What I'd like is something that makes it simple for me to lock up or unlock the car, and difficult for a thief to unlock/start/move/or sell it. The club seems like a big hassle, and only stops them from driving it not towing it. There is a commercial tracking product called lojack www.lojack.com that has a transmitter that is only activated by the cops, after you report your car stolen. They can track it from a police chopper. I don't think there is any coverage in my area, its mainly on the coasts. I hear a towing thief can get your car in 60 seconds. --Lawrence ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean H. Breheny" To: Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 1:30 PM Subject: Re: [PIC]: Practical car theft schemes > Hi Lawrence, > > I'm very sorry to hear about the car theft. One thing I don't understand > about this whole discussion is this: aren't passive devices like "the club" > fairly effective? Essentially, nothing is really going to STOP someone from > taking your car, but since very few people use even simple deterrents, one > would think that such a mechanical device (which, AFAIK, requires a > steering wheel cutter to deal with) would cause most thieves to pass your > car up for an easier target. > > Sean > > At 11:01 AM 10/22/01 -0500, Lawrence Lile wrote: > >Now I suppose all the usual car power supply caveats apply: Power supply > >must take a two-battery jump or a reversed battery. Pretty easy with a > >series diode, small resistor, 12 volt zener and a 7805 chip. 12 Volt > >relays, normally off (meaning the affected system is normally disabled) to > >save power when the car is not running. > > > >So I guess the thieves follow the wires to find the mechanisms. Hopefully I > >can hide the brains well enough to make them hard to locate. Powerline > >communications over car wiring sounds like nothing but trouble to me, so > >I'll have to hide the wires as best I can. Work them into a wire harness, > >maybe. > > > >Now the GPS option - I suppose this means a dedicated cell phone buried into > >the car somewhere, with a little modem .This also means I'll have to pay $$$ > >a month for a cell phone connection or account. Seeing as I don't even have > >cell phone for my hip, I don't know how much this would cost. > > > >:But say I get one of those grandma accounts that is just for emergencies, > >really cheap per month if it is not used more than a few minutes. . What > >would be a good way to activate this gps/cell phone combo? Say the operator > >of the car has to punch in a code, or activate a hidden capacitive sensor in > >the dash. If he doesn't, and the car starts moving for any reason, the cell > >phone dials my personal 800 number ( I have one). and begins sending GPS > >coordinates. I suppose I'd also need to keep the capability of using a > >modem on my home computer (all my modems are in a drawer somewhere..) or a > >quick way to send a web page........ > > > >Let's guess how much would all this cost to implement, up front and per > >month charges? Any way to do it that doesn't interface with a cell phone? > >Radios? Would the antannaes have to be sticking out of the roof? How to > >disguidse them? > > > >Another good theft control plan is to bash your car into a telephone pole, > >paint each quarter panel several clashing colors, and add a large gaudy art > >object on the roof. > >--Lawrence > > > > > > > > > >----- > > > >-- > >http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > >email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Sign Up for NetZero Platinum Today > Only $9.95 per month! > http://my.netzero.net/s/signup?r=platinum&refcd=PT97 > > -- > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body