"Which Alarm Should I Buy?" + alarm manuals

[suspendedHatch]

This post is in honor of the previous 30 page post of the same topic. RIP DO NOT PM ME YOUR QUESTIONS. DO NOT ASK UNRELATED SECURITY QUESTIONS IN THIS THREAD. START A NEW THREAD. Alarm Manuals fcm compiled this list of links to alarm manuals. "Which alarm do I have?" The only way to know is to drop down your lower dash and look at the control unit for a part number. Compustar http://www.staub.ca/tech/manuals.html DEI (Viper, Clifford, Python, Hornet, Valet, Avital, etc) (owners manuals only) http://www.directed.com/Support/ProductGuides.aspx Scytek http://www.scytek.net/product_galaxy_home.html Audiovox http://www.audiovox.com/webapp...brand http://www.audiovox.com/webapp...brand http://www.audiovox.com/webapp...brand Crimestopper http://www.crimestopper.com/ Blackwidow http://www.blackwidowsecurity.com/manuals.htm Autostart http://www.autostart.ca/downlo...s.php Many Different Alarms (requires free registration) http://www.the12volt.com/insta...ID=40 Alarm Breakdown Prices will vary over time, by region (listed prices are for so CAl), and by retailer (listed prices are common for Circuit City and Best Buy). Models will vary over time but are current as of now. Most of the new DEI models listed are not yet available from the major retailers. The new DEI models have different looking remotes and longer range. And for those that don't already know, Viper/Python/Clifford are the same thing just with different colored remotes. Entry Level Alarms Just a basic alarm, siren, shock sensor, start kill. Price: Up to and around $120-300 installed. Security: Just as secure as any alarm except for the lack of 2-way paging and gps tracking found on the high-end alarms. Prevents the car from starting while the alarm is armed and powered up. Blasts a siren when someone opens a door, attempts to start the engine, or impacts the car with a significant amount of force. Convenience: Dome light comes on for a few seconds after disarming the alarm and when the alarm is sounding. Parking light flash when arming/disarming. Panic mode triggers alarm manually by remote. Although the alarm may be capable of keyless entry, it is usually not included in the price of the install. Recommended: Hornet (DEI) Basic Alarms Same thing as above but includes KEYLESS ENTRY for cars that have power door locks. Cars w/out door locks will have to have aftermarket actuators installed, which generally runs about $100 parts/labor per door. Price: Installed price for the alarm/keyless on a car w/oem power door locks is around $200-300 Security: the same as above except that it has ignition controlled door locks making it impossible to forget to lock your doors while driving or when the alarm is armed. Convenience: Keyless entry. Generally these alarms have more available outputs if you want to add features such as trunk pop, window roll up etc, but expect to pay extra for parts and labor for each feature. Recommended: Viper350HV/Python 460HP/Clifford Matrix 1, Viper 1002/Python 502/Clifford Matrix 12, Crime Guard/Omega 745i4 2-Way Paging Alarms Two classes of alarms/remotes. LED and LCD. LED simply blinks a light on the remote indicating when the alarm has been triggered. LCD remotes have a small screen that tells you exactly which sensor has been tripped, but cost is significantly higher. Remotes are not interchangeable between the two types of alarms. Price: $300-450 installed Security: Alarm pages your remote when it's triggered. Convenience: Same as above alarms. Compustar Convenience: Compustar brand alarms have additional convenience features not found on DEI alarms. Clock, in-vehicle temperature, battery voltage sensing, and some models come with a module that attaches to your windshield so your friends can tap it and page you. Recommended: LED: Viper 3002/Python 702/Clifford Matrix 12.2X LCD: Viper 5002/Python 902/Clifford 12.2X, Compustar Pro P2W9000FMR, P2WSSR LED LCD Compustar 2WSSR (available w/remote start or not) 2-Way Paging Remote Start Alarms In addition to the two classes already mentioned, LCD and LED, there is a third class, OLED, that has an animated screen. Price: $350-600 installed Security: Same as 2-way paging alarms. Remote start is purely a convenience feature that has no positive or negative impact on security. Convenience: Leave your heater/AC controls switched on so when you remote start your car, they're activated and you can get into a nice comfortable car on hot or cold days. Also allows you to warm up your engine before you get in it. Turbo timer feature built in. Recommended: OLED: Viper 7900/Python 1090/Clifford 70.5X, LCD, Viper 5900 (791XV)/Python 990/Clifford 50.5X, LED: Viper 771XV/Python 871XP/Clifford RSX 3.2, Compustar Pro P2W9000FMR, P2WSSR OLED Compustar 2W900FMR (available w/remote start or not) High End Clifford Alarms (G series) Clifford Avantguard/Intelliguard Clifford always has a cutting edge model with unique security features such as blackjax. You'll have to research this on your own. http://www.clifford.com Price: ? Tracking (GPS etc) The ultimate in car security. Tracking is usually a seperate module installed independently of the alarm. Tracking does not take the place of an alarm, because it doesn't deter someone from stealing and then stripping your car, so you must also consider the cost of having an alarm installed. Tracking works! It should have come standard with the Integra type R. It is the one and only device effective at catching thieves and breaking up theft rings. Like all things, it may not be 100% effective. But if you feel comfortable relying on a prophylactic, you should be able to sleep well at night using a tracking system. Price: ? requires subscription Recommended: Lojack (some models have notification features, some don't), Viper 210V/Python 210P/Clifford 210C References: http://www.directed.com http://www.viper.com http://www.pythoncarsecurity.com http://www.clifford.com http://www.compustar.org/ http://www.bestbuy.com http://www.circuitcity.com http://www.crutchfield.com/ I'M RELYING ON THE OTHER FORUM REGULARS TO HELP ME FILL OUT THE NON-DEI BRANDS LATEST MODELS PLEASE

