[MercuryFlint]

Hey, all!

My system is mostly up and running, but at the moment the install is temporary at best. I haven't really bolted anything down because I would like to find a way to make it as theft resistant as possible. I drive a Jeep with soft plastic windows and a soft top, so it's fairly easy to gain access to the interior.

I could do security screws, which is better than nothing, but I'm curious if anyone has done an install based on theft prevention. I don't have a trunk to secure my electronics, so I'm looking for anything creative.

 

[quickaudi07]

Small amps, like arc audio are your formed. Small compact and powerful ... Hide them anywhere

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[MythosDreamLab]

formed = friend?

 

[ebrahim]

@MercuryFlint

Truth be told and just trying to put my two cents in here from my own personal experience and not to break your heart.

Reality of the fact if you park your Jeep at a bar at night or in the parking lot at the movie theater not many people are going to take notice when someone is taking your audio gear.

If I was in the same boat as you and my previous manager has a similar ride like yours. Kick panels instead of pillars for your tweeter and midrange. Plus midbass in your doors.

Also please don’t use something simple and easy in the sense that someone can just take a screw driver to take your speakers out.

For amplifiers I would suggest something under the seats preferably ones that have a built in DSP if possible. Another option would be those focal subs that can fit under the seat but I can’t remember the model numbers anymore since I am falling a sleep.

Hope this helps


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[FAUEE]

Pretty much, stealth is your best option. Use small amps that you can hide. Don't have a big obvious sub box. Hide all your wiring under carpet and trim.

Prevention is the best deterrent here, and not giving away that you've got a ything worth stealing is your best option.

That said, if I had a soft top and windows only vehicle, I wouldn't put anything nice in it. I think I would just do a micro amp with a direct bluetooth I put, hide it in the dash, and not much more.

 

[Holmz]

Do alarms also work?

 

[MercuryFlint]

Small amps, like arc audio are your formed. Small compact and powerful ... Hide them anywhere

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I have an NVX VADM4 and getting a VADM2 just for that small form factor. My "trunk" space is luckily completely shielded by the folded down back seat, so at least that isn't obvious. I have a double din HU, which, had I thought about it better long-term I should have picked up a single din with a removeable face, but too late now. The HU is a bit obvious, but there's little else in there that gives it away.

@MercuryFlint

Truth be told and just trying to put my two cents in here from my own personal experience and not to break your heart.

Reality of the fact if you park your Jeep at a bar at night or in the parking lot at the movie theater not many people are going to take notice when someone is taking your audio gear.

If I was in the same boat as you and my previous manager has a similar ride like yours. Kick panels instead of pillars for your tweeter and midrange. Plus midbass in your doors.

Also please don’t use something simple and easy in the sense that someone can just take a screw driver to take your speakers out.

For amplifiers I would suggest something under the seats preferably ones that have a built in DSP if possible. Another option would be those focal subs that can fit under the seat but I can’t remember the model numbers anymore since I am falling a sleep.

Hope this helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No heartbreak. I don't go to movies or bars, my Jeep is either parked at home, parked at work, or maybe for a half hour at Walmart or Kroger. I don't really frequent the crowded public places. And if I'm out with my lady we take her car, not my Jeep. I also turn my subs down a few minutes before I get to a place I'll be parking for any time, just so I'm not telegraphing that I have a nice stereo to potential thieves.

I already have most of the gear I'm going to use, though I hadn't thought about the kick panels, interesting. At the moment it's a matter of making it as un-obvious as possible and finding a way to make it take a little longer than a normal smash-and-grab. Those strange security-screws that require a special bit to pull out are great. Defeatable, like anything, but it could deter or thwart, and for under $10.

Has anyone considered steel cables or straps around the amp, or something else that locks?

 

[MercuryFlint]

Do alarms also work?

I've been thinking about it. Haven't looked into any models just yet, but I'd have to do the install myself.

