Anyone recommend a decent alarm system? (1 Viewer)

[gozomike]

It would seem that Strikeback from Vanbitz is the alarm to go for, but how do i get from the midlands to have it fitted before i get insurance for a new van . When my insurance company stipulate an alarm must be fitted to get insurance.

I agree with Eddie, mine gave 28 days to have it fitted. They also suggested a Vanbitz alarm as the best.

 

[Sandancers]

I'm looking to build my own alarm system, possibly based around a Raspberry Pi and as someone has said, it's more likely that a thief will break into the MH to steal belongings than attempt to nick whole vehicle.

Our MH has an immobiliser anyway, so really only need to consider detecting the thief before he/she gets into the vehicle or once inside the vehicle. But thinking about the flow chart for protection, I recon it'll look something like this;

So first, I'd want to deter the thief from attempting to enter, I could have flashing led's on every window, but that means running wires to every window or changing batteries quite often in the units. Not sure on this yet.

But assuming the thief is not deterred you next want perimeter protection which sets off an alarm when a door / locker / window is opened (the extent of opening could be important). Using switches means perimeter protection should be relatively free from false alarms. But esp. with windows your back to the running wires / changing batteries problem.

If you don't want to run lots of wires to windows etc. now your looking at space protection. ie using some means to detect a person moving around within the space of the vehicle. I know that ultrasonics are used a lot in car alarms, but they struggle with the larger space within a MH and they can give false alarms due to heat current rising or circulating within the MH. Microwave radar can be used, some emitter / detector units have limited ability to see "thro" some plastics so can be hidden behind the dash etc. But back in the day when we were experimenting with them we found that microwave units tended to "remember" the area they covered. Which means that if you moved a seat round, before setting the alarm then armed it, the microwave unit might see the chair in a different position and then alarm. Maybe new units don't suffer from this.

The one thing I have not seen, but think I will use is infra-red detector beams. If you think about it, in the average MH there is usually only a small area where you can walk without climbing on chairs etc. So if you had a hidden infra-red emitter and the beam was bounced by a couple of discreet reflectors to an infra-red detector then an intruder is bound to break one of the beams (unless he's Tom Cruise, who has had lots of practice in getting thro them). The beams would not suffer from "memory" or heat currents.

Other parts of the alarms are of course loudness, how long the alarm sounds for, day / night settings etc.

 

[golly]

It would seem that Strikeback from Vanbitz is the alarm to go for, but how do i get from the midlands to have it fitted before i get insurance for a new van . When my insurance company stipulate an alarm must be fitted to get insurance.

My insurer gave me 28 days to get it fitted, if I couldn't get it by then just had to phone and pay excess, however Eddie was able to fit me in. I made a 700 mile round trip to have it, and a solar panel fitted by Vanbitz, thats how much I rate them. Do what I did and make it part of your first trip away in the new van.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Leltel]

We had the 'Growler' fitted at Vanbitz, just spent a week in France feeling very secure, very loud when it goes off and our own disco lights at night

 

[TheDogMan]

I have always taken the view when buying caravans and now the same with my Moho that I don't want anyone taking what I have worked hard for so when buying I have always taken the cost security in account when budgeting, I did not know about Vanbitz then but with all the good comments I would have used him, BUT , I have a thatcham alarm linked to a tracker fitted with door contacts inc the garage doors and movement sensors in the cab & hab area, oh and a nice bright blue flashing light in cab when set. its peace of mind and I also get a good discount for alarm and a bigger one for the Phantom tracker.

 

[phil bobin]

cobra cat i most insurers want this

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nethernut]

We had a Cobra alarm system fitted, Cat 1 cost about £350. Did get a discount on our insurance but more for piece of mind after being robbed last year. We've also got "lock em outs" on all the windows so they can't be opened from the outside.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

It would seem that Strikeback from Vanbitz is the alarm to go for, but how do i get from the midlands to have it fitted before i get insurance for a new van . When my insurance company stipulate an alarm must be fitted to get insurance.

My insurers stipulated a tracker as well. Once I had a date booked with Vanbitz I let the insurers know and they were fine with it for the intervening period.

 

[kelv]

After reading this and only having a tracker fitted it did not cross my mind about someone breaking in
rang vanbitz today and booked in my pride and joy for a strike back alarm to be fitted

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[FJmike]

On our last van we had a Sigma alarm which was a complete pain in the bum. False alarms, contacts falling apart etc. S o when we bought the Pilote it was a no brainer to get a Strikeback, that was seven years ago in which time I have had to phone Eddie twice. the first time an external led failed and Eddie talked me through the diagnosis on the phone. The second time was last year (alarm now six years old) when I was having problems setting and cancelling the alarm due to a neighbour having some dodgy electrical senders blocking the signal. Mrs Eddie looked up my installation and told me the where the unit was fitted so that I could get the remote near it when suffering the interference.