Alarm systems.

I've installed 2 horns one inside and one out.

Reason 1) The inside of the house is very uncomfortable to be in when the system is in alarm. If an unauthorized person is in my house I want them to experience the maxium amount of discomfort I can impose.

Reason 2) People today have become imune to alarms and don't react to them, all the more reason for a dial up system.

If a professional with experience at breaking into banks wants to come take your stereo, I'm sure he knows how to do it without tripping your alarm. The idea of the inside siren is to scare the bejesus out of some inexperienced kid, and make him leave. When the alarm goes off, he knows his presence has been detected. Chances are, he won't come back later to try again. He'll try another house.

El Gordo:

Both my alarm systems had speakers (or sirens, or whatever those blasted noise blasters are properly called) mounted in the attic at the gable end vents. This protected them from the elements, yet broadcast the sound outside. I have also noticed that commercial systems are invariably located on the exterior. Like Albert above, when I was burgled, the neighbors definitely heard the alarm. Alas, I lived then in the city, and no one saw anything, but they all sure told me they heard it!

chas

My system? I designed, built and installed it myself and it qualifies as a full class A, UL rating. It took nearly seven months to complete.

In addition to knowing that it always functions with zero false alarms, the city has awarded me with my own alarm permit. This means I am self monitored, and therefore do not pay a monthly fee or service contract. I dislike paying someone who eventually telephones the police after trying to reach me for ten mins. I provided a direct line to the nearest police sub station. The device calls and identifies itself and the problem as to fire or force entry, gives the address and Mapsco codes, my contact information and an emergency number for the police to locate me. If the land line fails the break directs the box to use the static cell phone that is part of our "family plan, " so is essentially at no charge.

There are two other systems in addition to this one. One is a sensor in the garage, simply rings chimes in the house if anyone walks within 20 feet of the automobiles. The last is infrared sensors covering the back yard. These were manufactured by Pulnex in Japan, and can bet set to not see birds or squirrels, but detects humans of all sizes.

Both systems have their own Electro Voice horn drivers in steel boxes (with tamper switches) with a siren module driving them. Output is 117 Db at one meter for each. I will wager too, that this is the only system with exclusively Wonder Solder connections. I realize this does not contribute to sound in this case, but there is much less chance of corrosion, compared to the hurried crimp jobs that most installers do.

A raccoon fell from a tree and set the system off one night when we were all out, and a neighbor, four houses down and across the street left two messages on my service, complaining about the noise. Even though her house was brick, and she was that far away, the noise interrupted her TV viewing. Guess it must be pretty loud.

Why would they want to mount it inside the house? The burglars already know that there is a burglary in progress. Mine is in a tamper resistant box mounted over the garage door and painted along with the house. It is not a speaker but a very, very loud bell.