While much has been done over the years to fight back against auto theft, it still remains a concern in many areas throughout America. While this crime has actually declined over the last few years, the biggest problem is the amount of money lost by victims. To illustrate, the FBI reports that auto thefts cost victims approximately $6.4 billion in 2008.
Urban areas in particular tend to have a higher rate of theft. Thieves have a wider selection of cars to choose from in these parts, and can blend in more as opposed to being out in rural areas. However, car owners today have more anti-theft technology available to them than ever before. Not only is this technology better equipped to prevent thefts, but recovery their vehicles should they get victimized.
The latest in anti-theft technology is the use of GPS that will monitor and track your vehicle should it be stolen. This makes it much easier for the authorities to locate and recover stolen vehicles. And in the event that the thief cuts the battery cable, information can still be gathered from the system.
OnStar by GM has made some advances in the recovery process. They now have a vehicle slowdown service that utilizes GPS. With it, not only can they locate a stolen vehicle, but stop it in its tracks. It starts with the owner reporting the theft to the police. Then the police contact OnStar to find the location of the car.
When they are closing in on the stolen car, OnStar can debilitate the accelerator to eventually stop it. Also, should the car be turned off, OnStar can prevent it from starting again by blocking the ignition.
LoJack has a system that reportedly has a 90% success rate for stolen vehicle recovery. They install radio transceivers into the vehicle as well as motion detectors. Should the car be moved while activated, an alert will be sent to the owner via text, email, or phone. Because the owner is notified immediately, it can save a lot of time. The police will then be contacted quicker and begin searching as soon as possible. Law enforcement in over half the states have LoJack tracking computers in their vehicles.
While this whole operation more often than not will probably be successful, professional thieves are beginning to catch on. They are figuring out how to disable these systems so they can't track the location. Some will even try to hide a vehicle in an underground garage, where GPS won't be able to track it.
However, this latest technology still is recommended as many believe it's one of the reasons why car thefts have dropped recently.
http://EzineArticles.com/6498565
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Bright and Powerful Emergency Light For Special Purposes
There are certain aspects of an emergency light that make it useful as well as reliable. The light needs to be intense and at the same time it needs to conserve energy. Similarly, the light should be capable of producing a high intense beam without the need for a heavy voltage source or a complicated circuit. This is because it would affect the portability of the light in such scenarios, which will affect its utility too in emergency situations. Lastly, the light should be long-lasting to make it cost-effective and should offer assistance in all kinds of conditions, outdoors and indoors.
When it is time to budget for emergency light, whether it is for the patrol cars, hospital ambulances or fire department vehicles, you can take a look at the LED strobe kits, which offer most of the features expected out of emergency vehicle lighting and much more. The strobe kits are usually made up of super bright LEDs and can be used for rescue operations as well as for construction vehicles. They can easily be used in side markers, tail lights and headlights making them versatile. In fact, their brightness and low-cost has made them popular as decorative lighting for houses organizing parties, discotheques and even exhibition halls.
You can have powerful strobes with 120W power supply or even less. In fact you can have assemblies of 1W LEDs to make up your LED modules that can be conjoined to create your emergency light. You can opt for linear and long strobes as well as U-shaped strobes. These lights also come with an amplifier and a control box. The pattern selector is another important part of the circuit designed for an emergency light. There are several in-built flashing patterns to create special effects. This will help in greater visibility. The best example is offered by flashing LED light bars on top of patrol cars plying on highways. The pattern selector allows you to choose any pattern of your choice with the rate of flashing varying between 10 flashes per minute to as many as 120 flashes per minute.
What makes the emergency light kit so useful is the modification that you can do to enhance its features. Firstly, modern strobes can be adjusted for the beam angle so that you can maximize long distance visibility. Apart from off angle visibility, you can also magnify the beams through chrome deflectors or clear lenses, which are absolutely undetectable when the lights are switched off. Moreover, you can also use these strobe lights or LED lights with colored filters to give you beams of all colors including red, blue, amber and green.
When you have an emergency light which operates on a simple 12 V DC source you can be assured of its easy installation and safety too. Mounting brackets allow you to install them on vehicles, both in the front and the rear. The flashing patterns and colored beams can be used and manipulated by the controller box to create a blinding effect that suits the uses for emergency lighting.
Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for Emergency Light and many other items like Flashlights, Deck Lights, police lights, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available - http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/
Monday, October 24, 2011
Cleaning Your Car By Hand
Cleaning your car may not be the most fun thing that most people can think of doing but it has to be done to keep your car in good shape. You could take the easy route and visit the local car wash but you will get a better finish if you do it yourself.
Automatic car washes are not as gentle as a hand wash, and whilst you could pay a local garage to do a hand wash, it's not cheap. If you wash the car yourself you get to see what condition it is in and can do something about it.
