Car Alarm for Convertibles??

Any alarm based on a passive infrared sensor (the same technology used in those motion-sensing outside floodlights you can buy for $10) will work that way. Of course, curious cats will set it off too.

n0v8or said:

Any alarm based on a passive infrared sensor (the same technology used in those motion-sensing outside floodlights you can buy for $10) will work that way. Of course, curious cats will set it off too.

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go pick up lo jack. they have the best theft recovery in the world. if u dont get your car back in 24 hours, they will refund your money! i just had my cobra lo jacked last week.
the speed record for car recovery was 6 minutes in seattle once it was reported stolen. it is the only unit that the cops work with too! once your car gets stolen u call 911 and tell them u have lo jack and your VIN is @#$#%$%$#%. they send out a notice to all cops within a 100 mile radius to turn on their lo jack receivers. the lo jack unit in your car sends out an FM signal and gets picked up by all cops in that radius. it will stay on until the car is picked up and its position will be exact too!

The alarm in my sig has an addon module that does the same thing.

Alarm cost me $215 - it's a very good alarm. I installed it myself, which was kind of a pain, but well worth it.

I got an infrared receiver in my vert but it sure does suck. The adjustable sensitivity seems to jump too quickly between settings. A low setting and it won't go off unless you are waving your hand in front of the module. Slightly higher and it goes off when I look at it funny. The problem is the top. Metal will help insulate the signal inside the cabin but the vinyl does nothing. Birds landing on the roof will set it off. I even thought of lining the roof with laminated tinfoil between the vinyl top and inside cloth. I've gotten fed up and turned it down. Its still on a remote so if someone decided to have a party in my car, maybe I'll know about it.

I have a 2 way car alarm for my 01 cobra conv. It has a 2 way proximity sensor so if you get close it will chirp at you and if you stick your hand in the window it will go off. You need to set the sensitivity with the windows down or it will be to sensitive. I paid around $400 for the whole thing including install. It works good, but sometimes you get false alarms. Great peace of mind!

I have the interior field sensor (mounted under the cowl)near the shifter. At first it triggered when people walked by or when I cleaned my windows. Now it hardly works.It eats Wheaties.A good alarm installer can add it to your system. I have a Viper system

All you need is an interior motion sensor to attach to any aftermarket alarm, I have one on mine vert, well I had one. The basic concept is that when you arm the car with the top down, and then some jerk off sticks his hand in your car, your alarm goes off. Great idea, in theory, but the reality of the situation is that the motion sensors sense changes in the air, so on humid days, or days where the humidity changes rapidly, the alarm will go off! Its really frustrating, I had one on my vert for like 6 months, but I couldnt take the falsing anymore so I pulled it out. If you dont mind your car falsing all the time, then go ahead and get one, but in my opinion, dont waste the money, hey but if you want one, I have it sitting in a desk drawer, and I am more than willing to get rid of it.

Maybe I can be of help as I installed hundreds of these in convertibles -- I spent 5 years as an installer and two as a sales manager for Clifford. This type of sensor is referred to as a proximity sensor, not a motion sensor -- very different.

The key to getting reliable operation from a proximity sensor is two fold:

1. Install the sensor in an area that no metal will be above it, or immediately around it. Also, the sensor should be located in an area where nothing will ever be placed on top of it -- below the center console is NOT a good spot. My favorite location was typically inside of the armrest / lid of the center console.

2. Adjust the sensor with the windows DOWN so that it ONLY goes off when your head and shoulders enter the cabin of the vehicle. Remember, these are mass sensors -- the mass of a hand being stuck through an open window is about the same to this sensor as the mass of a semi passing on a nearby road.

I've used proximity sensors in numerous vehicles. Properly located and adjusted, they are an asset. Poorly located and mis-adjusted, they're a recipe for false alarms.