Why Outdoor Detection Always Beats Indoor Alarms

Many homeowners in Spain rely on indoor alarm systems that react only after a burglar is inside. This can be too late: windows may be broken, valuables taken, and safety compromised. Outdoor detection offers a proactive solution, designed to deter burglars before they reach your home with a loud siren that often prompts them to flee. At Best Alarm System, we focus on reliable security solutions. Visit our homepage for an overview of our high-quality security systems. In this article, we explain why indoor alarms may have limitations and how outdoor detection enhances prevention.

What is Outdoor Detection?

Outdoor detection uses smart sensors to detect movement in your garden, on your terrace, or around your property. Radar or infrared sensors identify intruders when they step onto your premises, triggering a powerful outdoor siren—110 dB for Hikvision and 113 dB for AJAX—and sending an alert to your smartphone within 0.15 seconds. Indoor alarm systems activate only after a door or window is forced, which may be too late. Outdoor detection aims to deter burglars before they approach your home. Learn more about our sensors and how they work on our outdoor detection page.

Limitations of Indoor Alarm Systems

Traditional indoor alarm systems rely on sensors like magnetic contacts, glass-break detectors, or motion sensors inside the home. While useful, these systems may have limitations:

• Late detection: The alarm typically triggers after the burglar is inside, potentially leaving broken windows or doors.
• Limited prevention: Indoor alarms alert after a break-in but may not prevent it, allowing burglars to take valuables before fleeing.
• Reduced deterrence: An indoor siren is often less audible outside, so neighbors may not notice, allowing burglars to continue undisturbed.
• Monitoring center challenges: Many indoor alarms are linked to subscription-based monitoring centers, which may not always respond promptly. Some systems may be vulnerable to signal jamming, potentially delaying alerts to the center.

In Spain, where burglars often start by entering gardens or climbing onto balconies, waiting until someone is inside can be less effective.

The Advantages of Outdoor Detection

Outdoor detection offers significant benefits compared to indoor systems:

• Enhanced prevention: Outdoor sensors detect intruders in your garden or on your terrace before they reach a door or window, helping to prevent damage or break-ins.
• Powerful siren: A powerful outdoor siren—110 dB for Hikvision and 113 dB for AJAX—activates when an intruder is detected, often prompting burglars to flee quickly. Unlike indoor sirens, the outdoor siren is audible outside, potentially alerting neighbors and increasing the chance of assistance.
• Self-sufficient security: With outdoor detection and an automatically triggered siren, the system can deter intruders effectively, reducing reliance on external monitoring centers. Alerts are sent to your smartphone within 0.15 seconds via WiFi, GSM, or 4G, even if the internet is disrupted, keeping you in control.
• Jamming resistance: Some burglars use signal jammers to block alarm signals. Many indoor alarm systems may lack jamming detection, making them vulnerable. Our outdoor detection systems are designed to detect jamming attempts and send alerts instantly, even when the alarm is off. Read more about this threat on our jamming dangers page.
• Advanced technology: Our Hikvision and AJAX systems offer versatile outdoor detection options, from curtain sensors to 120-degree radar, with robust jamming detection. This combination enhances reliability.
• Reduced false alarms: Smart sensors distinguish humans from pets, leaves, or wind, minimizing unnecessary alerts, making outdoor detection more reliable than some indoor motion sensors.
• Flexible design: Outdoor sensors adapt to any home, from a villa with a large garden to an apartment with a balcony. They function in various weather conditions, have a battery life of 5+ years, and can be relocated if you move.

Monitoring Centers: Why They Are Unnecessary and Potentially Detrimental

Many homeowners believe a monitoring center enhances their alarm system’s effectiveness, but in reality, monitoring centers offer no significant benefits and can be a costly, unreliable, and delaying factor. Here’s why, including legal limitations in Spain:

• No need for monitoring: Outdoor detection with an automatically triggered siren (110 dB for Hikvision, 113 dB for AJAX) deters intruders within seconds. Our systems send alerts to your smartphone in 0.15 seconds via WiFi, GSM, or 4G, even if the internet is sabotaged. You maintain full control without the delays or costs of a monitoring center.
• Legal restrictions in Spain: Under Spanish law (Ley de Seguridad Privada, Article 46), monitoring centers are only permitted to contact the homeowner upon an alarm trigger and are prohibited from directly contacting the police unless a break-in is verified with physical evidence, such as analyzed camera footage. In practice, this means monitoring centers often only speak through a device in your home or call you after several minutes. If you miss the call, their response typically ends there, rendering them slow and ineffective as they rely on your action and provide no immediate security.
• Minimal police response required: The outdoor siren prompts intruders to flee almost immediately, often preventing a reportable break-in. At most, an intruder may take a few steps onto your property, which is not legally a break-in. This makes monitoring centers redundant, as outdoor detection resolves the issue without requiring external intervention.
• Vulnerability to sabotage: Many monitoring centers rely on alarm systems susceptible to signal jamming. If a burglar uses a jammer, the center receives no alert, leaving you unaware. Our outdoor detection systems feature advanced jamming detection, instantly notifying you of sabotage attempts, even when the alarm is off, making them far more reliable than monitoring centers that fail against modern burglary tactics.
• High costs with no added value: Monitoring centers charge €40-€60 per month, totaling €480-€720 annually—costs that persist indefinitely. These fees provide no additional security, as our outdoor siren and instant smartphone alerts are faster and more effective. Why pay for a slow, unreliable intermediary that depends on your response?
• Insurance pitfalls: Some insurers require indoor alarms with monitoring centers, but this can be a trap. If a burglar uses a jammer, the center records no activity, and your insurance claim may be denied as it appears the alarm was off. Opt for insurers that don’t mandate monitoring centers. Alarm-related premium discounts are minimal (often less than €1 monthly) and don’t justify the risk of rejected claims. Outdoor detection offers superior protection without this dependency.

In summary, monitoring centers are not only unnecessary but also a weak link. They delay responses, are vulnerable to sabotage, impose significant ongoing costs, and offer no preventive benefits. Outdoor detection provides immediate control, rapid deterrence, and reliable technology without subscription fees. Explore our packages on our installation packages page to see how affordable top-tier security can be.

The Power of the Early Siren

The early outdoor siren is central to outdoor detection and a key advantage:

• Strong deterrence: When an intruder steps onto your property, the sensor activates a powerful siren—110 dB for Hikvision and 113 dB for AJAX—louder than a chainsaw and audible far beyond your home. Burglars often flee quickly, as seen in customer videos, including one from a break-in attempt in Polop.
• Automatic response: The siren drives intruders away without requiring action from you, often preventing any damage.
• More effective than indoor sirens: Indoor sirens are often muffled and less audible outside, allowing burglars to continue undisturbed. An outdoor siren can alert neighbors, passersby, or local security, increasing the chance of intervention.
• Proven effectiveness: Our customers frequently share videos of prevented break-in attempts, with burglars fleeing when the siren sounds. Outdoor detection significantly reduces the likelihood of successful break-ins due to the siren’s deterrence. Watch our video of a real break-in attempt in Polop for proof.

A customer from Polop sent us a video via WhatsApp showing his security system in action. Without taking any action, he watched on his camera as the burglar fled when the siren sounded. “My home stayed untouched thanks to Best Alarm System!” he wrote enthusiastically.

Why Outdoor Cameras Without an Alarm System Are Less Effective

Many people request an indoor alarm with outdoor cameras, assuming cameras provide sufficient security. This is a misconception. Outdoor cameras without an outdoor alarm system offer limited protection against burglary:

• Limited prevention: Cameras record footage but do not actively deter burglars. Intruders may ignore cameras, often not covering their faces, knowing recordings trigger no immediate action.
• Verification role: Outdoor cameras are most effective as a verification tool with an outdoor alarm system. When the siren activates, you can see the burglar fleeing on camera, confirming the attempt. Without a siren, cameras have minimal deterrent effect. Discover how our cameras work with outdoor detection on our installation cameras page.
• Vulnerability: Burglars can disregard or sabotage cameras, especially without an alarm. An indoor alarm offers no support, as it reacts only once the burglar is inside.
• Complementary role: Only an outdoor alarm system with a powerful siren—110 dB for Hikvision and 113 dB for AJAX—effectively deters burglars. Cameras enhance this system by providing footage but are less effective alone.

An indoor alarm with outdoor cameras alone may not provide robust security. For stronger protection, consider outdoor detection, with cameras as a complementary tool.

Conclusion: Choose Outdoor Detection for Enhanced Security

With outdoor detection and instant smartphone alerts, you can significantly reduce the risk of break-ins. Our outdoor detection systems, built on advanced Hikvision and AJAX technology and years of expertise, deliver leading quality in Europe. As the only provider in Spain, we offer an exclusive €1000 compensation guarantee in the unlikely event of a successful break-in while our system is activated, under our guarantee terms. At Best Alarm System, we prioritize reliable security over less effective solutions. Indoor alarms may have limitations, but our outdoor siren and smart sensors aim to deter burglars before they reach your home. With jamming-proof technology, you don’t need an expensive monitoring center, achieving strong protection without monthly costs. Burglars often flee at the sound of the siren, and with cameras, you stay informed. Whether you have a villa, apartment, or townhouse in Spain, outdoor detection offers a proactive choice for security. Calculate your costs on our cost calculator, or contact us for a quote to secure your home today. Don’t wait for burglars to strike—protect your home now with effective outdoor detection!