To clean your car you will need specialist car wash liquid. Dish washing soap is too harsh on your rubber and it can damage the wax too so stay clear. You will also need a micro fibre car cleaning cloth or a wash mitt because they are gentler than a sponge.
Two buckets are required and a chamois leather or specialist cloth to dry off your vehicle. Remember to clean your car in the shade because the sun can dry it too quickly and leave a spotty finish and ensure the car is cold before you start.
Tough marks such as squashed bug will need pre-treatment with undiluted car wash soap. The wheels will also need tackling before the bodywork. A sponge is fine for wheels or you could use an old mitt. Don't use the same mitt as you will be using for the body because dirt from the wheels could cause scratches. Soft brushes are also fine. You can get specialist wheel cleaning products if you want a top quality finish.
With the body, rinse it first with water, removing trapped leaves as you go. Fill one of your buckets with water and the other with your soap solution and clean small section of the car working from the top down. Every time you need to get more soapy water on the mitt, rinse it first in the pure water bucket to minimise putting dirt back on the car. Be gentle with your motions because if you press too hard you can scratch the car by pressing dirt into the paint work.
A thorough rinse with pure water is now required before you set to work to dry the car. To do this you should spread out the cloth and drag it gently over the surface. You can use detailing towels to remove excess water.
If you found that the car didn't bead water as you cleaned it, it will need a polish and wax. Car polish needs to be applied carefully, as does wax but it will help protect the car from paint damage and make it look fantastic
By Rebecca G Wishford.
If you need a car cleaning cloth, car polish or any other car cleaning products, try Car Skin Winning Formulas.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Cheap Lights For Your Emergency and Decorative Lighting Needs
Emergency as well as decorative lighting have come a long way in terms of innovation and improvisation. Gone are the days when one had to worry about energy bills, longevity and cost, when it came to decorative lighting. If you want to brighten up the panels, display shelves, cupboards or cabinets in your house or beautify the corners of your restaurant with blue and amber lighting, you can simply invest in LEDs that cost very less. These cheap lights are the answer to your lighting needs, primarily because they address all the three requirements of modern lighting. The LED modules and circuits are long-lasting. They are highly cost-effective. Lastly, these LED lights offer plenty of versatility and variety in terms of blinking and flashing patterns which can add to the special effects especially when used in bars and discotheques.
The LED bulbs and beacons are coated with epoxy coating. Polycarbonate or fiber glass filled nylon bases are also used to keep them moisture resistant. You can also get LED bars which are vibration and impact resistant having been manufactured out of crush resistant plastic, making them ideal for use in emergency vehicles like fire engines, patrol cars and ambulances. The kit is usually accompanied with switch control panels, cables and connectors, mounting hardware and a power supply unit. The LED bars usually operate on a 12 - 24 V DC source. The LED arrays are made up of 1W LEDs that hardly consume any power. As a result they can be trusted more during emergencies. These cheap lights can be controlled very easily. LED bars, in fact can be made of several segments depending upon the lighting requirements, with each segment, individually controllable and replaceable.
One of the best things about these cheap lights comprised of low-wattage LEDs is that the light is not very harsh on the eyes unlike in the case with neon or halogen bright lighting that we come across. Whether it is for the display boards in the exteriors or for interior lighting, one can pick from an array of LED colors without worrying about the heat around the bulbs or the excessive brightness. The beams are intense though and the beam temperature is impressively low. This gentleness on the eyes is what makes them favorite for interior lighting too, as much as they could be used externally for emergency purposes. With the high intensity beams, these LED bars can be used on roads at spots where there have been incidents like spillage, car crashes or landslides. The high intensity beams can be seen by drivers far away too. LED light can be enhanced through the use of lenses and deflectors too.
When you are purchasing these cheap lights, you would also get a handy warranty. A lot of LED strobe light kits come with a 3 - 5 year warranty, which ensures that there is no anxiety around their performance or promised longevity. The strobe lights will also be useful for tow truck drivers, bus companies and those who organize car shows.
Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for Cheap Lights and many other items like Flashlights, Deck Lights, police lights, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available - http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How To Wax Your Car Properly
Learning how to properly wax a car is a skill that every auto owner should have. There is a lot of value in this skill, and it goes beyond the simple enjoyment of doing the job and stepping back to see the finished result. Of course, that feeling is pretty awesome too, but there is a real long term value in this job especially when you do it regularly.