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[suspendedHatch]

"What's the best alarm?"

There really is no "best" alarm. Basically you just choose an alarm based on your budget and priorities. Price has more to do with convenience features than security features. Spend the money on security add on's like a piezo siren, glass breakage sensor, and backup battery.

"Okay, so what's a good alarm?"

A good car alarm is an alarm that helps to prevent your car from being stolen.

Pretty much any $100-150 alarm is going to be the same in terms of how well it will protect your car. All alarms have a siren, a remote, a door trigger, a shock sensor, and a start kill. It's not so much the alarm itself as the installation that determines how safe your car will be. Even so, all alarm shops install alarms in the same location; under the driver's-side dash. They do this because customers and profitability requires that the alarm install be quick, cheap, and accessible to repair and adjustments. For better security, it's up to you to either pay for a custom install, or DIY.

When you pay more for an alarm, or when you purchase a name brand, what you are getting is better quality, longer reliability, a warranty, availability of replacement remotes, customer support, and better instructions. Where you choose to get your alarm done is going to mean the difference on how clean the install will be, how reliable the wiring connections are going to be, whether you get a warranty on the parts and labor, and whether you can trust the installer not to program his own remote to your car and come steal it a few days later. Your best and safest bet in most cases is to go with a chain store. But if you have a local mom-and-pop organization with a good reputation that is offering all of the above mentioned benefits, by all means, follow your heart. In truth it all comes down to the installer, not the store. Unfortunately you don't usually get to choose your installer.

Cost of install may seem high, but that's because you only see cost from a short-term, budget minded customer's point of view. An alarm install is a 2.5-6 hour job, with very high liability. It's skilled labor. Compared to the price of a satellite radio or ipod accessory install, alarm labor is quite cheap. The cost of getting your car stolen is not easily measured, but it's much higher than investing in an alarm and getting it installed properly.

Among a certain brand's models, the price increase corresponds to an increase in convenience features, not security. Some features; like long range 2 way paging and gps tracking, have a legitimate security benefit. But remote start and 5+ additional channel outputs can double the cost of the alarm without making your car any more secure.


