Portable Alarms You Can Use at Home
Affordable Security Devices
A solid home security plan includes various levels of detection devices from simple to sophisticated. Portable alarms add one layer of safety and security. Find out how to use them to secure valuable items around your home.
Types of Portable Alarms
The term “portable” is key: the device is not hard-wired into a large system, and you can easily carry it and move it from location to location. The applications for portable security devices are numerous. Here are a few popular applications:
- Computer Alarms — Your home computer, whether desktop or laptop, can easily be snatched in a break in. A number of portable, battery-operated alarms are on the market and specifically designed to secure a computer. Many of these gadgets lock in place in a Kensington security slot, common on many higher end computers. Some models are motion triggered and feature an audible alarm or loud vibration. Expect to pay around $50 for a quality computer alarm.
- Portable Motion Detectors — Home security systems with motion detectors often feature devices that are hard-wired into your home system. But with the advent of wireless you’ll find a boatload of security motion detectors that are small, wireless and extremely portable. You’ll also find a number of battery-operated motion alarms. Use portable motion detectors as standalone anti-intrusion alarms, augment your home’s security system, and even expand it to include garage, boat, and workshop.
- Portable Door Alarms — Wireless or battery operated door alarms can be fitted to any door on or around your home. Simple devices like these usually feature a set of magnetic contacts that create a small electric circuit between them. When the circuit is broken, ie when a door is opened, the device sets off a siren intended to deter intruders and alert you to a perimeter breach. These are popular additions to existing security systems or used as standalone burglar alarms.
- Portable Burglar Alarm Systems —When you can neither afford the expense of a whole home alarm system or need a convenient security solution for an apartment, rental home or dorm, a number of very effective portable security alarm systems are on the market. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a quality system, but the setup is usually quite simple and constructed of a number of portable devices, including motion detectors, and a main receiver station. In some cases you’ll also have the option to purchase an auxiliary alarm monitoring contract through a security provider.