While searching around for a good tracking Alarm system I found a great deal on what is supposed to be the best.

I kept searching and found that there was currently a $50 savings.

But what is better than that was I had mentioned about the $50 off on another site and got a PM to use the Promotional Code CONTINU and this saves $100.

Here is the site

Sold! Kicks Lojacks Butt

I got it installed and this thing is cool. I think so far my favorite part of the test was when I called my dad, 2500 miles away and told him to unlock my car. Within seconds I heard click/click and the door was unlocked

The Geo fence was a trip. Within a minute of driving away from my house I recieved a message on my cell phone that my car had left its boundry area of a 1/4 mile. It told me which direction it traveled and what street address it was near and what the speed was at the moment of detail.

I could have then disabled the vehicle but I do not have that hooked up yet as the installer wouldn't do it. The liability of shuting off the ignition of a moving vehicle is too great for them to complete that portion of the install. At least they marked the cables for me so I can do it myself.

Many people will opt instead for the starter disable but since I own a manual transmission I felt this was not enough protection since thieves would only have to push start the vehicle to drive it if they bypassed the security system.

THE BEST (and worst) PART!!!

When I dropped off my car I made a deal that only the shop manager and the lead installer would be driving my vehicle. After dropping it off I had to go to the main office to create an invoice and then later in the day pay at the office and go to the shop to pick up my car.

The office and the shop were about a mile away from each other. After paying I was headed back to the shop with my wife when my car went zipping by at about 60mph around a 35mph curve. I demanded that she turn around and catch that bastard. This was a bit hard with a CRV chasing an RX-8.

When I got there and found which a-hole was driving my car and he admitted it but he said he was not speeding. BS I saw him. He said he was sorry that he drove my vehicle but he swasn't driving fast. I could only tell him and his manager what I saw.

UNTIL I GOT HOME AND TESTED THE ENTERCEPTOR!!!

The dufus that was driving my vehicle was obviously unaware that he was driving a vehicle that had just had a tracking device installed in it. I checked the many features on the website that this thing has and I found this...

BUSTED!



That is a short road that the speed limit is (I think) 25 mph.

At least it happened on "Turbo" road :D

I think I will email it to his boss

 

cool i want more info.. where did it get installed... ?

 

I got it installed in Tucson at a High End Auto A/V Alarm company. They are really very easy to install and given what I know now I should have installed it myself.

All you really have to find is:

POWER
GROUND
DOOR LOCK
ALARM ACTIVATED (optional)
STARTER WIRE (optional)
IGNITION (optional)

It uses a feature called GEO-FENCE that can be activated by the web or your car (your car is easier) this will put a circle around your vehicles current position that you have previously chosen and if your vehicle exits that circle your alert list is notified. The Circle can be as small as 1/10th of a mile to 50 miles.

50 miles would be used for fleet vehicles and if you wanted to monitor your car if you loaned it out or a child needed keeping up with.

ENTERCEPTOR WEB SITE

 

good lord
its like a babysitter for our 8
good find

 

It really is! It has an extra input and output that I have not thought of a use for.

Something you would like your car to do or to happen in your car that you can remote control via the internet or cell phone.

One thought was take a picture of the thief.

Another was send a spike through the bottom of the seat

 

or mace them thru air vents.

but then they may just crash into something
i like the picture idea.

 

A couple of things to consider:

First, I know that things like "a spike through the bottom of the seat" are a little tongue-in-cheek, but when you are considering anything like that, or "pain generators", or anything like that, don't forget false alarms. You don't want something to go wrong, and the nasty item getting you instead. You don't want a significant other or friend who is unfamiliar with the car and it's alarm to trip that nasty item either. And just as importantly, you don't want that nasty item to trip if a valet, mechanic, or other such person is legitimately in that car. Not only is that a consideration for those of us who don't wish to hurt an innocent person, but those people could sue the snot out of you if something happens.

Second, I think units like this are too cool (I am a gadget freak). But don't forget that reception for items like this are going to be hampered by parking garages (underground and above ground), overpasses, tunnels, and the like. Alot of that depends on how the item tracks stuff, and how you get in contact with it, but it's something to consider. Trust me, sophisticated thieves know this too.

---jps

 

I am with you on that one. The disable feature that is originaly designed for the starter will be connected to the fuel pump power instead. It will eventually still kill engine power but you will get more time to react.

That was one of the things that I studied hard before I made my choice. These are the things I considered:

OnStar Vehicles GM's website so thieves can expect it to be activated on any new car.

OnStar uses (for the most part) Cellular type antennas (800mhz) and networks. Break off the antenna, own the car.

OwnStar also uses GPS which does not work well if at all in shielded buildings. OwnStar is not Proactive and will not notify that the car has been stolen.

This is the from the OwnStar site...

Quote:

If you determine that your vehicle has been stolen, contact an OnStar Advisor. OnStar will help the police determine its whereabouts.

Enterceptor on the other hand will tell me that my alarm has went off and gives me the ability to start the tracking. If the vehicle enters an area that does not have cellular (pcs) service those positions will be saved until it has service again. If it does not recieve service my car will at least be within the default of 2 minutes from the last position. Each position also give MPH an the time of the position report.

There is a way for a good thief to detect this thing even without a visible antenna. I won't explain it but they are already doing it. They use the same method to detect most any alarm system.

This device has some good fail save device built in to thwart theft.

GeoFence movement alert
ProActive Alarm interface alert
Voltage Drop alert (upto 3 day battery backup)

So if you think about the ways that a theif will try to steal the vehicle somehow I will be notified.

I know I sound like a commercial but I spent alot of time reading up on it and I wanted the best I could get. I have spoken with all the biggies and none of them compare to this one.

IMO LoJack is a Joke when compared to true GPS based tracking devices. It is not proactive and will not work outside covered areas. You'll be SOL cause you can't borrow a police car to find yours

 

Very nice! But spoken as an old Tucsonan here (I lived there for almost 20 years) doesn't the PCS coverage area end shortly outside of Tucson? If your car is stolen you know it's a good bet the thieves will make a beeline for Nogales and the boarder, and once it's over the boarder, it's long gone.

 

I used the term PCS very loosely. I believe it is CDMA service. I just wanted to show a difference between the both.

This is a coverage map I found on the website

Mexico and Canada are covered as well

MX and CA maps

 

Cool. :D

 

What made you leave Tucson... vehicle theft rates?

 

Nah, better job opportunity. Plus, after living there for a long time (20 years in my case, her whole life in my wife's case), we were ready for a change. But it looks like we will probably be coming back within a couple of years, if not a lot sooner. I had an hour and a half long technical interview with a group there this last Tuesday. :D

 

Isn't there another Alram system that does this called Telecommand? its part of a Viper system or maybe one that Clifford makes?