Which Cat 1 Alarm To Use?

[streetsleeper 0]

Can anyone recommend a good cat1 alarm to use. ive currently got a cobra immobiliser (cat2) and i don't know weather to stick with them or not?

Also does anyone know a decent place to get it installed in the oxford area

[Anthony 1,003]

Toad Ai606 is the one I've always used/recommended and never had any issues with them - it works, it's reliable, it's reasonably priced, and it does exactly what it says on the tin

 

Can't help you with someone to fit it though, as I've always just put them in myself given that every single "professional" alarm installation that I've seen has been very poor.

[tomcolinjones 26]

You can usualy get a certificate off a Auto electrician who has been on an alarm fitting course... if you need it as proof for insurance. He may want to check it over but wold be cheaper than getting them to fit it.

Thats what im going to do anyway, I have a man in the know

[monkee87 2]

Bit off topic, but are there any alarms that don't hack into EVERY SINGLE wire under the steering colum?

A couple of 205's I've had, I've had to remove alarms that didn't work and they've been spliced into everything. My car atm has had the alarm removed and I'm going to replace the whole dash loom with a mint one and I don't want to mess it up fitting an alarm.

 

So my question is, are there any simple alarms that only need to be spliced with a few wires? Maybe an immobilizer would be better as I don't need RCL as my factory fitted RCL works brilliantly. I also need it thatcham approved for insurance..

[Anthony 1,003]

Bit off topic, but are there any alarms that don't hack into EVERY SINGLE wire under the steering colum?

A couple of 205's I've had, I've had to remove alarms that didn't work and they've been spliced into everything. My car atm has had the alarm removed and I'm going to replace the whole dash loom with a mint one and I don't want to mess it up fitting an alarm.

 

So my question is, are there any simple alarms that only need to be spliced with a few wires? Maybe an immobilizer would be better as I don't need RCL as my factory fitted RCL works brilliantly. I also need it thatcham approved for insurance..

See my previous comments about monkey alarm installers doing anything but a professional job - everything spliced into near the steering column is a sure sign of a lazy installation, and isn't particularly hard to bypass either and get the car started. Usually they'll have bodged it with scotchlock connectors or just twisting bare wires together as well....

 

An immobiliser needs less wires than an alarm as a general rule - a typical CAT2 immobiliser will have a couple of earth's, a permanent 12v feed, an ignition 12v feed, and two immobilisation circuits (typically starter and fuel pump). With a typical CAT1 alarm, you can add the door open switch, some wiring for the central locking, couple of wires to the indicators (so they flash when arming/disarming) and then additional wiring for the boot and bonnet switches and ultrasonics

[monkee87 2]

An immobiliser needs less wires than an alarm as a general rule - a typical CAT2 immobiliser will have a couple of earth's, a permanent 12v feed, an ignition 12v feed, and two immobilisation circuits (typically starter and fuel pump). With a typical CAT1 alarm, you can add the door open switch, some wiring for the central locking, couple of wires to the indicators (so they flash when arming/disarming) and then additional wiring for the boot and bonnet switches and ultrasonics

 

Hmm, maybe an immobilizer would be better. The less wires the better, I HATE mess. Only need something to make the insurance company happy, don't need anything to do the central locking as I have the factory fitted remote that works fine. Flashing indicators would be nice though!