Home Security Hypochondriac

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Not sure if this is sufficiently gun-related to stay alive - if not plz close and I'll move to A&P.

Finally installed a motion sensor light on front porch about a month ago. It's very sensitive however, and will turn on fairly often - couple times per evening that I notice anyway, while I'm at home. I of course get worked up a bit thinking something might be awry and spend 5 minutes or more, til the light goes off looking and peeking around with an elevated heartrate - sometimes I even grab a gun (if the light is *coupled* with my backyard dogs barking). Lol, I know it's funny, but does this happen to anyone else? Maybe I need to adjust the sensitivity of the light, since it occasionally even picks up a car going down my street. Has anyone had this scenario when you've been sufficiently desensitized to the point where you take the attitude of just ignoring the light and "I'll worry about it when someone starts breaking down the door or a window, and until then, the assumption is that it's nothing". ??

 

[Huckle2]

If my dog barks before, or even after, the light comes on, I'm probably going to give a peek. If dogs not barking, I'm not looking, I trust my dog that much.

 

[TallPine]

With me it's the dogs barking.

It's usually deer or turkeys that they are barking at.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I wish I knew where this idea that S&T has to be about guns came from. But it isn't so.

S&T is about Mindset. It's about Skillset. And it's about Toolset. IN THAT ORDER!

Toolset is last, because it is generally least important. Toolset includes guns.

Now that we have addressed that detail, let's get back on topic. Lots of current motion sensor lights are adjustable for range or sensitivity. Is yours? Maybe it just needs to be turned down a little, if it can be adjusted for sensitivity, so it won't go off every time the wind blows.

Or maybe it's 'seeing' something that isn't really a threat- like foliage or the like blowing in the wind. One of our IR sensors out on the driveway kept going off the other day- turned out it was a spider spinning a web right in front of the 'eye' of the sensor making it keep beeping. I encouraged the spider to go elsewhere, and the sensor calmed down.

Or it could be you just need a better light. Some of them react to almost anything, and as far as I can tell there's no way to know which ones will and which ones won't. The ones we're using right now are from Brinks (via wallyworld), their model 7222W. They do quite well for us, and aren't any more expensive than anything else of the type. They are adjustable for range/sensitivity and for duration of the light when it's switched on.

Your tools should be a help, not a hindrance. Don't ignore it- fix it!

lpl/nc

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I used to leave the door unlocked at night... years ago.

I live 1000 feet off of a county road. No one just shows up here, they either have business here or they have no business here.

Kind of sounds like you may not live in a nice place?

One option, look into an infrared beam and reflector. Set at waist high a human would break the beam, not a dog. Wire it to a small light or buzzer inside the house. These are used mostly for forklifts to open doors at industrial sites.

Only dump adrenaline when you have to.

 

[conw]

I like dryhumor's idea.

Personally, I am kind of that way about dogs barking in the middle of the night. I've gotten to the point though where I would rather just sleep well than freak out every little noise...depending on the way they're barking I sometimes go outside though.

Just make sleep your priority; it's pretty hard to break in without any noise at all. Three strikes - noise, dogs, and light - get up and check it out (or arm yourself and stay in the bedroom).

 

[jeepmor]

Do what my LEO neighbor did and cut every shrub, tree and rosebush down and have an absolutely bare yard. I don't think a squirrel could sneak across his yard now without being seen.....Seriously.

What a shame, he had some [really] nice cherry trees. I still liked them even though all the blossoms blew into my yard in the spring. I think he'll be killing the lawn next and covering it with astro turf.

The right dog is a good alarm, the wrong one, simply a nuisance. The best way to get this right is getting a puppy and training it, even then, it's no guarantee.

 

[Titan6]

Motion light + Dog Barking + Sounds of tramping around out side= Deer or bear at my place 99% of the time.

The NV cameras tell me which it is and save me a bit of trouble to boot. After all there likely won't be BGs sharing space with the large mammals at my place. If I don't see anything... that could be a problem and needs investigation.

 

[BuntlineSpecial]

adjust the sensors. Make sure the "eye" is pointed exactly where you want it, then adjust the lights to blind an intruder, not you. This can be a several night process, and it helps to have a friend willing to play "sneaky-pete" - six pack and ribs, with a good movie afterwards is usually enough to get at least one pal to pitch in.
If the dog is barking, I assume difficultys. Trust your fuzzy warning system.
Also, make sure you have clear vision in your yards. trim trees clear to at least five foot, age of the tree permitting, no shrubs or concealment near the door. Get a good, wide view peep hole and use it.
Luck to you, stay safe and give your doggie a cookie for me.

