Grab a flashlight or turn on the house lights?

[Smoke]

My porch lights have dimmers on them. I leave them on all the time. They cast a faint glow over the entire living room. Enough that anyone (including the bad guy) can see enough to move around.

If I hear a bump, the flashlight is coming out to help illuminate a specific area. Just take your time, go slow, pie the room whether light or dark.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Smoke

 

[sm]

pax

I agree with your accessment as well.

MY thoughts and why I agree with both Preacher and pax. Each home and/or business is different.

I've said before in another life security was a real concern. I've had some LEO types and friends "do a walk through". Heck I have even had to "break into my home"...play the thief, so to speak.

So yes I had ambient lighting strategically placed to illuminate BG ,and not me. IF the total power is cut, electricity is off due to a storm, emergency lighting both in/outdoors. IF I'm a BG I'm not gonna pick the house the guy has emergency lighting and other measures when the power is off...that crazy fool is most likley to be responsible enough to have loaded firearms and knows how to use them. I'm gonna mossie down and pick the dark house with unkept yard and shrubs.

Now I have little experience with multi level homes. I have house sat a few, and lived in a townhouse once.

Remotes are handy, one buddy keeps a light on all night downstairs, what he has done is rigged that light to turn OFF and a recording of sounds from that room.

Same principle I used when short staffed in business, I would call myself on two phone lines and put myself on hold. I had recorded noises of people working, if a person was casing us, MAYBE seeing the phones and hearing voices and noises would give me an edge, just because he did not SEE anyone didn't mean behind those on way mirrors was not a 12 ga.

BTW I never exposed all my phones or phones lines to the public.

If you break in and there is a light on while you are standing downstairs, and is goes dark, and you hear noises...what are going to think.

I think perhaps each person's needs are unique, multi-level , wife , kids, invalid in the home...so how would you defeat your own home?

I get asked to do walk thru's...it is educational , makes one think. I got the weebie jeebies doing this once ,a life size stuffed animal with reflective eyes,made me stop going down the side hallway once. I swear that raccoon looked like a mean old dog.

 

[444]

Each home and/or business is different.

True statement and makes a lot more sense than some posts that are stated as absolutes.

I live in a small house. If there was someone in my house they would have had to break something to get in. This would be how I knew there was a problem. They are not just going to appear, they had to defeat the door lock or break a window to enter. Odds are that when the door was kicked or whatever, I would be confronting them within a very short time - seconds. They wouldn't have time to hide (and I can't think of any good hiding places in my house to start with). I would illuminate them with a weapons mounted light (a Surefire 900 series light). Because of the noise of them breaking in, I would know where they were, they wouldn't know where I was. The light WOULD blind them and not me.

I have probably said this in every thread like this over the last five years, but this whole situation is ideally suited for a dog.
#1) The dog would know someone was outside the house before they ever got in.
#2) The dog would alert you to this fact before the guy got in.
#3) When the guy got in the house, my dog would tear him to ribbons. And yes, this has happened to me and my dog and yes that is exactly what happened.
#4) If somehow, the guy did get into your home and was hiding, the dog would walk right to him. He wouldn't have to search, he would know exactly where the guy was instantly. He wouldn't need a light to do so either he would do so without any help and the person hiding would not even know what hit him.
Of course you have to have the right kind of dog for this. One that doesn't bark at everything that goes on in the neighborhood. One that only growls or barks at real threats. One that can do something about it. One that has courage. One that is disiplined and obedient.
I have such a dog.

 

[Ransom]

If youve been asleep I bet it will take your eyes longer to adjust to the light than it would for someone who was awake. Turning on the lights might momentarily blind yourself. But I bet either has their risks so I dont think one would be better than the other.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

My personal preference is to set off the alarm system, which can be done by using any telephone in the house. If it turns out no one is in the house, I just tell the monitoring company I accidentally set off the arm and give them the proper code. If I do see/hear someone in the house, I wait on the blue flashing lights to appear in the yard while talking to the dispatcher on the telephone.

 

[Evil_Ed]

I noticed a major omission in this home defense thread... If you live with other people you should have a code word that when yelled let's everyone know to squat down. The BG obviously has no clue what you mean when you yell out "ORANGE" and will just be confused while the rest of the family will take cover so you can have a reasonable assurance of their safety as you clear the house from a regular standing level.

 

[Blackhawk 6]

The factor that decides whether or not to turn on the lights is the element of surprise. Clearly, the element of surprise is retained by keeping the house dark. It is in these situations that Preacherman's comments apply.

However, if we have lost the element of surprise (i.e. the intruder becomes aware that we are awake) there is very little, if any, tactical advantage to keeping the house dark. This is the situation that Pax's exercise replicates.

The question that really needs to be answered when you hear a "bump in the night" is whether or not the intruder is aware of your presence. If you are certain he is not, keep the house dark. If he is or he may be, you are probably better served by turning the lights on.

A well thought out home defense plan should address both contingencies.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Last thing the BG wants is to be seen. Turn on house lights and he'll want to get out. Houses don't usually have inside motion lights so when house lights come on it's also a indication to the BG that someone is aware that he's there. Not what he wants.



Great idea...keep all the lights off and have that under barrel tight. If the Bg does actually have a gun, he'll know exactly where to aim...at your light. .