A Guide to Buying a Wireless Alarm System

A wireless alarm system is composed of battery powered components that communicate via radios signals. Today, more wireless alarm systems are sold for residential homes than hard-wired alarm systems. A wireless alarm system may consist of:

• Control Box – The hub of the alarm system and all sensors are linked to this box. May contain a keypad to arm or disarm the system.
• Door/Windows Sensors – Closed-circuit sensors that trigger the alarm when a door/window is opened.
• Motion Sensors – Detect motion in a room within its field of view. Today, the motion sensors most commonly used are infrared (PIR) motion sensors, which detect body heat within a room.
• Alarm Siren – Is sounded when an intruder is detected.
• Phone Auto-Dialer – Dials local police station or a security monitoring service and leaves a pre-recorded message when the alarm is triggered.
• Key Chain Remote Control – Contains buttons to remotely arm or disarm the system.

Advantages of a Wireless Alarm System:

• Ease of installation – Wireless alarm systems are a great DIY choice. These systems are extremely easy for anybody to install as there are no wiring required for the installation.
• You can position sensors anywhere you want – because you don’t have to worry about how to route the wiring, you can place the sensors in the best possible locations. Security sensors can be positioned in the best locations in order to have the optimal security coverage.
• Aesthetic appearance – The wiring required for a hard-wired system can look a bit ugly, and trunking may need to be installed to hide the wires. Wireless systems don’t have this problem.
• Can be easily moved after installation – If at some point you decide that you want to move a sensor to another location in your house, its not a big hassle with a wireless system.
• Expandability with other wireless alarm devices – Some wireless alarm systems today allow you to link to other wireless alarm devices, such as smoke and flood alarms.

Disadvantages of a Wireless Alarm System:

• More expensive than wired systems – Although with the gaining popularity of wireless systems, there is now not that much of a price difference between wired and wireless systems. With a hard-wired system, it may be necessary to hire someone to do the installation. This is not necessary with a wireless system.
• Wireless alarm systems require batteries – Most wireless alarm system components run off batteries, which need to be replaced periodically. Most components of an alarm system will operate for years without requiring you to change the batteries. Wireless alarm system components generally warn you when the batteries need changing via an audible alarm or flashing LED.

Considerations When Choosing a Wireless Alarm System

Take into consideration the number of rooms, windows and doors in your house, and the number of motion sensors and door/window sensors bundled with the wireless alarm system. Also check if additional sensors can be purchased and added to the alarm system.

Also check the operating distance of the wireless alarm system, which is the distance that the radio signals of wireless components can communicate with the control box of the system. For larger homes, a wireless alarm system having an operating range of only 50 feet will not be ideal.

Also ensure that the alarm that comes with the system is loud enough to be heard from a distance, and by your neighbours. It’s recommended that the alarm siren for the system be at least 100 decibels loud. An auto-dialer may also be included as part of a wireless alarm system. An auto-dialer automatically calls programmed telephone numbers when the alarm is triggered, and plays back a pre-recorded message. This telephone number is normally the local police service or a security monitoring company.

Wireless alarm systems from Skylink have become extremely popular, and offer excellent value for money with an impressive feature set. Three wireless alarm system products are sold by Skylink to match different size homes and different budgets. Skylink also sell a wide range of security accessories, to customize and expand these alarm systems.

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