Cheap alarm that gives more warning

[billium]

Looking for a cheap alarm that gives more than one warning chirp so the next person in a full bike rack does not have to suffer my alarm going off when they unlock their bike.
Ones like the pic below are all over Amazon but they all seem to offer only one warning chirp and then 30 seconds of 1990's car alarm tones on second bump which may be impossible to prevent in a full bike rack.

I would prefer one that only alarms on third 'strike' so I am not the Ass****
Any ideas?

 

[Taylor57]

Looking for a cheap alarm that gives more than one warning chirp so the next person in a full bike rack does not have to suffer my alarm going off when they unlock their bike.
Ones like the pic below are all over Amazon but they all seem to offer only one warning chirp and then 30 seconds of 1990's car alarm tones on second bump which may be impossible to prevent in a full bike rack.

I would prefer one that only alarms on third 'strike' so I am not the Ass****
Any ideas?

View attachment 73778View attachment 73778

I have the one pictured there and it works fine. Easy to install, but yeah, I probably wouldn't activate it in a crowded bike rack. I use it at home or when I go hit golf balls and Im close by...

 

[MartsEbike]

I have the same one and it works really well for a cheap add on. You can also adjust the sensitivity so that it doesn't go off all the time. Worth every penny.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I also have that. It works well and as mentioned, the sensitivity is adjustable. However, the tone when you first arm it is also really obnoxiously loud. When I used it, I’d cover the horn with my hand to muffle it when clicking the arm button.

 

[billium]

I have the one pictured there and it works fine. Easy to install, but yeah, I probably wouldn't activate it in a crowded bike rack. I use it at home or when I go hit golf balls and Im close by...

That's my problem - I want to have an alarm to deter thieves but don't want it going off at my local grocery store because someone has chained up on the same pole as me. That leaves me deciding whether to deactivate the alarm or risk being a jerk. Two or three warnings prior to Alarm should give others enough feedback to not jog my bike any more, but one warning is just not enough.

 

[ki11a]

Why would you want to announce the location of your alarm willingly with a 'soft warning'...that just defeats the whole purpose. The alarm is really to be used at quick stops so nobody touches your bike when its left unlocked.

 

[Taylor57]

That's my problem - I want to have an alarm to deter thieves but don't want it going off at my local grocery store because someone has chained up on the same pole as me. That leaves me deciding whether to deactivate the alarm or risk being a jerk. Two or three warnings prior to Alarm should give others enough feedback to not jog my bike any more, but one warning is just not enough.

Will someone remind me how long the alarm sounds after the 1st warning? I was close by when I triggered it by accident and was able to turn it off. How long would it have gone off if I wasn't around?

 

[ki11a]

Id say 30 seconds...

 

[MartsEbike]

Will someone remind me how long the alarm sounds after the 1st warning? I was close by when I triggered it by accident and was able to turn it off. How long would it have gone off if I wasn't around?

Pretty sure it only goes off for 30 seconds.

 

[MartsEbike]

That's my problem - I want to have an alarm to deter thieves but don't want it going off at my local grocery store because someone has chained up on the same pole as me. That leaves me deciding whether to deactivate the alarm or risk being a jerk. Two or three warnings prior to Alarm should give others enough feedback to not jog my bike any more, but one warning is just not enough.

I'd say this is the moment to be most wary. Countless bike thieves ride a bike as a decoy to be around bike parking areas. You see it all the time in London. They'll ride up on a cheap stolen bike, pretend to be locking their bike while cutting the locks to your nice expensive bike - and it will be gone in 30 seconds. They'll even lock their cheap bike up and come back for it later.

I wouldn't let anyone near my bike if I could help it. I'd have a alarm that goes off at 30 paces, warning them to stay away if I could!!!! I'd install a taser seat too if it was legal haha

You're not being a jerk, you're protecting your investment.

 

[Taylor57]

Pretty sure it only goes off for 30 seconds.

And if they keep trying to move it, does it repeat again for 30 seconds ad infinitum?

 

[MartsEbike]

And if they keep trying to move it, does it repeat again for 30 seconds ad infinitum?

Yep if moved again the alarm will go off for another 30 seconds.

 

[billium]

My ideal workflow would be three warnings per 60 seconds - 1st one beeps once, 2nd one beeps twice, 3rd one beeps 3 times, 4th jog sets off alarm for 2 minutes ( 30 seconds is just too short). I don't see any way for a thief to defeat any reasonably good lock or the alarm without 4 jogs of the bike and this would give me confidence to always arm the alarm without worrying about accidental activation by the next bike. Why warn the thief at all? Well if they have done this before they will walk away as soon as they are warned.