Car/truck alarm experts?

[davocean]

This weekend my truck was stolen.
I recovered my truck, but every tool I had is now gone.
Before I tool up I'm thinking I should do something to protect my investment.
I don't want some BS horn honking thing that just ticks off my neighbors everytime it gets bumped or something.
I recall some alarms have a pager that notifies me, and I want this on doors and camper shell door, maybe a kill switch.
I have no idea what's out there or what is best, wondering if there is anyone here that installs these or can at least point me in the right direction/give advice.

[mineman]

I used to install high end car audio and alarms. Pm me if you would like.

[solefald]

I used to do this about 17 years ago, so I am not sure what is good now days, but back then Clifford was the top choice.
Looks like they are still pretty popular. Look into that.

[unbereefable]

Sorry bro. This is what I roll... http://www.viper.com/P-3303V/Viper-3...ecurity-System

[specvjeff]

Most of the pager alarms have a delay so that you aren't confronting the potential thief. This is a safety feature in case they armed. I would go for LoJack. They have a system that works with a key fob. Whenever someone moves the car without the key fob, you are alerted by cell phone/pager. I know for sure there is a delay with the LoJack system. It's a few minutes. This is so you don't confront a potentially armed car thief like I said before. Knowing your vehicle was stolen 3 mins after it's gone is better than finding out the next morning.

[moerena]

I have lo jack and my insurance company actually gave me a discount because of it. I've also had viper and it w as a good alarm. Had the pager and everything. Best part is people could tell i had an alarm and would never bother messing with my truck. My viper also had a kill switch so truck wouldn't start while it was armed.

[solefald]

Sorry bro. This is what I roll... http://www.viper.com/P-3303V/Viper-3...ecurity-System

It's the same damn alarm in different packaging and obnoxious-looking keyfobs. DEI makes both of them and if you pop them open, they are pretty much identical.
Fun fact: DEI is a Vista company that was founded by Rep. Darrell Issa (R).


http://www.directed.com/ - look at their list of brands.

[mineman]

DEI makes most alarms. Even bought out Clifford in the late 90s (I loved Clifford). Fact is almost every time you add something to an alarm, ie. motion sensor, pin switch, shock sensor, etc. if it didn't come in the manufacturers box, you're probably adding a DEI product (viper, python, rattler, boa constrictor, garter, snowflake ell).

[OneBigTurbo]

I got a viper pager alarm with 2 other kill switches on my MKV Supra.
But If u really want to wake up someone put some trucker horns for the alarm!

[davocean]

Well that's the thing, I really need to be respectful to the neighbors, it's pretty quiet around here, and people go ballistic on alarms.
My luck that alone will make someone vandalize or something.
I remember the last time I had a car worthy of an alarm, the guy told me they were thinking of stopping the pager alerts for exactly what Jeff said, the confrontation, which I'd like to say I wouldn't mind, but I'm not foolish either, and I know no matter how big you are there is always someone bigger or badder.
The bummer is my truck isn't worth much, I'm gonna feel silly getting an alarm for it, and paying much money for one, but my tools I lost were easily 3-4x what my truck was worth, and more importantly they became an extension of my right arm after these years and I had em dialed.
I know often thieves hit two or three times after, cause they know you gotta get new stuff, or insurance cashed out.
That's my concern, just keeping my tools safe w/out ticking off the neighborhood.
Sigh, decisions, I'll have to read up and price it.
Thanks for info people, I've been out of the loop on alarms for a while.

[JohnnyAirtime]

If you want to know WHEN your alarm goes off (because as loud as one can be... it can be silenced in a matter of seconds)... get the model that'll call you when the alarm has been triggered. This way, you know WHEN the alarm has been triggered and can act accordingly... What's accordingly? Guns-a-blazin' out the front door? No... I mean, calling the cops to let them know your truck is driving down the road without you in it.

...I also have the GPS with my alarm. I can log in (via my phone or any computer) and not only activate the kill switch (so the vehicle won't re-start), but track the vehicle and know it's whereabouts at any given time. Unbeknownst to the thieves, a LEO can be informed of where the truck is... or which road it's driving along. Simple, yet very effective.

AND, installed with solder/heat shrink... the only way to do it, by my buddy Kenny who owns Soundelux Car Audio; https://vimeo.com/38154934

The is a clean unit (newer then mine), that does what it should;
http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CJkBEPMCMAM

[OneBigTurbo]

I got a truck also, have someone install alarms switches to ur bed/ camper or get re- in force pad locks.
http://lockitt.com/TrailerDoorLocks.htm

[unbereefable]

And fwiw. My remote checks if the alarm is triggered. Think it checks once every 10 seconds. But you also have to ask yourself, are your trying to protect your stuff, or your vehicle? Alarms are pretty good at detering a theif from taking your car, but they do little to protect the stuff IN the car. Any two man team can pop a door, pop hood/trunk, and then pull battery cable. This means alarms stays quiet. I personally have a 2nd battery in my car that's just for the alarm.

[mineman]

If you want to know WHEN your alarm goes off (because as loud as one can be... it can be silenced in a matter of seconds)... get the model that'll call you when the alarm has been triggered. This way, you know WHEN the alarm has been triggered and can act accordingly... What's accordingly? Guns-a-blazin' out the front door? No... I mean, calling the cops to let them know your truck is driving down the road without you in it.

...I also have the GPS with my alarm. I can log in (via my phone or any computer) and not only activate the kill switch (so the vehicle won't re-start), but track the vehicle and know it's whereabouts at any given time. Unbeknownst to the thieves, a LEO can be informed of where the truck is... or which road it's driving along. Simple, yet very effective.

AND, installed with solder/heat shrink... the only way to do it, by my buddy Kenny who owns Soundelux Car Audio; https://vimeo.com/38154934

The is a clean unit (newer then mine), that does what it should;
http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CJkBEPMCMAM

Perfect! But you WONT get this without knowing someone or paying extra (soldering, heat shrink, loom to make it look factory, relocating the ignition relay other than 4" away from where it is spliced because the alarm manufacturer only gives you 4" leads, etc.). A good installer makes it all work right. A great installer makes it thief RESISTANT!

[davocean]

Thanks guys, this is what I need for feedback.
My place is pretty safe, and my neighbors and I all watch for each other, if it wasn't for that heavy storm for cover I don't think this would have happened, and they hit several people that night apparently.
They only drove my truck 3 blocks away, and there they felt safe enough to rape my truck.
I will make it tougher to get in the bed, going to weld some clasps/locks, so my main thought is some kind of kill switch and an alert, though some kind of tracking/gps would be cool too.
I'm going to go through the links posted and read up more, thanks for those, and feel free to add more comments.
My main concern is those guys now know I keep real quality tools, and they know I will be replacing them, sure don't want a round two of what I'm going through right now.