spec me: a sensitive but basic car alarm

Soldato
Joined
22 Sep 2005
Posts
3,267
Location
Manchester
Hi all,

Just moved into uni digs, and whilst the car park is pretty secure from outside threats, it does leave it open to internal nuisances.

because my car is like a magnet to drunk people (bright yellow, little pick-up with yellow wheels and all the rest of it) and this place gets swarmed by drunk students, I am a little worried about it. I have had problems before with drunk people being attracted to it, and causing damage and the only way I solved that was by leaving the car at home.

so yea, I need a very basic alarm which will go off if a mouse breaks wind. It should be easy to fit with the limited tools I've brought, and cheap too! If I'm asking too much, and there is a better offer on the market, or if it's better to let a professional do it then I may consider it.

It's a single cab pickup, so I don't need a million sensors inside, in fact if any, I would need one - saying that, as said unit detects if anything rocks, hits, or moves the car, that will be enough. I'm not too worried about people gaining access to the car, as if someone really wants to be in - they will get in. and movement sensors will trigger if anyone does right?


cheers guys, sorry for the essay.


Budget is probably around £50
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Aug 2007
Posts
28,594
Location
Auckland
I don't think you'll get anything like your requirement for 50 quid. Even a 3 star immobiliser over here is 400 bucks (160 quid) and that's without alarm, glass break sensor, battery backup etc etc. A 'proper' 5 star alarm - Mongoose, Dynatorn, AVS etc - is the better part of 700 dollars (280 quid). Even then, as you say, if they want it then they will have it.

I also don't think you're going to appreciate an alarm that goes off when 'a mouse breaks wind'. Even if you do, your neighbours may not :)

Having said all that, if you DO find something that does what you want can you make sure and update your post? I'll definitely buy one!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
so yea, I need a very basic alarm which will go off if a mouse breaks wind.

Are you sure thats what you need? I can imagine other people living around you will soon be tired of it and if you are worried about them then annoying them is probably not clever.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Feb 2009
Posts
14,814
Location
Exeter
Students are likely to turn a car cover into a tent.

They're also likely to defacate on the bonnet of a car whose alarm goes off every time there's a stiff breeze
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2003
Posts
5,518
Location
Wiltshire
I've got a pretty expensive alarm with a sensitive proximity sensor on my Type-R and it's been more of a bane than anything, going off with heavy rain, going off when people park next to me and get out, etc.

As has been said already you're more likely to wind up your neighbours than anything.
 
Commissario
Joined
23 Nov 2004
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41,851
Location
Herts
Can echo what Durzel said, I have a proximity sensor on mine and it's very annoying - beeping when anyone walks past or in heavy rain.
 
Associate
Joined
15 Aug 2006
Posts
1,737
Location
Leicester UK
http://www.motorbikealarm.co.uk/node/25

Have a look at this. For security it'll be rubbish, but if you want it to make a noise when someone walks into your car, then it's just the job. It has adjustable sensitivity so you don't have to annoy people when its windy and it has a remote so you don't need to get out of bed. If all you want is the motion sensor then you only need two wires and some gaffa tape to hold it on :D
 
Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,392
Location
West Yorks
i know friends of mine have a neighbour with a scooby that has a proximity alarm

if you stand too close to it, or stand near it for too long it beeps at you.

It goes off all the time and annoys them thoroughly. They have taken to deliberately making it go off and then walking on briskly, annoying the owner and making him think his car is being stolen.

Dont do it. Proximity alrms will attract more unwanted attention for your car than any yellow paint job.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
6 Aug 2006
Posts
1,430
Location
Stratford-upon-Avon
I'd say a very basic alarm that will go off it anyone rocks the car can be had for £50 without too many issues.

If its any good or not is a different matter.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-ALARM-w-U...s_SM?hash=item2c490505ec&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Whatever you do, PLEASE dont buy that damn alarm - a friend of mine bought one to fit to his Mini - wired it up as per instructions, then as per my car electronics experience taught me and neither way would it do anything but go off and ignore the keyfobs or just go absolute haywire , useless junk :(
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Dec 2008
Posts
5,976
Location
Sheffield/Norwich
This is the alarm I got and fitted a while back. It has a motion and vibration detector, which can be adjusted in sensitivity.. it's not that hard to fit really, though it would help if you have some experience with wiring!
Basically it's cheap and does the job without being too fancy if you don't want it to be (i.e. it can just be the alarm triggered by motion/vibration, or you can integrate it better to trigger it when the doors open etc, and I'm also using it for remote central locking and immobiliser). For £30 you can't go too far wrong IMO.
 
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