Rep Power: 0

ok heres the scoop, might have been doen before or w/e, i am a frequent reader of this forum but not a regular particpator, i wanna know peoples opinons on aftermarket alarm systems, like what i should look for, peoples personal opinons on what is good and what is not, things , features and what not that is needed and what to look for , different companies and makes and model numbers would be appreciated, and whether or not the pagin system is needed or no, and define like proximity or w/e those types of things, all the help is greatly appreciated

and price? how much i should be lookin to spend either american or canadian and about how much should installation should be, i will take all the help i can get so either what u have and what u like, or what friends and families like and have, and even what not to go for

thanks

i guess ya i am a noob to this kind of stuff

 
Rep Power: 0

I say go w/ a clifford or viper alarm. Choose a reputable shop that you know will do a good install and that will also warranty their work.

I'm also in search for an alarm but can't decide if the pager ones are worth the extra $$.

But yah, be prepared to spend between 300-600.00 (USD) on a decent alarm that includes install.

 
Rep Power: 337

brand doesnt really matter, as long as the install is good. nothing beats a reliable alarm, regardles of brand name.

the only features you reall yneed are a point of entry sensor and shock sensor. if your crazy you can get the proximity sensor, but its really a waste, and cna be super sensitive, you really wan tyour alarm going off at 3 am? like everyone elses?

el-cheapo alarm is fine as long as its reliable componentry, and is installed right!

as to the reliability of name brand merchandse, not too many know about the memo that was passed around about clifford and thier horns. it seems installers were warned to put a 3 amp fuse in line with the horn, as several brains had caught fire due to horn problems....

im nto saying clifford is reliable, but jsut becuase it carries a "good" name doesnt mean the product will be gold no matter what!

install, install, install.......

 
Rep Power: 0

jus the man i was waiting for to reply, white rabbit, i have noticed u have a very extensive knowledge when it comes to the car audio set up and what not, thansk for taking the time, greatly appreciated, would u be able to reccomend a setup i should look into? in your spare time whenever, thanks again and to you justcallmetoyota, your help is noted too, thanks!!!

 
Rep Power: 337

its all up there, r2fresh!

 
Rep Power: 0

I will definitly agree that install is Very important on an alarm. Its also my belief that prox is a waste of money on most cars. But I think that some emphasis does need to be placed on product. We sell dei products, and there is a big difference between the performance of the low line rattlers with a built in shock sensor and the vipers with an outboard shock sensor. The built in shock sensors really suck compared to the outboard ones. As far as the paging units go, i dont think i can recommend Viper's 790xv, i do have one, but my antenna has gone out once already, and i have seen nearly half of the ones we've done come back because of a component of the alarm going out (mostly antennas, but a few brains). And the one transmitter they give you seems to fall apart rather easily. Based on my experiences, i would go with a viper 550 (remote start/alarm), or a viper 600 (just alarm), or maybe an Alpine alarm.

 
Rep Power: 0

bzrollin... thanks for the heads up on the pager system.

Yah, i think im just gonna roll a basic alpine alarm. The 150 model or something w/ motion sensor. Has anyone had any experience w/ ultimate electronics?

 
Rep Power: 0

There are other alternatives to the DEI products for pager alarms. I've been looking at them because I'm very interested in one but don't quite have the money right. From what I've found though Audiovox, Code-Alarm, and Black Widow alarms all have pager systems that are supposed to be pretty good. Out of those three I've been looking at the code-alarm myself. Its supposed to be better than the viper/clifford responder, but I don't know. Good luck!

 
Rep Power: 0

Don't forget the company that started the 2-way pager alarm - Compustar

 
Rep Power: 394

I have a Prestige 2-way system made by Audiovox on my car. It is the bomb ****. Very nice system. Dual shock sensor, all the cool stuff, shop around and find what you like.

 
Rep Power: 0

A note about the audiovox 2 way system - another employee decided that he was going to put it on his mustang to show everyone that audiovox alarms arent that bad. When he installed it, out of no where, his car decided to start, and keep starting, until he ripped the brain out and threw it across the shop. He didnt press the button to start it, and it wouldnt stop cranking, even after he pressed the brake. Audiovox will never be in my car.

