OK, ladies and gentlemen, put on your Thinking Caps...

a viper.. not the car alarm, but a real life viper...

OR...the system portrayed in the opening scenes of Robocop II.

Go to K-Mart or Wal-Mart and get a cheapo alarm.

Believe it or not, this was EXACTLY what I was watching back in 1991 on HBO when my Hachiroku got stolen the first time...

I agree. Car alarms are basically ineffective, because they false constantly and so they get ignored. Even if _your_ alarm is perfect, if it goes off in the supermarket parking lot nobody will even bother to look at the car, because they are all so used to false alarms all the time.

BUT, a thirty-foot anaconda will definitely be a theft-stopping wonder, if not deterring any theft attempts in the first place. Everybody should have them. You could sell them with the slogan "Get your Honda An Anaconda." If you use that slogan, though, I want royalties.

--scott

Too bad it wasn't an option.

Why not buy those battery operated blinking LEDs that pretend to be a viper on standby. Putting a switch under the fender may have some drawbacks during winter season. I am thinking you do not like those metal bars you put on the steering wheel and brake pedals.

**Trunk monkey and a Louisville Slugger.

kaboomie

A 555 circuit is sophisticated???

You can buy time delay relays on the surplus market, but driving a regular relay directly from a capacitor takes a huge capacitor because the load resistance is so low, and time delay is proportional to R x C. I'd use a 555 or quad comparator (339?) for everything, and you should be able to make it activate automatically when you shut off the key. In Nogales, USA, vehicle fleet owners favor hidden kill switches to stop thieves from Nogales, Mexico.

Have you checked

Lots of electronics links there.

How about a Doberman? A friend of mine finds no need to even lock his van when his Doberman is in it. It won't even let me into the van without him there even though it knows that I'm ok. Nobody gets into the van unless they have either a bullet or a tranquilizer dart.

Eric

Smoke with the windows up so the inside stinks to high heaven. Oops, you do that now don't you!

I have a friend that has a pitbull/Akita mix, but he won't give her up...

Yup. I did this after I posted this post:

You know, I worked in Andover MA 27 years ago, in a building shared with Raytheon. A lot of cars there, and there was a rash of burglaries in the parking lot.

A guy I worked with who was really smart came up with a circuit very, very similar to this one. I installed it in my '80 Corolla, took an end connector from one of the units I was working on, put a key switch in it, and a plastic cap and mounted it in the fender well. It worked quite well.

That's why I had asked about a 555 CKT.

Ah, yes. The trunk monkey!!!

Too high maintenance, though. Can they be litter box trained?

Our family had Dobermans for years and they are easily bribed by food (as is just about any dawg). In fact, the last one (I swear) would point to the loot...

JT

But most people don't know that, or won't take a chance.

I have a Boxer. He sounds real tough when someone knocks on the door, and goes nuts when they ring the doorbell. But let someone in, and it's, "Give me a biscuit, and I'll show you the safe."

That said, those who don't know him are very intimidated on the other side of the door. Power perceived is power achieved.

Had it not been for my aversion to sticking ANYTHING on my Corvette, I always kinda wanted that bumper sticker "The keys to my car are on the front seat, next to my Rottweiler"

My Rotties always were partial to riding in the car. Last one I had could get into the back seat of the LeBaron convertible without opening the door or touching the side. One leap and he was there. Leave him out in the parking lot sitting in it with the top down. He'd smile at folks and they wouldn't come near or even park by my car.

He was a lover, not a fighter, but at 110 lbs nobody knew for sure.

Or wants to.

We used to own three Mastiffs. The male topped 217 pounds.

They were as gentle as kittens, but were given a wide berth when we walked them.

Well, they're neat looking and all, but take all of about 30 seconds to defeat.

If someone knows what they are doing, and really wants your car, they will have it. It might make more sense to leave the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition. That way, the kids joyriding won't bust a window and your steering column to go for a ride, and they might even think enough of you to not torch the car when they are done...