Today, almost every car enthusiast is concerned about the issue of choosing the right car alarm for his favorite vehicle. The sad statistics of the detection of car thefts (when a radio, bags, purses and everything that seemed more or less valuable to the attacker are stolen from the car) and car thefts brings to mind the only thought - to get a car alarm and quickly.
There is a popular opinion that the price of an alarm system should be no less than 10 percent of its cost. Whether this is actually true, even a specialist in this field will most likely not be able to give an exact answer. After all, if we proceed from this judgment, then on a car for 100,000 rubles it is necessary to install an alarm for 10,000 rubles, but is there a need for this if you can buy it for 5,000, especially if the car is in the garage. In general, the price of the issue depends solely on the car owner, and this article will help you understand the intricacies of choosing an alarm system.
How attackers operate
Homeless people and juvenile hooligans
One of the most harmless groups of car thieves. They act spontaneously, without developing a plan of action. We are ready to pull off everything that is poorly placed in a visible place; in extreme cases, a radio tape recorder will do. Due to the lack of experience and any skills, they try to bypass cars that have car alarms, so a simple LED on the windshield, a beeper or a dummy can easily protect against this category of intruders.
Experienced car thieves
They are well acquainted with the operating principles of car alarms of different brands. Before committing a robbery, they carefully select the target. Most often, cars with good car radios, navigators on the windshield, etc. are chosen. Ten to fifteen seconds are enough for them to do everything.
They operate according to several schemes. In the first option, they break the glass, grab the car radio, bag and other valuables and run away. In the second option, they break the glass, open the hood and remove the terminals from the battery, or simply break the siren. Just 10 seconds and your car is at their disposal.
A regular alarm system will not save you from this group of car intruders. Firstly, you need to install a reliable lock on the hood, and secondly, install an immobilizer on the wiring.
Professional car thieves
They can also be called followers of the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds.” Their main goal is the car. They can watch a good vehicle for weeks, choosing the right moment and developing a plan to steal it.
The professionals have a wide range of equipment to choose from - hydraulic cutters, code recognizers and scanners, standard forklifts and tow trucks, and if necessary, they do not hesitate to use brute force.
It is difficult to protect yourself from such attackers, but it is possible. The main thing is to be careful and quite secretive. There is no need to advertise the brand of your car alarm - no stickers, be careful with the key fob and remote control.
It is necessary to turn off the alarm only by coming close to the car; if this is done from afar, then any beginner with a special receiver and a laptop can intercept the code. By the way, such equipment and software are relatively inexpensive, and for hunters of expensive cars it’s generally mere pennies.
Alarm Modes
The Starline alarm system supports the following functions:
- immobilizer;
- anti-robbery;
- diagnostics of alarm and controller performance;
- panic option;
- the ability to silently install protection both with the engine running and with the engine turned off;
- silent activation of controllers during physical impact on the car body, door glass and wheels;
- GPS monitoring option and identifying the exact coordinates of the vehicle;
- function of automatic configuration and binding of a new remote control if the old one is lost, while the system will destroy the existing signal encryption encoding;
- option to automatically lock the wheels if the car is subject to evacuation.
You can learn more about the functions of the key fob from the video filmed by the Michael MNS channel.
How to program them?
You can control the activation and deactivation of functions and modes using the keys on the remote control. All adjustments made to the operation of the anti-theft installation are accompanied by both sound and visual impulses. The corresponding icons and indicators will appear and disappear on the key fob screen. To program and activate a particular function, you need to press a certain combination of buttons on the remote control. Moreover, it is important to observe not only the sequence of pressing, but also the duration of holding the key.
As an example, let's look at several options for setting up functions:
- To activate the option of setting the car to silent security, you need to press the first and second buttons in turn;
- if you press buttons 1 and 3 alternately, this will start the power unit;
- pressing buttons 2 and 1 will turn on the security system when the engine is running, but there must be an interval of one second between presses;
- if you press buttons 2 and 3 in turn, the anti-theft system will automatically turn off the running engine;
- to lock the keys on the remote control, you need to hold down buttons 1 and 3; to unlock, press elements numbered 2 and 3;
- activation of the panic mode is possible if you hold down keys 1 and 2, while the motor must be turned off, and if it is started, the anti-robbery function will turn on.
Car alarm selection
What kind of car alarm should there be for inexpensive cars (60,000 - 210,000 rubles)
For very inexpensive cars, for example old Zhiguli cars, there is no point in having a powerful and sophisticated alarm system.
For them, the simplest level of protection, such as a mechanical steering wheel-pedal lock, will be sufficient. For newer domestic cars or used foreign cars, you can install something more expensive with additional sensors and several locks. An immobilizer with 2-3 blockable circuits would also be useful. A hood lock is a must. It also makes sense to replace the standard ignition switch with a reinforced one that has an increased level of security.
Alarm system for middle class cars (cost from 210,000 – 600,000 rubles)
Most often, these are the cars that become the target of theft. Therefore, it is worth choosing something more expensive as protection than a standard alarm system, so that it does not turn out that the stingy pays twice, and this statement will primarily apply to the vehicle. Floating codes would be very appropriate here, and disarming and arming should certainly be carried out using different buttons.
