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choosing an alarmPrinted From: the12volt.comForum Name: Car Security and Convenience Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc. URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=43837 Printed Date: May 19, 2024 at 10:07 AM Topic: choosing an alarm Posted By: porteeab Subject: choosing an alarm Date Posted: November 26, 2004 at 4:04 PM Never installed, purchased or used an alarm... looking for advice.
The big three electronic stores in my area are offering the following "top shelf" models. DEI Python 881XP $499 installed Code Alarm 645 $390.98 installed Viper 791xvr $473 installed I'm pretty certain the 791 and 881 are identical in function. both coming from DEI. I did a quick search on Code Alarm and am not impressed with my initial findings. Audiovox has never been a name of quality IMHO. Any recommendation or input would be appreciated. I'm looking for remote start, quality security, and keyless entry. Going in a '97 Ford Crown Vic. ------------- 4 cylinders and two tires Replies: Posted By: pken Date Posted: November 26, 2004 at 5:09 PM Hi there, I used CompuStar for five years now, and it's still working great. I just recently bought two new sets: CompuStar 2WSSR (for myself) and 2W900FMR (for my uncle). The 2WSSR range is remarkably awsome (up to 6000 ft in open field or half of that in residential area). I really love it. Their technical support isnt great. No wonder why I still have problem installing 2W900FMR on my uncle's car (Hyundai Elantra 02) lol :-) My brother rather got Commando FM870T, now he complains about not being able to start his car as close as 200 ft away. The plastic encasement looks cheap, bulky, and the back led doesnt turn on unless you press and hold a button for couple of seconds (which is very inconvenience). For my car, i have to unlock the driver's door first before i can remote start my car (otherwise the factory car alarm will go off). Compustar has this option just right for my car: it'll briefly unlock the door, then start the car, and finally lock the door -- all automatically (so i dont have to press a button to unlock the door, press another button to start the car, and then press a button again to lock the door). I dont know if CompuStar (https://www.compustar.org) and Magicar (https://www.magicar.com/main.htm) are the same company (their products look identical). If you really want a high-end remote car starter, a South Korean company called Kopel makes the best (in my opinion). I got a price quote directly from the company (https://www.kprokorea.com/p1-kr7000.htm) for $250 (shipping included). I'm not sure if it's legal to use in U.S -- the range is over 6 miles :-) Posted By: pken Date Posted: November 26, 2004 at 6:42 PM Here's a closer look of Kopel remote starter. It's in Korean language, and i dont know what they say, but the pictures can tell me something about it. When you get there, just scroll all the way down, and you'll see the remote in closer look at different angles :-) https://www.carstart.co.kr/bemarket/shop/page_cate_main.php?list_mode=L&part_code=101001001&uid=6982 Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 27, 2004 at 1:04 PM That 6 mile range sounds very cool :). I can't find mention of the company anywhere though; where did you hear about them?
I like how the remote has 'have a nice day' on it... I wonder if it displays then when your cars being stolen? ;) The stereo place down the street from me had similar prices, about $400 installed, for 2500ft ranged ones. Unfortunately I can't find anyone else who will install anytihng other than what they have in store :(. I need mroe than 2500ft range (I assume it's less than that throug walls and parking lots). Posted By: porteeab Date Posted: November 27, 2004 at 2:32 PM Again,
wondering if anyone can comment on these specific models or installed prices. Thanks ------------- 4 cylinders and two tires Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 27, 2004 at 7:11 PM Sorry, I have no idea on any of them really. I assume you've googled them?
