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Thread ID: 112208 2010-08-27 22:43:00 What Use Is A Car Alarm? Roscoe (6288) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1132304 2010-08-28 00:27:00 If you want a stereo, then it's literally a 30 second job for a semi-experienced thief, if that... Alarms / Immobilizers stop the car from being taken, that is all.

Most people think that an alarm will stop somebody breaking into the car. It won't, that's a poor expectation to have.

It's $300 spent to save your ~$10,000 investment.

Spending $300 to protect a $150 stereo is retarded ... ;)
Chilling_Silence (9)
1132305 2010-08-28 00:30:00 A car alarm is essential - without one my car will sleep all day ;) R2x1 (4628)
1132306 2010-08-28 00:48:00 Luckily for me a client of ours is a GPS tracking company. If my car gets stolen I can track where it ends up, plus if the alarm goes off, I get a SMS within 2 seconds alerting me. nate (15033)
1132307 2010-08-28 03:15:00 if the alarm goes off, I get a SMS within 2 seconds alerting me .

That's the most useful comment of the lot!

I can't understand why anyone would want an alarm that tells a bunch of people who don't care that the alarm is going off . It may deter some thieves but my experience is that there are thieves out there that don't care if the alarm goes off .

Nate has the right idea - an alarm that tells the owner . Much better than annoying the hell out of people who don't give a toss .

I reiterate: I heard car alarms go off all day every day and no-one turned a hair . Even though we know that they are not too clever, surely any half awake thief would realise that? And just break in anyway . Any car thief worth being called a thief would have your stereo out before most people realised what was happening . So why worry about an alarm?

I think that there are a lot of people making a lot of money installing mostly ineffective equipment . The main ingredient, it seems to me, is the flashing LED . So why not install one of those yourself?


If you want a stereo, then it's literally a 30 second job for a semi-experienced thief, if that . . . Alarms / Immobilizers stop the car from being taken, that is all .

Most people think that an alarm will stop somebody breaking into the car . It won't, that's a poor expectation to have .

It's $300 spent to save your ~$10,000 investment .

Spending $300 to protect a $150 stereo is retarded . . . ;)

Exactly my point . You're onto it, Chill .
Roscoe (6288)
1132308 2010-08-28 03:43:00 They're deterrents a lot more at night though ... Chilling_Silence (9)
1132309 2010-08-28 03:45:00 Don't agree at all.

I've put a 5 star Uniden alarm (with immobilizer) into my car. Only decent thing inside the car itself is the headunit ($200 odd) but the alarm is not for that, it's to protect the 4 - 5k I put into the engine, the $2500 coilovers (tho they could still be taken, just not that easy), the 3k I've spent among the rest of the car, and the car itself as it is not one that could be easily replaced.

So yea, I think a $300 or $400 investment in security is worth it. Also makes my insurance cheaper.

Also much easier pushing a button to lock/unlock the doors. Esp with a turbo timer as I can normally start walking away then press it when it shuts off.

My brothers car got broken into the another night actually, smashed rear quarter window and stole headunit. An alarm would most likely have put them off. You'd be stupid to think you can break a window, get into the car, pull headunit out, cut wires, escape in the middle of the night with an alarm going off.

However I knew someone who used to be in a gang etc and could break into cars with ease. He said alarms could be disabled (obviously) but the biggest deterrent (for stealing the whole car) was a steering wheel lock which no one seems to use these days.

If you don't want your headunit to get stolen, take the faceplate off it (if it is a good one)

If you don't want your car to get stolen and you've put a bit of money into it then what is a $200 - $400 alarm for a bit more security?

And my dad put a flashing LED on his dash, thing flashes...all the time. Bloody annoying at night while driving.
--Wolf-- (128)
1132310 2010-08-28 04:18:00 Most people have one, but why? Does it stop people pinching stuff or stealing the car?

Most? I don't know anyone with a car alarm . . . .

And the noise type are not useful, but the type that reports back or disables the car or such are useful . If you have a super expensive car that needs it, I guess .
pctek (84)
1132311 2010-08-28 04:35:00 And the noise type are not useful.

So we should all get silent alarms? They are useful. Anything that is a deterrent to a thief is useful (loud noise at night that'll wake every neighbor up for example)

That's like saying house alarms are not useful because they are noisy.
--Wolf-- (128)
1132312 2010-08-28 04:43:00 Alarm + Immobilizer = Keeps the insurance company happy . That's the only reason I have one . If someone wants to steal it, they'll steal it either way .


Wolf, you put money in your car are you insured for market value or agreed value?
Cato (6936)
1132313 2010-08-28 06:33:00 Came with car, cheaper insurance & remote central locking = worth it. Alex B (15479)
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