 

[Granite]

You could also try locking amps down from underneath the car. Hell, you could even bolt them down with keyed wheel locks. Especially if you use the spare tire area.

Edit: Oh ya, it’s a jeep, no spare tire cut out. And getting under a jeep wouldn’t be that much extra work. But the wheel locks man lol.

 

[bbfoto]

Unfortunately, just having an aftermarket DD head unit in the dash is a dead giveaway. And in my experience, if you have an aftermarket stereo in your vehicle and the thieves know it, if you make it really difficult to remove they will just trash the interior of your Jeep out of frustration, which will end up costing way more than just replacing in the stereo.

As previously mentioned, hide all of the equipment as best you can and make whatever you do have visible as OEM, cheap, and generic looking as possible. Print "Kraco" stickers or badges to put on the speaker grilles, "Pyle" or "Boss" stickers on the amps, etc. Cover everything you can with deep black carpet or grill cloth.

And never leave ANYTHING on the dash, seats, floor, that may pique the interest of would be thieves. Except to put a baby seat and open package of diapers and fake dirty diaper in the back with a baby bottle & toys everywhere. Thieves hate working around baby stuff for some reason, LOL. Yeah, your friends might give you strange looks and comments, LOL.

If you still have the OEM stereo, cannibalize it and make a fake faceplate from it. Or buy a dead OEM Jeep stereo from eBay. Recess your aftermarket DD Head Unit in the dash if possible and place the fake faceplate in the opening when parked.

You can see how I did this for my GF's SUV in the link below because she had to drive and park all around Hollywood and the L.A. area to meet with clients, often in some sketchy areas, unfortunately.

I cut out a piece of 1/8" Masonite/hardboard to the overall size of the faceplate bezel and epoxied it and all of the loose buttons, knobs, and LCD panel that i removed from the donor head unit to that flat backing board. Then I attached a few small felt cabinet door "bumpers" to the back and covered the entire back with Tesa Tape so it wouldn't scratch the Kenwood's touchscreen.

You'd never know there was nice DD Kenwood XR head unit in the vehicle..."Nothing to see here, move on"! Details and photos in the Link...

Sony CDX C90 questions

hey there, just picked up a Sony CDX-C90, cosmetically it is in great condition. Haven't hooked it up on the bench yet to test functionality. I am currently running an 80prs with the Sony XM-5046 amps. I knew it was going to be a project getting familiar with the C90 and components. I have...

www.diymobileaudio.com

 

[sprexumn]

Stealth is really all you can do. When I had a subwoofer exposed in my hatchback, I put big fuzzy fabric letters saying ”Mom” on it. I am also a fan of making things ugly to prevent theft. Maybe some paint splatters and duct tape.

 

[MercuryFlint]

You could also try locking amps down from underneath the car. Hell, you could even bolt them down with keyed wheel locks. Especially if you use the spare tire area.

Edit: Oh ya, it’s a jeep, no spare tire cut out. And getting under a jeep wouldn’t be that much extra work. But the wheel locks man lol.

Wheel locks are very interesting. I'm going to think on that one.

Unfortunately, just having an aftermarket DD head unit in the dash is a dead giveaway. And in my experience, if you have an aftermarket stereo in your vehicle and the thieves know it, if you make it really difficult to remove they will just trash the interior of your Jeep out of frustration, which will end up costing way more than just replacing in the stereo.

As previously mentioned, hide all of the equipment as best you can and make whatever you do have visible as OEM, cheap, and generic looking as possible. Print "Kraco" stickers or badges to put on the speaker grilles, "Pyle" or "Boss" stickers on the amps, etc. Cover everything you can with deep black carpet or grill cloth.

And never leave ANYTHING on the dash, seats, floor, that may pique the interest of would be thieves. Except to put a baby seat and open package of diapers and fake dirty diaper in the back with a baby bottle & toys everywhere. Thieves hate working around baby stuff for some reason, LOL. Yeah, your friends might give you strange looks and comments, LOL.

