Lets be honest here, if this alarm was a vegetable it would be a potato.  Nothing overly amazing about it but what it does it does well.  It certainly able to provide safety for those who purchase it and that at the end of the day is what it is all about yes?

This security alarm system is also rather convenient in that it can be placed pretty much anywhere in your house.  We actually set the alarm up in four different locations in our warehouse and it was a breeze to set up.

The first location we tried was next to the main entrance door.  Before we did so we had to tackle the good old user manual as we need to rate these alarms in ease of setup as well as how functional they are.

You will be glad to hear (if you are non techy) that the set up is really straightforward, Intermatic have really done a great job in terms of creating a user friendly manual that can be read and more importantly understood by all walks of life.

We imagine there would be nothing worse than buying a brand spanking new wireless home security alarm system, taking it home, unpacking it and then finding out that the set up instructions may as well have been written in Chinese.

As we stated earlier, this is not the case.  Not only are the alarms instructions straightforward but the illustrations found in the manual are actually top notch, really clear and precise.  Basically if you by the Intermatic SP440B and have trouble setting it up then you really don’t have much chance with life in general, you may as well just shoot your self in the head and be done with it (please don’t do that its not worth it!).

The siren on the Intermatic weighs in at a decent 90 decibels.  Yes it’s not the most powerful siren we have heard at our Cool Home Security warehouse but this audio level is more than enough for any small home owner and should give enough noise to alert the next door neighbour too.

Once set up, it is a case of your usual enter a code to set the alarm and enter a code to deactivate the alarm (see what we mean with potato?).  The alarm suns on batteries, you will need 3 1.5 volt batteries and as always we recommend just paying a little extra for rechargeable batteries to save you some money in the long run.

I guess this is as good a time as any to remind people who have battery powered home security alarms.  Always test and make sure your alarm is working every fortnight (you could even make that every week to be safe) because the last thing you want to happen is to wake up one morning only to find that a burglar or thief has ransacked your home taking everything with them and you realising that you slept through it all because your wireless alarm system ran out of batteries!

That would be enough to drive any self respecting person over the edge so the moral of the story is check your batteries children and check them often.

Anyway let’s get back to the Intermatic SP440B Alarm Review.  The manufacturer states that it’s best to put the Intermatic onto your window for maximum effect.  Once the connection breaks (whether the window opens or closes) the 90 decibel alarm siren shall sound.

It really is as simple and as straightforward as that.  There really is no getting round the fact that the simplicity of this model is actually on of the alarms more endearing aspects.

Though we suspect that this will be completely down to the individual.  If you are the sort of person who wants to buy an alarm, set it up and then forget about it, the Intermatic SP440B Wireless Window Alarm will be perfect for you.

If however you are the sort of sadistic human being like us who enjoys spending literally hours of time setting up an alarm and tinkering with hundreds of different parameters before actually setting the alarm to live, then we would advise spending your money elsewhere.

Yes you will probably have to buy something more expensive but you will be happy at the end of the day.

To summarise the Intermatic SP440B Wireless Window Alarm is a good little alarm.  It does exactly what it sets out to do.  The manufacturer knows who they are targeting with this device and they have done so with laser targeted execution.

There are other better Intermatics out on the market, that is a no brainer but none come at this price point.  If money is an issue then certainly take a look at this alarm.

More good points, attention must be brought to the user manual.  We hope other alarm manufacturers take note of the steps Intermatic made in the creation of this as it was absolutely perfect.  No one at the office had any issues understanding the instructions, a first here at Cool Home Security.

The negatives of this model are that it is an extremely basic alarm.  If you want more bang for you buck you should probably go elsewhere.  Also if you live in a large house or are in need of an alarm at a shop or warehouse we would advise you to take a look at the other bigger names out there.

Overall we enjoyed testing the Intermatic.  Sure, it won’t win any awards for being the best wireless home security alarm system in the world anytime soon but for what it does it does with an air of efficiency and elegance.  The Intermatic SP440B Alarm Review gets a nice 6 out of 10.

