Homebuilt Security System

[ZapWizard]

Hey folks, I just got my 2003 Mazda Protege LX, and of course want to keep it.
I am home building a security system for my car, but I wanted your feedback on it.

I plan on making the system arm using the Panic Button on the standard remote, and disarm using the unlock button
(I don't want a different remote unit)

What features would you put into a security system?


Here are my plans so far:
-Dual Zone Microwave sensor
-Dual Tone Horn (Chirp and Warble)
-Auxilary Battery
-Imobilizer
-Doors Lock on engine start, and alarm arming
-Glass Breakage sensor
-Hood Restraint (Lock)
-Door, Hood, and Truck Opening Sensors
-Auto moonroof closing, and window closing.
-LED Status Indicator
-Flash parking lights on arming
-Code disarm from outside of car
-Three chirps on system arming.

I already have the microwave sensor, and horn from a past project.
My zones will work like this:

Zone1: (Motion a few feet from car)
-Single Chirp from horn on motion detect.
-Lock status is checked, if unlocked, the alarm locks them

Zone2: (Motion within a foot of the car)
-Three Chirps
-Lock status checked again
-Window and moonroof status is checked, if open, they are closed
-Parking lights flash
-Imobilizer status is checked and armed.

Zone3: (Intrusion into car, glass breakage)
-Full Alarm
-Headlights flash
-Imobilizer status is checked and armed.

Things I may add
-Doors are locked and kept locked during alarm.
-Windows are kept up, and buttons disabled.
(Keeping whoever set off the alarm inside)

Later when I add a PC to the car, I plan on adding a GPS, and PC connected two-way pager or cell phone to keep track of the car's position.


I have read that the easiest way to detect the doors opening is to detect the interior light, but won't the illuminated entry screw this up?

 

[NoahFex]

That's a lot of security for that car...

 

[DaViper]

For the amount of work this is going to require you...just pay like $300 and have a base viper alarm system installed. You're not protecting a Bentley or anything...a base viper alarm system should do a good enough job for you and your car....why waste time on making your own which will take countless hours designing and installing?

-DaViper

 

[jersey_emt]

Hey if he wants to do it let him do it. It'd be a fun project.

I like the locking the doors and disabling all of the buttons thing...but there's one drawback. The person will have to break out the window to get out....causing more damage.

 

[LinuxRacr]

(werd) It's his project. If you can't answer his questions, then there is no reason to post unless you have constructive feedback.

 

[mcstark]

You forgot one feature:

Zone4
-Full Alarm
-Headlights flash
-Imobilizer status is checked and armed
-Doors are locked and kept locked during alarm.
-Windows are kept up, and buttons disabled
-Interior is flooded with cyanide gas
-After five minutes, sunroof and windows open

Just kidding man...go for it...if you've got the skills, use `em!!!

 

[TheJohnny]

Do it....If I knew what the hell to do I would probably be doing something like that as well. Congrats on having the melon for the job. (Brains that is).

 

[ZapWizard]

-Interior is flooded with cyanide gas
-After five minutes, sunroof and windows open

I like...
A friend also suggested a tazer built into the seat would be good too.

I am building it my self as it is a fun project to me.
I build do-it-yourself electronics as a hobbie.
(Check my website in my sig)

In all the project would cost me much less then $300 too.

 

[mcstark]

They actually install flamethrowers under the driverside rocker panels in South Africa. It's to protect against car-jackers. Obviously not offered in the sue-happy USA.

 

[parks853]

Dont forget to disable the engine. that way if someone breaks in atleast they cant drive away. there is a how to: on trimming down the door locks. it makes them flush with the top of the door when they are locked. they may help you out some. I know it is possible to pull up on the lock from the top of the door by prying it out.

 

[turboenvy]

That sounds like a fun project. I hooked my alarm up to the door triggers buy tapping into the existing door triggers, not the dome light. Just rip up the plastic jam thingy inside any of the doors and there it is. I think its a black wire with a blue stripe. Just unscrew one of your door triggers and pull it out to make sure. It shows ground when any door opens. I isolated the hatch trigger on my P5 form the door triggers with some diodes.
Have fun!!
I've often thought of using the auxilery on my alarm to roll up the windows, sounds like it would kick butt.

 

[turboenvy]

Oh yea, a nice feature I have that I don't think I saw in your list is passive arming. That way if you forget to arm it, or have to many groceries in your hands to bother or whatever, the car still locks and arms. Beleive me it's really handy. Just dont leave your keys in your car.

