DIY Home Security - Skylink Total Protection System

The DIY Home Security Skylink Total Protection System is easy to install and will save you hundreds of dollars in monitoring fees. This review deals with the Complete Kit version of the Skylink security system.

What Comes with the Skylink Security System?

Skylink comes with a motion sensor, two door or window sensors, emergency dialer and a main control panel. The system is a totally wireless security system which makes it easy to install and operate.

You'll also get 2 adapters and 3 9V and 12V batteries. It also comes with a keychain transmitter which has a panic button. You can use it to activate the alarm siren instantly if you're in an emergency situation. The main control panel also has a panic button, which is very convenient if you have an elderly person in the home.

The system comes pre-programmed, so you can install it and use it right away. Once installed, you can program up to 9 emergency phone numbers into the system. After this, you record a message (up to 40 seconds) that will be played when the security system calls one of the emergency phone numbers.

Don't program police or fire numbers into the system. If you end up having false alarms, the police and fire department will get annoyed.

It's best to program your cell phone number, a neighbor (one you can trust), a friend or a relative's phone number into the system. If it's a real emergency, you or one of the other people mentioned above will call the police. Let each person know what to do if they receive a call from your Skylink security system.

How Do You Install the System?

Once you install the main control panel, you then can install the sensors to your doors, windows or both. You can also buy additional sensors for extra doors and windows. You can have up to 24 sensors linked to your control panel.

The motion sensor can be installed in a hallway, a basement or outside the house. You don't want to place the motion sensor where it will face direct sunlight or near heat/cold producing devices like fans, ovens, heaters or an a/c unit. These things and the sunlight could cause false triggers.

The motion sensor range is 40ft by 110 degree arc. The signal on the door/window sensors can reach up to 100 feet. Since the control panel only recognizes radio waves from the sensors, this will help to prevent hi-tech thieves from duplicating the signal and tampering with your security system.

How Does It Work?

When one of the sensors is triggered, a signal goes to the control panel which will set off an alarm. The alarm sounds at 110 decibels. At the same time, the emergency dialer will call the first emergency number you programmed into the system. The dialer can use both tone and pulse dialing.

If the system can't reach someone at the first number, it will continue to go through the list of phone numbers until it reaches someone. Once someone answers, the message you recorded during setup will play, telling him or her to call for help.

The Skylink system saves you money because you don't have to hire a monitoring company to monitor your system. The system, if installed properly, is not really prone to false alarms. So, if you receive a call from your system, more than likely some type of an emergency situation is going on.

DIY home security is very easy to do and doesn't take you all day if you go with a wireless system.

The Skylink security system will cost under $200. Of course, additional sensors will cost extra, usually under $25.

If you're interested in the Skylink Total Protection Security System Complete Kit, click here.