Refer A Friend To Get Free Monitoring

Waves is please to announce a new program for existing and new customers.

Customers with a current monitored alarm account with a signed monitoring agreement can get a free month of monitoring.

Here is how to get a free month . There is no limit to the number of free months you can earn.

1. Refer a friend to Waves for a new alarm system or a takeover of an existing system.

2. The person referred needs to sign a monitoring agreement and have the system monitored by Waves.

3. You will then receive a credit for 1 month of monitoring for the referral.

The fine print.

• New client can not be an existing client of Waves.

• The referral must remain monitored by Waves for 1 year. If the referral cancels before one year the referral credit is voided.

• Referral clients that do not install a monitored system with a contract are not eligible to get a one month credit.

• If you refer some one you must have a current account with a signed monitoring agreement to get the one month credit.

For questions or to refer a friend please email us infor@waveslowvoltage.com or call us at 248-652-2809

Reprint From C & G about Oakland County Break-ins

Sheriff addresses crime ring focusing on wealthy Oakland County suburbs

By: Mary Genson | C&G Newspapers | Published October 6, 2023

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OAKLAND COUNTY — The county’s affluent neighborhoods have been targeted in what is called a transnational crime ring. Organized and trained thieves have been targeting certain areas of the United States and breaking into homes in search of cash, jewelry, high-end clothing, purses and products.

On Sept. 29, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard shared information and updates on the crime ring at a news conference.

According to Bouchard, these transnational crime groups are made up of individuals from South American countries.

“They are here to exploit a variety of things, and in our situation as relates to the burglaries, it’s high in homes with high net value within those homes,” Bouchard said.

Oakland County is now on their radar; however, they are traveling throughout the United States to carry out their crimes.

“We estimate there are crews and operations all across the country in a pretty substantial number,” Bouchard said.

Bouchard said they are believed to have entered the country in one of two ways, either illegally across the southern border or through the Visa Waiver Program.

He said they purchase fake identification and often overstay their visa and cancel their return date. They also are known to establish residency in the areas they are targeting. They do this through fraudulent housing applications or Airbnb.

Bouchard said that in Oakland County, they typically break in around 5-9 p.m. He added that preferred targets are homes that are isolated and back up to wooded areas, trails and golf courses.

According to Bouchard, Oakland County has seen between eight and 11 related cases over a year.

“Oftentimes, they make their entry via an upstairs balcony or windows, or, oftentimes, in the back. If they are going to do windows, they do windows in the back,” Bouchard said.

Bouchard encouraged residents to invest in their home security and make sure security measures are on and tested. He suggests good quality cameras and layered systems throughout the house.

He also urges residents to secure all of their valuables in a heavy-duty safe that is anchored.

If anyone sees something suspicious happening in their neighborhood, they are encouraged to reach out to law enforcement.

“We’d all like to check out suspicious activity 100 times in case one of those could be something that is valuable and actually something in progress,” Bouchard said. “So don’t feel like you are troubling us. That’s what we do.”

Why You Should Think Twice About Crime Statistics

Today I want to talk about crime and how you should think about a security system.

Some quick background about me.  I have been in the security industry since 1986 and have installed thousands of systems in those years.

During that time, I have seen many alarm companies, some big national ones, use scare statics to get people to sign up for their monitored alarm service.

So, let’s look at how scary those statics are and break them down.

As of 2020, the last year of data with the federal government, there were 123.6 million households in the United States.

And in the same year there were 349,370 burglaries, a pretty big number.

Let’s look closer at these numbers.  Assuming for a moment, that no house in the United States is broken into twice in the same year, when we figure the odds of getting broken into it is 1 in 354 households.  Still scary right?

Less scary is when you look at this as a percentage.  Doing that you only have a .28 percent chance of being the victim of a burglary.  Put another way you have a 98.82 percent chance of NOT being broken into in 2020.

Another “Statistic” that is often used is a home being broken into every so many minutes.

How does that break down.  With 349,370 burglaries and there being 525,600 minutes in a year this works out to be one break-in every two minutes.

While every two minutes seems like it is frequent this is not really accurate.  The burglary rate is for the entire United States and for every two minutes to be true we need to assume that only one burglary occurs at any given time.  Using this logic, a burglar in Chicago or anyplace else for that matter will wait until someone is done breaking into a house in Los Angles before they break into a location.  This is just a unrealistic assumption.

Both statistics assume that a home only gets broken into once in any given year.  In reality, homes in high crime areas can be broken into more than once in a given year.  So, you odds of being broken into, if you do not live in a high crime area, are very low.

Lastly, one needs to look at the actual number of break-ins.

