The Level locks are part of a layered strategy. Adding a Dakota Alert perimeter alarm was simple, cheap with no power or internet dependency. But it's limited to a local siren and it doesn't record someone testing the defenses.

An advance warning system to detect, record and alert on perimeter intrusions was the answer. I added an Arlo Ultra 4-camera system as each camera has 180 degree view and two motion detectors. The two systems complement each other in several ways...



The Dakota Alert always works and rarely false alarms, isn't subject to power outages, internet problems or cancel culture. It uses 9v batteries but this a solar charger ($15) and a 9v battery with microusb ($10) converts them to solar:



The Dakota frequency is much harder to jam than Arlo's wifi and its PIR sensors are different. The native range of Dakota Alert is about twice the distance (50 ft vs 25 ft). Arlo makes up for that with pixel processing, so the range and width are higher as long as it has an internet connection.


The difference in the PIR behavior is reflected in their coverage patterns. Dakota is 100% coverage of entrances while Arlo is 90% coverage of property and record of test intrusions.





Post-COVID Home Security, Part 1 - 2020
Home Security, Part 2 I sold my house in 2004 and didn’t care about home security until my new purchase in 2018. And even then I felt no urgency until the pandemic appeared, followed by riots and looting. I researched smart locks for weeks without a clear choice until I
Post-COVID Home Security, Part 3 - 2022
Post-COVID Home Security, Part 1 - 2020Post-COVID Home Security, Part 2 - 2021Post-COVID Home Security, Part 1 -2020Home Security, Part 2 I sold my house in 2004 and didn’t care about homesecurity until my new purchase in 2018. And even then I felt no urgency untilthe pandemic appeared, followed
Post-COVID Home Security, Part 4 - 2023
Dakota Alert added a new sensor type to their 4000 alarm series about a year ago, so last month I ordered one to test. I love the 4000 system. It’s simple, cheap, reliable, has no external dependencies. The solar-powered breakbeam sensors were an expensive disappointment but otherwise, the syste…