If you still have the OEM stereo, cannibalize it and make a fake faceplate from it. Or buy a dead OEM Jeep stereo from eBay. Recess your aftermarket DD Head Unit in the dash if possible and place the fake faceplate in the opening when parked.

You can see how I did this for my GF's SUV in the link below because she had to drive and park all around Hollywood and the L.A. area to meet with clients, often in some sketchy areas, unfortunately.

I cut out a piece of 1/8" Masonite/hardboard to the overall size of the faceplate bezel and epoxied it and all of the loose buttons, knobs, and LCD panel that i removed from the donor head unit to that flat backing board. Then I attached a few small felt cabinet door "bumpers" to the back and covered the entire back with Tesa Tape so it wouldn't scratch the Kenwood's touchscreen.

You'd never know there was nice DD Kenwood XR head unit in the vehicle..."Nothing to see here, move on"! Details and photos in the Link...

Sony CDX C90 questions

hey there, just picked up a Sony CDX-C90, cosmetically it is in great condition. Haven't hooked it up on the bench yet to test functionality. I am currently running an 80prs with the Sony XM-5046 amps. I knew it was going to be a project getting familiar with the C90 and components. I have...

www.diymobileaudio.com

Ohhhhh, I like that faceplate idea! I realize the double DIN is way too obvious, I think that's a great solution. I've made the interior as generic as possible other than the head unit, so I think that would really tie it together.

Stealth is really all you can do. When I had a subwoofer exposed in my hatchback, I put big fuzzy fabric letters saying ”Mom” on it. I am also a fan of making things ugly to prevent theft. Maybe some paint splatters and duct tape.

I have ratty seat covers and rust spots on the outside, so I'm definitely working that angle 😂

 

[Granite]

Aftermarket insurance would be best for peace of mind too.

 

[MercuryFlint]

Aftermarket insurance would be best for peace of mind too.

Working on that as well. Start a new policy in about a week. Just hope I never have to use it.

 

[Jroo]

To be honest, I don’t worry about theft as much as I used to. Around here car audio thefts don’t really happen like that anymore. Thieves here fall into two categories. They are looking for quick hits and usually helped by owners bit locking car doors. Those type steal laptops, wallets, money, guns, things the owners left in the car they can grab quickly and sell. The other thieve just steal the whole car so audio is the least of your worries. If the install is stealth and you don’t advertise by cracking it up every place you including sitting at stop lights, you should be good. I also still go to pawn shops. Years back they would have car audio at all the local pawn shops. Now you hardly see it. Not saying this equipment is stolen but not sure all of it was on the up and up

 

[Mic10is]

The flip side to this is, if equipment can't be stolen the thiefs may damage your interior trying to remove stuff or out of spite bc they can't remove stuff.
When I built Howard Cantor's Volvo that won Meca Finals Street class. I used security hardware thought the install.
Since it was street class it was all stock locations.
Amp rack was I'm spare tire well. Sub in rear side. All factory matched carpet.

Anyways....thiefs couldn't get out any speakers so they put a Philips screw driver through the cone of every one of them.
Wiring was cut.
Then they slashed the hell out of his leather interior w a razor blade or a flat head.

Had they been able to just smash and grab the stuff maybe it wouldn't have ended up totaled from all the extra damage caused bc they couldn't get the system out.

Install what you want. Where and how you want it. Take pictures showing that everything is securely bolted and secured.
Then get good insurance coverage for the system and a comprehensive policy for the vehicle that covers additional damages.

 

[lbp775]

Had they been able to just smash and grab the stuff maybe it wouldn't have ended up totaled from all the extra damage caused bc they couldn't get the system out.

This is just me. But I'd rather have to deal with my insurance to replace my damaged gear/car while the thief ends up with nothing but lost time, effort and hopefully bloody knuckles. Although the damage may be less, you'd still have to deal with insurance to replace your gear and repair your vehicle if the thief ends up with what they want. I can't stand thieves.

