need help selecting aftermarket truck alarm

[Bunn]

Ok here is the deal, got my brand new 315/70/17's slashed last night. So I'm a bit frustrated right now. So before I buy a new set I want to invest in an alarm. I have no clue about any of them... can I get some feedback on what is good and what isn't? Also is there any alarms that have remote start for diesels with manual transmissions?



Thanks for your imput guys.

 

[jgallentine]

I don't know of any remote start units, whether in an alarm or not, that will specify that they are for use with a manual transmission. I have heard of people creating a way to force the clutch pedal down, such as a piece of wood lodged between the seat and the clutch pedal but I wouldn't recommend it and I would not wire around the clutch safety switch. Either one of these methods could result in the clutch being accidentally released or the truck started in gear. I just plug mine in when it's cold and it warms up pretty quick. Although I have no direct experience with it, I think these trucks could idle through a lot if started in gear. :--)



As far as an alarm that will protect your tires, you are going to have to get something with an external field disturbance module. These usually just sound a warning when somebody gets within a certain radius of the truck. However, I have heard of occasions where these units have encouraged more damage than they have prevented but I think if the field is set conservatively they work pretty well.



As far as brands, I have used Viper alarms in a couple of vehicles and had good luck.

 

[stick]

Bunn:

Sorry about the tires. www.compustar.com approved for manual transmissions and diesel.

 

[Cooker]

I hate to break it to you, but unfortunately if you have the alarm sensitive enough to trip when a tire gets slashed, it will be false alarming all the time (with either a prox sensor or a shock sensor).



Sorry to hear about the tires. That sucks

 

[BIGDIG]

I had an old police package LTD,dressed up real nice and lots of power mods added. Well someone attempted to brake into it one night until the neighbor came home and he ran. So after that,I went to Radio Shack,purchased this cool system that had a pager that you carried with you. You could have an external alarm on it,but why... when the pager goes off,you can just quietly walk up behind themAND BASH THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WITH A BAT . I left the car home one night,but had the pager with me,force of habbit. Well I'm at my friends house at least a few miles away,and BEEP-BEEP-BEEP so I run to the phone and call my house,my sister answered,I said whos messin with my car? she said nobody,I just sat on the hood. I think the element of surprize is the best way to handle a thief. . yes it was sensitive,but it had a small recessed screw to adjust the sensitivity of the box. .

 

[Bunn]

Hey Stick, what model compustar do you have, and do you like it?

 

[stick]

Bunn:

I have model 2WSSR, the long range one. I have only had it a couple of weeks, so I don't have much to say good or bad about it yet. I was really pleased that it would start my truck from inside the house with the truck inside the metal barn 50 yards away.

I found the same unit on E-bay, and considered doing it myself, but it would not be warrantied. So I had it installed by Altemere in OKC. The guy that installed it was really pretty good at it, but still had some trouble, and had to call Compustar a few times to get it right. It was his first install on a new Dodge Cummins. I'm sure glad now I didn't try it myself.



Stick

 

[LightmanE300]

I had a viper with the external field on my jeep, it was annoying as could be. Everytime a leaf blew in the car, someone drove by etc, it would say 'protected by viper, stand back' ... . it was obnoxious... if you turned it down it wouldn't work well, there was no happy medium. Even with it as sensitive as it was, someone came and broke in, stole all my stereo equipment, and the equipment of the porsche next to me that had a clifford alarm. Alarms are pretty worthless unless there's someone immediately around to hear them... . and in that case it probably wouldn't get broken into... They just broke in and cut all the wires until the alarm stopped sounding... cut my heater wire, all kinds of wires... . it was a mess... .

 

[tbrudder]

This is more of an anticarjacking device...

... but it's still cool. Wish I could get one here.



http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/



--Ty

 

[LightmanE300]

thats sweet!!!

 

[ddutil]

I sleep peacefully

I have a Boomerang that checks on my baby... I guess one doesn't know how effective it really is until a sucker tries it. Dan