I know audivox is a cheaper offering, and I know myself I'd never buy any audiovx product, everything I've bought fom them has been junk. DEI and Viper are different brands of what appears to be the same OEM remote, but they aren't the same company to my knowledge, they are each seperate companies with seperate customer support, who just re-sell the same rmeote system, so I would research it and find which one has better support. I've been looking at asianwolf alarms. I don't know much except his site has been around for years, and he also resells DEI alarms. He has some prety cool ones and all of his (I don't know abou the DEI though) use a standard wiring harness so they can be upgraded or repalced easily. Posted By: IMAGE6902 Date Posted: November 27, 2004 at 10:53 PM If you want a good remote start/alarm combo, check out the Ultrastart 4560 fm 2way. for the money, this is the best bang for the buck. ultrastarters.com has a listing of authorized installers to hook you up. it has a few cool features that i'm pretty sure most units don't, but they're options you'll actually use. temporary shock sensor/aux sensor bypass through remote...shock sensor programming through remote. very nice if using a proximity sensor but don't want it armed all the time. it goes for close to what the dei pieces go for installed, but makes for a cleaner install because all relays are on board. ------------- I tell it like it is... Posted By: forbidden Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 2:03 AM Compustar is the way to go, it is a solid piece of gear that was desinged and built by guys in Alaska that are now based in Seatle. They are an installers friend and as a dealer fr many years, the tech support for a dealer is outflippinstanding. As I am a Canadian and most of the guys that install these things in this area of the forum are Canadian (or so it seems) our pricing on equipment and install is totally different than what you would expect to pay in the US. Find a good installer, this is the key to a bunch of spaghetti firetrap or a proper install. Anyone can quote a price, but you get what you pay for.
------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me. Posted By: porteeab Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 10:32 AM Alright guys, thanks for your time.
------------- 4 cylinders and two tires Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 11:05 AM I can't find a dealer who sells compustar; their website doesn't list them, they want you to email or call... ><. I've heard they don't have good tech support from about 4 people as well... but they seem to have some unique (and nice) features. I guess if I can find a dealer to install it and not have ot deal with their tech supporti t might be ok.
Here's the one I'm probably going to get, just for the features (add ons include a siren you can put mp3's on to make your own siren noise, and a camera that sends pictures to your remote if your alarm goes off): https://www.asianwolf.com/5100rs/8000RS_Deluxe.html As for the kopel, it is really tempting me, because of the 6 mile range (but don't tell the FCC!). Has anyone ever dealt with the company or better yet installed/used one? Where did you email them, pken? I can't find an email address in the page, it keeps trying to make all the characters Japanese (have the language set on here) and everything get's scrambled up ><. Or is there a dealer in the US/Canada? Posted By: rudbwoy69camaro Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 12:32 PM TriOptimum wrote: That range is insane. TriOptimum wrote: '2500 ?!? That's almost half a mile. It's all about the install. Going to the mall, watching a movie? Trippin too much. ------------- Posted By: pken Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 12:46 PM Hi TriOptimum, If you want to install it by yourself, get it from ebay. CompuStar 2W900FM (3000ft range) sold at ebay for $200. This creature looks a lot nicer and has more options than CompuStar 2WSSR (6000ft range). I dont know if https://www.compustar.org and https://www.magicar.com/main.htm are the same company, many of their products look identical. Here are the differences between 2W900FM and 2WSSR remote transmitter (the CPU brain is exactly the same): 2W900FM: up to 3000ft (open field). 2WSSR: up 6000ft (open field) I found a bug in 2WSSR, and it's a serious one. If someone knocks on the RPS to page you while the remote is in vibration mode, the manual tells you to press any button to turn it off. But if you press button I, it's not only turn off the RPS, but it also unlocks the door too (which is not good). Anyway, here is the email to Kopel: sean@kprokorea.com. They are very nice and fast. I emailed them at 9:25PM (U.S eastern time), and i got back on 9:27PM. Enjoy shopping Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 1:59 PM 2500ft is their range 'in an open field' usually, but when your in a parking lot, or walking in to a mall, that range isn’t going to make it nearly as far. Ideally 2500ft is fine, but the real range is probably within sight of the car if your in a parking lot. If anyone has any advice or experience to prove me wrong please speak up, this is mostly speculation from me :).