While there is a huge spike in violent crime, mainly homicide, has raised the overall crime rate.  Property crimes have fallen 67.4 percent and burglary has decreased 44.8 percent from 2011 to 2020.

This is not to say that you should not consider a home or business security system.  It is just to say that you should not be scared that a burglar is just lurking around the corner. 

If you live in a high crime area, have a special security need such as high value items, or you just like the peace of mind that having a security system gives you then looking at a home or business security system is something you should consider.

The best way to determine what security needs are right for you is to consult a licensed, insured security company.  They can help you to understand your security options and find a system that meets your needs and budget.

If you live in the Detroit Michigan area, consider call us at Waves at 248-652-2809 or visit our website at www.waveslowvoltage.com to set up an appointment for us to help you with your security needs.

Excessive Call Policy for Emergency 24

Emergency 24 has announced a new policy for excessive calls. CURRENTLY NO CLIENTS OF WAVES ARE IN VIOLATION OF THIS POLICY. This post is to make clients aware of possible charges should they generate excessive alarms. Emergency 24’s policy is as follows:

Effective November 1, 2021, for any account that generates an excess of 25 call per month, Emergency 24 will charge a $1 per call in excess of 25 calls in that month. December 2021 billing will reflect November activity.

This policy enforcement became necessary so Emergency 24 can use our resources correctly and coan continue to provide fast, reliable and responsive service. This initiative is not driven by a desire to increase revenue. It is intended to be a strong encouragement to prompt Subscribers to allow your company to perform needed service visits and/or for them to respond to notifications of alarm system issue and troubles.

For accounts that have excessive call volumes, Emergency 24 may either change the Call Back Option to Alarm Company Only or utilize an automated voice phone call for less critical alarms. The change will remain in place until the account no longer generates excessive signals that would otherwise result in excessive operator calls. These efforts will help minimize the financial impact while still addressing the operational concerns.

In an effort to prevent excessive calls. Waves will contact clients that are showing ongoing trouble or alarm signals when we review our reports. Should a client not address the issue and the account falls under the new policy above the client will be responsible for any additional charges incurred.

Cellular Radio Replacement and New Contracts

Starting in 2021 and moving into 2022 Waves will be in the process of standardizing our client contracts. Also, over the course of 2021 Waves will be replacing any cellular radios that are not 4G LTE.

We will be contacting clients to schedule appointments as the radios become available to us. Currently with the world wide chip shortage and COVID supply chain issues radios supplies are very limited.

If your contract on file is not our standardized contract we will require you to sign a new contract for us to perform the upgrade.

COVID-19 Response

Just a quick note on our policies regarding the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The Governor of Michigan has issued a stay home stay safe order for the state of Michigan. This order is currently in effect until April 13, 2020 but most likely will be extended. What this means for our clients:

1. All non-emergency will be scheduled after the stay home stay safe order is lifted;

2. Any emergency repairs will be done on a case by case basis with items that affect life safety given priority;

3. After the stay home stay safe order is lifted, each project will be assessed as to the ability of us to perform the work while maintaining both social distancing and health safety protocols. If it is found that we are unable to perform the work without maintaining such protocols, we will advise you of the changes that will need to be made to meet the protocols;

4. We will attempt to complete all open projects as quickly as possible;

5. Moving forward we ask that all clients pay at time of service either by check or with a credit card. Any clients with a outstanding balance on their account will be required to bring their account current before any work can be performed.

Thanks for working with us during this trying time and know that we will be there for our clients to insure that your services continue to work during this time and in the future.

Maximizing the benefits of access control in a multi-tenant environment

Recent I have had the opportunity to install systems at several sites that had access for multiple tenants. When this is the case several steps can enhance and improve the way the system is used. Often when a system is install on more than one door to a building the owners do not wish to inconvenience the tenants by restricting access to entrances at various times. Not restricting access is a missed opportunity to enhance tenant safety and building security. During late night hours, access should be restricted to one main entrance. That entrance should also have at the least video observance or preferably security staff.

When setting up the system the owner or management company should also work to control how the credentials are distributed to tenants. I often see cases where a owner will sub-let a unit and then want credentials for themselves and all the tenants in the unit. Then should the tenants move out or lose a credential they often will just request a additional credential without having the missing credential removed. The result is that a building will have groups of credentials that will allow access but are not held by those authorized in the building.

So the following rules should be established to maximize security in an multi-tenant environment:

1. Each tenant should be assigned their own credential that is associated with a person not just a unit;

2. People not residing or working in a building should not be assigned credentials;

3. Lost or damaged credentials should be removed from the system before new credentials are issued;

4. Not all entrances should be 24 hour access. After hours entry should be limited to only entrances that have monitoring, either by video or by security personnel.

