Sonic Shock
Frequenty Asked Questions

Will Sonic Shock stop all theft?
Most, but possibly not all. Thieves want quick, simple, and quiet; Sonic Shock ™denies all three.

Can't thieves just break off the Sonic Shock alarm?
What's left won't look pretty.

What about desolate locations and times?
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.

Why not just use steel cables?
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.

What if they cut the sensor cable?
Instant alarm and continuous alarm.

Can the alarm be muffled?
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.

Will somebody else's key open my unit?
Possible, but unlikely. Sonic Shock uses 200 lock combinations.

What things should I focus on securing?
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.

How about computers?
Only if brand new or mission critical. (Thieves sometimes take your old stuff, then plan a return visit a month later.)

Can it be used on Macs?
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.

Laptops?
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.

Can we re-use the alarm if we later buy new equipment?
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.

How long will the battery last in monitoring mode?
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.

How long will the alarm go?
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.

Is the battery expensive?
No, you can use any 9 volt battery, though it should be alkaline version – superior shelf life, more power reserve, less likely to leak.

Can I install this myself?
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.

Can the Sonic Shock alarm be used outdoors? 
The Sonic Shock alarms units are designed for indoor use. 

Your product pages show Sonic Shock "5". Can I still buy the "4", "3" or the "2"? 

No.

Can I still buy replacement mounting plates for the discontinued Sonic Shock "2" and "3", and "4"?
Yes, and expect to for years yet. The "3" and "4" models actually now use the Sonic Shock 5 baseplate.

I already use Sonic Shock "2", "3" or "4"; do I need to get new keys for Shock "5"?
No, they all use same lock design.

Why don't you include keys and glue in every alarm kit?
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.