Deaf gun owner… Anyone have tips for home defense?

Hi! Does anyone have suggestions for home defense, particularly at night when asleep? My concern is not hearing someone breaking in and having them already right at bedside when I wake up with no time to reach the pistol.

You should set up a Ring security system and a smart outlet. Create a routine with Alexa to turn on the light if your system gets triggered. My grandparents were deaf, and I remember their doorbell, smoke detectors, kitchen timer, etc., all had flashing lights, so I imagine that’s a good way to alert you to a home alarm. You could also think about installing a stronger door for your bedroom and adding a deadbolt.

@Thyme
Thank you! Good suggestions

Zeek said:
@Thyme
Thank you! Good suggestions

Yeah, a system like Ring is fine, but honestly, they’re pretty sketchy and Amazon isn’t the best company to trust with your home security. You might want something that’s monitored and can tie in with smart home features, so lights can go off as part of the alarm.

You can easily set up a system with Home Assistant to trigger lights when there’s a break-in. If you’re into DIY, check out Home Assistant and Alarmo. You might even be able to rig up something like a bed shaker alarm.

@Eli
Thank you!! I’ll check that out

Use a 5" 5.56 AR for home defense and make sure they can’t hear anything either. It’ll level the playing field.

Nile said:
Use a 5" 5.56 AR for home defense and make sure they can’t hear anything either. It’ll level the playing field.

Why not just go for a .308? That’ll make things really interesting!

@Zev
How about a 500 magnum? That’ll definitely take care of it.

Nile said:
Use a 5" 5.56 AR for home defense and make sure they can’t hear anything either. It’ll level the playing field.

:joy:

Nile said:
Use a 5" 5.56 AR for home defense and make sure they can’t hear anything either. It’ll level the playing field.

That fireball from a 500 magnum will probably blind you too.

You could have a bedroom light flash when there’s an alarm, and also use a vibrating pad on your bed.

@Ty
I have a bed shaker that’s connected to an app on my phone that works as an alarm clock. I’ll check into this!

@Ty
Thank you!

Zeek said:
@Ty
I have a bed shaker that’s connected to an app on my phone that works as an alarm clock. I’ll check into this!

What bed shaker are you using? I’m hard of hearing too, and I have a bed shaker with an alarm clock but would prefer it to be connected to my phone. Didn’t know that was possible.

@Tan
I’m using the Vibio bed shaker with the iPhone app. It’s made by Bellman & Symfon.

Zeek said:
@Tan
I’m using the Vibio bed shaker with the iPhone app. It’s made by Bellman & Symfon.

Thank you!!

Motion sensor alarms, linked to interior and exterior strobes, with a monitored system that will call the police. One of the saddest stories I know involved a deaf man who successfully repelled a home invasion but was shot by police when he didn’t respond to their commands. Police are sometimes excused for not hearing people yelling ‘He’s deaf!’ because of the stressful situation, but civilians can’t use that excuse.

@Tavi
Thank you, that’s a good reminder for me. I need to figure out a way to make sure the dispatcher knows I’m deaf. I use a phone app with captions, so that could help.

Motion sensors with lights! Many cameras like Reolink cameras come with built-in spotlights. Also, as others mentioned, you can create routines with apps like Alexa or Google Home. If a motion sensor is triggered, a light can flash in your bedroom.