Owners and Managers need to take a proactive approach to credential control to prevent problems and insure the safety of both tenants and employees. Working with a security expert helps ensure that these needs are met.

Save Money by Using Automation

Did you know you could save money by automating your house. By adding smart thermostats, lighting and other systems you can reduce the amount of energy you use and also increase your comfort and safety.

With Geo fencing you can set an area around your home that when traveled out of will cause your system to automatically set lights, thermostats, and other devices to a setting that reduces your energy usage. When you return home the system can detect that as well and set the systems to a level that maximizes your comfort.

Contact Waves at info@waveslowvoltage.com today to discuss how products from Nest, Alarm.com, and others can save you money and make your home more comfortable.

Camera Resolution the benefits, trade offs, and why you want more

You have seen the pictures on the news. Some one has robbed a convenience store and they need your help in identifying the perpetrator. When they show the image the person is one of three things some one in a hoodie or is that a babushka or it could be ET. The reason for this is a lack of resolution.

The way to think of camera resolution by thinking of drawing a picture. Imagine you have a sheet of paper and you start making dots on the paper to create a picture. The smaller the dots and the greater the number the more detailed the picture becomes. So the benefit of greater resolution is greater detail. When a image needs to be blown up, like a close up of a person in a store, the greater detail allows a usable image. We can then tell what a person looks like and what they are wearing for a more positive identification. Cheap cameras have to trade off better sensors that have higher resolution and low light capabilities for cost.

While high resolution is great for things like identification there are some downsides as well.

High resolution means a higher amount of data is created by the camera sensors. This means that a greater amount of storage is required for the images. Either a greater cost is incurred in terms of hard drive space needed or the record time is decreased to handle the higher resolution. Often the result is a balancing act, where the cost of increased storage space is weighted against the length of time that the recordings are stored. If too short a time is selected, say two days, the result maybe that the recordings are overwritten before there has been a chance to retrieve the recordings.

Higher resolution also requires better cabling and termination of the cabling. if a cable is installed incorrectly or not terminated correctly it can reduce the bandwidth of the cable. If this happens video loss can occur.

Cheap packaged systems get around these problems by reducing the image resolution and by reducing the length of cable runs. This is why when you buy a packaged camera system from a big box store it will often come with a proprietary cable for the cameras.

The best way to avoid these problems is by choosing quality cameras and recorders with the realization of the higher costs this brings. In the long run this will result in a system that will outperform the cheaper system with a longer usable lifespan for the equipment.

Do you need access control for your business

I often hear the question do I need access control and if so what kind do I need? That depends on what you do. If you are a small company with only one or two people opening and closing your building each day you most likely do not need access control. But if you have multiple employees coming and going at different times or you have areas that you need to restrict access to, such as supplies or high value items, or you have multiple locations you want to track from your phone or computer then you need to consider a access control system.

Web based systems from providers like Alarm.com or ProDataKey allow you to see who enter and at what time without the need to be on site. These system also allow you to remotely open and secure the access control doors should you need to allow in a person that does not have credentialed access. Paired with security cameras that allow you to see who is coming and leaving and you can manage many aspects of your staff remotely.

Other advantages of access control are:

Better inventory control through restricting and monitoring access to inventory thus reducing the chances of theft;

Access can be integrated with automation systems to insure that things like thermostats and lighting are set to the appropriate levels when the business is open or closed, reducing utility costs;

Access control can be integrated with security to prevent employees from entering the site after hours or alerting you to employees arriving late or closing early;

If an employee is dismissed the can be immediately locked out of access to the facilities. There is no need to have keys returned or the need to re-key the facility if an employee should fail to return the keys or a key is lost.

These are just a few of the benefits of access control. Contact Waves today at info@waveslowvoltage.com or 248-652-2809 to schedule a review of your access control and security needs.

How your television got stolen

You have the best alarm. You set it when you are away and when you are asleep. You test it regularly and make sure it is working. So how did they steal my television, it must have been an inside job. Nope, it was most likely cause by you. How did this happen?

It today’s society people feel the need to promote themselves on social media and that is how they get taken.

Let’s look at a fictitious example:

The Smith family follows all the rules, setting the alarm, locking the doors and stopping the mail when they go on vacation. They have two children that love their Facebook and Instagram accounts and the more followers they have the better. And the Smiths are going on vacation.

The kids start posting about the big trip to Disney they are going on and of course they know all of the 1,200 followers they have want to know about it. Mom chimes in that is looking forward to two weeks of fun in the sun. This is where the crooks start.