"Ever heard of brand ____ alarm?" Anyone running brand ____ in their car?"

9/10 times someone asks this question, brand _____ is actually the best and most well known alarm. Ever heard of AEM? Anyone running a DC header? Are Ferraris any good? I wont ask you to SEARCH. Cuz you've already proven inept at that. So let me break it down for you.

DEI, AKA DIRECTED BRAND ALARMS

Viper
Python
Clifford
Hornet

All made/owned/bought by Directed. Many models in each line have an equivalent model in a different line with different packaging and a different colored remote. For instance, the Viper 791XV = the Python 881XP = the Clifford Matrix RSX3.5. It's the exact same alarm, but the Viper has a blue remote, the Python black, and the Clifford has carbon fiber style. All of the above mentioned alarms are great quality and come with great instructions for the DIYer. Installing an alarm is a serious undertaking however. If you're not already comfortable with locating/verifying/connecting wires, you should pay a professional to install it for you.

Of them all, the Clifford line has some exclusive models with advanced features. The Viper brand is the most popular and widely known because it has had stronger marketing over the years. Best Buy carries Viper, Circuit City carries Python. But there is no functional difference between them. Hornet is a good choice if you don't care for keyless entry and you want to save some cash.

There are precious few non-DEI brands of respectable quality on the market. The reason for this is because DEI is a big monster that buys up all it's competition. That's why they have so many lines of products with different logos. Each of those lines used to be an independant company until the big monster came and swallowed them up. Yay, capitalism!


NON-DEI, GOOD QUALITY BRANDS

This is where I pass this discussion off to my colleagues. I will never be 100% satisfied with DEI's alarms, but I have yet to come across another brand that I would consider putting in my own car. Here are some honorable mentions. I'll tear them down and if someone else wants to defend them, feel free.

Compustar

Good quality, good features. For a long time, this brand held superiority in range. But recently DEI has caught up in that department. My beefs with Compustar are the following: The instructions were written by some elementary school dropout that was tutored by a sweat shop worker recently immigrated here from Thailand. To understand these instructions, you have to eat some draino, stick a fork in your left eye, and smack your forehead on something solid several times. Compounding this problem is the fact that Compustar alarms in my experience are not very forgiving to the first time installer. Hook up a wire wrong, and that function in the alarm is now dead. But when installed correctly, this alarm is great from the customer's point of view. Here's somebody else's review of Compustar: http://www.honda-tech.com/zero...34324


Omega/Crutchfield 745i versions 1+

This is a great DIY alarm. It's held up perfectly for over 3 years for me, despite my having re-installed it again and again as I developed my stealth technique. Great instructions; nothing too crazy as far as wiring it up. Crutchfield provides tech support over the phone, an unbeatable warranty, and will send you wiring diagrams for your car. They'll also sell you an ignition interconnect harness (works with all alarms). These are great because the ignition wires are the hardest to connect your alarm to (you can use them for any brand of alarm). They also look OEM and you don't have to cut your OEM harness. The motion/proximity sensor provided with this alarm is my personal favorite. The glass breakage and shock sensor combo is ok, but I prefer DEI's glass breakage sensor. The battery backup feature included with this alarm would be great if implemented better. It consists of a 9V battery inside the alarm brain. It goes out every couple of months, requiring you to pull the entire brain and replace it. 9V batteries are not cheap. DEI's backup battery module is great, in fact, I use it in place of the 9V for my alarm. I'm replacing my 745i with a DEI alarm pretty soon if that tells you anything.


Autopage

Decent quality. Surprising range! Rebadged as "Shelby". Great instructions. The main advantage to getting an Autopage alarm would be that they're cheaper than their competitors. Unfortunately, this is not the case.


Audiovox

According to fcm, "Audiovox makes a pretty good product, very dependable, and with the same kind of features and technology, [in one form or another] as all the brand name alarms, Audiovox is a brand name product IMO, they have been around longer then DEI has been buying everything else in sight."


And that's about it. There really aren't that many good brands left. Thanks DEI!