 
Rep Power: 380

LOL!!!

 
Rep Power: 0

I just installed an audiovox 2 way start/alarm in a 2003 Nissan Murano and it worked flawless, the guy loved it.

As far as alarms tho, I would recommend getting one with an external shock sensor. They can be setup to be alot more sensitive then the units that have them built into the main unit.

Being that your in Canada, check and see if anyone around you sells the direkt start units. Thats what I have in my car and its awesome. In the past 2 years the shop I used to work at did over 3000 installs of those units and they work great i would say only a dozen actual defective units. Check out the 800+

 
Rep Power: 0

A word about pager alarms....

Be prepared to deal with situation! Cause you never know they might be ready for you! Had one way back in 93 way before the pretty lcd pagers. It rarely went off because I had it setup so that it would only go off if the door was opened or rattled. I worked at a grocery story during this time. One time it went off while I was at work. I ran out then I caught myself slowed down. Decide was better to check the area out instead of jumping in the middle of something. So I made it look like I was doing a cart pickup. Sure nuf found this innocent looking old man casing my car out! I mean this guy was just two steps from needing a walker. I remember that I left my organizer on the front passenger seat. The old fart must have slim jimmed my door after I ran him off found that the passenger door was unlocked. Pager payed for itself at that moment although my organizer had no money in it had all my numbers.

 
Rep Power: 348

Have to say I absolutely LOVE my Alpine 150R

 
Rep Power: 0

i heard similar things about the audiovox 2-way.. my friend had one in his BMW (decided he needed extra protection after his car was broken into and they stole his screen), but anyway the car would start with the alarm siren going off, and then later on the car just started on its own like someone else mentioned.. or at other times the car wouldnt start at all.. this was installed by one of the most reputable shops on long island too.. .well in the end he had that alarm ripped out and went with a DEI Viper instead.. I think DEI is your best bet.. stay away from hornet, even though it is owned by DEI.. My neighbor does installs (used to work in car audio, now does them as favors for friends) and he says DEI is all he will deal with. Personally I have had Pythons, Avital, & Vipers, all were excellent.. have an avital 3300 in the 2k1.. personally it works excellent

 
Rep Power: 306

The first thing to realize about an alarm is that it is severely dependant on its installation. A good installer can make your alarm something you can rely on.

Find a good shop and talk to the installer. Blow past the salesperson, the installer is much more in line with your mode of thinking. Installers do it for the love of cars. And they certainly do not want their car stolen, so they ususally understand the technology better than anyone else. Now realize they sometimes get carried away with the beauty of it all and forget price, but most understand the value you need. And they can look at your car and tell you what you need to protect.

As for alarm items, a good shock sensor is a must. Pin all the entry points, including the hood. Get a back up battery siren, that will help slow them down. Flash the lights and honk the horn, this will aid in the car getting noticed. Be sure to hook up the locks. This will pay off in two ways. You would be surprised at how often a car is stolen when the doors are unlocked. And if you get into the habit of arming and locking your cars with the remote, you won't have to worry about locking your keys in the car.

Remote start is cool, especially when it is hot or cold outside. But these are best reserved for automatics. The risk of the car running into something is too great.

If you have an specific questions, pm me and I will do my best to explain.

 
Rep Power: 0

so what is the general opinion on pager alarms then? Worth the money? I have to decide between spending about $550 to install a pager alarm or spend $200 for a good alarm w/o pager. Which way is the best way to go? I'm personally having a hard time with the $550 for the alarm so I don't know.

 
Rep Power: 306

My opinion is this. An alarm is meant to slow thieves down and attract attention. Both are unwanted by thieves, so they may pick another target.

Now the problem with a pager is what will you do when you catch them in the act?

 
Rep Power: 0

yeah, see I don't think I could do anything unless running out there will scare them off. I think I've totally reconsidered the whole pager alarm because I can get a really nice setup for about $100 less. I'm thinking now of getting a code-alarm installed with a window roll-up and it will close the moonroof on arm and a trunk release included and its total is $373 installed. Which is a lot less and it is pretty sweet I think.