Cheap alarms.

[JimX]

It's been discussed before, but I can't find answers to my questions in a search, so here I go with a new thread. (security should remain a forefront topic anyway).

The background story: I was all set to get a Brant alarm/immobiliser to replace my old paging alarm, which has a dead main remote (using spare atm). I rang Brant up for a price. It's $1000 for their Nemesis, or $650 for their AA02A which is essentially the same but with 3 immobilisers instead of 6.

I was considering getting the cheaper model, mainly because (a) fuel pump cut is totally useless in R33's which has the battery next to the pump (just run a short wire), and (B) I didn't think it was worth the extra $350 for the extra 3 immobilisers all of which can be easily defeated with a tow truck.

But then I found that it's an extra $150 for the window winder modules, and neither has a paging function or turbo timer, and I think and at this point I started to think that it was a bit of a rort. They may be the best alarm out there, but even the best alarm will not stop your car getting towed.

Now onto the main subject

Because of the above I am thinking to get a cheap (~$300 or less) paging alarm with 1-2 immobilisers, and then save up until I can afford tracking. Most of these cheapie alarms have all the good stuff like window winders and turbo timers and remote starts etc.

The prime candidates are two paging alarms I found on Ebay, the Mannix Millennium and the Giordon 686. Both of these are dirt cheap ($150-$250 plus delivery) and seem to have all the good stuff with 1 immobiliser, which I'm sure could be rigged up with relays to cut more than one thing. If this relay is really hard to get to (ie, remove pieces of dash to install) then it should be virtually as good as 3 separate immobilisers.

Does anyone know anything about these 2 alarms or any reason why I should steer clear? I'm not going to rely on the paging system, the main reason I like paging alarms is because of the screen they have which verifies the car's status at a glance. Please suggest better ones if you know of any, and where to get them. Until I can afford a tracking device I also want to install one of those mobile phone pager things.

Oh yeah one more thing. Is there any reason to NOT cut power to your ECU with the immobiliser? I would like to cut power to at least one item in each section of the car (boot, cabin, and engine bay) to make it a total PITA for any potential thief to run power to everything I've cut.

[T0nyGTSt]

I'm reasonably happy with my alarm - but I'd like a mobile phone based track system at the least.

It'll SMS you when the car is lonely.

T.