Miata Mailing List: March 1994, Message #57
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   From: buck@claude.ma30.bull.com (Kenneth J. Buck)
Subject: re: alarms
   Date: Fri, 4 Mar 1994 12:26:29 -0500

> From: a.mccombs3@genie.geis.com
> Subject: alarms, clutches, etc.
> 
> Barry Suskind noted that a friend has an alarm which is triggered
> when someone reaches into the interior of the car.  I'd like to know more
> about it.

i've been mildly interested in one of those too.
i see 2 advantages to this:
 1) provides some protection when the top is down
 2) likely to go off earlier in the process, perhaps before they've
    had a chance to bust stuff (door locks, glass, ignition, etc.).

my previous car (RX7) was broken into numerous times.
most times, they didn't actually get the car (people saw them
so they left) but each time it cost me some hardware & paintwork.
of course, in the Miata, i no longer lock ANYTHING (except the trunk,
maybe i should leave that propped open too? :-)


> Another problem I have with alarms (and I believe it to be
> endemic, or at least headed in that direction) is that when I hear one,
> I don't pay much attention to it.

agreed.
i have an alarm, but not much faith in its protective abilities...

my philosophy about alarms is:
 -traditional alarms only provide minimal "protection".  most only go off
  AFTER something has already been broken (door locks, glass, etc.) so
  they aren't protecting from damage, maybe just outright theft.

 -the audible alarm (siren) only provides protection when YOU
  personally are positioned so that you can hear it & act accordingly,
  or in _some_ cases, if a security guard can see/hear it.
  mostly, if you CAN'T hear it, nobody else will be likely to intervene
  (except that if it continues to sound after 5 minutes, someone will
  probably cut a hole in your hood to disconnect the siren and then
  will smash your windshield out of pure aggravation - i've been tempted
  myself a few times...).

 -connecting a pager unit (and perhaps disabling the siren altogether)
  can at least guarantee that YOU know when your car is being messed with.
  since YOU are the most important factor in the equation anyway, maybe
  that's sufficient.  pager atteachments aren't that expensive anymore,
  and should be attachable to most alarms.  i plan to do this one of
  these days...

- the only drawback with a "pure pager" alarm is that we want the THIEF
  to know that someone will be showing up soon - but i don't know how
  to do that.  maybe sound a _brief_ alarm, or flash the lights, or
  display a big holographic message on the dashboard that days
  "dialing the cops NOW, better scram!", something like that :-)


the REAL problem with alarms is that most are _reactive_, not preventative.
not sure of much that will prevent someone from making the initial
break-in attempt, other than parking in secure places or by chaining
a doberman to the steering wheel.  perimiter detection outside the
confines of the vehicle can be counter-productive.  what you need are
big signs on the windows that say "Stay away or else i'll bust your face,
and i'm just around the corner...".

just my $.02.

--                                             
Ken Buck                                          /|
Internet: k.buck@ma30.bull.com                \'o.O'    ACK!
Mail:     Bull, MA30-833A                     =(___)= THPTPHH!
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