Scrolling through the old posts of the kids and mom the thief see that the Smiths have a big screen in the family room over the fireplace and another in the kitchen nook. They see that the Smiths have a dog and that they like Happy Pup pet boarding and doggie daycare, the Smiths will most likely be boarding their dog while away on the trip.

Looking at more of the pictures, a photo from last years holiday party shows a group of people in the kitchen. What’s that in the back of the shot, why its the alarm keypad. Knowing the different keypads the thief now know that they have an older Honeywell alarm system that does not support cellular reporting and reports in over the phone line. And the touch football video of the kids in the front yard, Dad posted, has given the thief the address of the house and the name of the alarm company the Smiths use.

Now the thief just waits for the Smiths to start posting the daily pictures of all the fun they are having.

The thief goes to the house, cuts the phone line, lifts the sliding door in the family room off its track and then go to the basement pulls out the alarm transformer and battery connection and is free to steal what he wants.

How do you minimize your chances of being a target of thieves?

1. Know who you are friends with on social media. If your career requires you to have a social media presence then create separate accounts for your public life and private life and never post your current activity to a social media account;

2. If you must posting a trip or event to social media, post after you return not before or during your trip;

3. Be aware of who your children are communicating with via social media;

4. Make friends with your neighbors and make them aware that you will be out of town. A neighbor spotting unexpected car in your driveway or lights on when they should not be can be helpful in alerting authorities to an intruder;

5. Make sure that your alarm system uses an alternate form of communication that can not be disrupted by someone cutting the wires running to your home;

6. Make sure your alarm panel is secure and that the alarm transformer is install and secured correctly to the plug. While this will not stop the thief it will increase the time and effort required to disable the alarm;

7. Install a video doorbell. While not a great deterrent, having someone answer the bell should a thief ring it may have them seek a different target.

As always contact Waves for your low voltage and security needs at info@waveslowvoltage.com or (248)652-2809

Why your phone line is giving your alarm fits

You look at your alarm one day and see a trouble light, in checking the trouble you see failure to communicate. What is going on with this system? Lets start with how your alarm talks to the monitoring center. Your alarm has a modem in it like you would have in a computer from the 1980’s, anyone remember Prodigy? Back when the modern dialer started to replace the tape dialers of the past (more on that in a future post) it transmitted over a copper wire to your monitoring center going through switching centers controlled by the telephone company. This was an analog signal transmitted through a very robust system.

Then along came government deregulation of the telephone industry which allowed new players, like cable companies, to enter the market. These new players needed a way to make providing phone service profitable for them at a lower cost than the traditional telephone providers. The way they did this was by using VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol. What VoIP does is take the analog signal and convert it to digital then compress it to send it over the internet. This is why you need a device, like a cable modem, to connect to the phone service. On the other end of the system the signal is uncompressed and converted back to analog for use.

To digress for a moment. The way to think of a analog signal is to think of waves on a ocean. By varying the size or the distance between the waves you create patterns that can be changed to sound. Digital audio is a series of 1 and 0’s that could be though of as long and short pulses. A computer can decode these pulses and convert them into an analog wave used to produce sound in a speaker for example.

The problem occurs during this compression, conversion to digital, uncompression, conversion to analog cycle. What can happen is the dialer signal can get slightly out of sync from how it started out. The modems in your alarm panel and at the monitoring center then can not recognize each other. The result is that either your alarm thinks that it did not transmit to the monitoring center and it will continue to call the center over and over, or the center will not think that your alarm is a valid alarm for that center and will hang up on your alarm resulting in the alarm not getting through. In either case the VoIP phone service has been the weak link resulting in your alarm not alerting someone in your time of need.

How do we prevent phone problems from defeating our alarm system? In the 21st century the standard is now to have the alarm report in via cellular radio. This is a small radio that is similar to a cell phone that is used by the alarm to transmit to the monitoring center. This radio takes the VoIP modem out of the picture in transmitting to the center. Cellular radios have other advantages. They are almost always powered by the alarm panel so they are battery backed up like the alarm, if you system has battery backup. They allow for smart phone control of your system through third party services, such as alarm.com. They can’t be cut like a hardwired phone line can. Finally, if you are keeping a phone line just for the alarm, they save you money by eliminating the need for a phone line.

If your alarm is still on a phone line give Waves a call at 248-652-2809 or email us info@waveslowvoltage.com for a no obligation quote to upgrade your system.

When Cheap is not Cheap

Recently I have been seeing a lot of promotions out there for free and cheap alarm systems. These companies often promote their system being free or for just a nominal installation charge. Usually, the promoted charge is $99.00 as most people perceive $99.00 to be more palatable than $100.00. But what does this really cost you when you look at the fine print.

