From: holowczk@rwja.umdnj.edu (Richard Holowczak)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: CAR ALARMS: My Story/FAQ
Summary: CAR ALARMS: My Story/FAQ
Date: 27 Sep 92 19:19:07 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway NJ

Thanks for everyone who sent me mail and posted suggestions on car
alarms. Here is my summary of what I did. 

Disclaimer
----------
All of these statements you see below are my opinion only. I do not
profess to be a car alarm expert, a criminologist, an electrician
or a car thief.


What I got back
---------------
I posted my quandary over car alarms in alt.locksmithing and
rec.audio.cars and got many responses.  Thanks to all of you who
wrote to me.  I received responses ranging from: "Do not even
bother with an alarm. They are all useless and a waste of money."
to "Just stick a blinking LED on your dash. This will ward off all
thieves because they are stupid."  I also got a wide range of stuff
in between.


Thieves
-------
I guess I would classify car thieves in to 3 categories. One would
be your average teenager out for a joyride. He or she is probably
looking for an unlocked car or a car sitting with the keys in it or
perhaps a car sitting in a secluded area. At most they might carry
a slim jim to open up a door.

Number two would be your amateur car thief who breaks in to cars to
take out the radio or steals the car to go some place and abandon
it. Provided there are not many witnesses, he might pry open your
door with a crowbar or break a window to get in.  He probably
carries a small bag of tools with which to rip out your stereo.

Number three would be the professional car thief. He steals your
car and takes it to a strip house where any and all valuable parts
are stripped off.  This includes car alarms, stereos, wheels,
doors, quarter panels, etc. Some parts enter a sort of "black
market" for car parts and can even end up on the shelf at your
local gas station.  This thief will have an arsenal of tools with
him.  He might employ an RF scanner to scan your alarm transmitter
or might even have a friend with a tow truck to drag your car
kicking and screaming away.  He will also target cars and keep logs
on when the car is left unattended and where. 

I think that most car alarms are effective at warding off numbers
one and two.  However, no amount of alarms or other theft
deterrents can stop number three.  As most people say, *NOTHING*
can stop someone from taking your car if they really want it. I
agree with this.

The whole point to an alarm or any theft deterrent is to make your
car less of a target then the next guys. I now have an alarm and I
also use a steering wheel lock bar.  I know that wherever I park,
there are at least 3 or 4 cars around me with no alarm or no
steering wheel lock so this makes my car less attractive to steal.
This is how I approached purchasing a car alarm.


What I did
----------
I went shopping for alarms in the $300 - $400 range. My car dealer
wanted $500 for a rather flimsy system. I also saw several alarms
in the $150 - $250 range which did not include some of the more
important features I was looking for.

I looked at systems from:

Viper
VSE Derringer/2
Alpine
Clifford
Code Alarm
UNGO Box


The Alpine and Code Alarm were well out of my price range (over 1K
for a complete system).  The only installer near me who carried the
Clifford assumed I knew nothing about alarms and tried to rip me
off big time.  He was consequently shot down by some 30 questions
I fired at him.  I also found out the installer who does the UNGO
box was under investigation by the police for following customers
home and stealing their cars.  

I'm sure the UNGO box and the Clifford are nice systems but I can't
travel 100 miles every time I have a little problem with my alarm.

The two that it came down to were the Derringer/2 and the Viper
systems.  The two were neck and neck but I chose the Viper system
in the end.

I just got a Viper model 300 alarm installed.  Evidently, this is
the system Mercedes and Audi install in their cars from the
factory. 

Viper also makes a model 600 which has one more output which costs
$100 more but I did not need the extra output.

I have a worksheet of questions I asked the various installers. I
also included whether or not the Viper or Derringer has these
features.  Send me e-mail if you want a copy.


"Standard" features
-------------------
One thing to be aware of.  In the sales brochures, the alarms are
listed with many "standard" features. For the Derringer, there is
the convenient Dome Light feature, etc. The catch is, just because
the alarm manufacturer thinks this is "standard", the alarm
installer might not do it as part of the package price.  So make
sure you find out about every last detail of the install *BEFORE*
the installer begins.  I got burned on this for my install.  I was
quoted a fairly decent price for the install, but when I picked the
car up, the lights did not flash when arming or activated as
advertised in the brochure.  The installer said that they only
install this as an option, not standard.  Oh well, live and learn.