Related posts:

1. GE 51107 Alarm Review
2. Visonic Powermax Alarm Review
3. InGrid SK803IG Alarm Review

Terrible product naming aside, it wasn’t actually that long ago we did our last review.  If you missed that it was the GE 45142 Choice Alert and we were rather impressed by it.  So the InGrid has a lot to live up to if it is to keep the good alarm reviews light burning, how will it fair?  Read on young ones and you shall find out.

If you are a regular reader of Cool Home Security then please call the doctor, there is something very, very wrong with you.  You will also know that we are the harshest alarm critics in the solar system and we test and test again pretty much every aspect of the alarms we test.

This is good for a few reasons namely that it allows you guys to make a more educated decision instead of allowing the terrible alarm manufacturers product description lie to you.  So well done you regular reader, pat yourself on the back before you call the authorities.

No let’s get stuck into what the InGrid SK803IG alarm review and find out what it can do and figure out if this nifty device is indeed that … nifty!

We have to hold our hands up; this alarm system kit is quite cool.  In actual fact, it’s more than that, its borderline next generation tech we are witnessing with this home security product.  Don’t believe us?  Well tough!  No not really, we shall explain all.

We Were Impressed With The Ingrid SK803IG

To begin with we were more impressed with this security device than the majority of most professionally installed home security, impressive stuff no doubt.  It is also one of the most durable alarm systems we have seen this year.

With all our alarms we test it for breakages and try some impact trauma on it too (That’s right, we hit it with a hammer and see if it breaks).  For anyone considering the InGrid you will be glad to hear that it was like trying to break into a walnut with candy floss.  Try as we may, we simply could not destroy this thing.

This is a good thing when you consider that the thief usually has two options when a home alarm goes off.  They either run away with their tail between their legs or they try and physically break the system.  If any thief tried the latter they would find themselves on the receiving end of a losing battle.

The usability of the InGrid SK803IG was quite impressive too.  We were able to seamlessly connect the device during our InGrid SK803IG alarm review to more than one of the usual suspects.  Once connected to a cordless telephone, mobile phone or even a remote web browser such as Internet Explorer or the popular (and simply better) Firefox.  Once connected we never had any issues with basic operation.

That’s the thing with this wireless home security alarm system, it simply works.  We had an idea it would after the initial “durability test”.  All round it’s a pretty solid performance from InGrid, and we will hold our hands up we honestly thought we wouldn’t see eye to eye with this alarm when we first read its technical specification.

Well to be honest it wasn’t its tech specs that bothered us too much, yes they aren’t the greatest of reading when you consider the other so called “power house” alarms on the market today.  No, our biggest gripe with this alarm was yes you guessed it, monthly fee!

In their defence it does come with a 30 day money back guarantee but gee whiz do we hate the monthly fee alarm systems.  We have mentioned it before, these payment plans will soon be a thing of the past as no home owner in their right mind will opt for a monthly contract when they can find devices these days that are more than capable of taking full control of their home security at an absolute fraction of the price.

Anyway, enough about that.  What was the alarm like to set up?  We hear you scream from the rooftops.  Well it was … OK, we at Cool Home Security are a bunch of professionals who have been in the security industry quite some time.  In fact many of us read user manuals for breakfast.

We do however have to consider the way a normal more wholesome human being would read these manuals and when we were reading the user manual for the InGrid alarm.  We have a slight idea that some would struggle.

Some serious tech jargon to be found in the instructions.  A breeze to super professional folk like us but for 70 year old Miss Flanagan may be problematic.

Thankfully, if they were to get over the slight alarm system geek speak found in the set up, the average person shouldn’t have too much of a problem in getting this sweet piece of anti theft protection up and running and catching those criminals in no time.

To wrap up, we were really surprised with this security device.  Pleasantly so.  Yes there were a few minor issues with the set up for novices but we are slightly nitpicking with that gripe.

