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Annoying problems are built into some systems. Ultrasonic units are so sensitive that they can be triggered by starting up an air conditioner. A common and controversial antiburglar device is the "automatic dialer" system, which is rigged to a telephone. It works this way: 1) the homeowner activates the system by pushing a button whenever he leaves his house; 2) if a burglar opens a door or window or in any other way breaks the alarm circuit, the system automatically dials the police, and 3), a prerecorded tape then cries for help. One trouble is that there are too many false alarms. The automatic dialers were banned in Los Angeles and Philadelphia after police complained that they were ineffective.
Going to the Dogs. Rather than cope with the cost and complications of these advanced systems, most people rely on a daunting array of door locks—as many as five on a door in Manhattan luxury apartments. Even the best lock is not pick-proof. Says Robert J. McDermott, a leading security expert who is a Holmes vice president: "A dedicated guy can get into Fort Knox. But if you have a good lock on your door, he will probably go down the hall to the next apartment."
To prevent picking, the locks are becoming miniversions of those on bank vaults. C & S Security Devices of Olathe, Kans., has brought out a lock that is equipped with a pushbutton panel like that on a telephone. The lock opens only when the right combination of numbers is pushed—and there are twelve buttons for a prowler to scratch his head over. Eaton Corp.'s new Identi-Lock, which looks like a tiny mail slot, operates on electronic impulses. The lock, which costs about $100, is opened by inserting in its slot a binary-coded circuit shaped like a collar stay. A lock produced by Gasguard Corp. of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., spits a stream of tear gas when tampered with. Many experts say that the best lock for the price is the particularly pick-resistant Medeco Cylinder, made by Mechanical Development Co. of Salem, Va. It is easily installed in any standard local frame, sells for $20 and is opened by a snaggle-toothed key.
Many families are taking a renewed interest in one of the oldest forms of protection: guard dogs trained to attack savagely. Price: $550 to $1,500. Unfortunately, the beasts sometimes attack members of the family or bite innocent strangers. Manhattan's Leisure Data Inc. has developed a briskly selling item that gives many of the benefits and few of the problems of a guard dog. For $2.50, it offers a 20-minute tape recording of a dog barking, snapping and growling, certain to give pause to the bravest burglar. The tape can be played on a recorder, or attached to an alarm system in place of a siren. Company officers maintain that the record has a satisfying tone of viciousness, the result of a carefully concocted and highly secret recipe of dog sounds, including a base of German shepherd and just a soupçon of weimaraner.