An effective wax job appropriately applied, safeguards any car from certain minor scratches and hides others, as well as aids in preventing rust especially during the cold months
Showroom Finish For Your Car
That completely new showroom finish is one thing that we all would like to accomplish with our cars. The day you bring an automobile home from the car dealership is often the first and last day it ever appears like that. But this doesn't need to be. Take time to really learn to wax your vehicle the proper way and you will ensure that it stays looking almost showroom new for much longer time. Obviously, one method to accomplish this look would be to pay to have your vehicle detailed, but where's the enjoyment in doing that? For this reason, Do-it-yourself, cut costs and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Researching Car Wax Brands
You will find a variety of brands and designs of automotive wax items available on the market. Take some time to check out the items which are available and find out which of those you believe you may like the best. Often times, consumer rankings value the few less costly brands the most. So, investing in more expensive car waxes, will not necessarily accomplish anything.
Regardless, make certain you stay with a non-abrasive wax to provide the best results.
Preparing Cars for Waxing
Next, perform a thorough cleaning and washing job on the vehicle. Clean it two times if needed to make certain you remove all of the spots you skipped the very first time. Don't clean it in direct sunlight if it's hot out, since you really do not want it to dry too quickly. Once it's clean, you are now prepared to wax. Towel dry any excessive wet areas, especially around the hood.
Waxing a Car Right
Obtain a moisten sponge and squirt a little bit of wax on to the sponge. Give it a try and find out how that amount works best for coverage. Don't cover much more of a space than you are able to and definitely, don't too much that it dries before you have completed that area. Make use of a circular motion to rub the wax into the surface of the vehicle. Cover the entire vehicle moving in order surface by surface throughout the entire process so that you won't miss anything.
Removing the Car Wax
When you return back around to the original surface, the wax you applied is going to be dry. Cloth diapers really are excellent tools for getting rid of excess wax for those who have any available. A terry cloth will even work nicely if it doesn't have any fresh paint or any other abrasives onto it. Remove the wax using a circular motion in the opposite direction in which you used to apply the wax.
Make certain to remove all the wax by putting sufficient pressure during the wipe off process. Make certain to change towels as frequently as necessary to prevent putting wax back onto the paint surface throughout this activity. This avoids any chance of swirl marks occurring and also any damage to the paint the old wax could cause.
Use only clean towels and make sure to be thorough all the way through to avoid damage and to get the best result. From the preparatory wash to completing the waxing itself and being thorough, creates that showroom look you were after from the very beginning. These represent helpful starting tips for a successful car wax project.
You may obtain more information by visiting the Nano-Diamond Shield site at http://nanodiamondshield.com/
Lin Ford is Vice-President of Crystal View Chemicals, Inc.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
How to Choose Your Car Mount for iPad?
I use my iPad everyday as it is such a great gadget. I have good experience to use iPad for rear seat passenger entertainment when I drive till I find one very reliable headrest car mount for iPad. I believe many families have more than one iPad or iPad at home. To bring the iPad for a journey in car is a growing trend.
Having the right, safe and reliable car mount for iPad is so important that the rear passenger no matter a kid or an adult could really enjoy the great iPad for internet browsing, private cinema, own music on the Go! Nowadays, there are really a lot of different iPad car mounting products in the market. Based on my own searching experience on many different kinds with brand name or without brand name car mount in the market, I would like to voice my suggestion as follows:
Find out what sort of material the mounting kit is made of especially when the mount is mostly for use in car. You do not want your mounting unit to break so easily when you are driving which may hit the passengers.Check if the mounting could hold the iPad firmly. You do not want your iPad falls out from the mounting kit when it is being used during driving.
You have to choose a mounting that could be fixed into the car headrest pole firmly so that your iPad will not vibrate vigorously when the car is moving.
Choose a car mount for iPad that could serve multi-purposes so that you are not required to pay twice to purchase another mounting device for use at home or in your workplace.
Pick a slim and strong mounting unit so that it is easy to carry around and serve as a protection case & keyboard stand too.
Find the mounting that is equipped with charging function for iPad. It is important when you have a long journey.
Find the mounting that the installation is easy and without the need of other tools.
Find the car mount that can fit properly your iPad unit. Some of the mounts will not fit universally for both iPad 1 and iPad 2.
Find the mounting kit that does not have sharp corner and it is mounted strongly in the headrest so that you energetic kids will not easily break it and be hurt.
Pick the brand that you trust.
Last but not least, Value for Money is the key.
I have already used different car mounts for iPad. Finally I find the one from inCarBite that meets most of the above criteria. I will recommend it to all of you if you are going to find one.
Ray Yeung invites you to visit these sites: http://www.incarbitestore.com/ for iPad car mount products.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
List of Ten the Most Expensive Cars Ever Insured
The ten most expensive cars ever insured are certainly some of the most expensive cars in history. Auto insurance doesn't cost much for regular cars, but could the same be said for high-end luxury cars? Naturally, there are always limited edition cars that would have to be insured for a lot of money, because there are limited cars that might be when equated with them. These facts make this list somewhat inexact, as one couldn't possibly define just how much some cars in this list would be insured.