The installation
----------------
This is the number one feature you should shop for in an alarm. A
great alarm system installed poorly will cause you grief in a great
many ways.  False alarms, no alarms, etc. are just a few.  While I
was getting mine installed, a fella came in with his Mustang which
had a "factory" installed alarm system.  The motion sensor was
mounted along a beam where water collected and shorted it out. Ask
your installer where EVERYTHING is going to be placed.  

The main alarm unit, sometimes called the "brain", should be
mounted in the most secure place you can.  I had mine placed up
inside the dashboard.  They basically took the whole dash apart,
installed the alarm, and then put the whole dash together around
it. Some places wanted to install the brain under a seat or even up
under the carpet on the passenger side ("so we can adjust it
easier").  Run, do not walk, away from these installers.

It is also important to get, up front, what the policy is if you
have problems with your system.  Some installers said I would have
to make an appointment to bring the car back in.  The installer who
I finally chose says to bring the car back in whenever I want to. 
He will stop working on a new install to take care of any problems.
Since I've had no problems yet, I don't know how much of this is
true, but it sure sounds good. He also schedules free sessions
where they go over the car every 3 to 6 mo. to make sure the alarm
is still functioning properly.


Remotes
-------
All alarm manufacturers claim they have super long range remotes
that never break, etc. This is BS.  The range is only as good as
where the installer places the RF receiver in the car.  The Viper
remote is kind of flimsy but the buttons are recessed and small so
it is almost impossible to mash down the buttons while the thing is
in your pocket (or wife/girlfriend's purse).  I have heard of
people running down the remote batteries this way. Some remotes
even have a limit on how long the transmitter will stay on. If you
press and hold a button, the transmitter might come on for about 5
seconds and then automatically cut off until you release and press
again.


I have also heard several people comment about the Derringer
remotes being not so good.  The guy at the alarm place sells both
Derringer and Viper and said the Derringer remotes have some
problems.

As far as range is concerned, if my car is in a full parking lot or
parking deck, I cannot arm or disarm my alarm from more than 50
feet away and only in line of sight at that.  When my car is in the
driveway, I can trigger the alarm from inside my living room. Go
figure.

Make sure you know what kind of battery the remote takes and how
long they last.  It would be a shame to end up spending an arm and
a leg on some tiny powerful battery every 3 months.


Starter Kill
------------
Basically, when the alarm is armed, the starter is electronically
disconnected so the car cannot be started or even hot wired. Again,
most alarms have this as a standard feature but be sure to ask
about it. (see Insurance below).

Valet switch
------------
This is a toggle switch you can set to keep your alarm from going
off if you have to leave it with a valet or for car repairs.  Most
of the systems I looked at have this feature.

Passive v. Active arming
------------------------
With passive arming, the alarm becomes armed after a given time
period after the last car door has closed. To disarm, you can
either get in to the car and place the key in the ignition within
a certain time period or press a button on a remote transmitter to
disarm the alarm.

With active arming, you have to press a button on a transmitter to
arm the alarm. To disarm, you press the transmitter button again.

On the Viper system, you can actively arm and disarm the alarm with
the remote.  However, if you forget to arm the alarm, 30 seconds
after the last door or trunk has closed, the alarm automatically
arms itself. This makes a difference for insurance purposes. (see
Insurance below).  I just have to make sure I never close the door
with my keys sitting on the seat! (I also have automatic locks).


Arming and Disarming beeps
--------------------------
Most alarms give you an audible alert when the alarm is armed or
disarmed.  This serves two purposes. One is to let you know the
alarm is working and on the job.  The other is to let others
(thieves) know you car has an alarm.  The Viper does one simple
chirp for arm and two for disarm. Some alarms have really long
annoying arming sequences that go on for ever. In a quiet
neighborhood, this is not appreciated I assure you.  

