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Best Car Alarms and Car Security Systems

We've all heard them, sometimes in the middle of the night, always at some annoying moment. They honk, they wail, they flash - yes, we are talking about car alarms. A car is stolen every 25 seconds in the USA, costing drivers and the insurance industry over $8 billion dollars a year. With the huge aftermarket for stolen car parts used for repairs (notice how the most stolen cars usually also match the biggest selling models? that's because the stolen cars can be stripped and the parts used to repair all those other cars out there), car theft has long been a big business, and car alarms have evolved to battle the problem. At the most basic level, car alarms and their sensors, motion detectors, and pressure sensors are wired into your cars electrical system and monitor such things as vibrations, doors or windows being opened while locked, and any tampering with the ignition system. Higher end models come with microphone sensors which detect breaking windows and other sounds.




Door sensors are easy to use - they tie into the electrical system already in place that activates the dome light when a door is opened. With the alarm activated, this will now trigger the siren. The car alarm system is usually wired into your main car battery, but many also come with a battery backup incase the main battery is disconnected. If anything disturbs the alarm system, the alarm will sound (loudly!) and the lights will often flash as well. Of course, this doesn't stop the thief from stealing the car, but usually car thiefs are not looking to draw attention to themselves, and they will abandon their attempt and move on to easier prey. Another simpler gadget to deter car theft is something like The Club, which locks around the steering column making it impossible to turn the wheel. However, a number of reports have shown that a thief with a hacksaw can often get around this by cutting through the steering wheel to remove it.

Shopping for a car alarm online

The Internet makes it easy to research and shop for a car alarm security system. The most basic car alarm systems start at around $40 or $50 and come with a shock sensor or two, an alarm controller module, a remote control, siren, and wiring harness. Astra makes the the Astra 200 car alarm and Astra 600, priced at $47 and $50. More expensive alarms are starter alarms. These car alarms allows 2-way communication between your car a handheld monitoring device, letting you know if you car has been started and allowing you to disable it at the click of a button. The Galaxy 2100RS is one of these models ($195). ECarSecurity.com carries all these car alarms and more and is a good online shopping site for car alarms.

Commando is another popular maker of car alarms. Their Commando FM 870 has a remote transmitter pager and remote starter, allowing you to control your car from almost a half mile away. It instantly alerts you if your car is being tampered with ($169). They have less expensive models as well, like the Commando 520-s Car Alarm ($50), which supports keyless entry, has a dual stage shock sensor, siren, 2 remotes, and a start disabler. CommandoAlarms.com is their website.

LoJack Car Tracking System

Many people have heard of LoJack. A lot of professional car thiefs know the exact working of popular car alarms and know how to disable or quickly deactivate them, making them useless. LoJack sidesteps this problem in a unique way - it is a car alarm tracking system that is secretly installed into cars in some hidden, remote location. After an auto theft takes place, police can activate the radio transmitter on the LoJack device and it will begin broadcasting a signal, showing its location. As the thief drives around thinking he has succeeded, in fact the police can be tailing him very soon. This allows for complete recovery of the vehicle, hopefully before any damage has been done to it. LoJack car alarm tracking system have a 90% recovery rate. Check out LoJack.com for more information.

Car Alarm Installation

Most places that sell car stereos also offer car alarm installation. If an alarm is not installed correctly, it is not worth anything. So make sure the job is done right if you do it yourself. Expect to pay about $50-$100 for a professional car alarm installation.

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