If you are in need of an affordable home security system then the InGrid SK803IG might be right up your street.  Of course when we say affordable, we mean affordable in the respect of all other monthly fee alarms.

We of course always recommend going for a wireless home security system that requires only a one off payment.  Hopefully with our recommendations companies who charge monthly fees will think twice about their business model.  This can only be a good thing for consumers of security products in the future.  Now, our rating?  The InGrid SK803IG alarm review gets a safe 8 out of 10!

Related posts:

1. Visonic Powermax Alarm Review
2. GE 45142 Choice Alert Alarm Review
3. Skylink SC-1000 Alarm Review

So, what do you get for handing over your hard earned cash for this little machine?  Well it comes with a nice alarm for your door that is controlled from a four digit keypad; you also are presented with 3 separate alarms for your windows.

One thing that did please us when we opened up the box was the thin installation instructions.  Now, we know what you may be thinking, you are probably asking yourself why the manufacturer has spent so little on the instructions.  Well the answer to this is due to the fact that the device itself is so easy to install!  No need to get your drill out and no need to do any electrical wiring to set this thing up.

This is always a plus point, yes the readership of this site will more than likely understand the basic concepts of wiring and drilling but devices such as these are required for the elderly too that may not have the knowledge or physical ability to do such tasks.  The easier it is to install the better all round.  We just wish that alarm manufacturers would use that as their mantra as some alarms are just plain complicated to install, even to us!

Luckily for everyone this kit is a simple mount on the wall job using the tape and screws included.  All batteries are included in the package too and come with a low battery indicator to make sure you don’t run out of juice at an un-opportune moment.

In addition to this the alarm itself is a piece of cake to use.  All buttons are laid out perfectly so even the fattest fingers can grace them without error.  It also has a nice modern design look and feel to it too.

Let’s talk about the alarm itself.  As you will know by now, cool home security are big fans of “the louder the better” mentality when it comes to the alarm sirens.  The GE 51107 Smart Wireless Home Security Alarm System Kit packs a fair punch clocking in at nice120 decibels (enough to wake you and the neighbours up) that will give any sneaky thief a fright when it goes off.

That’s the thing here people, homeowners forget about what makes a good alarm.  Yes it must be reliable, that is a given.  But we see many people paying too much attention to settings and options on alarms that won’t make much of a difference anyway.  Before you buy any alarm from a store, you have got to at least ask for a listen before you spend your money.  If the alarm systems siren doesn’t make you jump then keep on looking until one of them does.

If it is not going to frighten you when you expect the noise, it certainly isn’t going to frighten a seasoned thief.  Think about it, you need to put the jumps on any scumbag breaking into your house, you need to make them think that they have been rumbled and need to get out of the area before the police bust down the door and cuff their sorry asses!

That reminds us of a story of a good friend, I will warn you now however, this story doesn’t have a happy ending.  Last year a man we know who shall go un-named was retiring for the night in his home on the west side of London, he had taken off his slippers and sipped the last of his Horlicks and tucked himself away for a nice cosy sleep.

The next day he woke from the alarm he sets to go to work.  Once he jumped out of bed he realised that he could also hear the siren for the new alarm system he had bought.  He then decided to walk downstairs to discover that the entire house had been ransacked and the siren on his alarm never even woke him up!

The thief who committed the heinous crime still remains at large and this has cost our friend an obscene amount of money in lost goods.  When we were told about this incident, we were obviously a little sorry for this to happen to our friend but a little part of us did think “Told you so!”.  What great friends we are!  But yes, can not stress it enough, get your alarm siren to be as loud as possible, who cares if it annoys your neighbours?  At least you will know that when it does go off you will at least be able to hear it.

Ok, where were we?  Oh Yes the GE 51107 alarm review that’s right!  We defiantly think that this is a quality alarm, it is cheap, loud and easy to install.  Ticks the right boxes and actually looks quite modern and fashionable too.

