Prestige Alarm System

[BlackNRedSi]

Hey guys,

my friend chris said that he can give me and install a prestige alarm system (brand new, topo the line) for 200 dollars...

question is, does anyone know if these are nice systems and if that is a good price?

E.

[jaydub]

You knew I'd probably be first to answer in this forum. :D I'd say that alarm would be just fine, it's the installation that counts. All alarms serve similar purposes, do similar things, and have similar components. It's just how they're hidden and made inaccesible that counts. :)

[napapacoda]

Originally posted by jaydub
You knew I'd probably be first to answer in this forum. :D I'd say that alarm would be just fine, it's the installation that counts. All alarms serve similar purposes, do similar things, and have similar components. It's just how they're hidden and made inaccesible that counts. :)

Jaydub - could you give pointers to how everything should be hidden to protect a theft from easily finding the "brain" and disabling it? I had mine installed professionally like a year and a half ago, but I never thought about asking where they would hide it. If you have any good links on this or DIY's that would rock.

[BlackNRedSi]

Thanks Jay...

I guess that is a good deal then, and he is the main installer @ Perzan Auto so he knows what hes doing....I just have to go scrape up the loot to have him do it....unless you (jay) want to give me your credit card number and i can do a cash advance! :P
E.

[jaydub]

haha I can't even afford my own alarm install now!

napapacoda - some pointers off the top of my head:

1) Battery backup. Most alarms are connected to constant power of the car, i.e. the battery. If they open your hood and disconnect your batter really quickly, your alarm is dead in the water. A lot of people have a seperate battery (very small one, just enough to power the alarm) hidden someplace inconspicuous.

2) Hiding the brain. We're somewhat lucky in our cars, there are plenty of places in which to hide the brain. Another brain-related thing is to make sure all the wires that are routed from the alarm are as HIDDEN as possible. Make them look like they are just part of the stock wiring, so they won't know what to cut.

3) Siren. Another quick way around your alarm is to cut the siren's leads. If it isn't connected, there's no noise, right? Some people use dual sirens, but one way to get away with having only one is to mount it in a really inaccessible place on your car. Of course, this means a pain in the ass for YOU (or the installer) the first time you're hooking it up, but it isn't like you'll be moving it around or anything. Once it's in, it's in.

4) Proximity sensors. Those things, IMO, are not worth the hassle. Shock sensors are better because you won't be falsing all the time. Most alarms have a feature where if it falses three times from one input, it "deactivates" that input until the car is started (or it is disarmed and armed again). What this means is, for example, say a bird lands on your car and it sets off the proximity sensor, and your alarm goes off. This happens three times, then the alarm disables that sensor until you disarm the system or start the car. At least shock sensors make it necessary for *force* to be applied somewhere.

Any alarm is ONLY as good as the install, and the install can make a $100 alarm very effective. These are only deterrents, nothing is foolproof, though the most sophisticated alarms make it almost impossible. My dream alarm is a Clifford AvantGuard4, it's just amazing... though well out of my pricerange. :D I'd also be afraid to attempt an install of that, it's pretty in depth, from what i've been told.

[napapacoda]

Thanks for the reply, those sound like good points. Right off the bat I see that my siren is easily accessible. When I have free time I'll try and move that around to somewhere less accessible. I actually just bought a battery backup, but haven't installed it yet. I also saw something made by DEI that i believe is called a hood lock. Do you know what that actually does (how it works to keep people out of your hood) and is it worth the $$.