Post-COVID Home Security, Part 2 - 2021

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.