A bit of an eye opener. I'll still use my clutch pedal and steering wheel locks for their visibility but as we all already know, a kill switch wins out. What I like about Ravelco, IGLA, or Compustar is that there's no switch for a thief to find.
Just install a damned kill switch. All other anti-theft devices are just cat toys for thieves.
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HemiMetal
A bit of an eye opener. I'll still use my clutch pedal and steering wheel locks for their visibility but as we all already know, a kill switch wins out. What I like about Ravelco, IGLA, or Compustar is that there's no switch for a thief to find.
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For what I paid for this car, I enjoy the peace of mind with the IGLA!
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I don't disagree ,both(rev and igla) are more elegant kill switches..
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IGLA saved my car. After 3 months of ownership and 2 months w/ IGLA. Only taking the car out every now and then after getting IGLA, they tried stealing it… saved my car. Added Carlock hoping their GPS and vibration detection works, not getting good results after a day. Will likely add a Compustar w/ drone for that.
Good plan. I’m not taking any chances - I’ve got Ravelco, IGLA, and Compustar with drone, along with a separate additional tracker and an Apple air tag in case they load it on a truck (the only way they can steal it now).
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So, how does this invalidate a kill switch?
They could land with a flying saucer and cart it off to Planet X, also, by that logic.
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It doesn't, but most people with a kill switch installed tend to look at it as the end all, be all. A kill switch needs to be one of several security systems to be effective. I don't know of any defense against a flying saucer, though. But good luck registering it on Planet X, their DMV is way stricter than ours.
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Can someone explain in detail what the IGLA is? Their website seems to be lacking in specifics, pricing, and installer locations.
Compustar similarly doesn't explain itself very well. It just says it's a remote starter on the site. Similarly difficult to get pricing recommendations or what the differences in the skus are.
Something about the Ravelco site seems kinda shady for lack of a better term as well with how hard they go on selling it to you. Lots of different font colors and CAPITAL LETTERS and insisting it's NO BULLSHIT. It's like, I don't know how to describe it. Like tough guy marketing.
Compustar similarly doesn't explain itself very well. It just says it's a remote starter on the site. Similarly difficult to get pricing recommendations or what the differences in the skus are.
Something about the Ravelco site seems kinda shady for lack of a better term as well with how hard they go on selling it to you. Lots of different font colors and CAPITAL LETTERS and insisting it's NO BULLSHIT. It's like, I don't know how to describe it. Like tough guy marketing.
I think the lack of specific details helps keep it off the radar for crooks to fixate on and reverse engineer. If you call an IGLA installer they can explain all the benefits. It's expensive, but worth it to me.
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The IGLA site is a bit confusing as far as what their different products actually are and do. You gotta dig into their manuals to figure it out:
| IGLA ALARM (IGLA Pro) | main alarm |
| AR20 Analog relay | analog relay switch |
| CAN relay TOR | digital CAN-bus relay |
| Contour | hood lock |
| OBD Block | digital relay for OBD port dis/enable |
The main alarm wires into the CAN bus, power, accessory power, and ground lines. It has an optional input for any other alarm/security control, an output for a separate siren (250mA max), and an analog output (250mA max) that you can wire to an AR20 analog relay (or other device of your own).
The AR20 analog relay can be installed anywhere, it can control any circuit line (up to 250mA) as either normally open or normally closed via the control line from the main alarm. You can have more than one of these wired in to the alarm.
The CAN relay serves the same purpose as the AR20 relay, but rather than requiring you run your own control wire between it and the main alarm it wires into the CAN bus anywhere you need it and is controlled by the main alarm via CAN bus messages. You can only use one of these per alarm module.
The Contour module lets you control an electromechanical lock of some sort. It is also wired into the CAN bus. It's intended to secure a hood or trunk latch.
OBD Block is something you can install between the under dash OBD port and the OBD lines which electrically disables the OBD port.
The original alarm unit requires you use a special module with blue tooth that must be temporarily wired in to configure it.
The newer versions have the same features but can be configured via a more convenient method.
For the Challengers/Chargers the typical IGLA alarm install consists of the alarm unit and one AR20 relay. The alarm unit prevents ignition start via CAN bus messages and uses the AR20 relay to force a shut down.
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Obscurity doesn't really aid security. Anyone can access their manuals--any professional thief worth their salt is going to have obtained and studied alarm system manuals, know how they are installed, and how to defeat them. It's the amateurs that are thwarted--the opportunists where the mere lack of time or too much effort is sufficient to thwart their attempts where any alarm system is useful.
Knowing how an IGLA works doesn't help if you don't know where it's been installed... that's the real obscurity that helps--because it costs any thief valuable time to find it.
Hell, anyone in the repo business that has one of those new trucks that can just grab a car and yank it out of a stall to load onto a flat bed a block away could nab any car. Any thief could have (or steal) one of those trucks too.
I never felt pressured to buy a Ravelco. Their website is admittedly amateurish (looks to be 20+ years old with outdated graphics) but what sold me was the simplicity of the device coupled with hundreds, and maybe thousands, of detailed testimonials from satisfied customers. I witnessed the installation of the device on my Hellcat last December and feel confident most thieves would have a meltdown trying to figure out which wires belong to the Ravelco.
Anyone know where to get this?
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Wow thanks for the detailed response!
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You're right, I think amateurish is the word I was looking for. It does seem like a great product fwiw and I do think I'll get one at some point.
We live in the Pacific Northwest and there is no Ravelco dealer available to us for the install. I’m sad 😔 Has anyone done a Ravelco install themselves as that is the only option being offered to us by Ravelco when I contacted them.
I know that the tech who installed mine is a regional installer for California/Nevada/Arizona and lives in Sacramento, CA. He drives all over these states to do installations. Call their number and see if you can arrange to drive down there (or maybe even another location in Northern California) to have him do the installation.
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There is no legal limit to the number of kill switches you install, either. Also, time delay relays and a variety of other means are available. A three-way switch (two states in addition to "off" can start a smoke machine, a siren, and/or a variety of things. They even had ankle-level flamethrowers in South Africa to roast attempted carjackers, but I am not recommending those.
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I bought 2 additional key fobs and had the module locked out so no one( even a dealer) can make new fobs. I have an AIRPOD hidden in the car and a steering wheel/seatbelt lock that I use. You turn the wheel all the way over and no one is gonna push this beast. This works for me, plus fully insured.
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