Explore the Basics of Burglar Alarms

Burglar alarms are simple devices that are designed to sound an alarm when a target field is disrupted. There are two basic types of burglar alarms: closed- and open-circuit alarms, and motion detectors. Each of these alarm types is designed for monitoring a specific type of security breech. In order to get the protection that you want and need, you need to understand how each type of alarm works and what it is designed to monitor.

Closed and Open Circuit Burglar Alarms

One of the most basic types of burglar alarms is a perimeter alarm that uses either an open-circuit or closed-circuit trigger. This type of alarm works by pairing an electrical sensor with a magnetic relay. In an open-circuit burglar alarm, an alarm is sounded when the electrical circuit is closed, and a closed-circuit burglar alarm is activated when the electrical circuit is opened. Generally, the closed-circuit alarm is the better choice, because it is much more difficult to tamper with.

Motion Detectors

Another relatively simple burglar alarm design is the motion detector. This type of burglar alarm is useful for monitoring the interior of a building. Motion detectors are great if you want to monitor a specific room or if you want to monitor the area around a specific item, like a valuable painting or a safe.

The first type of motion detector that you can use is a radar-based motion detector. This type of burglar alarm uses microwave wavelengths to continuously monitor an area for changes. It works by bouncing the microwaves off the items in the room. When someone or something enters the field being monitored it changes the wavelength of the microwaves being bounced around the room and this triggers the alarm.