 The Hotronics MBD-150 is a...  The Hotronics MBD-150 is a latching-type relay master shutoff switch. Mounted anywhere in the positive battery cable between the battery and the starter solenoid, the mini toggle activation switch is installed in a hidden location. Once on or off, the MBD-150 needs no power to stay engaged. |  Along with a host of other...  Along with a host of other alarms, AutoLoc offers the STRS9950. Full of sophisticated features like code-learning technology, it works even if power is ever disconnected. Using technology developed for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile, this system has fully adjustable shock sensors, Fuzzy Logic Programming, "warn first" mode, and six zones of protection. |  Generally car alarms are ignored;...  Generally car alarms are ignored; the only one that pays any attention is the car owner, but what if you're too far away to hear it. Alarms should include a key fob or other device that notifies you when your car's alarm is going off. |
 Based on the theory that if...  Based on the theory that if they can't drive it, they won't steal it, Flaming River offers the Wheel Popper, a combination steering wheel adapter/quick-release adapter. It's designed to fit Flaming River and GM columns and steering wheels with a 5-, 6-, or 9-bolt pattern. |  With the steering wheel removed,...  With the steering wheel removed, the Flaming River Wheel Popper cover is installed. For security it uses hardened steel pins and a hardened steel locking mechanisms. |  Tire Deflators do just that--they...  Tire Deflators do just that--they let the air out of tires to leave a thief stranded. Locked in place, any attempt to remove it without the key will destroy the valve stem and flatten the tire. |
 When Tire Deflators are removed,...  When Tire Deflators are removed, the included caps can be put in place over the adapters. | | |
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Richard Biscevic has been in the automobile security business for some time, so we asked him to make some comments on the subject. Here are his sobering observations:
For the most part, alarms are very easy to defeat. What I'm going to tell you is stuff car thieves already know, but your readers may not. All car alarms use the switch in the doorjamb (the one that turns the interior light on). When the thief opens the door and the alarm goes off, they can just break the door switch, close the door and leave. The owner comes out, sees nothing is wrong with the car, and resets the alarm. The thief comes back later, opens the car door, and because the switch is broken, no alarm. It's that simple!
If the car is equipped with a motion sensor, sometimes a thief will set the alarm off and then hide repeatedly. Each time the owner comes out and sees nothing is wrong with the car. The owner is eventually worn down, and thinking something is wrong with the alarm, turns it off. The thief is then free to hotwire the car and drive away.
A real weakness of most alarms is that their wires are usually exposed. A skilled thief will find the main alarm unit and simply clip the wires. (I've heard stories from customers about thieves breaking into the car to steal the alarm module advertised on their window!) And we haven't even talked about code grabbers that are readily available on the Internet!
So, how about tracking devices? GPS-based systems require the antenna be exposed to the sky; in other words, they cannot be mounted under metal. Without the antenna, the satellite cannot see the car. This makes these systems vulnerable to simply having the GPS antenna broken off. For OEM-installed systems, this is an obvious task as the antenna is mounted clearly on the leading or trailing edge of the roof. Other systems mount in "hidden" locations, but they all must be exposed to the sky, and therefore their hiding places are limited. In any case, without an antenna, a GPS-based tracking system is ineffective; it can't "see" the car.
Then there are the radio-based systems used by police. They require time to locate your car; in heavily populated areas, it could take hours or days to find your car, or what's left of it. And if the thief has parked the car in an underground garage, a thickly walled structure, or shipping container, odds are the radio waves will not be able to penetrate it. Just like your cell phone--if you don't have a signal where you are, odds are that a radio-based system won't work where you are either.
Finally there are locking bars that attach to the steering wheel, or in some cases the steering wheel and the brake pedal. While these will slow down an amateur, a pro will simply spray it with refrigerant, which makes the hardened steel brittle, then a sharp hammer blow will literally shatter the lock mechanism. Of course a more straightforward approach is to simply cut the steering wheel with bolt cutters and toss the lock away.