Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!uflorida!gatech!psuvax1!coral.bucknell.edu!mulligan
From: mulligan@coral.bucknell.edu
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: RE:Car alarms(late idea)
Message-ID: <1991Apr14.224844.3126@coral.bucknell.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 91 02:48:44 GMT
Organization: Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
Lines: 28

Not too long ago, there was a series of discussions about car alarms, and how
to make them more effective.  The discussions seemed to center arounalerting
others to the theft.  I always thought the idea was to prevent the act in the
first place.  Here's an idea I got from a car buff down the street from me:

He suggested that I remove the coil to distributor wire, and replace it with a
wire from the high side of the coil to a nail driven into the ground.  He said
to turn the ignition to the 'run' position, and to close the door without
touchinganything_ metal on the car.  When you get back, kick out the wire to
to the ground, then get in the car.
	
Supposedly, this makes anyone trying to tamper with the car part of a path from
the coil through them to grou.  Remember that the car body is the ground foor
the system.  The rubber tires serve as an insulator, so the coil doesn't
discharge unless someone touches the car. I would think this kills the battery
after a short time.

I think this fits into the 'could get you into trouble' section, but I offer it
as a semi-humorous idea.  I wouldn't want to be the one to explain what
happened to the mother of a toddler that touched the car in a parking lot!  (So
much for dogs using the tires instead of a tree. . .)



Please don't go hurting anyone!  I offer this as (possibly) the world's
cheapest car theft prevention device.

~Ed~