All I need it to do is reach about a half a mile to a mile through a building so I don't have to worry about it during the day. I know for sure that 6 mile remote would make it (unless they are just plain lying), but I don't know for sure about a 2500ft one. Thanks for the specs and info pken. I'll let you guys know what I decide on. I don't think I'm going to do the install myself (just to make sure it works right - anytihng I do takes ripping the dash out at least 4 times to work perfect ^^), so I need to find a retailer or someone around here (nobody on the installer database here near me got back to me yet, but I'll give it a week). I'm thinking best buy, circuit city, or hhgregg might be able to do it. ------------- 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo (Black) LED ground/interior lighting TomTom GO GPS hardwired In car 80gb divx/dvd, 7" screen Orbis Audio carbon fiber orb woofer iPod Color 40gb hardwired w/Sony headunit Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 2:02 PM BTW, I found KPro's english website for the alarm (with enlgish diagrams and manual):
https://www.kprokorea.com/p1-kr7000.htm ------------- 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo (Black) LED ground/interior lighting TomTom GO GPS hardwired In car 80gb divx/dvd, 7" screen Orbis Audio carbon fiber orb woofer iPod Color 40gb hardwired w/Sony headunit Posted By: forbidden Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 2:31 PM The 2wssr I do not think is in production any longer or if it is it will be soon phased out. The 2w8000fmas or 2w900fmas are both stellar units. I do more work with the former as our local distributor does not bring in the 900 model. Jeff brings in the 900 model as his local distributor does not bring in the 8000 model (Jeff will correct if I am wrong). I have a 2wfm model in my own F350 and the range on it is almost 1.5km, in some cases more and I am not talking about parking lots or open fields. I am talking about my vehicle is at my store (a strip mall) and I can start it from out of the line of sight or from with Walmart's big metal and concrete coffin that is a good 10 minute walk from here. The new models that we are talking about are not on the website yet I do not think. Compustar does manufacture these alarms with different brand names as well, feature content is very very close on them as well. Again Compustar tech support is great if you are a dealer, these starters and most starters in general should always be installed by a qualified installer, even we sometimes have install issues with them and that is the real reason why tech support is there.
------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me. Posted By: giggy3 Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 2:46 PM I have an Ultra Start 4500M and I installed this myself. Ultra start has great support if you have time to wait to talk to one of them and if you email them they will give you a wire diagram on how to hook up there alarm to your car with pics. Also DEI is the manufactuer that makes the alrams such alrams like Ultra Start, Viper, Clifford, Prestige, audiovox. So it really doesnt matter what brand you buy as long as it is DEI you will get a great alarm/starter. My dad had a Compustar for 6 months and it blew fuses and really messed up his car and compustar would not fix or replace it and the support for them really stinks
------------- Thanks Dave Posted By: forbidden Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 3:33 PM A manufacturer can choose to warranty a product at any point in time. Compustar has a lifetime warranty. If a compustar was blowing fuses and really messed up his car, it was install related and not product related. If all of these brains are made on the same assembly line, with the same parts and the same predicatbility, I predict that based on your post, that all the other compustar's made are going to blow fuses and mess up everyones vehicles who have them. Again a Compustar is a advanced remote start alarm system that even us pro's find that we have issues with. Now giggy3, if you were compustar and you built these products you would provide a warranty. It is made very clear to use dealers that if it is dealer installed it is a lifetime warranty, if it is self installed you are on your own. If this was dealer installed then the onus is on the dealer to solve the issue. If it is self installed the onus is on the person that installed it and not the guy that made it. Some people have the ability to trudge through a remote starter install, especially with help from forums like this, matter of fact there was a fellow who just posted to say thanks for the help, it took me 11 hours to do one and 13 hours to do the other. If you were a paying customer do you have any idea how much this would cost? Tech support is available from all companies and whilst DEI might have good tech support for you, they are the same for me, while tech support from Compustar may suck for you as you are not a authorized installer of their products, they are stellar for me as a authorized dealer and installer. Like I said originally, it is all about the install. There are alot of good alarm / starters on the market, but to blatently say that since one company makes brands a -p they are great but since they do not make brands q - z is not a good comparison at all. I have DEI products available to me for sale as well, I go with what is best for the customer and not what is best for my back pocket. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me. Posted By: pken Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 4:11 PM Hi Forbidden, I agreed with your points. but i'm not sure if CompuStar is a real company or simply a branch of another company. Magicar (https://www.magicar.com) born in 1993, CompuStar (https://www.compustar.org) on the other hand born in 1998. Magicar launched 900Mhz spread spectrum in 2002, same year as CompuStar's claim. Antenna, brain, remote, option programmer, accessaries, etc. are all look identical. By looking at Magicar company profile, i think Magicar is more a real company than CompuStar. About CompuStar (https://www.compustar.org/aboutus/), about Magicar (https://www.magicar.com/youngshin_English/ys_01/who1-2.htm). Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 5:45 PM I would think CompuStar is the US distributor of the product then... in any case, they don't have a list of authorized dealers, and so far haven't answered my emails on where to find one. If you just have an installer (not authorized) do it your out of warranty, and I doubt the instalelr will care if it breaks a few months later unless your willing to hand some more cash out. To have the warranty you probably (correct me if I'm wrong) have to buy and install at an authorized dealer.