In addition, a separate immobilizer must control the hood lock. It is better to change the standard one that comes with the car, since standard immobilizers are installed on all cars of your brand, and it is always easy to find standard hacking and bypass methods for them.
Car alarms for cars whose price is above 600,000 rubles
As a means of protection, you can use the same thing as for machines of a lower class, but it is also necessary to use additional means.
Today there are a huge variety of different difficult-to-disable additional locks. There is no need to consider them in more detail; car enthusiasts can figure out their choice themselves. The GPS module is one of the most reliable, but at the same time the most expensive protection systems. The point is the ability to track the location and routes of a vehicle via satellite.
You can also secretly install a GPS and GSM controller, and while the thieves are trying to deal with the car, a detachment of private security or a police squad will arrive.
Additional functions
Sometimes, in addition to the basic functions, you want the alarm to have useful additions with which the car owner can control the state of the vehicle at a distance. These functions include:
- Autostart, with which you can warm up the car while being in another place. Alarms with auto start allow you to maintain the optimal temperature in the cabin. They are very comfortable in the cold season.
- Turbo timer - the system monitors engine speed while driving and stores it. When the car is armed, the duration of the engine operation depends on the mode in which the vehicle was used before the car alarm was turned on. The turbo timer starts working after the car is armed, that is, after stopping the car, the engine continues to run for a certain period of time.
- Searching for a car in a parking lot or automatically closing doors when reaching a specified speed. Telematics makes it possible to find out where the vehicle is.
- Protection from various interferences. Protects the device system from various interferences, which are often used by attackers to reduce the signal.
- Shock and tilt sensor. Special sensors that will react to the vehicle’s inclination and various damage to the hull. Ideally, a car alarm has a three-axis principle of operation: the device can even react to the rocking of the car body.
- Communication channel control. The device checks whether there is a key fob within its range.
- Emergency disabling of car alarms. Sometimes if the key fob breaks down, it becomes necessary to turn off the device. The system, depending on the brand, can be turned off using a key, a special switch, or an electronic key.
When choosing a security device, the place where you park the car at night is of great importance. So, for example, if this is a garage, which is located a hundred meters from the house, then a conventional sound device will not save you. A special signal for a pager will work perfectly. The more light and sound signals there are, the more difficult it will be for attackers.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of Starline products:
- Easy to install. The product comes with instructions that clearly indicate all the steps for installation and connection, as well as setting up the system.
- Versatility. The system can be installed on any vehicle. The type of power unit and gearbox does not matter.
- The included remote control comes in a fairly durable case that is resistant to impacts.
- Reliable signal protection from interception and impulse interference.
- The system is resistant to operation in conditions of different temperatures, both critically low and extremely high.
- Availability of automatic start option.
The main disadvantage is the presence of many electronic components in the kit, the failure of which will lead to the inoperability of the installation as a whole. But if you monitor the condition of the car and the alarm system, then such problems will not occur.
Principle of operation
Regardless of the manufacturer and configuration, the satellite security system works according to the same principle:
- The controllers record the alarm signal. They collect information and transmit it to the main module of the system.
- The microprocessor unit processes the received signals and sends them to satellite equipment.
- The satellite deciphers impulses and processes information.
- Data from satellite equipment is transmitted to the car owner's pager or smartphone.
The Avtostrasty channel spoke in detail about the principle of operation of satellite security systems.
Description and equipment of standard satellite alarm
The satellite system is made in the form of a small transceiver of a signal from a satellite, linked to the control center using a GPS pulse. The average battery life in a security and surveillance system is about 5-7 days. The device can be used in standalone mode.
System components:
- GPS beacon;
- pressure controller;
- Motion Sensor;
- antenna adapter;
- interface software;
- microprocessor module;
- engine blocker;
- “panic button” for security;
- GSM module;
- microphone for listening;
- tilt controller.
The presence of these sensors provides the opportunity for the car owner to promptly learn about an attempt to break into or steal a vehicle. This is possible even if it is stolen by towing. Almost all modern GSM and GPS systems for cars are equipped with immobilizers. If someone other than the owner of the car gets behind the wheel of the vehicle, this will lead to the blocking of the power unit. In the event that for an unknown reason the system does not work, the engine will be stopped by the operator.
In addition to turning off the power unit, the consumer can configure the option to activate siren sound signals, as is the case with traditional alarms. Some models are equipped with “panic buttons”. If an emergency occurs and the driver presses such a key, the operator will know about it within a few seconds.
The channel “Autopartner - Anti-theft protection and car comfort” talked about the configuration of popular anti-theft systems.
Basic functions of fire alarm
To understand how a fire alarm system works, you need to determine its tasks. The main functions of such a system are as follows:
- identify signs of fire at the serviced facility at the earliest possible stage;
- urgently transmit an alarm signal to the control panel of the response service;
- ensure notification of people at the site about an emergency situation.
When the alarm is triggered, it is possible to ensure timely evacuation from the facility and promptly begin extinguishing the fire. Thanks to this, it is possible to eliminate the threat to human life and health, quickly localize and extinguish the fire, thereby preventing large material damage.
In addition, the operating principle of the fire alarm allows for the implementation of a number of additional functions when a fire is detected:
- activation of automatic fire extinguishing equipment installed at the facility;
- turning on emergency lighting;
- unlocking access control and management systems to ensure unhindered evacuation of people;
- other functions.