 

[TallPine]

One of the advantages of all the fuel reduction that we have done around our house is that it eliminates hiding places for "varmits"

 

[KelVarnson]

I think you'll adjust to the false alarms over time. I did. If it really becomes a nuisance though, it wouldn't be that hard to wire up two sensors, separated a little bit, so that they would both have to trip before the lights would come on. This would greatly reduce false alarms, but still allow larger and real thermal targets to trip the lights. A couple of relays would do the trick.

 

[springmom]

Another vote here for "adjust the sensors". When we put ours in some months ago, it took a bit to get it to where traffic on the street behind us didn't set it off. In a high wind, the plants that are near our porch will still sway enough to turn them on, but in that situation, I know what's going to happen and don't worry about it.

It can take some doing to get them just right for your setup, but it's worth the time (and saves wear and tear on you).

Springmom

 

[LtShortcut]

Turn off that motion sensor and just turn on a 40 watt on your front and back porch all night.

Make your doors tougher as well. I bought some security door plates, the ones that go on the frame where the dead bolt goes into the door frame. Six 4 inch screws later, I don't think anyone could kick in my doors within a reasonable amount of time (for a burgler).

Also, if your side or back doors have a window (mine is a nine light). I undid all the screws holding the window frame and removed it, cut a piece of lexan plastic the same size as the glass, put it against the glass and screwed the window frame back on.
Now you can break the window, but you've got to beat out that plastic to reach inside.

The time and noise a criminal has to deal with to get into your home is our friend and their worst enemy.

 

[Saba]

Motion Sensor Emergency Light Camera

Well,

Deterrence is certainly key. So I applaud the fact that you have installed the motion sensing lights AND have a dog, all in ensuring that you WARN an potential intruder to back off. And ofcourse if all else fails then you may need to fire those warning shots, or as a last resort the final shot.
But as I have mentioned many times, a thief's three worst enemies are light, sound and time. You have the light, sound and I take the time is from making it difficult for him to break into the house.

I think the dog bar is more surest sign that something or someone could be lurking, so that might be the time to take a peek around.
IF you want to create some more deterrence on the cheap, you can buy some dummy or fake security cameras and some warning stickers. Some even have motion detection so that when the person is in line of sight, the camera moves! Would be thieves will stay CLEAR! Ofcourse there are always the dumb ones who will still come through or the smart ones who will figure a way around, but the chance that they will pass on your house increase.

Likewise, if you like the camera idea, you can install a real emergency/flood light camera that will actually record when the lights turn on! Its more expensive than the dummy cams but will actually do the recording and the lighting.

At the end of the day it is Deterrence, deterrence deterrence.

SaBa

 

[threefeathers]

I have the very bright motion lights but I also have a big black shep lab mix who will bite. he protects my grand daughters.

 

[fastbolt]

Let's just say that having a motion sensor light aimed at an area of the driveway which also includes an apple tree is a nice way to see all the bucks standing there looking at me when I drive in late at night ...

Listening to them as they stomped and chomped the chestnuts all night made it sound like a herd of elephants was outside one of the windows, too.

Adjust your sensors to meet your actual needs and conditions.

Obviously, we have no idea of the nature of your immediate location and its criminal activity hazards. But take some care to avoid becoming your own worst enemy when it comes to your reaction to perceived versus actual dangers.

Lol, I know it's funny

Hardly 'funny' at the time, though, is it?

It might be fair to consider that 'bare fear' is probably hardly ever a preferable default condition.

As was posted ...

S&T is about Mindset. It's about Skillset. And it's about Toolset. IN THAT ORDER!

I'd add that mental conditioning will indeed probably affect how well you can apply the knowledge and skills learned (and maintained!) when actual situations arise. Especially those pesky unexpected ones. The ability to focus and remain in control of yourself may be crucial.

Physical conditioning isn't to be ignored, either. Allowing your heart rate to achieve a low orbit isn't going to be exactly conducive to a steady hand, proper breathing and good coordination. Why risk adding an accident/medical emergency to the mix? (FWIW, I have it on good authority that everybody feels similarly stupid when avoidable accidents cause them to visit the local E/R. )

Experience is one of those things that's terrific to have, but difficult to get. More's the pity, because having properly and successfully done something on previous occasions does help steady the nerves and reinforce the trained response when it comes around again ... to some degree. Fear can be controlled, but not banished.

Has anyone had this scenario when you've been sufficiently desensitized

Dunno if I'd call it 'desensitized' as much as being able to fall back on prior planning and preparation for such situations, and then examining each situation for what it actually is, rather than being distracted by imagining all the bad things that it might be ...

If the mental awareness and attitude isn't up to the demands of the situation, as well as some basic foundation of knowledge and skills, then all the best 'tools' in the world may not be as useful as we might wish.