Cheap as Chinese alarm - A review

[imdying]

I assume then that this company is safe to deal with (you appear to have dealt with them before) - don't like spreading my credit card details all over the world too much. This company seems to be Hong Kong based.

Yeah, DealExtreme have been around since ages ago, can't go far wrong there.

[p.dath]

I assume then that this company is safe to deal with (you appear to have dealt with them before) - don't like spreading my credit card details all over the world too much. This company seems to be Hong Kong based.

I have never dealt with them, but I know several people who have bought things from them and reported good experiences. DealExtreme is like a distributor for lots and lots of Chinese companies. The quality of the products varies considerable.

So adopt the attitude you might have to buy three different units to get one good one and you'll probably be ok.

Maybe I'm just smarter than the average theif, but I wouldn't be nicking bikes or cars without a GPS jammer.

It's not that tiny, and I tell you what, if I were stripping your bike down, and I found something with a couple of aerials sticking out, or something obviously not OEM, it's be getting the bucket of water treatment straight away.

Don't forget most GPS jammers have a small range, often only effective for less than 5m. So if you walk away from what your stealing for a short time ...

And yeah, as I said, you really need to ask the unit for its co-ordinates shortly after it is stolen - because as you say, once it starts getting stripped down your screwed. Either that or you take the more expensive option and have the unit regularly report in its co-ordinates.

[Suntoucher]

Could just carry one around on you at all times, and once you find a bike you like, double-side tape it to the bike.

But this is besides the point, the alarm is more for the "if it moves it screams piercingly loud".

The immobiliser/remote start was just a bonus, thinking I may just leave it out, as it still reads for fluctuations in the battery and lights etc, so if they start unscrewing the battery from the unit it immediately goes off, as the reduced contact slightly reduces the current as it's being unscrewed. Takes a good 40 seconds of unscrewing before the contact from the battery is removed entirely. And if the bike is moved it goes off due to the shock sensor.

Nothing more suspicious than an alarm going off and a person with a screwdriver attempting to adjust it in the middle of a public street.

No fears about the test riding thieves as I plan to keep this until I have my full, which is quite a while away.

[ExpertoCrede]

Thanks 'imdying' & 'p.dath'.

Had a quick nosey around the site - interesting toys.

Insurance and the this transmitter might be the way to go. My experience with bike alarms have not been that great either.

[bogan]

Thanks 'imdying' & 'p.dath'.

Had a quick nosey around the site - interesting toys.

Insurance and the this transmitter might be the way to go. My experience with bike alarms have not been that great either.

One of the things I noticed with my gps, is the accuracy is not very good, if its outside on a clear day it'll be down to a few m, cloudy day in a shed and you're looking at 20-30m so it would be difficult to reliably nail down the location to a single property, so I doubt the cops would get anywhere if you provided them with the location.

[davereid]

so I doubt the cops would get anywhere if you provided them with the location.

Don't tell the cops you have spotted a stolen bike, tell the meter maid you have found an unregistered bike...

[bogan]

Don't tell the cops you have spotted a stolen bike, tell the meter maid you have found an unregistered bike...

I was thinking it'd be in a garage so don't think they could help either... though if you hooked the immobiliser up to the horn somehow it could provide the insight to narrow it down to a single property/shed

[Reckless]

I was thinking it'd be in a garage so don't think they could help either... though if you hooked the immobiliser up to the horn somehow it could provide the insight to narrow it down to a single property/shed

Jeepers Bogan I reckon if the cops couldn't knock on the two or three houses doors in 20m radius of a definite GPS fix there'd be something wrong??

Liked your review thanks mate, we are never quite sure if this cheap stuff works until someone takes the time to do us a favor and review it!! My SV1000 is a bit of a do up but I reckon a screamer disc lock and one of these is $150 bucks well spent, Its not even 1/2 a years insurance! Cheers mate!!

[bogan]

Jeepers Bogan I reckon if the cops couldn't knock on the two or three houses doors in 20m radius of a definite GPS fix there'd be something wrong??

Liked your review thanks mate, we are never quite sure if this cheap stuff works until someone takes the time to do us a favor and review it!! My SV1000 is a bit of a do up but I reckon a screamer disc lock and one of these is $150 bucks well spent, Its not even 1/2 a years insurance! Cheers mate!!

yeh, they can knock, but if its in a locked garage they don't have the power to check out suspicious ones iirc? and where I used to live the margin of error would narrow it down to bout 6 houses. Haven't got round to installing mine in my bike again, sim card has expired now too. I never got round to sorting out the power saving features so took it out as the battery is a bit old, with luck I'll have a lifepo4 battery in it soon so heaps of juice!

[imdying]

I saw a guy with a gun going into a garage on that street

[p.dath]

Takes a good 40 seconds of unscrewing before the contact from the battery is removed entirely.

Your thinking like someone who wants to service a bike so that it works afterwards - not like a criminal who wants to break it into parts quickly for re-sale.

I'll give you a race, but I'm going to use a large pair of wire cutters. I expect to have the battery lead severed within 2s.

One of the things I noticed with my gps, is the accuracy is not very good, if its outside on a clear day it'll be down to a few m, cloudy day in a shed and you're looking at 20-30m so it would be difficult to reliably nail down the location to a single property, so I doubt the cops would get anywhere if you provided them with the location.

I you can tell the cops where the ibke is within 2 or 3 houses then you don't have a problem. I'm certain they would be happy to invest the time to do a brief search.

Hell, I think you might find an external examination of the properties concerned might be enough. If they are career criminals doing this regularly then they'll have a workshop, perhaps some bikes of their own parked around, and probably a ute/truck.

[imdying]

If they are career criminals doing this regularly then they'll have a workshop, perhaps some bikes of their own parked around, and probably a ute/truck.

And there's a good chance they'll be known to them

[oracle]

Out of curiosity, wondering if this ever came to fruition? Cause you never really said if the alarm was any good or anything. Finally getting a bike that isn't a piece of shit so looking at getting one of the $25 alarms there is on trademe as my bf lives in the city now so can't lock it in a garage like I can at home

[Old Steve]

I've got a Hyosung GV250, and they are actually fitted with a factory anti-theft device.

The word HYOSUNG is printed very noticeably right across the back of the pillion seat.

I wouldn't worry about it being stolen for parts, Hyosung's parts seem pretty reasonable and they carry a comprehensive range - able to supply overnight.

[oracle]

Yeah I used to say that about my fxr, no one would steal it cause it was a piece of crap. However, I've just brought a relatively new VTR250 which is worth a signifcant deal more than the fixxer and as I will now be parking it in the city overnight I am a bit worried about it