Car alarm - usaudio brand

[steptoe]

PRODUCT REVIEW

CAR ALARM - USAUDIO BRAND

WIRELESS in that it has wires to connect to power supply but not to the remote pressure sensor that plugs into the cig lighter socket for charging of which a charge is said to last up to 6 days - after that it would be a guess that you no longer have pressure sensitive protection. Sounding like a negative review already.

It comes with a siren/module that wires up to neg and pos. , the pressure sensor that is optional, plugs into cig socket, two key ring remotes, and instructions.

The pressure sensor also has an on/off switch on it. The module is programmed via the remote keys as to what protective options you wish to use or disable.

The module, alleges the wholesaler, has the shock sensor and voltage drop sensor within. The cig socket unit is just the pressure sensor.

So hook up was easy , when I finally got around to it. I was able to follow included instructions to program it to offer all modes of protection, voltage drop, shock sensor an pressure drop. A really good whack on body was found to be a satisfactory level of shock detection before alarm went off.

The pressure sensor as it turns out is not suitable for open topped cars or with windows down, as makes sense the sensor will not be able to sense pressure drop if interior is not closed off.

I quickly tested its function to hear alarm sound and switch off with remote so as not to annoy neighbours.

Parked it out front of a mates place one evening. later his dad rings to say an alarm sounds nearby. Four beeps and nothing for a while, four more and nothing, then an alarm of all sorts of sounds and sirens goes off, stops, starts up again.

Can't be mine - no mention of four beeps in instructions and it only has one siren sound - or so I was led to believe from my experience - no mention in the instruction and I had not heard it longer than a few seconds.

BUT, sure enough it went off enough piss people off. On return I took it out on a deserted road, sat inside, set alarm and waited very still. There we go, four beeps and nothing, another four - then the alarm tone I know goes off, I let it go as no one around to disturb. It continues through a rendition of all different alrm tones I have heard before in the street or car park where someone elses alarm seemingly allegedly gone off for some reason.

Mine went through its chorus twice and stopped of its own accord. Turned off with remote and reset it and waited more than a minute to let it settle. I then tried the interior light ON to see if it was setting of alarm voltage drop sensor as it was set. NO result other than negative. Park lights then? NO RESULT. Surely the headlights will give enough voltage drop to set off voltage drop detection. NO.

Something set the alarm off when I cranked engine over to start it. Not good enough as I wish it to offer protection I understand it will give before some SMACKTARD gets in !!

The alarm was not set when I heard it chirp once, randomly. Coincidentally I also notice that one remote its LED flashes randomly. It may be a clever thing to remind me the remote battery is weak.

Oh, yeah another clever feature to be able or disabled is a proximity detection feature so when close enogh alrm is disarmed, after so many meters mentioned in instructions alarm automatically arms itself. I have not enabled this feature , yet.


So, I have problems in using this alarm without annoying people nearby with what seems to be something setting it off all of its own acord. The next mornng i noticed the rain coincided with alarm set off, ah hah , same as night before then.BUT it needs a good smack for motion detection, rain and wind too soft for this.

Not completely understanding the technical detail of the unit as in which unit does what proytection, and the four beeps (sounds like a warning this car is armed beep) is not mentioned in my copy of instructions, I get onto supplier retailer who gives me wholesaler number to find out they are only sales and the end user must go through retailer to complain or get technical advice. Retailer then rings on my behalf then explains clearly three times that he is about to hand phone over to end user to explain the problems and get first hand the answers -that was an intelligent idea on his part.

I, as the end user retail customer was advised they have a 14 day warranty in which it sounds they will send a courier satchel to retailer for unti to be returned for bench testing. After that it looks like it is up to the retailer or end purchaser to fund its send and return for testing. This level of frustration continues as I bought unit before Xmas out of the catalogue and fitted it at my leisure outside the 14 day warranty period. There is no mention of any warranty with unit, so I need to waste more time with fair trading to discover my rights and responsibilities in this case.


So far, I have pulled the siren module power fuse to stop any further false alarming

I have to ask if anyone else has one of this brand, any experience similar now or in the past? It looks well made, the instructions are pretty clear, but miss a few features I have found, hook up is easy. GHoping for an easy sorted outcome with the wholesaler, though it is the retailers responsibility.