Living With a Roomate and have Elk M1 Gold

[GraysonPeddie]

Hi. I wanted to know if anyone who lives with a roomate that have a security system.

What I have is an Elk M1 Gold and I'm thinking that a roomate may not need a security system.

Has anybody done this for their bedroom, like protecting your bedroom door, windows, etc. I know this can be cumbersome to arm stay/disarm/arm away your security system whenever you leave/enter your bedroom, but that's what I'm going do to get into my habit of doing that using a keyfob.

Since I have a small server, a panel, and a closet, what I could do is hide all of that in a closet and when it comes to be creative about wiring, I can just wire the siren along the baseboard of the wall coming out of a closet door and hide the speaker/siren behind the dresser.

I do know that roomates are supposed to look out for each other, but I just thought I'd ask. I asked my dad about protecting the entry through a bedroom door and he says to use just a regular key, so I thanked him for his advice and that he will help me out anyway he can. I could suggest a roomate to install a security system for his protection, but I might be a bit hesitated.

This is even though if I lock the front door and keep all the windows locked. But if a break-in occurs...

So anyway, Does anybody have any advice when it comes to living with a roomate?

And one last thing: I could live in a one-bedroom apartment by myself, but I don't think I'll be able to afford the rent because I'm a college student and that if I have to go to class full-time, I don't think I'll be able to get a job.

Update:
I revied my post. I did not think about that before I start a thread.

 

[LaurentR]

Does a wife and kids count as a roommate?

An M1G for just 1 room sounds like overkill.

You should get 99% of the way with an ElkGuard http://www.elkguard.com/ ?

Note that an alarm system has never prevented somebody from actually breaking in to a place. If you really need physical security, add an armored door and metal blinds/bars (think big city).

Laurent

 

[damage]

And one last thing: I could live in a one-bedroom apartment by myself, but I don't think I'll be able to afford the rent because I'm a college student and that if I have to go to class full-time, I don't think I'll be able to get a job.

sell the 57" hdtv

 

[GraysonPeddie]

Post removed by me.

 

[murphy]

If you don't trust your roommate you have the choice

a - secure your goodies with a lock or install an ELK-system -or-
b - deinstall your roommate.

I would select plan B.

More if there is any doubt.
Even if I had to change to a cheaper appartment.
You also can sell some stuff before others do this and/or
you can deposit some things at your dads home.

 

[Lagerhead]

I asked my dad about protecting the entry through a bedroom door and he says to use just a regular key

Your father gives good advice.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

It's not that I don't trust a roomate, but installing Elk M1 Gold in my bedroom seems to be a good plan for me unless a roomate wants a security system. I don't think I have any luxuries to sell...

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Steve]

What the heck! ElkGuard? Do you think I need to sell Elk M1 Gold?????? That's $700 more with $600 of Elk M1 Gold I already have. As for 57", I wanted to have it because I like to watch movies while in bed. Plus, I'm still in monthly payment right now with my mom's credit card from Circuit City. I'm visually impaired.

Excuse me, but that's a BIG downgrade!! Illogic at best!

Actually it's flawless logic! You never should have bought the M1 or any of those things in the first place. At least not based on every other post you make about being a 'poor' college student. I just wonder how you have server, an Elk M1, a HT receiver, etc but you say you can't afford a 'legal' copy of xp, but yet you sell yourself as a programmer. Sorry, don't mean to pick, but it just doesn't make sense how you post all the time about not being able to afford simple stuff but then start a thread like this about protecting thousands of dollars worth of stuff???

 

[GraysonPeddie]

I wanted Elk M1 Gold because I want home automation and security in one.

I've taken others' advice about installing Elk M1 Gold only in my bedroom to protect my stuff. And please! At one time, I have good money to buy some stuff (like I got a gift card and bought a home theater for Christmas), but during the later months, I have a bit of financial difficulties, so please don't jump into conclusions like that, when it comes to be able to afford my rent and any other expenses.

Just as a reminder: This thread is about asking for advice about how I'm going to be living with a roomate when it comes to having a security system. It's not about whether I shoud sell any of my stuff when it comes to live with a roomate.

 

[Steve]

I wanted Elk M1 Gold because I want home automation and security in one.

I've taken others' advice about installing Elk M1 Gold only in my bedroom to protect my stuff. And please! At one time, I have good money to buy some stuff (like I got a gift card and bought a home theater for Christmas), but during the later months, I have a bit of financial difficulties, so please don't jump into conclusions like that, when it comes to be able to afford my rent and any other expenses.

Just as a reminder: This thread is about asking for advice about how I'm going to be living with a roomate when it comes to having a security system. It's not about whether I shoud sell any of my stuff when it comes to live with a roomate.

