (or free) and share them with you.
2. Garages are always targeted as great entry ways for burglars. Keep yours protected. Don’t leave the door open unless you have to. Also, if you have a windowed side entry door into your garage, think about upgrading to a solid non-windowed door (steel if you can afford it).
3. Good fences make good neighbors but that doesn’t mean you should not be friendly. The better you know your neighbors and the better they know you, the safer of a neighborhood you will have.
4. Seems like pretty sensible advice… We guess a good follow-up question would be which room should you put your valuables then? the kitchen? the living room? in storage in the basement?
5. Bushes and trees in the yard certainly do provide additional hiding places for a burglar but well positioned bushes (Rose?) under windows could certainly help to deter some burglars.
6. Yes.. every house should have a motion sensing light. If you don’t, go get one this weekend. If you don’t think they will fit with the exterior decor of your home, splurge and get the fancy one.
7. You know.. We have a family member that has been doing this for years and we never knew why… We recently inquired about the radio and they stated the exact same safety reasoning. They live in the country and they assumed the radio(located in the garage) would always make it seem like someone was home even if that was not the case.
8. We are not sure what city they live in but it is certainly not like most of the ones we have experienced over the years. The police are great at doing their job but helping someone analyze their home for potential break-in points seems to be going above and beyond the call of duty. However, our curiosity has been sparked and we may drop a call to the local police force to see what they say. We will keep you posted on that one.

SmartSecurityPeople.com recently provided the “Top Ten Ways To Protect Your Home“. Since we have ten and U.S. News & World Report only provided eight, you can see that our list is far superior. In actuality, both lists are very informative and probably only skim all the possible suggestions out there. So, if you have additional tips that you have utilized (or witnessed a friend or neighbor using) please feel free to share below. The more we all know the better.

Here is the situation: You contracted with an alarm company or purchased your own self-monitored alarm system a year ago. When prompted to whether you want to splurge on a pet-sensitive motion sensor, you said no because you only had fish and if they are tripping off a motion sensor, you have other problems. You recently fell in love with the latest and greatest mixed breed of dog to hit the market and had to have one. You bring home your Labradoodle, Puggle, or other mixed breed of your choice. The next day you set your home alarm, leave for work, and within an hour you are being notified that your alarm is going off. You come to find out that your alarm is being set-off by your motion sensor which is now being triggered by your new best friend. So we have identified the problem. What is the solution?

1. Discontinue use of your alarm system and leave your home and new best friend to fend for themselves.
2. Disconnect your motion sensor and rely solely upon your window/door sensors. (Maybe your new four-legged buddy will intimidate anyone looking to break-in.)
3. Contact your alarm manufacturer and pay to upgrade your motion sensor to be pet-sensitive. If you have a contracted alarm provider, you may be able to negotiate with them on the price of the sensor but they may still charge you for installation and set-up.
4. Save some cash and do the following suggestions from SmartSecurityPeople.com

Motion sensors have a zone of reference and range. This zone of reference depicts what the range is of your motion sensor. The chart to the right reflects a motion sensor that has a 20ft reach with a left to right range of 90 degrees and an up and down range of 30 degrees. So what does this mean? Well, this information helps up to figure out how we can make the best use of your motion sensor while avoiding false alarms from Fido.  You have 2 solutions: You can either tilt your motion sensor up or you can put a piece of medical tape on the bottom half of the sensor. (We suggest medical tape only because it will blend in better with the color of your sensor.) The ultimate effect of either of these solutions is that you now have a motion sensor that only detects movement that occurs higher than 3 feet off of the floor. If your dog is taller than 3 feet, then you probably don’t need a security system! Keep in mind though, if your potential robbers are vertically challenged (short) they could avoid this set-up as well.

A question that comes to mind: Is this how other pet-immune motion sensors work? The answer is most probably no. The pet-immune motions sensors of today have circuitry built into them that only cause the alarm to be triggered if a large mass of movement is detected (usually anything under 40 lbs is ok). That is how these sensors differentiate between human movement and pet movement. If the sensor detects movement by an object larger than 40 lbs, it will trigger the alarm. Under 40lbs, no alarm.  As long as you are not being robbed by anorexic robbers or kindergartners, you should be just fine with this set-up.

Hope this information is helpful. Should you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. we are always glad to help our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com.