Reddit mentions: The best security horns & sirens

Congrats on the new living situation! I'm sure it'll be a liberating feeling. A few ideas:

• A security camera for peace of mind. You can even get small, discrete ones that look like a wall charger or other ordinary objects.
  
  
• Pepper spray or a small defense item for your purse, if you live in a country that allows it.
  
  
• A small personal alarm like this one, to pull if there's an emergency. Good to take on walks with you.
  
  
• An app that tracks your location when walking so your friends know where you are, and texts them at the touch of a button in case of an emergency. There used to be a great one called Companion. Now I only see bSafe and Tego in the app store; I haven't used them but assume they're similar. Note: iPhones also now have a security feature where rapidly clicking the lock button (I think 5 times?) will dial your local emergency number.
  
  
• In general, letting a friend know where you are / when you expect to be home is a good idea if you're in a sketchy area or out of the house for a particularly long time.
  
  
• Occasionally shouting "Love you!" or "See you in a bit!" as you lock the door, to make it seem like you have someone over.
  
  
• Having your keys ready before you open your car or apartment door, so that you're not fumbling and vulnerable.
  
  
• Practicing eye contact with strangers / not looking at your feet when walking. If you look confident and unafraid of people, you're more likely to be left alone.
  
  
• Self-defense classes, if it's an option. I once bookmarked a great YouTube channel that covers some basics to practice at home, I'll try to find it for you.
  
  
• "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker. A great book for recognizing potentially violent people and learning to trust your instincts. Despite how it sounds, it actually emphasizes the importance of not being afraid of everything, so that you can recognize fear and act appropriately when you're actually in danger. It helped a lot with my anxiety and assessment of situations. I suggest it to everyone and have bought it for many of the women in my life.
  
  I'll edit if I think of anything else. Enjoy your new place and be safe!

Sigh.. Stupid landlords.

I see the investment of a dowel or stick or something jammed between the slide window part and the wall to keep the window closed. This, as you have identified, is the easy access point.

Now, there are two risk zones left here.

1.) someone getting in while you are home.
2.) someone getting in while you are NOT home.

For the "while you are home" portion, I think door bars are pretty darn effective.

http://www.amazon.com/National-Hardware-V804-Security-Nickel/dp/B001RUEWUQ

Landlord dude doesn't seem to care about upgrades, so take them into your own hands and don't sweat the door holes. You could be mean and actually legally deduct it from rent but I don't think it's a worthwhile battle.

I also suggest you get a baseball bat.

I call this the Goodwill security system. Leave it in a known place, like on the hinge side of the door or in your bedroom area. Someone weird comes to the door, grab it and leave that bar thing set. It's useful for playing baseball on a sunny day too, and it doesn't look like anything, so your friends won't think you are crazy.

You are also going to want two of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Vigilant-PPS8B-Personal-Student-Emergency/dp/B005BDBV18

Tie the cord onto the bat, the other one goes with you. Have it out and around your neck when you walk from the street to your door. I can sense you have identified this as a risk point and it seems logical.

You probably have a lamp, so get a cheap lamp timer and position it so the light spills near to the door / outside the apartment. Put a CFL or LED to save the environment and save $$ on electricity. Set it on from 6 PM to 2 AM. Come home before 2AM.

This pretty much covers part 1.

Part 2. This is probably going to be a burglar type situation.

I think a huge part of this stuff is to not look like an easy score. Simple things are to leave a TV or Radio on and have the blinds closed. Put a curtain on that door/window thing too.

If you buy a nice new thing, don't have the blinds open so people can see them from outside, and don't be obvious when throwing away the boxes.

Garden lights might be effective and a cheap solution to stab in the big shrub bed. They are relatively inexpensive so if they walk, you know you have landed in an especially bad neighborhood.

When I've traveled around, places like, New Zealand, you are very safe, but petty crime is really high. My friends I was staying with kept everything of value (cameras, hard drives, laptops, passport etc) in a simple locking filing cabinet. Most of the junk just sorta lived in it, but it especially all went in when they left for the weekend.. say the beach.. These are really easy to find used, like from University Surplus sales and Craigslist. Just make sure it has keys or (better) an external lock bar. You can't bolt it to the wall, floor, but you can at least put in big brick, a sack full of rocks, or old textbooks in the bottom drawer.... Anything heavy!

I think the main deterrent is always making breaking into your boat more trouble than it'll be worth. Make sure everything is stowed away when you're not on board, don't leave things laying around in plain sight for anyone to eye up. If you store anything easy to sell (like propane tanks or diesel jerry cans) then do your best to either lock them away, or to thoroughly tie them up. Get various lengths of looped steel cable and some heavy duty locks to secure anything else you might keep on deck (like kayaks or surf boards). Do the same with your dinghy outboard, and even your dinghy when you're on shore. Make sure you hoist and visibly lock your dinghy every night.