 

[FAUEE]

Do alarms also work?

In most places, probably not. People ignore them now. Hell there was a story of a woman that got raped on a commuter train and all the other passengers in the train car ignored it.

That said, not much to alarm when all it takes is a knife blade to cut some fabric and plastic 5o have unfettered access... An alarm won't help much.

 

[MercuryFlint]

To be honest, I don’t worry about theft as much as I used to. Around here car audio thefts don’t really happen like that anymore. Thieves here fall into two categories. They are looking for quick hits and usually helped by owners bit locking car doors. Those type steal laptops, wallets, money, guns, things the owners left in the car they can grab quickly and sell. The other thieve just steal the whole car so audio is the least of your worries. If the install is stealth and you don’t advertise by cracking it up every place you including sitting at stop lights, you should be good. I also still go to pawn shops. Years back they would have car audio at all the local pawn shops. Now you hardly see it. Not saying this equipment is stolen but not sure all of it was on the up and up

You know, I thought I've noticed a downtick in car system thefts. I try to do the basics of not leaving anything of value out where it's noticeable, and not advertising that I own gun. My dad owned my Jeep before me, had it broken into three times, was trying to think up a plan and, in a stroke of insight, removed his NRA sticker. He owned it for several more years and it wasn't broken into once after he did.

At least with old Jeeps full theft is mainly so the thief can joyride rather than keep/strip/sell. They tend to be stolen, bounced around yards or fields, then found stuck in a ditch or on their side. Not that I want that to happen, but way better than gone forever.

The flip side to this is, if equipment can't be stolen the thiefs may damage your interior trying to remove stuff or out of spite bc they can't remove stuff.
When I built Howard Cantor's Volvo that won Meca Finals Street class. I used security hardware thought the install.
Since it was street class it was all stock locations.
Amp rack was I'm spare tire well. Sub in rear side. All factory matched carpet.

Anyways....thiefs couldn't get out any speakers so they put a Philips screw driver through the cone of every one of them.
Wiring was cut.
Then they slashed the hell out of his leather interior w a razor blade or a flat head.

Had they been able to just smash and grab the stuff maybe it wouldn't have ended up totaled from all the extra damage caused bc they couldn't get the system out.

Install what you want. Where and how you want it. Take pictures showing that everything is securely bolted and secured.
Then get good insurance coverage for the system and a comprehensive policy for the vehicle that covers additional damages.

That was painful to read. You would think, just pure logic, that once they realize they can't get the gear they would quickly move on to limit the chance of getting caught, especially when any reward is gone. Not disagreeing, I totally believe this, but it doesn't make sense.

If this is the case then "install what you want...take pictures...get good insurance" is great advice.

This is just me. But I'd rather have to deal with my insurance to replace my damaged gear/car while the thief ends up with nothing but lost time, effort and hopefully bloody knuckles. Although the damage may be less, you'd still have to deal with insurance to replace your gear and repair your vehicle if the thief ends up with what they want. I can't stand thieves.

Agreed. Not that the interior of my Jeep is in great shape, but I'd rather not have my seats vivisected or anything damaged that would require a mechanic to fix.

In most places, probably not. People ignore them now. Hell there was a story of a woman that got raped on a commuter train and all the other passengers in the train car ignored it.

That said, not much to alarm when all it takes is a knife blade to cut some fabric and plastic 5o have unfettered access... An alarm won't help much.

True. Like anything else, I think it might help with a smash-and-grab, but not with a dedicated thief.

 

[MercuryFlint]

Okay, so, new plan:

I want to make a few items as hidden as possible. I think I'll leave the sub amp under the seat, but regularly mounted (no additional security) and the sub just in the back seat as is, but my 4-channel amp hidden and now find a good hiding spot for my DSP. I figure, if nothing else, my DSP is the priciest piece (other than my HU) and unless the thief is really paying attention to my wiring they might not realize there's one in there. Now it's just a matter of figuring out the best place to hide that.