Choosing a burglar alarm system: installation type, detectors and communication
The job of an alarm system is not to stop the intruder but to report the event early and accurately. That is why a good system is measured not by how many detectors it has, but by whom it alerts, how quickly and with what information in a real event. A system that gives frequent false alarms can put users off setting it; and a system that is not set reports nothing.
Selection guide and FAQ
Wired, wireless, and hybrid
| Topic | Wired | Wireless | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | Cable is run; ideal during construction/renovation phase | No cable; quickly installed in the occupied space | Backbone wired, wireless at difficult points |
| Maintenance | No battery issues | Battery replacement needs tracking; battery life varies by device type and manufacturer, and the value is given on the datasheet | Hybrid |
| Reliability | Most protected from external interference | Walls, metal and other transmissions in the same band affect range and transmission; two-way systems that poll devices regularly report a lost connection | Each part carries the characteristics of its own connection type |
| Sabotage | The panel detects a cut cable (with NC or end-of-line resistor wiring) | Risk of radio jamming; whether the system detects and reports jamming or switches channel depends on the model and is checked on the datasheet | The risk of a cut on the wired line and of jamming on the wireless part are assessed together |
| Expansion | New cabling required | Devices are added without running cable; the limit is the panel’s device capacity | Flexible |
| Suitable for | New construction, workplace, critical facility | Occupied residential, rental office, historic building | Buildings whose wired installation is kept and extended wirelessly |
Detector types
| Detector | What it does | Where is it used |
|---|---|---|
| PIR (motion) | Detects body heat movement | General indoor protection (separate models exist for outdoor use) |
| Dual technology (PIR + microwave) | In AND mode it does not raise an alarm until two separate detection principles trigger together; some models also offer an OR mode | Locations where false alarms are costly: warehouse, workplace, server room |
| Pet-immune PIR | Does not count an animal below the manufacturer’s weight or height limit as an alarm when mounted at the correct height and angle | Residential properties with cats/dogs |
| Magnetic contact | Detects door/window opening | Perimeter (door and window) protection; can stay armed even while you are at home |
| Glass break | Recognizes the frequency of glass breaking sound | Shop windows, ground floors, large glazed façades; for film-covered or laminated glass, compatibility is checked on the datasheet (e.g. one manufacturer states that its detector does not respond to film-covered glass breaking) |
| Curtain type | Scans a narrow and vertical area | Window area, corridor, passage point |
| Vibration / shock | Wall, safe, or ATM impact detector | Safe room, jeweler, bank |
| Beam barrier (active infrared) | Detects anyone who breaks the beam between transmitter and receiver | Garden walls and site perimeters (outdoor models), window and shop-window openings (window-type models); warns before anyone gets inside |
Decisions that make the system truly effective
- Protection is layered from outside to inside: first perimeter (garden/facade), then shell (doors and windows), finally volume (interior movement). A system relying solely on interior motion detectors alerts only after the intruder has entered.
- It is advisable not to rely on a single reporting path: in a system that reports over the internet, no message gets through if the line is cut, and a second path such as GSM reduces this risk. According to a secondary source, EN 50131-1 defines notification as a set of options for each grade; at Grade 2 these include a single transmission path with a siren as well as dual transmission paths with no siren requirement (the source is old and could not be verified against the current edition).
- Decide whether to connect to an alarm receiving centre before choosing the panel: notifications coming only to your phone and a receiving centre that monitors the system continuously and reports technically verified alarms to the general police (Law No. 5188 implementing regulation, Art. 23) are different services. Operating an alarm receiving centre requires a certificate of competence from the governorship (Law No. 5188, Art. 5).
- Tamper protection is a requirement for every device: a device whose cover is opened, or on some models removed from the wall, reports this to the panel as a tamper event. According to a secondary source, EN 50131-1 requires tamper detection at every grade for the panel, keypad, siren and power supply, and from Grade 2 upwards for detectors and junction boxes.
