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ScottDLS wrote:I have concertina wire on the fence surrounding my back yard. In the front, I have several (legally registered) "Claymore" electrically triggered, anti personnel mines. Double pane ballistic glass and reinforced window frames. Solid core steel doors with hidden solid columns surrounding the frame that go down 4' into the foundation. I have a positive pressure sealed HVAC system with filtered intakes in a hidden location. Backup generator and battery bank out back with 1000 gal stabilized diesel in an underground tank. I sleep with a "cocked and locked" MAC10/9mm machine pistol under the bed with a dual stage silencer and 5 extra 25 round stick mags. Ammo is 147 grain subsonic as that feeds the MAC the best,,,

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EdnaBambrick wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote: I can't speak for ADT......we use a different service.....but we have several options when setting the alarm:

1. "Away", with and without "entry delay": if "entry delay" is NOT selected, the alarm is triggered whenever the perimeter is penetrated, inncluding glass-break sensors, door and window sensors; and indoors motion detectors. When triggered, the system's klaxons/sirens emits all the usual loud and obnoxious noises, and the monitoring center generates a phone call to my cellphone, and the police are called. If "entry delay" is selected, then there is a 30 second delay between when the alarm is triggered, and when all the rest of the stuff happens.
2. "Stay", without and without "entry delay": behaves the same way as above EXCEPT the internal motion detectors are switched off.

When we go to bed at night, we arm the system to the "Stay - no entry delay" setting. We also have a dog who barks whenever a flea farts two counties over. I keep a suppressed .300 Blackout SBR with three 30-round mags of subsonics and a mag of supersonics handy by the bed.......not to mention a couple of pistols and a shotgun. The dog barks at the drop of a hat. I don't really need to keep the system armed during the day, because there just isn't any way that a home invasion squad can get anywhere near my front door without my being alerted to their presence by the video cameras, etc.

And then there's the phone apps. I once declined a sales offer for new windows from a salesman standing right outside my front door..........while I was westbound on I-40, somewhere near Gallup, New Mexico. I could see him and talk to him, but he had no idea I was 800 miles from home.

But, there's only so much you can do. The determined and experienced home invaders are going to invade your home - whether or not you're prepared to meet them on the domestic battlefield, and no matter how much you invest in alarm and weapon systems. You can only do so much. It's just like with gun safes. You can bolt them to the floor and invest thousands in the highest quality safes, but if someone is truly determined to get your guns, they WILL get them. You can only hope to slow them down enough to make it not worth the effort to the casual or opportunistic thief. It's the same for the rest of your home/property. You can invest in alarm systems, dogs, and guns; but the determined professional home invader is going to get in, kill you (if you're home), and take your stuff. All you can do is slow down the opportunistic and the lazy. It's a harsh truth. The only thing you are left then is to have a plan for when it does happen (IF it does happen), and then train to a level to make that plan executable when the flag goes up. All the alarm systems, dogs, and guns in the world will just slow them down if you don't know what to do when/if it does happen.

Part of a much longer story but in 1989, I came into casual contact with some KGB in the middle of the country. As a result, the FBI came and interrogated me for about 4 hours. In those times, some friends and I were involved in making homemade advanced fireworks - mainly making the recipes from Improvised Munitions Handbook and committing them to memory. However, we were aware that not everything we were doing would be open to the same liberal 'some kids having fun' point of view.

We decided to cease our hobby for some time and did a very complete scrub and clean of the facilities (our kitchen apartment) where we did many of the procedures and thus assumed that fumes had deposited trace evidence of nitrates and other compounds on the surfaces.

We also took many precautions, like putting folded pieces of paper in the door that would indicate if someone had entered while we were away. The thing is, we made these pieces and placed them asymmetrical which meant that if placed back in the wrong direction, we would know that not only someone entered but that they were somewhat sophisticated in avoiding detection.

We even did while we were home and asleep.

Over the next 2 months, 3 entries were made to the property and the paper was put back incorrectly. 1 time while we were asleep.

Doubt that your senses and awareness are high enough. Even when 'on alert'.

PS - we had a dog that we thought was pretty good at alerting. He was ineffective as we were.

That's a pretty hair raising story. Note what I highlighted in red. I think you and I are on the same page.

Scott in Houston wrote:

Vol Texan wrote:

magillapd wrote:Also nice to have multipule armed home defenders. Ideal would be a good trained dog or two in addition to AR /12GA. A good home alarm system is also a good. (Not ADT)

Why do you say 'Not ADT'?. Can you share information as to why that is a bad company to use?

[*][*]
This...

ADT is fine.
The best function of an alarm is the audible noise it makes when an entrance or window is breached.
There's at least 10-15 seconds between that noise and the time any 'bad guy' gets to me and I'll be ready to defend myself by then.

ADT can be a bit pricey, but the physical alarm and sensors put in place are as good as any system. ADT is responsible for monitoring, and they're about as good as any in my experience.

I can't speak for ADT......we use a different service.....but we have several options when setting the alarm:

1. "Away", with and without "entry delay": if "entry delay" is NOT selected, the alarm is triggered whenever the perimeter is penetrated, inncluding glass-break sensors, door and window sensors; and indoors motion detectors. When triggered, the system's klaxons/sirens emits all the usual loud and obnoxious noises, and the monitoring center generates a phone call to my cellphone, and the police are called. If "entry delay" is selected, then there is a 30 second delay between when the alarm is triggered, and when all the rest of the stuff happens.
2. "Stay", without and without "entry delay": behaves the same way as above EXCEPT the internal motion detectors are switched off.

When we go to bed at night, we arm the system to the "Stay - no entry delay" setting. We also have a dog who barks whenever a flea farts two counties over. I keep a suppressed .300 Blackout SBR with three 30-round mags of subsonics and a mag of supersonics handy by the bed.......not to mention a couple of pistols and a shotgun. The dog barks at the drop of a hat. I don't really need to keep the system armed during the day, because there just isn't any way that a home invasion squad can get anywhere near my front door without my being alerted to their presence by the video cameras, etc.

And then there's the phone apps. I once declined a sales offer for new windows from a salesman standing right outside my front door..........while I was westbound on I-40, somewhere near Gallup, New Mexico. I could see him and talk to him, but he had no idea I was 800 miles from home.

But, there's only so much you can do. The determined and experienced home invaders are going to invade your home - whether or not you're prepared to meet them on the domestic battlefield, and no matter how much you invest in alarm and weapon systems. You can only do so much. It's just like with gun safes. You can bolt them to the floor and invest thousands in the highest quality safes, but if someone is truly determined to get your guns, they WILL get them. You can only hope to slow them down enough to make it not worth the effort to the casual or opportunistic thief. It's the same for the rest of your home/property. You can invest in alarm systems, dogs, and guns; but the determined professional home invader is going to get in, kill you (if you're home), and take your stuff. All you can do is slow down the opportunistic and the lazy. It's a harsh truth. The only thing you are left then is to have a plan for when it does happen (IF it does happen), and then train to a level to make that plan executable when the flag goes up. All the alarm systems, dogs, and guns in the world will just slow them down if you don't know what to do when/if it does happen.