BRANDS TO AVOID
CodeAlarm
Pyle
Bulldog
Karr
Crimestopper
Anything imported
Anything with poorly translated instructions

Can I put remote start in my manual trans equipped vehicle?
http://www.honda-tech.com/zero...00224

[Poptart]

Just a Quick FYI on the DEI 1090

As of now I would steer clear of it they've been having some issues with the unit themselves that will be worked out it later revisions of the model

Go for the 990 , 5900 , w/e (you know the 2 way sst/ 1mile paging system) hell of an alarm all around with the bugs completly worked out.


Also to be more helpful:

A good alarm system consists of more than the alarm itself, it consists of the optional accessories! All DEI alarms come with shock sensors, but sometimes thats not enough. to have your car completly protected these are some vitals!

For instance:

Mercury switch-
this should be a standard with all installs (as it is at my store). Used by the wheels, on a hood/hatch.... basically anywhere that majow movement will need to be detected. Basically when the mecury becomes unbalanced your alarm will sound! (flatbed protection anyone?)

Field Disturbance Sensor (508d= Dei part number)-

Escpecially useful if you have a convertible... Think of it this way: There is a Giant
bubble around your car... if someone or something goes within you set area (like inside your car), it will go off (DEI"S is dual zone and adjustable.... dual zone meaning a warning zone and a sound off zone.)
With this you could feel somewhat safe leaving your windows open or top down!
this could also be used instead of a glass break sensor and still be as useful... OR EVEN MORE USEFUL

Back-up Battery System (520t DEI part number)-

BY FAR THE BEST THING YOU COULD ADD TO YOUR CAR. THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING! Honda's hoods are easy to get to... now if they can get under your hood whats the use of even having an alarm that can be quickly disabled right? Well the battery back-up takes care of this. If your battery gets disconnected your alarm will sound and KEEP going off for aprox. 20 minutes... reassurance that your alarm will be heard? I think so!


hope I helped

[JDM-Forti]

Great info.

[regal1975]

I think another major thing to be added here is that regardless of the alarm itself (as long as you have a reliable unit) the most important aspect of any alarm is the quality of the install. I have put in more alarms than i dare try to think of, and most of them are more expensive than my personal alarms, but I am able to spend all the time I want on my own alarm installs. In my personal vehicles my only must have accessory is a battery backup. In my 3 vehicles I have a viper 600 (~150 dollars in 2000 and still works perfectly) and 2 valet(now hornet) 563t's(about 120).

Some brands I have experience with. Anything DEI will be reliable (viper, python, hornet, clifford, avital, automate, valet etc.). I have installed thousands of DEI alarms and remote starts and have had only 1 fail on me due to a faulty antenna cable. Omega makes some quality pieces as well. Prestige is a cheaper alarm, but they do have some quality pieces as well. Compustar also has a solid reputation. I have to say avoid Code-alarm if at all possible. They do make some quality models, but they use random manufacturers and as thus they are not consistent between models. On average I have seen a 33% failure rate on this brand straight out of the box.

For the install, you must put it in a location which makes it difficult to find. Do not put it under the dash! I generally place them underneath seats when possible. When routing the wires, try to run them in ways that are not easy to trace. Use identical colored wires, or at the least, run them inside of factory looms and make them appear stock. Relocate factory wires which are essential for theft when possible.

Soldering your connections is also a very easy way to prevent early alarm failure. If you are not adept at soldering, either learn or use quality, name brand connectors such as 3M. And dont skimp on other materials such as electrical tape. The cheapo electrical tape will unravel and fail in any heat. I use nothing but 3m super 33+ electrical tape. This type actually tightens down a bit in high heat and does not become brittle in low temperatures.

Another small tip is to not place so much emphasis on external sirens. How many times have you heard a siren going off and run over to check it out? I never have and i know noone else does. A single siren placed inside the vehicle will be painfully loud to the thief. If the thief has made it into the vehicle, then the internal siren will be audible outside as well. In my personal vehicles, without hearing protection, noone can tolerate being inside for more than a few seconds.