- Panel and communication unit are placed inside the protected area, not in a visible location at the entrance; entry delay time is not set longer than necessary.
- Battery standby time is determined by calculation, not by estimate: the current the system draws in normal operation is calculated, the peak current during an alarm is measured, and both are recorded. According to secondary sources, EN 50131-1 requires 12 hours of standby for Grade 1–2 systems; for Grades 3–4 the sources give different figures (the standard text is paid and its Turkish (TSE) equivalent could not be verified). Battery capacity falls over time and is measured during periodic maintenance; a worked example is in the alarm battery guide.
- Known causes of false alarms include a PIR in the airflow of an air conditioner or heater, a detector facing a sunlit window, swaying plants, loose mounting and weak batteries. All of these relate to placement, mounting or maintenance: detectors are positioned according to the location and distances recommended by the manufacturer; details are in the guide on why alarms go off.
Because smoke detectors can be connected to burglar alarm panels, the two systems can be confused. Article 74 of the Regulation on the Protection of Buildings from Fire requires the fire detection system and its components to be manufactured, designed, installed and operated in accordance with TS EN 54, and the cables and communication lines to be monitored continuously for faults such as open circuits, short circuits and earth faults. Where fire detection is mandatory in a workplace or building, that obligation is not met by a smoke detector attached to a burglar alarm panel. The two systems can be installed together with shared monitoring; one cannot replace the other.
Frequently asked questions
I have a cat at home, will the alarm sound constantly?
Pet-immune detectors are designed to ignore an animal below the weight or height limit given on the datasheet; the limit varies from model to model. For this to work, the mounting height and angle must be correct and the animal must not be able to climb onto a sofa or bookshelf into the detector’s line of sight. Because cats can climb high, the weight limit alone is no guarantee: magnetic contacts on the doors and windows of the space where the animal roams do not detect its movement, and the motion detector for that space can be put in a separate zone and disarmed when needed.
Will the alarm work if my internet or power goes out?
In a correctly installed system, yes, but not indefinitely. When the mains power fails the panel runs on its battery; how long it lasts depends on the battery capacity and the current the system draws (the calculation is in the alarm battery guide). If communication is backed up by GSM, notifications go through the second path when the internet is down. A mains failure is a fault event; according to a secondary source, EN 50131-1 requires it to be reported and allows the report to be delayed by at most 1 hour. An unexpected power-failure report can be the first sign of a sabotage attempt.
Does the alarm system work together with cameras?
It can; how it works depends on the compatibility of the two systems. Cameras and recorders with alarm inputs, or solutions that bring both systems into the same app, can be set up to open the view of that area or attach a short clip to the notification when an alarm occurs; a camera-equipped (photo) motion detector takes a photo itself at the moment of the alarm. This way you can tell whether the event is real or a false alarm without being on site. Images are personal data: KVKK obligations apply in the workplace; at home, a device that sees only the inside of the home may fall under the household exemption in Article 28/1-a of Law No. 6698, provided the recordings are not given to third parties and data security obligations are met, while one that sees the street or common areas cannot (our reading; details in our KVKK and cameras guide).
Can a wireless system's signal be jammed?
Yes; a radio link can be jammed or affected by other transmissions in the same band, and according to a secondary source summarising the standard this can show up on the panel as a fault or tamper event, or can prevent the system from working as intended. Features such as detecting and reporting jamming or switching to another channel vary by model and are checked on the datasheet. In two-way systems the panel polls devices regularly and shows a device with a flat battery or out of range as a fault; with a one-way key fob you cannot see from the fob whether the command reached the panel.
Can we keep my existing alarm panel and upgrade the detectors?
If the panel works and its zone capacity is sufficient, often yes. During the survey the panel model, number of zones, wiring condition and battery health are checked. A GSM module can be added to a panel that communicates only over a landline, and a receiver module that connects wireless devices to a wired panel can be added for points where cable cannot be run (compatibility is checked on the datasheet); if the panel is very old, replacing it may be the better choice.