I'm considering installing a simple, inexpensive alarm in my detached garage. However, I have a few concerns:

1) I've been told that due to the environment in a garage (i.e. moisture, hot/cold temperature, insects, rodents, etc.) you could get alot of false alarms. I really don't want to annoy the neighbours with constant false alarms.

2) Assuming a hardwired alarm system with a sensored garage door, how would I arm and disarm the alarm? Seems to me I would need to arm the system from the keypad in the garage, open the garage door, drive my car out, and close the garage door before the exit delay expires. Disarming, I would open the garage door, drive into the garage and disarm the alarm at the keypad before the entry delay expires. The exit delay can be set longer but in order for the alarm to be effective, the entry delay needs to be set fairly short else a thief could steal the garage contents before the alarm even triggers.

 

Once I lived in a not so great apartment. Lots of theft. However I had my car in a garage. I have a rare car, so I installed a lock and a cheap motion sensor with a remote. When I went on vacation, I forgot to lock up and arm the alarm and the alarm got stolen. It must have done the punk a$$ alot of good without the remote to arm it. O well. Anyway, the alarm was cheap and did the job, untill it got stolen.

 

hsam, take a look at http://www.gotopline.com/12.htm I was looking for a different system (one that I saw in one of my distributor catalogs) but I came across this site and thought you might like to take a look. I gather from your post that you are not interested in a conventional, monitored security system. The systems on this page seem to be decent local alarms for the money. However, I'm not sure how environmental factors will affect these system. Most wireless systems are susceptible to environmental factors (as you mentioned: heat/cold, moisture, insects, etc.) As these are "less-than professional" systems, they may have "less-than professional" results as well, including the environmental factors. But, for the money, it may well be worth a try.

One note, DO NOT program an Auto-Dial system to call the local authorities. First of all, you WILL tick them off and they will NOT respond to the calls. Secondly, if you do this and they get a call from one of these systems, they may very well charge you royally for responding (if they respond at all.) And thirdly, many localities have ordinances against systems like this, and if you use one, they may fine you. Just a word of caution. If you want to use an auto-dialer, have it call you or someone you know.

Hope this is of some help. Let me know.