I'm sorry, you are right - on this topic my advice would be to find another roommate. I can't imagine any reasonable person not wanting the entire premises secured if they had that option at no cost. If you had to secure just your room to protect against the roommates or their visitors then most definitely replace the roommate. The advice of a simple lock is the best.

Now, off topic, I have to ask. Besides your visual impairment do you have any other medical issues, like Autism or something in that family? If you do then I can understand the tone of your posts and the way you 'speak' and I would be a lot more understanding and sympathetic. Otherwise, you demonstrate a very immature and sometimes downright rude tone in your posts and waste alot of peoples time reading your nonsense. You seem to be very forthcoming with alot of things like your eyesight, financial and other status so I just thought I would ask. If there were a reason I could 100% appreciate your 'actions' as I live with a child with special needs, but otherwise, your posts are just childish, unproductive and even sometimes rude. Yes, many of us have seen your posts on other forums where you actually snapped at a poster for replying to an old post and then were subsequently 'reprimanded' by the membership. If you want respect here you need to earn it and thus far your posts have been far from anything useful. Sure, nobody is going to throw you out of here, you are as welcome as anyone else but I for one will be ignoring anything else you say and will certainly not waste my breath replying. Some may not agree with me for finally speaking my mind, but I have a feeling many more agree with me and just did not want to say anything. I just felt it was time and needed to be said, so there it is. So, either let us know you have some other condition which explains your posts, or please, think very carefully before posting here and other places.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

No. I'm just wondering about when it comes to living in an apartment with a roomate. That's all. Right now, I'm living by myself.

I'm going to be finding a place to live since I'll be transferring my mojar to a different college (Tallahassee Community College doesn't have game programming courses while Valencia Community College (in Orlando) does, so I'm going to have to live with a roomate instead of living by myself. It's temporary, but that's only when I get through college.

If a roomate wanted to watch a movie with me (as long as a roomate has a permission to access my bedroom), that's not a problem for me. But what I'm talking about if a roomate does have a security system or not or if a roomate doesn't want a security system to protect the perimeter (home/away mode) and the interior when in away mode.

And no, I don't have any medications to take, so I don't have any problems. I didn't read your second paragraph, as that's a bit long for me to read.

 

[ver0776]

Well, I specialize in your needs. Not only have I designed my system around roommates, animals and service industry people, I have also done a special needs home that needed reverse security (Child running away, breaking out & others breaking in...)

I can tell you that not only do these techniques work, but they have busted trusted friends digging through my stuff. Now I am sure you can replicate some of the stuff using the Elk, but in my opinion it is Drastic overkill for your situation. All you needed was a W800RF and a few sensors and then some software to handle the logic. Where the Elk shines is long term stability, low power consumption, battery backup, etc. The built in logic of the Elk may work, but it NOT Elk's strong point.

The center of my security model is not to worry about armed, disarmed, home, away, etc. Instead I focus on Occupancy logic, so the house knows whether I am home or not, and who is home. So when I tell the house I am gone, my stuff is protected regardless of the overall security modes. Then I use DS10A sensors inside of drawers, on doors (every closet door is wired even). Then rules say if I am not home, text my phone anytime my rules covering my stuff are violated. I am sure Elk could do this with a "Vaugh Is Home" variable you can set with an X10 keyFOB...

So once a friend of mine, who I even entrusted with a key to my house, was over at my house and I left to go back to work. By the time I got to work I had voice messages from her crying and appologizing. She was digging through my dressers and then spotted the sensors and knew I would know what she had done, so she promptly stopped and tried to appologize and save our friendship before I called her out. Maybe she would not have robbed me, but previous friends have and I am SO happy that my system stopped her when it did and we are still friends today. I feel even safer now and fear no one in the house.

Basically, I would never blow the house alarm over my stuff, but my system will silently send me emails/texts, then I can hit the webpage with my logs rolling so I can watch in real time. I can then tell the house what to do about it and even type in messages for the house to play through the home automation speakers. I can tell them that I am watching them and to get out of the room, or I can keep it a secret and just know what kind of person they are...

Besides the sensors, I then installed a 110lb magnetic lock on my main armior's doors ($100 or so project) I keep medium security stuff like change, photos, medicine in there... I have a keypad lock on my bedroom closet (an extra layer of defense as I have the safe bolted to the closet floor). The keypad locks are great because you can give people who need it codes and change them at anytime. My front door has a electric strike so the cable man or cleaning lady don't even need codes, they call me when they are at the house, I open the door from my phone to let them in, then can watch logs to see where they go and how long they are in rooms, whether they opened the fridge, etc.

