Another product reviewed for Gearlog's security series is a security alarm and notification system in which I tested.

Chances are, you probably don't own a security system for your home or apartment. I know that I've always thought I never needed one, because I try to pick locations to live where I feel safe. Of course, even if your neighborhood is fairly quiet and crime-free, there's always the possiblity of a robbery or break-in. Heck, when I was living in Albany a couple of years ago, some jerk broke into our apartment through the window and stole the car keys to my roommate's car! We could have used a security system then.

Product: When I discovered Sentinel Vision's SafeScout security alarm and notification system ($199), I decided to test it out in my New Jersey apartment. The SafeScout system is small, measuring 3.9" (H) x 4.8" (W) x 5.3" (D) (so it won't take up a lot of room) and consists of a camera, motion detector, and keypad on the top of the unit in which you use to punch in your code for activating and deactivating the alarm. It requires a telephone line (landline or digital).

How to Install: First, find a place in your apartment that will monitor your doorway (avoid placement across from windows) and position the unit at least four feet from the floor (the unit has a 63-degree viewing angle). After inserting the batteries, plug the telephone cord into the SafeScout and into your phone jack. Then connect the AC adapter. I placed it strategically on my DVD shelf since it is directly across from the stairs leading to the front door, and plugged it into my surge protector.

I plugged the included Wireless signal (with back-up batteries) into an outlet in my bedroom, so that if the SafeScout did indeed detect motion, the alarm would wake me up. You'll also find a remote key fob, which is used to trigger a panic alarm or to arm or disalarm the system without punching in a code.

Then you must register the system. Go to www.sentinelvision.com and click on New Customer. The entire process took about half an hour because I kept getting distracted by phone calls from family! While registering, you'll be presented with several options. The first is the Professional Monitoring service, where alerts are sent to call centers 24 hours a day. Another is the Entry Arm or Disarm Notifications, which notifies you if your child comes home.

Then enter up to 5 e-mail contacts or 4 phone contacts of your choice to be alerted when the system sounds. When finished, press the grey button on the SafeScout to connect to Sentinel Vision. This takes about a minute and 20 seconds. Five seconds later, I received an automated message via phone to confirm that my system was registered.

After registering is complete, press the grey Test button on the back of the SafeScout. It will then run through a series of beeps to connect.

Performance: To test the unit, I activated the alarm and walked in front of the SafeScout to trigger an alert. After about 30 seconds, the wireless signal sounded, and this alarm was LOUD!!! It hurt my ears! I had to disengage the alarm just so I wouldn't disturb my neighbors. I'd think that any intruder would want to get the heck out of my apartment while hearing such a piercing tone! I found though that you won't be sent e-mails or a telephone call if your wireless signal is plugged in. Because of this, to protect your apartment when you're gone, you will need to activate the panic service which notifies the police. Keeping the wireless signal off allows you to catch snoopers and capture their photo through e-mail. I walked in front of the system without the wireless signal on. A couple of minutes later, I received 5 images via email of what the system captured and a phone call alerting me that the SafeScout detected motion. (See images at the end of this post.)

How It Works: To activate the alarm, punch in your code (I found it much quicker to use the keyfob) and the system will take 30 seconds to arm. This provides you with a limited window of time to leave your apartment before tripping the alarm. Once armed, it will say, "System is armed". If the alarm detects motion, the system will beep several times and then the wireless signal will beep rapidly with a very piercing noise.

Overall: The SafeScout is great for monitoring your home and there's no installation required. While receiving alerts is free, if you want the system to call the police, it will cost you $19.95 a month or more, depending on which plan you choose. So, that can add up! Even more so, if you want to be alerted when your children arrive home from school, that will cost you an extra $4.95 per month per passcode. I like that it sends you images if there is an intruder, but I wish that the camera was live so that I could view the camera from work and make sure everything is fine at home.

SafeScout Emails with Images

Screen capture of the email alert looks like. The subject line is "Motion Dectection". I blocked out my address within the body of the email, but where that white space is where your address will show up.

Alert 1 Image

Alert 2 Image

Alert 3 Image

Alert 4 Image

Alert 5 Image