One great feature on the Viper system. Every time you arm or disarm
the system, you have the option of doing so silently.  Most other
alarms give you this choice at installation time only so you are
stuck with one or the other.

With the lights hooked up, the Viper would still flash the parking
lights to tell you the alarm is armed or disarmed.


Motion sensor
-------------
Some alarms like the UNGO box and others have a motion sensor.  In
the UNGO Box's case, it is a tube filled with mercury surrounded by
a wire coil.  When the car moves, the mercury moves within the tube
causing current to flow in the coil.  This is what sets the alarm
off.  Other have some type of spring with a weight on it so when
the car moves, the weight bobbles back and forth and makes contact
with the casing causing the circuit to be completed.  The former
method has a patent, the latter has no patent because it is
worthless.  If you have ever heard a parking lot full of alarms
going off at an airport or a parking deck, it is because of this
type of sensor.  These are prone to false alarms from passing
trucks, thunder, airplanes, etc.

The UNGO Box's sensor is highly adjustable, however, if you adjust
it to eliminate all false alarms, then you have basically disabled
its usefulness for triggering real alarms IMHO. Some people swear
by this sensor so I leave it to you to decide.

BTW, this can be added to my system as another input.


Shock sensor
------------
This is what comes standard on the Viper and most other alarms
except the Derringer.  It basically senses motion like a motion
sensor but scans a very short period of time.  I can rock my car
and push up and down on it and the shock sensor will not go off. If
I kick a tire or hit the window or door with my fist, the alarm
goes off. So far (3 weeks) I have had no false alarms from rain
(tropical storm Daniell), thunder, large trucks or parking deck
vibrations.  Make sure your shock sensor is adjustable and that
your installer will do adjustments free of charge with no
appointment needed.

Glass breakage sensor
---------------------
What this is supposed to do is pick up on the particular high
frequencies of glass being broken or cut and to trigger the alarm.
It is basically a microphone placed somewhere inside the car. This
is standard on the Derringer and an option on most other systems
like the UNGO, Alpine and Viper. I have heard that as a car ages,
the creaks and squeaks from plastic panels shifting and other car
noises can also set off the glass sensor.  I don't know how true
this is but I did not get a glass breakage sensor installed.  


Field motion sensor
-------------------
I have no idea what else to call this (some call it a perimeter
guard).  Basically this is the type of sensor which sets up some
type of field around the car and inside the car to detect masses
coming close to the car. I think it is a must for convertible
owners.  If you get one of these, be prepared to pay big bucks. 
There are many cheap ones you can add to any alarm, but you will
have nothing but problems with them (i.e. false alarms).  Some
Alpine systems are designed especially for this type of sensor and
have a price tag to match.

For other cars, I think these are unnecessary.  Some cheap units
are set off by anything.  There is a car parked right outside of my
classroom which is always being set off by falling rain and passers
by. Very annoying.  There are other fancy alarms which have a pre-
recorded message like "Please step away from the car . . . ".  I
think these are really stupid and a waste of money.  I once
witnessed a new BMW being tortured by a group of kids throwing
rocks at it just to hear the little voice go off.

Once again, where I have to leave my car, they are basically
animals who will not leave something like this alone so I did not
go for it.  However, it makes you look cool if you want to impress
people who are generally impressed with stuff like this.

Current sensor
--------------
This basically monitors the current drain on the battery.  If it
changes, i.e. a door is opened causing a light to come on, the
alarm is triggered.  This is how many cheap alarms are triggered.
They just monitor the current.  The doors and trunk are all
protected because they have lights which will come on when opened. 

The problem is, most newer cars have a fan inside the engine
compartment which comes on even after the car is turned off.  The
resulting drain on the battery will trigger a current sensor.  Some
installers will have some type of bypass for this but it sounds
like more trouble than it's worth.

Seat pressure sensor
--------------------
If someone sits in the seat, the alarm is triggered.  Not very
practical unless you have a convertible or big T-tops. By the time
the thief is in your seat, your car or your stereo is history
anyway.

Backup Battery
--------------
I also got a back up battery installed.  It charges off of the car
alternator just like the car's battery. If the car's battery goes
dead or if the power cables are cut, the battery can still run the
alarm and the siren.  The alarm will remain armed.