I disagree on tech support though. Unless they say right on their site and product packaging they won't provide install support, then they should, even if they say your out of warranty if you do it yourself (out of warranty doesn't mean 'out of tech support'). And from what I hear, even if you have an authorized dealer install it, and it malfunctions later, CompuStar don't care very much, which isn't right either; so you'd better make sure you have a real good dealer/installer. Oh well. This is why we make our own decisions on what brand to buy and where ;). I'm going to go for the Kopel/KPro 7000 model for the range though, just to be safe. It's suck to spend 1/2k on one of these and not have it work well. ------------- 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo (Black) LED ground/interior lighting TomTom GO GPS hardwired In car 80gb divx/dvd, 7" screen Orbis Audio carbon fiber orb woofer iPod Color 40gb hardwired w/Sony headunit Posted By: giggy3 Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 8:16 PM I guess I should have also said that it was installed at an authorized dealer and compustar still would not do any thing. Well anyways I thought I should say that my ultra start had problems with the key fob or the brain and Ultra start fix the problem for me and I installed it myself and I am not a dealer. Also I do put in start for friends or who ever will pay me and I do what everbrand they think is right for them. Although I do an influnce on what to stay away from like compustar
------------- Thanks Dave Posted By: Velocity Motors Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 10:55 PM Compustar is distributed by Firstech Inc. out of Washington State, USA. They are infact the primary distribution center for North America for Compustar brand. The units are manufactured in Korea for Firstech to sell as the Compustar brand. Unlike the Magicar, Compustar has it's tech support team, sales and warranty all in the USA, while Magicar is from Korea and has a handfull of dealer's in the USA that carry this brand and some knock offs called FAI Magicar. BTW giggy3, please ensure that you have all the right information before posting. You mentioned that DEI makes Ultra Start, Viper, Clifford, Prestige, audiovox.... Well, 2 out of the 5 are DEI. Ultra Start is made by If your dad had problems with a Compustar 6 months after the installation, then the installation shop that he had it installed at should have either taken out the unit and refunded the money back to him or tried another brand of remote starter. If it was infact the installer that didn't know what they were doing then it can't be the fault of the unit, rather the installer. I'm not trying to make excuses for Compustar and I'm not trying to bash Ultra Start or DEI, what I am saying is that you can have the best system in the world where there's 100% fail free product but if the installer is not capable of installing the system properly then you have junk. ------------- Jeff Velocity Custom Home Theater Mobile Audio/Video Specialist Morden, Manitoba CANADA Posted By: rudbwoy69camaro Date Posted: November 28, 2004 at 11:37 PM TriOptimum wrote: The range that you want, you've got to be joking. You'd have to be in Montana, at your farm in Whitlash. The vehicle is parked at the house 3/4 mile away from the barn. Open field, no buildings or any other tall structures, maybe that grain silo or water tower. Maybe you'd get that range then. You live in the city. As posted in sounddomain.com Tips on how to prevent thieves from stealing your stereo equipment: ------------- Posted By: TriOptimum Date Posted: November 29, 2004 at 8:45 PM Yeah, my ipod and stereo faceplate go with me out of the car. The GPS isn't going anywhere, it might get torn out in 2 pieces, but it's not leaving :P. The only thing that worries me is the woofer, but it doesn't even look like a woofer so it should be safe.
The Korean company Kopel (KPro) has the KR-7700 (replaces the KR-7000) 6 mile range model, they assure me it will reach a mile in the city through buildings easy. I ordered one for $120 and $40 shipping (airmail). They don't have a distributor in the US so the prices are dirt cheap if you can do a bank transfer, and the range isn't limited by the FCC :D. Rudbwoy... good luck with your thievery, you seem to know what your doing ;). ------------- 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo (Black) LED ground/interior lighting TomTom GO GPS hardwired In car 80gb divx/dvd, 7" screen Orbis Audio carbon fiber orb woofer iPod Color 40gb hardwired w/Sony headunit |
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