 

[ZapWizard]

Cool, glad to know how to tap the door sensors.
For insurance discount in Texas though there also needs to be sensors for the hood and trunk.
Does anyone know if Protege's even have sensors for that?
(I can install my own, but I want to run a minimal amount of wires)

Also I got a glass-breakage sensor from www.allelectronics.com for only $3.50
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=AA-11&type=store
(I got the microwaves sensor from them a while ago, and it works fine)

Does anyone know where I need to mount this exactly? As it has a microphone to sense a break.
(I am guessing some where under the dash, but uncovered)
Also how to I test the sensitivity short of breaking a glass sheet in the car?

 

[mcstark]

Hook it up to your power leads first and try little pieces of glass -- start in close then move away. The sensitivity would depend on where you mount it - in the dash would muffle the sound. What about in the headliner by the maplights? Sound would travel through the fabric liner and conceal the mic. Just a thought....

 

[ZapWizard]

The sensitivity would depend on where you mount it - in the dash would muffle the sound. What about in the headliner by the maplights? Sound would travel through the fabric liner and conceal the mic. Just a thought....

In the headliner sounds like a good idea.
It may have to be above the driver or passanger's head as I have a moonroof.

 

[booom]

smartness

awesome! i was looking for a thread like this.

i've recently been a victom of a break in of my Proteg5. my kenwood excelon kdc-x969 was yanked from my dash along with my "complete" infinity reference sound system. they also got my freestyle and freeride snowboards with all my other riding gear. to top it off my golf equipment was stolen too because i was at the driving range that day. the value of all the stolen items summed up to be $3400. JACKPOT.

they poked out my drivers side handle/keyhole cylinder to gain access to the door lock push rod to get in. the body shop invoice came to $2300! this also included some other associated body damage. i didn't expect this would happen to me of course since i'm from a quite village. the lesson i learned was remove all items from your car or keep them out of site and having a nice head unit is a sure bet your car is gonna get broke into as soon as some jerk peeps that s***; and especially if you don't have a good alarm. i don't want this to ever happen again and i want to prepare for the next attempt.

this time around i'm just going to use my stock head unit and have a stealth sound system. Fiberglass will be implemented and blah-blah-blah that is all i will tell. what i want to do is come up with a custom alarm system that will give me some piece of mind.

here's my feedback for you ZapWizard (i just had to b**** a bit more)

i want to evoke the feeling in a potential theif that my car is sound asleep and if they should even try something a beast will awaken and all hell will break loose and their ass should RUN! this will be done by a classic LED. gotta love that lased light. and i want to manipulate that little light in such a way that my Apple Power Mac G4 does when it's asleep. Here is a visual discription if some of you arn't familuar. A little LED light lives within the power botton. when the computer is sleeping the light remains on at all times although it's luminosity undulates as if it were breathing deeply. the walls of the room where the computer resides reflect this rhythmic glowing and it gives the computer a false lifelike entity (in a pitch black room). yeah so anyway, how can we have that type of LED in our car?

that is my question because i would like to do this for my own car.

another idea:

i was thinking about how a capacitor could be used in a security system to discharge an unpleasant jolt to the fingers of some dumbass. i don't use a capacitor for my sound system but was thinking about rigging one as a security mesure. either via a plate on the underside of the door handles or something. this of course sets the alarm off and the thief gives up by then and hopefully doesn't resort to vandalism in reciprocation of the nasty shock. hey it's not as nasty as getting set on fire or facing the FURY OF ME!

(argh) (fight)

 

[t3ase]

For Zone1, are you going to implement a check before the audible signal is given? In other words, if you're in a parking lot, your car's not going to honk every time a person walks in front of by the side of it, are they?

For Zone2, are you sure having the windows/sunroof roll up with a foot left gives you ample time if the car is in a threatened situation? If all windows are down, the current draw is going to be so high that the windows will roll up slower, allowing people to get something wedged in there.

 

[Dexter]

razors. hidden razors. in the dash. everywhere.

 

[t3ase]

then take it to best buy and let those fuckers install a "system".

 

[MSPRCRX44]

well you forgot to get a mini siren that goes under the dash, and a perimeter sensor.
basically the mini siren omits a high pitch frequency that is ear piercing and is annoying.
the perimeter alarm is a motion sensor so if anyone reaches in the car, the alarm goes off. you could also get a mercury sensor so if the car is being jacked up the alarm will go off. and dont forget to leave the valet switch incase you lose your transponder.