Boat Alarm

Have any of you installed boat alarms to protect your equipment? Last year we have vests and a board stollen while camping, and this year my boat will some nice stereo equipment. I found this link, http://www.canvassnapalarm.com/index_files/ProductInfo.htm. It looks like it do the job just fine, but the problem is, the remote arm swith is another $100, plus the pressure sensitve pad (that I would hide underneath the snap in carpet)is another $100... making the total around $400. Anybody do anything cheaper and equally as good?

The cheapest alternative would be to lock the sub to the floor and lock the observer seat closed... neither of which are "standard equipment"

UJ

I got my alarm installed at Anthony's in Orangeville,CA (Sacramento). I have a proximity sensor, and pin switches, shock sensor, along with a remote start(didnt hook up)and alerting remote for less then $400 installed.

UJ,

I have been thinking about an alarm system for my new boat. Magnetic window or door switches under the swim platform might work. We would need to sew in some magnetic tape into the cover in the area over the switch. You can probably get a seatbelt sensor from the base of a car seat from the junkyard to use under the carpet. These items in conjunction with a cheap remote alarm should do the trick.

Thanks guys,

I like the pressure sensative pad idea vs. the shock sensor because I often leave the boat in the water when we camp and the waves might set off the shock sensor. The pad idea will go off only when someone steps on the floor. The magnet idea would work well to safe gaurd the observer seat area and removal of the sub.

What I am usure about is how to integrate any of the sensor ideas with a remote car alarm system.

I'm with mikeski's idea. Have magnets on the boat, maybe theres a way to hide them ? Then have the opposing type deal on the cover and have these spread out along the edge of the cover..when the covers pull off it would alarm, then have a remote to turn it off like a car, so you yourself can take the cover off.

pretty much sim to my prox, if you put your hand in the boat it will go off, but you can walk beside it all day, the pin swtiches are installed in the compartment, simply lift and they go off, why so I can turn off the prox (or shock sensor)if needed and just relay on the pins...

Kenny, Is this place Anthony's a Car Alarm place?

I know nothing about alarms, but offer this advice: DON'T LOCK anything in your boat that you can take with you--you'll just have more to fix/replace when the theft is done. Boat locks and lockable trunks are a joke to thieves. Leave them empty and unlocked!

yep off of greenback, ask for tony and tell him you want what he did to my boat(Kenny with the Navy), I agree it wont stop thieves, nothing will, but my Smith and Wesson, but with the remote telling me if my alarm is going off atleast I have a chance to give a free ---kicking

Just my opinion but it seems to me that car alarms don't even work very well on cars and provide constant false alarms. No one pays attention to sounding car alarms for this reason. Why would anyone want to put a $11 (wholesale) Chinese built car alarm on an expensive boat when there are marine alternatives??

For an alarm I'd buy a whelen undercover siren unit. Then hook it up so when your alarm goes off it plays a LOUD police siren, I dunno about you but when I hear a police siren I look to see where it's coming from.

A thief's worst enemy is noise and light. The Whelen idea is good but here's a better idea and it includes the marine alarm system....

http://www.voicealarm.com

I have a prox sensor (radar/microwave?) and a mag switch on the stereo compartment/seatback. The prox sensor is great, and sensitivity can be adjusted. Similar to what Ghostrider said, all I have to do is wave a hand over the boat and it is detected. I feel it works very well. I do remove my tower speakers and stereo face when parked at home. I do not leave boards or anything expensive in the boat, and have not camped, etc. I paid about $350.

Buzz, you got a great deal if you have a prox sensor that detects your hand. The prox is a big capacitor so it can detect non metallic objects(incase you were wondering) I have been toying with the idea of putting a remote starter/alarm on my boat, but using a rain sensor on the hull so it has to be in the water to start. But I don't know if I like the idea of not being in the boat when it starts.

I used to install alarms in boats all the time. They are pretty basic in terms of what you can and cant do with them. If you want to protect the compartments all you really need are Pin switches. The only way a pin switch can false is if it is broken. They are very simple. They are also very cheap, any stereo shop will sell them to you for about $5 each. The Proximity sensors are fully adjustable and if they are set up corectly they will not travel outside of the boat which does cause them to False. Ifg you leave your boat on the water the rocking from the waves wil not set off either the Pin switchs or the Proximity sensor. Lastly I would recomend getting a couple of Piezo sirens. They are very small ( smaller than the palm of your hand and are VERY loud) If you wire 2 or more together they will create alternate pitchs since they will not be in unison when they are triggered. Believe me you will draw alot of attention to your boat if they go off. You can hook all of this up to any alarm, I just bought a clifford intelliguard 600 online for $120 which on a good day retails for over $400 so there are a ton of deals out there.

Stewart, I'm thinking about going your route but have questions about alarms and quality. I see alarms on Ebay for really cheap and proximity sensors from 20-50 bucks. Is brand very important here and any that you would recommend staying with or away from? Thanks.