What Is A Security System?

Key Points:

The Brain
The Eyes
The Ears
The Nose
The Mouth

A security system can be imagined as this: A big truncated robot that watches over you and responds to your commands.

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The BRAIN: The microprocessor control, usually in a metal cabinet located in a secure location, that performs all the thinking foryour system in response to it’s capabilities (I.Q.). You tell it what to do through a keypad.

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COMTEC carefully chooses every component of your system. It is called a system because it consists of many different components linked together to draw a circle of security for you. Many of these components are manufactured by different companies. This is preferable. Many manufacturers make a superior line of control panels yet their other products might be fair but not excellent. A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.

If you find a company selling all one brand or even manufacturing a small part themselves beware! It will be extremely difficult to get anyone else but that company to service, add to, or update your system. Besides the obvious (and correct) conclusion that everything you do will cost more, you will have to be content with whatever quality of service at whatever price is charged for the lifetime of your system.........or buy another one.

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The EYES: Any type of motion detector would perform this function. Infrared detectors are the most commonly used. They are a spin-off of our tax investment in NASA many years ago. They detect a moving infrared source (the body temperature of an intruder) against a stable infrared background (a wall or floor).

Don’t confuse these detectors with the ones popular today for turning on outdoor lighting. The principle detection technology is the same but the product is much different.

A good infrared sensor used in a security system should have many internal microprocessor functions that provide layers of detection zones, adjustable ranges, pulse count etc. Placement and type of detector is very important......especially with pets. COMTEC currently has field tests in homes that use 2 different models of detectors that are smart enough to tell a cat from a cat-burglar.

However, a note of caution. Be wary of a system that uses a motion sensor for anything more than a ‘trap’ . If you must use a motion sensor as a primary part of the system remember this: If you are sleeping and your alarm triggers and it’s the motion sensor that triggered it, you are faced with the probability someone is in your home already.

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The EARS: There are several good acoustic sensors out that hear glass breaking over a large area. This is economical if there are many windows in an area that can be covered by one sensor. Placement and testing are essential....even critical. After all, this technology relies on acoustic properties that can change with the room decor or window covering.

COMTEC installs sensors with superior processing using dual technologies. These sensors first detect the low shock waves caused by the intruder’s blow to your door or window glass and triggers the detector to look for the sound of breaking glass. The sensors digitally analyze the sounds and compare them to stored patterns. Although glass break sensors have a reputation for triggering during a storm....these will not.

To Notice or Not To Notice

Comtec sensors are also small and elegant. Windows can be a focal point and sensors placed on the windows themselves are very noticeable....sometimes unagreeably so.

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The NOSE: The smoke detector used in your system should almost always be a photo-electric sensor This technology is much better for slow smouldering fires. The battery operated ionization detectors found in the retail stores work differently and should be avoided unless mixed with photo-electric detectors or you like false alarms when you burn the bacon.

Comtec offers a new type of smoke detector that constantly performs self testing diagnostics. This new feature is so useful and beneficial it should be included in all smoke detectors.

REMEMBER your sense of smell goes to sleep with you! Smoke inhalation is what causes the vast majority of fatalities.

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The MOUTH: Maybe this is a little bit of a stretch but think about it..... we want our system to notify help and cause a response suitable to our emergency. The system should have a LOUD siren outside. When monitored it should be able to automatically and quickly transmit a lot of important information like what is going on, when did it happen, where is the location of the emergency.

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This information should be monitored by a U.L. Listed Central Station. Never use a central station that is not U.L. listed. It could be anything....a glorified answering service, someplace where they dispatch wreckers...etc. Anyone can call themselves a central station with about a $10,000 investment in equipment. A U.L. Listed Central Station means a third party (Underwriters Laboratories) inspects the facility to insure that many strict guidelines are adhered to. Record keeping, emergency power generators, number of employees on duty, ratio of supervisors to employees, spare parts, redundancy, controlled access to facility are some examples.

The new Verifier system is capable of being added to any system. It allows a central station operator to talk directly to your home only after you have triggered the security system. Kind of like the old "I’ve fallen and I can’t get up" commercials we used to see. This allows much quicker response to an emergency especially if you are unable to reach a telephone. You can talk anywhere in your home and the operator can help.

COMTEC can even provide voice recordings of all telephone conversations, computer printouts of all activity, special temporary notes for travelers, and toll free calling from anywhere in the United States.

So there you are.

Your own guard robot that never sleeps.

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Copyright © 1997-2004 by Comtec Security. All rights reserved. OK License 0174.
Last modified: February 14, 2004