Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio Anyone know much about alarms?

Any help by anyone who knows about alarms would be much appreciated.

After five years without a problem, my SVT gets hit twice in six weeks. The first time they only got a pair of sunglasses (can't believe I left my Oakley's in the car) but managed to cause $1500 in damage (and I ate a $300 deductible).

This time, about $1000 in damage but they got my stereo and I am out another $300. And ... if I get two more comp claims in the next 2.5 years my insurance company will jack my minimum deductible to $2,500.

So ... it's time for an alarm. I am parked in a secured (yea right) underground but I think this was an inside job (the only cars hit were the ones outside the fileds of view for the surveillance cams ... someone would have had to know exact fields of view to have been that accurate). I am on the second floor overlooking a courtyard with my car right underneath the courtyard. I get AM radio and cell phone reception where my parking stall is and my guess is the distance is less than 1000 feet.

I want an system with a pager ... will Black Widow or Autopage be good enough? The Black Widow is FM for the pager and the Autopage is AM. Any suggestions on models?

I haven't looked at alarms for years ... is there any chance they can sense the force being exerted by a pry bar in the window channel before the glass is broken and the channel itself is ripped to shreds?

Alarms have never been the strong suit of my installation knowledge. As for what you are asking of them, most likely there is something that can detect something like that. I don't know what to really say right now, I need to go do some serious studying now...

Regards,
Morgan

Thanks Morgan ... it's never been my area of knowledge either ... hopefully someone here can help ...

No prob, there are some people on here that know more than me about them.... just give it a little time, and they'll be on....

Regards,
Morgan

I Know a great deal about them.
#1 Black WIDOW SUCKS!!! aviod at all cost
#2 Autopage is OK but still not DEI or compustart Quality.

Get a DEI unit! Responder like the viper ahh [censored] umm 790xv or somethign like that or the CLifford RS2.5X. WIth a battery backup, and a Prox sensor. The battery back up will make the unit still work for 30 mins if they kill the power to it and the prox sensor is like radar and anything moving around the car it will send a warning chirp if to close then full activation will happen.

The DEI's are two way up to a mile in perfect conditions more like 1/4mile in every day stuff. One of the Vipers can be GPS tracked and you can call to remote start your car if your out of range.

Black widow like 10 feet if it even works seriously its a peice o sheeeeeeeeeeet!

Autopage as i stated is average i would give about 7 out of 10.

DEI products in the RS/Alarm field are far superior in cost and quality than almost any other brand. So Clifford, Viper, Hornet, Avital, Rattler and Valet or any Directed Electronics INC alarm

Compustart is cool but very expensive in my dealings with them.

i have excalibur w/ keyless and starter kill, works good, had to replace shock unit, but that took us like 5 minutes. Pretty good warranty and I got a sweet deal on it.

ohh ya i forgot to say DEI LIFETIME warranty on parts.. The only problem i have ever had or heard of someone having with a Clifford or Viper Responder is the Remote dying.

If you want your stuff protected then remeber you get what you pay for. a Bulldog, or prestige or audiovox isn't gonna be at the same Level as a Two way DEI responder

Thanks SteedaSan:

My Eclipse dealer (Speaker City in Vancouver) is my likely choice for alarms as well. They have been great to me over the years and have an excellent reputation. I am replacing my stolen Eclipse HU with the same model so I will be there having an install done anyway so the alarm at the same time makes sense.

They carry: BlackWidow, Autopage, Ungo, Clifford, Boomerang, and CompuStar. When I discussed this with them, their view was that the best options for my needs would be Autopage or Clifford. Proximity is not viable because I live in a condo complex with underground parking and there are cars within 24" of me on either side. The other comment they made, and it makes sense, is that quality of install is at least as important, if not more so, than the brand of alarm. That a good install on an average alarm system will always outperform a poor install on a better system and that it is pretty difficult for a consumer to know who's good and who isn't.

Given my epxerience with SpeakerCity, and their rep around town, I tend to think they fall into the good install side (they certainly did a great job with the Eclipse install (both times)).

Any thoughts?

oh, how much are u looking to spend? very important piece of info.