Frequently Asked Questions
Most, but possibly not all. Thieves want quick, simple, and quiet; Sonic Shock™ denies all three.
What's left won't look pretty.
We've found even then thieves don't take the alarm with them. In the rare instances thieves will make an effort to disarm the alarm, but soon find this a chore, taking little or nothing. Most important, they don't return.
Won't stop serious thieves. Cables cutters instantly cut them. In a break & enter, thieves come prepared to cut all of the cables including I/O and 110 volt cords to save time detaching these from the equipment they want.
Instant alarm and continuous alarm.
It's been tried, but in these cases the thief still looked/sounded sufficiently weird to draw attention and intervention. Mostly the mere presence of the alarm deters thieves from even attempting a theft.
Possible, but unlikely. We use 200 lock combinations.
Anything that can resold to consumers. In most commercial settings, flat panel televisions, digital signs, video projectors and Macs. Things like document cameras, however valuable, have little consumer resale value and will be lower risk. Commercial fine balance scales, however, have good market value - drug dealers use them.
Only if brand new or mission critical. (Thieves sometimes take your old stuff, then plan a return visit a month later.)
Yes. Sonic Shock™ secures anything so long as it has a free 2 x 3.8 inch (5 x 10 cm) flat surface. It affixes to the outside of the case, be it a Macintosh, PC, or any other office equipment.
You won't like it - too big. But if you're using the laptop essentially as a portable desktop – a nursing station or a medical cart for example, it's feasible.
Yes! You will need new mounting plates as these are stuck to your equipment forever. We'll sell you new plates (and glue) for a nominal price.
In theory 50 years; the alarm draws about 1 millionth of an amp for monitoring. (A hundred watt light bulb draws about 1 amp.) ) In practice we suggest you change the battery at least every 5 years, sooner if the alarm has sounded for a more than a quarter hour. An alkaline battery loses about 1% of its capacity per year, but does have a finite chemical life, generally 5 - 7 years.
Two hours for the Sonic Shock 5; 1 hour for the Sonic Shock Plasma. Depending on the age and state of the battery, they might go on for over 24 hours, albeit with considerably less volume. We assume 'longer' isn't a problem for you.
No, you can use any 9 volt battery, though it should be alkaline version – superior shelf life, more power reserve, less likely to leak.
Yes. It'll take you about 10 minutes, most of which is waiting for the glue to set. (Admittedly, the first alarm you install will take longer while you come up the learning curve.) The instructions are brief, mostly pictures. You don't need tools, and you don't have to do anything that impairs your equipment warranty.
No. These older models were discontinued, but you can still buy replacement plates for any alarm we've ever made.
Yes, and expect to for years yet.
No, they all use same lock design.
We do if you buy our "Full" kits. But most customers are buying multiple units, and prefer our commercial kits (which exclude glue and keys), so they need only order what glue and keys they require.