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

And come up with a Cheap-Ass alarm. I d You need an engine disabler. Alarms just disturb others. _______________________________________________

You could install an engine enabler. Insert a normally open pushbutton switch in the line from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid. Mount the new switch in some inconspicuous place such as under the dash.

You will have to press the pushbutton while turning the key to the start position to start the car. Unless a car thief knows about the pushbutton, he can't start the car by breaking the key lock. He can't even start the car if you leave the keys in the ignition.

Good luck.

Rodan.

They didn't try to steal the car, they took my XM receiver.

I want something that makes noise, but doesn't trigger falsely.

So I can run out with my baseball bat...

Plus, it will take care of any mice that get inside.

Maybe some sort of home alarm.Something like those little magnetic gadgets that can send a wireless alarm if a window or door is opened.Might be applicable for your vehicle. cuhulin

But don't make the mistake of bringing a baseball bat to a gunfight.

Oh, yeah! I know that!

If these guys have guns, they're even dumber than I thought...

Considering the low incidence of Mensa members, National Merit Scholars, and successful, moderately bright folks who earn enough money to buy what they desire rather than steal it from parked cars, I would hold that thought if I were you!

If they have guns for petty larceny, they're toast. We have tough gun laws here, and they'll go up a long time.

Hope the few hundred dollars they boost is worth the time. They've already busted into the next door neighbor of a State Cop...he only parks his cruiser outside his house 3-4 times a week...

Hmmm....what were you saying about a dearth of Mensa members...? ;)

Install a "trip" wire and run it up to your bedroom and tie the other end to your big toe. Keep the Glock handy, it will be a lot more effective than a crappy ol' bat...

JT

Newfies note: this is NOT a cure for squeaks.

Hey! I like how this guy thinks!

Where's Scott?

Isn't putting an alarm on a Mazda more like bringing a bazooka to a shoving match? :-)

Sorry, couldn't resist the temptation.

Look for Motion Sensor Burglar Alarms for Cars.

They can help protect your home too. cuhulin

All I've read so far are questions about how the car owner would switch an unidentified alarm system off and on. Since you are not buying an off-the-shelf alarm what kind of alarm system are you proposing. And more importantly how will the alarm be triggered by a potential intruder.

I fondly remember back in the 1960's when my roomate bought a Honda 90 and was worried that someone might steal it. He actually did that for a couple of nights though there was no Glock available. (Provided service revolvers were locked away to prevent mischief). Quite a feat considering that we lived on the third floor of a high rise...

JT

(Yep, the ol' Army days in DC)

Like I said in another post, I don't think they're after cars, they're after wallets, electronics, etc. They've been into almost 100 cars in the last three months.

I want to hear it so I can have them meet my Louisville Slugger...

Is that a wooden baseball bat or aluminum? cuhulin

It ain't the car I'm worried about...it was $150 (but it is a NICE car!)

I'm more worried about the JVC MP3 player and my *new* XM Receiver!

Why not just have a scr trigger from the interior light? The scr will switch the horn relay to ground. Door opens, light switch fires SCR, horn blows until someone turns off the hidden (under dashboard or seat) switch, which breaks the circuit to SCR. You could use a capacitor to give you a few seconds to leave or enter the car. After thinking about it, you may have to use a transistor to invert the signal from the door switch. You could set up your delay with the capacitor, resistor, to wait 10 or so seconds before firing the transistor, which would then set the scr. Back in the 70's when the price of gas was rocketing, people stealing gas from your car at night became a common occurance. I thought about attaching a small magnetic reed switch to the gas cap cover that would do the same thing. Just never got around to doing it. One guy I know wired a 120 volt hot wire to the frame of his car. I wouldnt recommend doing this though, it could kill someone and give you a manslaughter charge. (I know, it shouldnt be against the law to kill a thief, but it is.)