With cheaper alarms and/or poor installations, some systems might
end up wired in to your car in a haphazard way. Most alarms flash
the car's parking lights when activated. All a thief has to do is
short out a parking light, set your alarm off and whammo, your car
and the alarm goes dead. Thief gets in, replaces the right fuses
and off he goes. With mine, the back up battery is on a separate
circuit so it can't be fooled with at all, unless you are in the
car and have most of the dashboard apart. It cost about $60 extra.
I think it is worth it. (see Insurance below)


Automatic Door locks/Unlocks
----------------------------
Another neat feature I got is automatic door locking. This is an
option on most alarms.  It uses what they call an "output" from the
alarm which can be programmed to do various things. Most installers
set this up so that when the alarm is armed, all door lock and when
the alarm is disarmed, all doors unlock.  This is a nice feature if
you are carrying things in your arms and need to lock or unlock a
door. This is especially nice if you have groceries or are holding
an infant or something.  Also in the rain, it is nice to be able to
unlock your car from within your house so you can just run out and
get in.

I did something a bit different. When I arm the alarm (or the alarm
arms itself passively after 30 seconds), all of my doors are locked
automatically.  However, when I disarm the alarm, the doors remain
locked. I did this so if someone is approaching my car, all of my
doors won't suddenly become unlocked when I go to get in.  Also, if
a thief somehow scans my transmitter code and disarms the alarm, he
will still have to break in to the car to get it unlocked (not that
this is at all difficult).  I have heard various arguments on both
sides of this but I think my solution makes sense for me.

If you are in primarily non-threatening situations, then it is nice
to have your car doors lock and unlock automatically.  Extra cost:
$75


Pagers
------
A pager (sometimes called Autopage) is used to page your beeper
when your car alarm goes off.  This way you can run to the parking
lot and chase a potential car thief away or catch the person who
just rammed in to your car before they speed away.  I can agree
with wanting to catch someone who has vandalized my car but I can't
see warding off a thief. First of all, where I must park, if
someone is stealing my car, and I come running up, they will
probably shoot me so they can take my keys to drive the car away.
Also, I park pretty far from where I attend classes and work so
even if the pager has the range to reach me, I'd have to run 3/4 of
a mile to my car when it goes off.

Needless to say, I did not get a pager installed. I think I can at
a later time so perhaps when I move to a better place in a land
far, far away . . .

BTW, pagers may also use up an "output" on the alarm unit. Some
hook on to the siren and are triggered off of the vibration when
the alarm goes off. Kind of hokey if you ask me but a blessing if
you have no more alarm outputs.

Insurance
---------
Most insurance companies offer a percentage discount on your
premium if you install an alarm. I have a USAA policy which gave me
something like a 15% discount. Hey, 20 buck is 20 bucks!  The
biggest discounts go to alarms with passive arming. This means that
the alarm arms itself so you don't have to remember to do so.  If
you get a backup battery or a pager, also mention that.  Also, a
starter kill feature is mandatory for most alarms.  You must have
the stickers which announce the presence of your alarm displayed in
your car windows in order to be accepted.  My advice: Call your
insurance company and ask them if you need to send something to
them proving you had the alarm installed and the features it has. 
Your installer should provide you with a letter or some type of
form to submit.

Other hints
-----------
Aside from the alarm, I also got a set of wheel locks and a
steering wheel locking bar (The Club).  Now all of you locksmiths
can now tell me how easy it is to defeat these! :)  I never leave
anything in my car at all. No books, briefcase, jackets, etc. and
I never open the trunk to put anything in unless I'm ready to drive
away.  Aside from these things, I can't think of any other measures
I can take to prevent my car from being stolen or broken in to.
(BTW, my cassette player is broken so don't bother taking it!)


=================================================================

Well there you have it.  My apologies if I left something out. If
you are interested in specifics or would like to discuss some
issues I brought up, please e-mail me. Happy alarm hunting and
remember: A safe car is a happy car!


Rich Holowczak
holowczk@rwja.umdnj.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos