Theft Prevention

[cornercamping]

Alright, seems like alot of people are taking off with other peoples bikes, trailers, vehciles ect.   Here are some simple low cost ways to prevent theft, or atleast to make it harder on the crook.

1. Starter Kill Relay:  This can be used on bikes, cars, or anything else that has an ignition or electric starter.  On a car, even with the key you cannot crank over the starter.  What your doing is cutting the starter circuit on your vehicle from this inside on the wire in the column.  The ONLY way to crank it once the relay is on, is to literally get under the car, and get to the actual starter itself and provide 12v directly to the starter. You can also do this with the ignition line so the ignition can't power up, even with the key.  There is a harness on EVERY vehicle that runs down the steering column.  If you take your underdash off (under the steering column) you'll see the big taped harness.  There are tons of wires in that harness.  All you have to do is connect to the right one, and use the relay and some type of switch to manually cut the circuit.  Once the circuit is cut, you can't start the car, even with the key.  On a bike, it doesn't allow them to start the bike, but they can still take off with it.

Total Cost: About $10.00

2. Alarm:  Most car alarms today start anywhere from $100.00 and go to about $500.00   If your going to get an alarm, a 2-Way system is highly recommended.  What it does is when the alarm is tripped, the keyfob itself has a pager built into it that will go off instantly, and regardless if you are near the car, you know it's going off and can run out to it.  They usually have about 1/4 mile range for the pager.  It does actually work.  I've busted someone trying to break into my truck, and if it wasn't for the pager portion of the alarm, I would've lost alot of money worth of equipment.

COST: $100-$500

3. Self Contained:  (FOR TRAILERS)  If your car has an alarm, go to an alarm shop and ask them to hook up a Closed Loop Switch.   What it is, is a wire that will come out of your truck by the hitch.  The wire then gets wrapped around the pin that locks the trailer to the ball.  If this wire gets disconnected for any reason, the alarm goes off.  If you have the pager alarm, it will show the "zone" that gets tripped as being the trailer.   Then, you know someone is trying to disconnect your trailer.

COST: $90 about in labor

4: Self Contained: (trailer only)  Get a car alarm off ebay for $50.00 with a built in shock sensor, or motion sensor.  Hook up the power and ground wires to a sealed 12V litium battery (motorcycle battery works well too) and mount the siren UNDER the trailer.  Once you arm the alarm with the keyfob, if the trailer has any type of shock, vibration, or movement, the alarm will trip.   That way you'll hear the siren in your bedroom if the trailer is in your back yard. Any alarm with a shock sensor, key fob, and siren will work. Also, the alarm will run for about 7 months on a motorcycle battery without a single charge.

COST: maybe $100 tops


I have more tricks if anyone wants them.  One thing to keep in mind, if they want it bad enough, they will get it one way or another.  The objective is to slow them down.  ;)   If you need help with wiring, send me an email.   I have the schematics onfile for almost every single car built since 1980.  

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Better solution. Rottwieller. Throw it a steak everyday and its happy. ;D


As for the self contained alarms with shock sensors for trailer use. Depending on the size of the trailer, no matter how low you set the sensitivity, wind will cause it to trip. My 6X12 enclosed wiggles enough to set an alarm in a windstorm. There are magnetic switches you could mount to the doors that would set it off if someone opened the doors somehow. Usually by then they've damaged the trailer.

 There are trailer wheel locks that slip over the tire like a Denver Boot and that immobilizes the trailer. Not cheap, but they are pretty fool proof.

I have a deadbolt on the inside of my trailers side door that I lock for winter and then back the trailer against the fence. Only way to get in is pull teh trailer out and then break the rear lock. Then again I dont store anything in it even during the race season. I unload it every time.

If someone wants it bad enough, they'll take it. No alarm is fool proof.

[cornercamping]

Actually, nowadays, false triggering by motion other than impact isn't as bad as it was.  Semiconductor components make a huge difference on what exactly will trip an alarm.  For instance, on a cheap no name Tiawanese alarm, your 1000% right, but on todays "good" alarms, it really isn't an issue any more.  A majority of them have "warn away" as they call it, which actually takes a direct blow.  My truck has the circuitry in it.  Pretty much any DEI manufactuered alarm has that, and it actually works.  If you come to Gingerman and I end up making it to the track, I'll show you.  You can rock my truck back and forth, and it won't trip the alarm, but if you give it a direct blow anywhere, off it goes, no matter how sensitive I set it (I can adjust it via remote.)  That alarm is $299 installed, so cost is about $89.00 on the hardware.   Either way, i'd rather run outside with a shotgun if the siren goes off and it's a false alarm, rather than wake up to a missing trailer  ;)

I know where you can get "stun gun" systems too.  Alarms that put out electric shock.   ;D  They actually do make them, but they aren't necessarily legal for use in the U.S.  ::) ;) ;D  Company is called Dragon Smoke Security.  ::)  They make an electrified club too :D

[cornercamping]

Better solution. Rottwieller. Throw it a steak everyday and its happy. ;D

 

Wouldn't you NOT want to feed it so it's meaner  ???  




































Just kidding  ;D

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

I know where you can get "stun gun" systems too.  Alarms that put out electric shock.   ;D  They actually do make them, but they aren't necessarily legal for use in the U.S.  ::) ;) ;D

Aint necessarily legal, Ya think?

[cornercamping]

It was banned after the CES show in 2000.  I remember testing it in their booth at CES.  They let you shock yourself if you really wanted to.  It's illegal from what I understand.  More of a liability than anything.  What if some little kid pee's on your trailer and ZAP  :o  Your liable.  They aren't allowed to sell that electric club here either.  That was the only club that actually worked  ;D  To get around the others, you just cut the steering wheel and pull it right off.  Then you beat the owner over the head with it if he's running out of the house in his underware trying to chase you down.  There was an article about that a while ago  ;D

[cornercamping]

They still make it  :o


http://www.finalstop.com/pepper/autotaser/autotaser.htm

[INSANESTEVE777]

OK OK, I NEED ONE!! HOW MUCH IS THIS ELECTRIC CLUB? HEHE. CAN YOU HIT PEOPLE WITH IT AND NOT GET SHOCKED WHILE SMACKING THE CROOK? I'LL PEE ON IT IF YOU CAN GET ME ONE CHEAP,I'LL EVEN TAPE IT!!! GOD THAT SOUNDS FUN!!