Cheap Theft Deterrent
Posted: September 6th, 2020, 11:03 am
I live in LA and have to park my baby on the street behind my building. Even though I live in a "good" neighborhood, there has been a wave of thefts happening (bikes, catalytic converters etc). So I wanted to share something I found that I think will be effective and was cheap and easy to get up and running. I wanted to have some kind of warning sound when someone was too close to the Chinook, specifically to the back entrance. Just to let them know the vehicle "sees" them. So I found this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FC ... UTF8&psc=1
It is made for store entry alerts, but you can record any sound on to it. So I recorded the "chirp" from my car alarm.
It took some testing to find the right placement for it, as I didn't want it to chirp when people were simply walking their dogs or cars passing, it's a tough balance because I want security but I don't want to be a nuisance to my neighbors. So after some testing I found this to be the ideal spot:
I did have to cover half the sensor in electrical tape to make sure it only detects what's in front of it and not behind. But now it is incredibly effective. It never chirps when you walk around the vehicle. But if you walk up to the step, or step up on it, you hear a nice chirp.
I put a piece of velcro down so I can detach and reattach easily before/after driving.
I know it's far from a guarantee, but I do know this neighborhood is full of opportunists, not professionals, and this might just be enough to signal them to move on. Either way, worth $25 for the peace of mind in my opinion. Just thought I pass along!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FC ... UTF8&psc=1
It is made for store entry alerts, but you can record any sound on to it. So I recorded the "chirp" from my car alarm.
It took some testing to find the right placement for it, as I didn't want it to chirp when people were simply walking their dogs or cars passing, it's a tough balance because I want security but I don't want to be a nuisance to my neighbors. So after some testing I found this to be the ideal spot:
I put a piece of velcro down so I can detach and reattach easily before/after driving.
I know it's far from a guarantee, but I do know this neighborhood is full of opportunists, not professionals, and this might just be enough to signal them to move on. Either way, worth $25 for the peace of mind in my opinion. Just thought I pass along!