Fitting security screens on your hatches and companionway makes a big difference too, since it's pretty easy to pop a hatch with a crow bar. When you're away, pull your covers/curtains so no one can peek in and have a look at what might be worth stealing.

You can get some wireless motion sensors and set them up at various places around the boat. They'll flood the area with light and sound alarms so that's also a pretty effective method of startling someone off. There are also personal alarms which you can activate yourself if you're on board while someone tries to break in. A good ol' air horn will also do the trick. I've got a couple friends who have a Christmas ornament made of maybe 10 jingle bells tied to the back of their companion-way latch so that if anyone fiddles with it, you can hear.

I would highly recommend going all the way with a solution like samsung smartthings, the home monitoring kit can get you going. With this approach you can not only add internet based security, you can smartify many other things in your home. As for security, I added this alarm to my smart hub. The hub will automatically arm once I leave my house (based on my smartphone) and if there is a intrusion, the siren will sound plus you will get a notification on your phone that a sensor was triggered (motion/door opened/etc...). There is no subscription fee or anything like that.

You can also integrate it with other things like Nest and Amazon Echo, so I can say "Alexa, turn on living room light" and echo will talk to smart things which will turn on my light. The platform is super customizable, and works with tons of smart devices (not just Samsung).

> If you're going to break it out < 1x per week, I think corded is much better.

I strongly disagree! Corded is not better!

I'm an older guy and still have my first drill which of course is corded since they didn't have battery powered tools when I bought mine. It is now almost 40 years old and works fine (from the era when Craftsman tools were about the best you could buy in consumer quality items). I used to need it occasionally when my old cordless drill couldn't cut it.

But I hate using it! It's a great big hassle to use compared to the convenience of a cordless drill. I would definitely recommend that OP buy a cordless drill like the ones he is looking at, or a cheaper model, for their purposes.

A little over a year ago I bought a Black and Decker drill that is very similar to the one OP is considering, but a lesser model. I haven't used my corded drill since as my new cordless works for all the purposes I used to have to drag my corded drill out for. I love it!

The Black and Decker I bought was this one. I understand Black and Decker also owns Dewalt and they have some common construction but Dewalt tools are more pro quality. I think either of the drills OP is looking for would be great for him and will last a long time.

A good flashlight that won't let you down, and isn't cheaply made can be pricey. I tried to find the cheapest, yet good quality light that comes with a strike bezel in case you ever need one (hopefully you won't), but one can never be too careful.

http://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-ld12-g2-led-flashlight/

4 modes of brightness, strobe, and sos modes. Easy to find batteries AA, (don't use lithium rechargeable, but non rechargeable lithium are okay) various other types of AA you can use.

As for whistle or alarm, a quick amazon search came up with this, https://www.amazon.com/Vigilant-Personal-Backup-Whistle-PPS-23PK/dp/B008QXXN5W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070268&sr=8-3&keywords=Whistle+%2F+alarm

Disclaimer I know nothing of these whistle alarm things, but the reviews seem like it's good.

I just bought this off of amazon. I don't have any feedback yet but the reviews on Amazon were pretty good.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PKKM2HO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_8XdIwbF6RDV1E

I just bought these for a friend who took her teenage daughter to NYC--tried them out and they are super-loud: https://www.amazon.com/Mengde-WCH8211-Emergency-Electronic-Decoration/dp/B01MQF2T8O/

Seems like something like that ought to give you a sufficient feeling of security to get to the gym.

OK, that makes sense.

I hadn't seen an outdoor one but maybe an external ZWave "switch" where you hook it up to an off the shelf siren. I don't think either siren linked would be external.

Somebody used this one - Honeywell Siren and then plugged it into a ZWave appliance switch.

That would actually work quite well, I think. The guy seemed to have success.

Originally i bought one of these workman horns that is just designed to plug into the pa jack, no amp necessary:

https://www.amazon.com/Workman-Speaker-Horn-Black-Plug/dp/B074WCH6DZ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=cb+pa+horn&qid=1575082395&sr=8-5

But it wasnt really very loud, and i had to turn my volume all the way up to get much of anything out of it. thats why i added the amp board with a volume control. then i would just leave my volume where it normally was, and use the board volume to set the pa speaker.

i wired 12v ignition power to the amp board so its only on when the key is on, and then i cut the horn cord where i wanted the board to go and wired the +/- from the radio to the input and the +/- to the speaker to the output. i only used one channel because 15 watts is all the horn could handle, but if you got a louder horn you could bridge the outputs and use all 30 watts. if i get my radio volume up too high it overloads the little amp and gets a little garbled, so you might not be able to do what im doing if you keep the volume up high normally. it just depend on the radio. this isnt really a professional solution, its more of a an amateur workaround for the fact that a lot of cbs have weak pa circuits. I just figured I'd weigh in since the question wasn't getting many responses.

you might just want to try a horn only first and see if your radio is loud enough without the amp.

