adding an alarm

[smartfloridadad]

has anyone added an aftermarket alarm,I bought a viper alarm ,with the car being wrapped in the last week ,with wanting to add new wheels ,and wanting an in dash navigation system, anyone have any thoughts to is one better than another,I haven't got this installed yet,and can you add too many add ons to ths car as far as alarms,stereo,other electronics

[fmaxwell]

I spent quite a few hours starting at about 4AM looking for a good alarm to install in my orphan Smart Car (since someone slashed the top of my Miata over the weekend, forced the console open, and stole an ipod -- all while it was parked in my driveway).

What I found were two models by Directed Electronics Incorporated. The appear to be identical with one being sold under the Viper name (Viper 330V) and one under the Hornet name (Hornet 727T).

These alarms are designed to work in conjunction with factory remote keyless entry (such as is found on smart fortwos). That means no need to carry around a separate transmitter: Your existing smart lollipop key will control the doors and the alarm.

The Hornet 727T is advertised as having the following features:

• Parking Light Flash
• Failsafe® Starter Kill
• Stinger® DoubleGuard® Shock Sensor
• Active / Passive Arming
• Revenger® Six-Tone Siren
• Bright Blue LED Status Indicator
• Ground When Armed Output
• Ignition Controlled Door Locks
• Dome Light Supervision
• 1 Auxiliary Output
• Horn Honk
• Uses Factory Transmitters

Another bit of good news: The Hornet 727T can be had for under $60 online!

[Kidbyte]

Originally Posted by fmaxwell

What I found were two models by Directed Electronics Incorporated. The appear to be identical with one being sold under the Viper name (Viper 330V) and one under the Hornet name (Hornet 727T).

Which one are you going to install? I am very curious as to how the installation goes! I have heard nothing but bad news from our dealership in Dallas when it comes to THEM installing third party alarms, so this is why I am nervous doing it myself.

[fmaxwell]

Originally Posted by Kidbyte

Which one are you going to install? I am very curious as to how the installation goes! I have heard nothing but bad news from our dealership in Dallas when it comes to THEM installing third party alarms, so this is why I am nervous doing it myself.

I'll probably install the Hornet 727T, but it's not a top priority given some of the tasks that I have on my plate right now.

I may add a radar-based motion sensor to it, but I plan to keep it simple. I don't need remote start, two-way pagers with text displays, voice-synthesis, battery back-up, or any of the other gew-gaws that they offer. A professional thief who is after a particular car is unlikely to be deterred by any vehicle alarm -- and you don't need extreme sophistication to defeat an amateur who wants to break-in and steal stuff from inside.

Installing an alarm is easy, though time-consuming. It all comes down to planning and investing the time to do it right. Soldered connections with shrink-wrap are generally best. Correctly done crimped connections are a close second. Wires should be cut to the proper length and neatly run, anchoring them to existing wiring harnesses where possible. The alarm control unit should be mounted in a logical, though hidden, location.

Because it takes time to do it right, most commercial, mass-market alarm installations are poorly/improperly done (the faster the installation is done, the more profit the business gets). When I use the term "mass-market", I'm including big-box electronics retailers and car dealers. I had a high-end alarm in my Miata which I removed due to concerns about it causing an electrical fire or failure. The previous owner had paid Best Buy to install it. The wires were just stripped, twisted together, and covered in tape -- including the remote starter wires, which were hooked up in a manual transmission car! Removing the panel under the dash resulted in the alarm control unit, which was not physically mounted to anything, falling out in what could best be described as a ball of wires. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.