So knowing all of this can be done and EVERY item or area that you want to be protected can be, more information is needed as to what you want protected. If you plan on using Elk's programming, others here will have to help with the details, but I can provide sensor placement techniques, etc. If you would like to see demonstrations of any of this in action, let me know. I have not put up any videos in a long time and would be glad to show this in action.

I don't post a lot of this because most people here already get it. Basically you have contact, motion and touch sensors. There are some special contact sensors like pull sensors, plungers, sound, etc. But basically almost everything can be covered between contact sensors like the DS10a and motion sensors like the MS16a. I even have a DS10a on my car shifter so I know when my car comes and goes. Dishwasher, Stove, Refridgerators, cabinet doors for cleaning supplies (protect children), liquor supply, washer and dryer, about anything else you can think of are all monitored for $5-10 each... It just takes creativity in mounting them...

Again, even with the Elk, you will want to add the W800RF to use these cheap sensors.

Good luck, and rock on for using non-traditional security and automation. No one is fully trust worthy, it is only because we don't know what people do when we are not looking that allows us to trust them. (and for those who disagree, you are fooling yourself. your kids are digging through your stuff, your wife and friends are too... maybe not for evil reasons, but people are nosey and you should know what people are digging in.) They never even have to know you know, but knowledge is power and the best way to trust someone is to KNOW they are trust worthy. Leave them in your place and watch what they did.... This part does not work too well for me anymore as everyone knows my house is monitored to the 9's =D

One more senerio. I was in my room sleeping one night, and my drunk roommate had a couple guys here. I guess she wanted to show them my padded computer room under the stairs. I left the door open (dumb) and she let them go in there, the house knew I was asleep so the combonation of motion in there while I am sleeping turned on my bedroom speaker and told me some one was in there. I made the house then say "Suzie, master needs you upstairs" And had a talk with her about it right away. She may be trustworthy, but some strange drunk guys? I don't trust them. A previous girl had brought a guy in and he got my IPs and port numbers for my camera system and used it to case my house remotely. I felt raped when I found out they had been watching me from my own system, and I take everything way more seriously now.

Vaughn
www.vCrib.com

 

[SnyperBob]

I agree with Vaughn. I think your best bet would be a w800rf and some cheap x10 sensors/transmitters.

You have to weigh the options. If you are protecting expensive stuff (like an entire house), then an Elk might be the way to go. If you just want to protect a small area, or see if someone is snooping around, vCrib is the way to go.

If I was you, I would be paranoid that someone would steal my freakin' Elk. Cheap x10 sensors you don't have to worry about. Hell, I even use an x10 powerhorn to blow ppl's ears out that intrude. I have about $200 into my entire setup and that includes lighting control.

try vCrib, you'll be surprised. I use it in my home, and now I'm mad at Vaughn for not telling me about all his cool ways to monitor stuff. I'm off to wire up the beer fridge now....

 

[ver0776]

try vCrib, you'll be surprised. I use it in my home, and now I'm mad at Vaughn for not telling me about all his cool ways to monitor stuff. I'm off to wire up the beer fridge now....

LOL. I try to share my techniques without pushing my software as they should be able to be done with other software packages too. vCrib admittily lacks documentation and many features I designed for myself. Although I find them extremely easy, without documentation others may not know how to use them. Almost every software package supports the W800Rf and many also support the Elk. So you should be able to achieve your goals many ways.

On a positive for vCrib, there are very few users, so I give these users direct and free support and they control my coding priorities. So if anyone wants to use it, they can simply make arrangements with me and using LogMeIn.com or the such, I will even log in, install everything and get you started. Although I lack drivers and features these other packages have, I know my approach is unique and is capable of many things the other packages simply don't do.

So again, this was not trying to steer you to any particular package, especially mine. But some things may not be possible on any given system.

No matter the expense of what you are protecting, I think the Elk vs' PC are more affected by Mobility. If you are in an apartment or dorm, you are not wanting to hardwire sensors... Little wireless sensors work as good and are super easy to move, you just have to change batteries once a year or so. For a dorm or apartment, wireless is the only way to go, except maybe some light switches, etc.

Vaughn

 

[123]

... If you want respect here you need to earn it and thus far your posts have been far from anything useful. ...I have a feeling many more agree with me and just did not want to say anything. ...

Steve, I agree with your assessment and it needed to be said.

Having been the recipient of one of Grayson Peddie's unwarranted attacks, I initially chose to ignore it. However, a more recent example of his counter-productive commentary has caused me to pause before rushing to his assistance.

People come here to exchange ideas, discuss technologies, and generally help one another. The general membership displays a high-degree of respect and professionalism and that's why his behaviour stands out in marked contrast.