Edit: There are a lot of misconceptions about the PA function on CB radios. I think a lot of people imagine themselves yelling at idiots on the highway, but they dont really have the power for that out of the box. If you just plug a speaker into the jack like they're designed, they're loud enough for someone standing in the immediate vicinity of the car to hear when the motor is off. Rigged up like mine with an extra 15-30 watts, you can talk to pedestrians in your immediate vicinity with the motor on. If you want a good loud horn that can get another driver's attention, you'll need at least 100 watts. If you're that's more what you're after, you'll need something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Vixen-Horns-VXS9118-Address-Speaker/dp/B015QG2HDA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=100+watt+amplified+horn&qid=1575085291&s=automotive&sr=1-1

paired with something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/BOSS-Audio-CE102-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B0077IA57Q/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=100+watt+12v+amplifier+mono&qid=1575085431&s=automotive&sr=1-8

And you'll want the PA jack plugged into the "high input".

One option is something like the product in the youtube video below. There are versions on amazon in the $50 price range. Not the most aesthetically pleasing, but work well. Interior doors are generally flimsy compared to exterior doors so builders can save money. I would highly suggest "hardening" your strike plates which one of the videos below mentions. Low cost way is to get some longer screws which anchors it into the studs and not the pine frame. Another product are these 130db alarms. you just pull the pod and they off. Trust me 130 is MORE than enough for people to hear.

https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Emergency-Self-Defense-Decoration-Protection/dp/B077GNKC31/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519288683&sr=8-1&keywords=rope+pull+alarm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM-VLZISzJw

edit
some basic videos on door re-inforcements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7t2SiBp-G4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VdfW4eBfGA

i have waterbug alarms as part of a smartthings setup. they also monitor temp and humidity. basement near water tank, under sinks, etc.

check status & get alerts from smartthings & community apps. combine with a siren for audible alerts at home (in addition to any push notifications, or any other notification type you configure).

can't say it's objectively the best -- ymmv with smartthings, but i've had a great experience.

I'm picturing this as a bracelet you blow directly on. Instead of having to remove or twist into position.

A few thoughts:
There are emergency keychains:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DMT8SLQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_C3aLDbX84JA0S

That as a bracelet would be a nice option.

How would you prevent false positives?
If it is an actual whistle, should it be like a dog whistle, or just loud to alert others to your presence.

You should go to place(s) that teach self defense to get their insights. Maybe approach them with a prop so that you can show them visually. Even if it is a rubber bracelet with a black sharpie dot where the whistle would be.


If it was like the emergency keychain, but was a bracelet, I would consider buying it. I would wear it so it would be around my knuckles and the button facing inward so that I could activate the button with one hand.

How about a black vinyl sticker the same size. Sure some (and you) would notice, but it is better than a black sticker or a botched touch up job.

Btw I'm a Electra cop glide rider and couldn't handle having the siren buttons without a siren. This guy was only $12, fits under the right side battery cover, and puts a smile on people's face.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CILWRTK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_eQXezb70FWS9M

Play loud music late at night (which this city is pretty much completely accustomed to)...sounds like a great way to drown out any screams for help without alerting anyone. They just wanna stay away from the annoying loud music.


What I do suggest are the security lanyards that have the little high pitched sound device built so when you pull the pin it triggers. SOOOO LOUD, and it absolutely would alert an entire block.


Here's a link to a cheap one.

Hello. You most definitely are not overreacting. The plate is definitely important but be very mindful when trying to obtain it. I also recommend you get a personal alarm, something like this : http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005BDBV18?pc_redir=1414650823&robot_redir=1

It just makes a lot of noise when pulled but can be a good deterrent if you get into a particularly uncomfortable situation as it draws a lot of attention to you.

medical help alert

You press the button and an alarm goes off and a light blinks which will draw attention to you for medical help or safety issues. Link above is to Amazon.

I bought this
Is an alarm so if you don’t fill save you can activate it and you have the attention of good people that might help you

I am so very sorry, I would like to suggest a personal alarm learn how to use it always, always carry it with you when you are alone, even when tossing the trash. I only hope someday this guy gets tossed like the trash he is.

Maybe something like this would work, if it wasn't crap quality...

Just some standalone smart chime that is IFTTT compatible.

