Shock vs Proximity Sensor - Open windows

[R.]

Hey guys,
I'm getting one of those Viper alarm installed and I got a question... I usually park with my windows open and usually there is nothing in my car but I want to make sure on those rare occasiSions my alarm would go off if someone reached in and grabbed like my GPS or something off my windshield(if i leave it up) or something off of a seat.

I'm debating between a shock sensor and a proximity sensor. Proximity seems like it's the way to go but I hear there are a lot of falses so I'm kind of leaning shock.

Can anyone chime in that has experience with the two?

And no I'm not stupid. Im not going to leave stuff up because I have the sensor, by the time I'd hear it the stuff would be gone, I'm just looking for the best option.

Sorry if I'm not clear I'm posting from my phone at work :/

[the converted]

Proximity is going to have a lot of falses, but a shock sensor isn't going to be sensitive enough to pick up something like that without going off ALL the time. I'd personally just roll up the windows.

[Q451990]

I had a proximity sensor on a viper a few cars ago... back in the "talking car" era. My car would continuously warn rain drops that the car was "Protected by Viper - Stand Back!"

If I set the sensitivity low enough to eliminate those falses, it wouldn't detect anything outside of the car. I tried moving the sensor, covering just the top of it with aluminum flashing... talking to it nicely... and even looked in to rigging up a rain sensor from a sprinkler system to turn it off.

I finally just eliminated it. Hopefully the technology has improved since then.

Heath

[EW]

I have a proximity sensor on each of my three cars. One advantage of the Viper 5901 is that you can use the second sensor input for the prox and from the remote, on the fly, turn off the warning zone (chirps) or the entire prox sensor. We use the Bitwriter to tell the alarm what sensor is on that input and then any warnings or triggers to the remote will show "proximity". When installed and adjusted properly, they work great with minimal false warning or trigger.
From my 20+ yrs experience:
1. Install prox sensor in the center of the headliner in front of domelight if there is one.
2. Read the directions!
3. Set the field sizes outside away from buildings or other cars. The mass affects the fields. Florescent lights will affect the field.
4. Set the sensor with the windows how you plan to leave the car. If you are going to leave the windows down most of the time, set the sensor that way. If you leave the windows up, set the fields with the windows up. If you have tint, the warning zone will probably have to be turned way up to pass through the film. If set like this, the outer field will be way outside the windows when the windows are left down. Set the inner zone to 10-12" inside the vehicle. Set the outer zone so that if you put your face right on the front door windows, the warning zone is triggered.
5. If you have tint, and have the sensor turned up, it will go out of the windshield. I use a foil type sunshade 24/7 to help "corral" the prox field from going out the windshield.
6. If you install a prox sensor in the console, any metal like change or soda cans placed above/around it will heat up and cause falsing. Also the steering wheel and metal seat frames will affect the field. That is why you put it in the headliner.

Drive through.

[johnny butt]

I have the 5901, a convertible 240sx, and both the proximity and shock sensors hooked up.

As previous poster stated, the 5901 remote identifies which sensor goes off on screen (the 5701 should only notify via Visible LED + Audible Tone IIRC).

I rarely get false alarms for either; the only exception/annoyance is the rain. But as previous owner stated, it can be turned off.

If you get a proximity sensor it is only worth it with the Viper 5901 (or newly produced 5902).