First, almost all of their contracts state that the equipment is property of the company and not yours as a homeowner. So should you chose to end your contract they come get the equipment, or charge you, and you are left with holes in your walls and doors where they fished the wires.

Second, they require you to sign up for a contract of 24 months or more for service. So should your financial situation change or you should need to move you are responsible for the balance of your contract.

Third, the “free” install is not free. One example is a large national company promotes a “free” install with $200.00 off. But the installation cost of the system to get the “free” install is $600.00 so your true cost is $400.00 for the install and you still do not own the equipment.

Fourth, the fine print also states that you are responsible for any taxes, permits, and “fees”, plus any add-on items.

So how do you keep from getting taken?

1. Look for companies with transparent pricing. They should give you a price for everything they are installing, any fees, permits, or add-on costs and your monitoring rate;

2. Look for companies that have no long term contracts. A long term contract just means you are locked into owing some one even if you no long wish to have the service;

3. Make sure you own the equipment they are installing. Most alarm companies don’t want your equipment back after it is installed. Companies that own the equipment that was installed are just trying to make it hard for you to change service or stop the service should you want too;

4. Remember, the company has to make money somehow. If the deal does not make sense for them to make a profit then how do they stay in business and do you want them protecting your home and family?

5. Lastly, total up everything to compare quotes. If company x is charging you $99.00 for the install and $1,500.00 for the monitoring, during your contract, for a total of $1,600.00 and company y is charging you $500.00 for the install but only $900.00 for the monitor over the same period, for a total of $1,400.00, company y is the better value in the long run.

Shameless plug. If you are looking for an alarm, access control, CCTV, or some one to consult on your project. Call Waves at 248-652-2809

Do It Yourself and Save

In the next few weeks, we will be adding a new e commerce area that will allow you to purchase programmed systems that you can install yourself.  

Follow up on YouTube

Follow us on YouTube for helpful videos and featured video stories.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeABAGmjHK_YwKXwm9KtrUA

Access control without all the strings attached.

Thinking about adding or updating your business or apartment building access control system.  With the ProDataKey access control system you can add doors to the system without running wires back to a central point.  The ProDataKey system uses either a existing Ethernet wiring or its own Smart Mesh system to connect the door controllers into the system.  All that is needed is electrical power at or near the door controller location.

The ProDataKey access control system can be access from any location to allow you to add, delete, and change access for users without the need to go to the site (internet access at the site is required for this feature).  

Waves is a silver level ProDataKey certified installation company.  Which gives a system installed by Waves an extended warranty through ProDataKey.

Learn more at www.prodatakey.com or contact Waves today at 248-652-2809 to schedule a no cost site review and quote.

Email Invoicing

Our email invoicing system is now live.  Shortly, you will receive a letter to update your information to have us contact you via email.  We strongly encourage all our clients to take advantage of email billing and correspondence.  This lowers costs and also is a green alternative to traditional postal mail.  If you wish to start before you receive your update letter just use the email account update tab on our webpage.

Give your outdoor sound a bang.

Looking to set your next party apart from all other consider adding the Episode in ground subwoofer.  This 12" unpowered subwoofer will rock your next outdoor party and will add the base most outdoor systems lack.  Contact Waves to get a quote to turn your backyard or pool area into the party space you have always dreamed of.

click on the link to see more about the Episode in ground subwoofer.

http://www.snapav.com/p-1542-es-ls-bsub-12-cpr.aspx

Alarm.com interactive service is now at Waves

Waves is pleased to announce that we are a Alarm.com dealer.  Alarm.com allows you to remotely access your alarm, lights, thermostat, and other automation controls via the web.

With Alarm.com service you can also have remote view cameras that can be triggered by events such as someone coming home.

You can also set up geofences to allow things like lights to turn off or on based on your location.

Contact Waves today to see get started.

Alarm.com service requires Alarm.com compatible hardware and Alarm.com cellular service.  Pricing varies based on services used and equipment required.  Contact Waves today for a no obligation quote.

A T & T 2G Sunset

With the growthj of 3G/4G cellular data A T & T is sun-setting 2G service.  What this means for you.  If you are one of our cellular customers we will be contacting you to replace your cellular radio with a 3G unit.  Not all of our customers are affected by this so we will only contact you if your radio needs replacement.   We are anticipating completing this change over by mid year so your service will not be affected by the sunset.

During this time your service will still work with the 2G radio.  

The  entire process should take about 45 minutes to change out the radio.  If you are a client with a DSC Alexor panel you will require a complete panel change out, for this please plan for about 2 hours.