Easy to handle, inexpensive option, never runs out like those canned ones

Vixen Horns Loud 110dB Hand Crank Manual Operated Portable Plastic Alarm/Siren (Air Raid) VXS-1000P

This one is great!

i have read that the Aeotec Speaker works pretty well for the alerts.

https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Gen5-ZW080-A17-Aeotec-Cert/dp/B00PKKM2HO/ref=pd_sim_60_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K2NRJVB6VWERYK9M0PH2

you can also buy it with a doorbell button

Talk to local police, local mental hospital and/or counselors. I would strongly recommend taking some self defense classes at a reputable martial arts school. Judo, Krav Maga, grappling, etc.
Also get one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Vigilant-Electronic-Personal-Whistle-Lanyard/dp/B007ZFQ8AY/ref=pd_sim_hpc_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0F6SFPDTQTPCEAJB13T9

These alarms are really loud and might help you to feel more comfortable at night. There are tons of similar brands. To activate them, all you have to do is pull the pin. They are lightweight. Should startle everything, even humans.

Here's a link to them on amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076FVX6S1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I learned about them in a police class for civilians that I took. They said it's better than pepper spray because you can accidentally spray YOURSELF with the pepper spray, and also because of the drawing attention to get help.

Highly recommend this

You can run as much of whatever wire you want for a perimeter. It just has to be able to pull the pin. It’s great for scaring off predators but it’s possible that if one of the birds happens to casually trip it, they’ll run farther away from the house.

Not a female, but I do occasionally go solo hiking. It can be a little unnerving at times. Try taking a stun gun for close quarters and a trip alarm for peace of mind. Stay safe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B072LMPSWT/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1527474871&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=perimeter+alarm&dpPl=1&dpID=51eNXcuahXL&ref=plSrch

Maybe take a peek at this too. For travel security, I have been eyeing this and this.

I highly suggest if you don’t have money for a camera keep your phone by the door with the camera open on it in video mode and get this for significantly less than a camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRG2QIJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5xN0CbQAV1NDB
Tie a fishing line to it and you’re good to go

So I ended up picking up the following:

SmartThings Hub
Amazon Echo Dot

Iris Motion Sensor: https://www.amazon.com/Iris-Smart-Home-Management-3326-L1/dp/B01GCKAF6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478632373&sr=8-1&keywords=iris+motion

Aeotec Siren: https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Gen5-ZW080-A17-Aeotec-Cert/dp/B00PKKM2HO

That's it, for now, but that should give me a fairly solid baseline, correct?

Since you can't carry mace, are you in an area where people are in earshot? If so, a personal alarm (like this) might be worth taking a look at. Another option is looking into getting a safety keychain.

Fairly sure the aeotec zwave siren doubles as a speaker.


Siren Gen5, ZW080-A17, by Aeotec, Cert ID: ZC10-14090012 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PKKM2HO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Hu4QybNW1E71J

I have one of these, runs off Z-Wave: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PKKM2HO/

It's pretty darn loud.

Has 5 different volumes and 5 different chimes, too, but I'm still working out how to choose something other than the default via automations in Home Assistant.

Something like the SS Spyderco Delica 4 can do the trick.

With that I also wouldn't recommend using it for self defence, but rather use pepper spray or a personal alarm.

Maybe this?

This looks exactly like what you’re looking for
Personal Alarm Siren Song https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BVCZKRP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8CIxDbJN637G3

Edit oh you said without being at that volume. Maybe try searching for more on Amazon. Personal alarms

We’ve got Qs on all our trucks. My old volunteer EMS station has Qs on some of the ambulances. The guy who ordered the medics actually worked for for an emergency vehicle dealer and specked the sirens and horns like the fire departments.

Fun side note my wife needed a siren for a piece her band is doing (she’s a band director) so I ordered a little mini 12v siren.
When the concert is over I’m going to rig it up on a sit on fire truck for my son.

Mini Siren on Amazon

Alarm

https://www.amazon.com/Lermende-WCH8211-Emergency-Electronic-Decoration/dp/B01MQF2T8O

Srs, I have a personal alarm on my keys that is loud AF. Recently a man starting harassing me for money in a parking lot, followed me to my car and banged on my window. I started yelling and honking my car horn and he backed off. You can get personal alarms on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Emergency-Self-Defense-Security-Keychain/dp/B076FVX6S1

I always carry pepper spray, as it makes me feel safe. But please remember that if you do get pepper spray, it expires after a couple years usually. Also, a while back my parents got me these alarm type thingies that basically when you pull the pin from the side it makes a very very loud alarm. The idea is to throw it at whoever is making you feel unsafe. It won’t turn off without the pin back in it. In most situations, when too much attention is drawn (trust me, these are really loud) the attacker will just run. Here a link to the one I have. It goes on your keychain. Taiker Personal Alarm for Women 140DB Emergency Self-Defense Security Alarm Keychain with LED Light for Women Kids and Elders-2 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FVX6S1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jLl2DbB520A02