I will try to add more as I can.

[Conflicted]

Did you guys know LoJack only works in 8 states?

[suspendedHatch]

Do you mind posting your source? Sorry to ask but there are more rumors/myths about lojack then there is good information.

[Conflicted]

http://www.lojack.com/where/lo...s.cfm

Their site is the best source of information.

[suspendedHatch]

Good info!!

[WyldRice]

Great thread... Great info, what i couldn't find here, i found threw the links given by the others...
Eventually!

so i withdrew my question- thanks!


Modified by 02SiEp3 at 9:25 PM 4/21/2007

[Agent_EM1]

Thanks for the awesome info! I've owned 4 vehicles already with high-end DEI alarms and wasn't so pleased with my last vehicle that was stolen 2 months ago. I've owned Hornet and Viper 2 way paging alarms with remote start and LED remotes. All 4 alarms have had the same features. My vehicle that was stolen had a $550 alarm by Hornet, a Club, and a Pedal Lock. It was stolen within 2 hours. About 2 weeks ago I purchased and had installed a paging alarm system by Autopage that I had a friend install. So far, the alarm has been the best alarm i've ever used. It has excellent range and even notified me when I was inside of a mall once. It is a quite more sensitive than the DEI alarms i've used and has been the most efficient thus far. I am considering LoJack and have heard that this can be installed and purchased without subscription. Is this a myth? let me know, thanks.

[suspendedHatch]

It was stolen 2 hours after the alarm install? Hmm, might want to keep an eye on the workers from the shop that did the install.

Also have a look at the stealth install write-ups or better yet the site in my sig. No matter how good the alarm is, they're all the same when they're installed under the dash.

I put a Shelby (rebadged Autopage) in my homeboy's WRX and a Viper 791XV in his crappy Jeep Cherokee. He loves the Autopage and always forgets that he already told me the story of how he remote started it from the 6th floor of a hotel that wasn't even facing the parking lot. He didn't believe it until he got out the elevator and walked around the building and found his car nice and warm. For that reason I can't convince him that the Viper is the better alarm (antenna range is sub par).

Don't know about the lojack but I seriously doubt you can get it w/out install. Nobody seems to have personal experience with it.

[integraXTC]

damn, so no one knows the price on the tracking dei gps stuff?

do you have to have one of their alarms for that unit? no right.

[suspendedHatch]

That's a good question, so I went and downloaded the instruction manual (which legally I'm not allowed to reproduce). I learned some interesting things.

GPS Tracking
Viper, Python, Clifford 210 series

The system relies on 24 satellites in orbit and at a minimum there are 5 over the United States. The system uses a combination GPS/cellular (RF) antenna and coverage extends over the entire US, Canada, and Mexico that is within reach of a cellular network. Some areas in North America are not covered, and periodically "holes" appear in normal coverage areas. In the case that the antennas view to the satellite is obscured by tall buildings, a parking structure, or canyon walls, the unit will report the last known location of the vehicle.

The unit does a self-diagnosis each time it is powered on. If it detects an irregularity, it sends notification of the problem and the vehicles location.

The system consists of a control unit, a feature module, an antenna module, and a backup battery.

Wire connections are
constant 12v
ignition
ground

Feature module (starter kill, door unlock, alarm trigger detection)
starter (motor side)
starter (key side)
door unlock
siren positive (this is how the unit detects when your alarm has been triggered)

You need a "Palm with Application Software" to verify the unit is working properly after installation. You also need the Palm to enter in the VIN and register the unit.

In conclusion this means that you will need to have the installation performed by an authorized dealer/installer who has the Palm and accompanying software. An alarm is not necessary for it to function, but w/out an alarm basically all it is is a locating device that can also unlock your doors and can have the starter disabled by GPS on request. With an alarm, it detects the alarm going off and sends a notification.

[integraXTC]

it is still something I am interested in though. I should call an authorized dealer and ask them about it.