If you are looking for a wireless home security alarm system that is affordable and will make the intruders jump out their skin then we advise you to give this product a try.  We score the GE 51107 alarm review a gracious 7 out of 10.

Related posts:

1. Skylink SC-1000 Alarm Review
2. Mace 80355 Alarm Review
3. InGrid SK803IG Alarm Review

The manufacturer of this product claims that due to its new “rolling-code” technology it can give its owner higher security and will get rid of any wrongly set or false alarms.  Sounds good so far!  They also make sure that you are aware of the fact that it comes easy to unpack & install and won’t cost you a penny in future fees when using the product.  Still sounds good!

Let us start by diving straight into what that technology is that they call “rolling-code”.  Basically, Skylink (The name of the manufacture of the SC-1000) are the first ones to incorporate this into their security systems.  The technology itself is recognises radio waves from the assigned remote sensors set by you the user, this can be your door, the house window etc.  This prevents the need of having a security key for your device and gets rid of the threat of having anyone near looking at your code and using it later maliciously.

Other features that Skylink purr over are its cutting edge wireless system (whatever that means!) apparently it is damage proof to things like fires or floods yet we took a standard lighter to the product and it melted before our very eyes.  Needless to say, in a full blown fire that may well be an issue!

Other points they mention are the obvious no service fees charge which we think is great and they should get credit for this.  Many of you will no doubt already be learning that for some Wireless Home Security Alarm Systems you actually have to pay a monthly fee.  We at Cool Home Security are always opposed to monthly fees, they are a rip off.

Picture taken from Amazon.com

So we had set this system up in our testing warehouse for a few weeks and began to critically analyse its performance.  We have to say that the Skylink does offer a really good amount of protection for home users.  It is by no means a professional grade system, by that we mean that we would recommend something else for an office or a large building.  But if you are a home owner and you need to secure your domestic living quarters, you will be happy with this alarms performance.

One of the reasons we don’t recommend this for professional use is because of a couple of features that were missing from the product that we would have genuinely liked to have seen.  The first of these features is the alarms overall durability.

When we were testing stages for the Skylink SC-1000 alarm review we were not convinced that this hardware could take much impact and it would have been relatively easy for any intruder to physically destroy the components of the alarm to stop the loud noise.  This is a big flaw in our eyes.  On top of this the manufacturer’s guidelines actually advise you to keep the alarm right at your door.  We would advise you not to do this so you can prevent any harm coming its way.

Instead you can hide the alarm somewhere safe yet keep the remote control near the door.  In our time using the wireless capability we saw no problems.  In actual fact the remote function of this alarm was one of the highlights of the product, not once did we have an issue of communication between devices.

The other feature we would have loved the Skylink SC-1000 Complete Wireless Alarm System to have was the ability to record and store which area or zone had actually set the alarm off in the first place.  We found this to be a great aspect of the Wireless Home Security Alarm System from Proctor Plus and is sadly missed in this wireless alarm.

It is great to have this information presented to the user of alarms as it can be used for solving problems that you may encounter with the alarm such as it being falsely set off.  It is also great for evidence and information to be shown to the authorities if they are investigating your break in.

One of the things that this alarm system does great however is the noise of the siren.  When we first heard it we thought there may have been a possibility of being reported to the police for noise pollution from the neighbouring town!

Some of you may think you don’t want an alarm with this kind of kick but in our experience, the louder the better.  It may be a slight inconvenience for you with any potential false alarms, but in a real world scenario you need people to hear that the house is being breached.  It will also give any would be burglar a fright, which is always a good thing in our eyes.

This wireless home security alarm system is great for anyone wishing to add a decent amount of home security to their own domestic area.  Like we said, there would be no real need for employing this at an office as it’s simply not good enough.  It’s at a competitive price so we are still going to give the Skylink SC-1000 alarm review a fine 5 out of 10.

Related posts:

1. InGrid SK803IG Alarm Review
2. GE 45142 Choice Alert Alarm Review
3. GE 51107 Alarm Review