Table Of ContentHow to plan & install
Howard Herman
Covers suclitopics as • f ire detection systems • p hotoelectric
systems • radar detectors • volume detectors • automatic
telephone diaters • night-viewing devices • bug-detecting
devices • and much more!
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How to Plan and Install
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I
Electronic
Burglar Alarms
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012
http://archive.org/details/howtoplaninstallOObier
How to Plan and Install
Electronic
Burglar Alarms
Howard Bierman
HAYDEN BOOK COMPANY, INC.
Rochelle Park, New Jersey
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Bierman, Howard, date
How to plan and install electronic burglar alarms.
Includes index.
1. Electronic alarm systems. 2. Burglar -alarms .
I. Title.
TH9737.B53 621.389'2 76-50043
ISBN 0-8104-5734-2
Copyright © 1977 by HAYDEN BOOK COMPANY, INC. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reprinted, or reproduced, or utilized in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any infor-
mation storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the Publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
PRINTING
77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 YEAR
As the average citizen becomes more affluent, he invests in a
house, buys color TV sets, stereos, and the like, and perhaps collects
other luxury items such as antiques, rare paintings, and so on.
Attracted to such opulence are an alarming number of burglars,
drug addicts, and amateur "rip-off artists— all looking for a fast
way to make a buck.
Although it is difficult to keep up with the statistics on
burglaries, it was reported that over a million homes were looted in
the past year alone. Crime experts, however, claim that these figures
are quite unreliable since many petty thefts are not reported, and
that double the number of breakins actually reported could, in fact,
be taking place.
Years ago, homeowners could boast about leaving their doors
unlocked for indefinite periods of time. Then crime started to
mount and they were forced into installing heavy locks, steel doors,
and window bars. But ingenious thieves picked these locks, cat
burglars entered through skylights or basement windows, and the
crime wave has continued unabated.
Today, the picture is changing, somewhat, thanks to the
"electronic watchdogs"— electronic systems that are guarding homes
24 hours a day. These include a variety of devices, such as photo-
electric, ultrasonic, microwave, laser, and mechanical or magnetic
switches. They are powered by a 1 1 5-volt ac power line and/or
batteries. Installation and component costs may range from under
$100 for a "do-it-yourself" job to over $2,000 for those who need
sophisticated combination systems, custom-installed, to protect
their valuables.
A sudden fire poses an even more fearsome threat than
burglaries. Over a half-million homes each year are damaged or
destroyed by fire, with thousands of lives lost in such disasters. Fire
hazards can be substantially minimized with the protection of
electronic security systems. They perform an invaluable service in
immediately alerting homeowners to such emergencies. Fire and
smoke sensors, together with burglar detection sensors, can be com-
bined into effective burglar/fire systems. Automatic telephone dialers,
included in such a system, can summon police when an unauthorized
entry is attempted or alert the fire department should a fire be
detected.
You can install your own electronic system if you are some-
what handy with an ordinary hammer, drill, and screwdriver. More-
over, you can save hundreds of dollars if your home has a dozen or
so entry points that require monitoring by switches or sensors.
Installation is easy if you follow the detailed steps outlined— you
can plan your own system, prepare your needed material list, pur-
chase your material at discount electronic supply stores, install your
own system, and, finally, test the working of the system.
You do not have to be an engineer or electronic technician to
do the right job. Just follow the installation steps described for each
device, do a thorough and neat job, and, most of all, be patient. The
electronic burglar/fire system offers an excellent method to enjoy
a comparatively safe and normal way of living with the added com-
fort of k nowing that your home and loved ones are protected by a
reliable warning system should an emergency arise.
H. Bierman
New York, N. Y.
CONTENTS
1 . Electronic Security Systems:
The New Watchdog 1
Perimeter Systems Act as Electronic Fences 2
Volume Detectors Form an Invisible Shield 4
Triggering the False Alarm 6
2. Which System Is Best for You? 10
Choosing the Best System for You 12
"Open" or "Closed" Circuit : W hich Is Better? 13
"Hard-Wiring" vs Radio (RF) Transmission 22
Let's Examine a Typical Wireless System 23
Include a Fire Detection System 24
Photoelectric Systems Are Simple 25
Audio Detectors Listen with Giant Ears 32
Volume Detectors Offer Blanket Protection 35
Radar Detector Systems Are Preferable to Ultrasonics 38
Body Heat, Weight, and Odor also Sound Alarms 43
Reduce These False Alarms 45
3. A Variety of Alarm Components 47
The Magnetic Switch: The Basic Component 47
Window Foil Thwarts Attempted Breaking and Entering .... 54
Bells and Sirens Scare Away Burglars 55
Automatic Telephone Dialers Summon Emergency Aid 58
4. Planning and Installing Your System 61
Start with a Floor Plan or Blueprint 61
Running Alarm System Wires throughout the House 64
Doing a Neat Job with the Window Foil 66
Installation of a Typical System 73
Surveillance and Eavesdropping:
You May Be Bugged 86
CCTV: Keeping an Eye on the Premises 86
Night- Viewing Devices "See" in the Dark 90
"Bugging" by Telephone or Wireless 92
Detecting "Bugging" Devices 98
Glossary: Defining the Terms 101
Appendix: Suppliers and Manufacturers
of Security Systems and Components 114
Index 119