[qat727]

Originally Posted by Poptart

Mercury switch-
this should be a standard with all installs (as it is at my store). Used by the wheels, on a hood/hatch.... basically anywhere that majow movement will need to be detected. Basically when the mecury becomes unbalanced your alarm will sound! (flatbed protection anyone?)

If the alarm is set to sound when the mercury switch closes the circuit (when it gets tilted), then how do you mount it to avoid the alarm going off when you park on a slope? I had a mercury switch on an under hood light once that would stay on whenever you parked on a slope in the wrong direction, and I'm interested in how you avoid it for an alarm.

["KTWENTY"]

Get the viper alarm system..

!one of the best!

[wrx-killer-Sti-eater]

Originally Posted by qat727

If the alarm is set to sound when the mercury switch closes the circuit (when it gets tilted), then how do you mount it to avoid the alarm going off when you park on a slope? I had a mercury switch on an under hood light once that would stay on whenever you parked on a slope in the wrong direction, and I'm interested in how you avoid it for an alarm.

you would get a second chirp from the alarm, the alarm will bypass that senser.

[Projectjdm4]

Should I pay $177.19 retail is like $500 for a Viper 791xvr? or is there a better alarm that is worth cheaper?

[wrx-killer-Sti-eater]

^^^^ depends on were you get it at.

[Projectjdm4]

idk bestbuy

[wrx-killer-Sti-eater]

That would be great, Look at the the unt with sst. better range

[2.2litrebeater]

Originally Posted by suspendedHatch

Don't know about the lojack but I seriously doubt you can get it w/out install. Nobody seems to have personal experience with it.

im a little late but no you can not get a lojack without a tech installing it.

[gus738]

man circuit city sucks balls ass they are crazy i called them to get a quote to install remove start and alarm on my 06 civic ex 2dr auto using Python 1090
and they quoted me over 300 to 400ish dollars im like F*@$ that, i called best buy and boy very good $245 for remote and alarm and sounds like they know what they are doing. also i didnt buy this in store (online) very cheap new should i have that one installed or look into getting another one? fianly do you think i can put the blackjax? here is info regarding blackjax

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Supply ONLY CLIFFORD Car Jacking module
Compatible with CLIFFORD G5 alarm systems only
Carjacking Response & Vehicle Recovery System
BlackJax is Clifford’s unique anti-carjacking response system that puts personal safety first while using innovative advancements to ensure that users can recover the vehicle themselves. If an armed car thief approaches – whether at a stoplight or in a parking lot (where most carjackings occur) – immediately turn over the keys and remote and let Clifford technology take over.

BlackJax is fully automatic: no buttons or transmitters to push when a gun is involved. Just get away from the vehicle. BlackJax allows the criminal to drive away a safe distance. Then, a few seconds later, BlackJax blares the siren and flashes the lights to alert other drivers and witnesses. It then pulses down the ignition system to safely force the vehicle to slow to a complete stop. Siren blaring and lights flashing, unable to restart the engine, the carjacker has no choice but to abandon the vehicle.

BlackJax offers immediate vehicle self-recovery. With the vehicle immobilized a short distance away, the owner can recover it. No special tracking units, monthly fees or per-use charges. Just follow the sound of the BlackJax siren, then enter the PIN code. That’s it – it’s sabotage-proof. The only way to turn off BlackJax is with a secret user-selectable PIN code. If the carjacker tries guessing codes at random, BlackJax actively ignores his code entries for the next few minutes. Even if he were to find and remove the BlackJax control unit, he would still be unable to restart the engine. That’s Clifford technology you can count on.</TD></TR></TABLE>

[HYREV2NR]

On the note of Circuit City, I'd steer clear of them all together cuase my friend who is also a H/T member was the Road Shop manager & had been w/ the company for 7 or 8 yrs. lost his job last week do to "corporate restructuring". Their prices have gone wakko & service has dropped also. He's now @ Best Buy & the prices & service on auto alarms is much more desirable.