Insurance businesses have no universal standards in insuring a car, and various cars would have different insurance costs and cover depending on the value of the motor car being talked about. It may be hard to define what amount of a car maybe insured for. But in the interest of discussion, here are the that have even been insured:
Top 1 - Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
Whoever stated that modern cars are the only costly cars ever insured? The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost is a car produced between 1906 and 1926. This is an antique car that has been insured for $50,000,000.
Top 2 - Ferrari GTO
The Ferrari GTO has been purchased at an auction for $28,500,000. You could only guess for how much this car would be insured.
Top 3 - Bugatti Type 41 Royale
You could buy a Bugatti 41 Royale for $40,000 today. But the first ever insured car of this kind has been bought for around $12,000,000.
Top 4 - Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR
This has been in the record in the Guinness as the most costly car at the time. For what price, you say? Records say that limited editions have been bought for around $2,000,000.
Top 5 - Bugatti Veyron
This is easily about the most costly cars in the world, and it is only logical that it is also one of the most expensive cars insured too. Insurance companies would need to consider the rarity and the repair costs of these vehicles, since there are just 240 of these globally.
Top 6 - McLaren F1
If there were only some things that would be considered to get insurance rates, the appearance, the ability and the amount of the motor car would be on the top three. Selling for more than $1,000,000 this car is certain to have high insurance premiums.
Top 7 - Ferrari Enzo
The Ferrari GTO maybe in comparison to about 14 Ferrari Enzos, but this is no reason for its insurance to go lower. Limited edition of this vehicle was sold for a million dollars.
Top 8 - Koenigsseg CCX
This less expensive brother of the most expensive car globally - the CCXR version - is still expensive at around $700,000.
Top 9 - Porsche Carrera GT
A Porsche Carrera costs $440,000. It is still one of the most pleasurable cars in the world, though the plan could now be thought to be traditionally modern, if it isn't too ironic.
Top 10 - Pagani Zonda C12
There was once a man who crashed a Pagani Zonda C12 on a test drive has resulted to an insurance payout of around $428,000.
There are many unusual reasons why the ten most costly cars ever insured could cost differently. Their value could very well depend on the editions that they belong to, since there are invariably limited editions of vehicles that would cost more than those that are not.
Looking for more information on expensive car? Thesupercars.org houses some of the most useful information and data on cars, including the most expensive cars in the world!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Attributes of Emergency Light Bars That Make Them the Best Lighting Solutions
Emergency light bars have witnessed a lot of innovation in recent times. Super bright and linear light fixtures are commonly used these days in a lot of places where there is a need for bright and attention seeking lighting. You can use these light bars on top of emergency vehicles, be it patrol cars, cop cars, vehicles belonging to administrative officials who need a clear way on the road or ambulances that need you to help out by offering them a clear path. It is obvious that emergency vehicle lighting needs to be intense to catch everyone's attention and should be able to flash and blink to send signals to others around. Moreover, these should be easily installable and you should find it easy to mount them on the front, rear or sides of a vehicle.
Emergency light bars come with both steady output as well as flashing output. There are built-in LED drivers which can ensure a uniform output of light. Similarly, some light bars also come with dimming circuits which allow you to adjust the intensity of the lighting based on your needs. In other words, depending on your usage and the time of the day, the lights can turn from bright to dim and vice-versa. This also helps in saving some energy if needed, not to mention that dim lights in bright areas are more soothing than bright beams flashing on the rear view mirrors of a passenger car ahead.
Emergency lights bars vary in length from as small as 3 inches to longer than 50 inches. The number of LEDs used by these lights also varies from half a dozen to more than couple of dozens. The super bright LEDs consume very less energy and with 12 V DC source, the 1W LEDs are capable of emitting strong beams of light with low beam temperature. The light bars are usually available along with plenty of accessories which make installation and use very easy. There are power cables, cigarette plug switches for turning them on and off and interconnect jumpers if you need to connect several lighting fixtures together. You would also get DC power supply, mounting clips, brackets and magnets, which could be useful in offering vibration and impact resistant installation of emergency lights on the roof of a vehicle. There are switch board panels, controller box and pattern selectors as well in order to vary the flashing and for other functions.
Emergency light bars are not only scalable but also extremely versatile. This is because you can easily replace one LED module with another. You can separate out one segment of LED arrays from a light bar and replace with another. This way you can always be prepared with backup. Moreover, you can add or remove modules depending on how much lighting is required. Obviously, one can never be sure of the amount of lighting needed in case of a car crash or spillage on the highway, especially on winding and treacherous roads. The lights are usually water, dust and corrosion resistant.
Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for Emergency Light bars and many other items like Flashlights, Deck Lights, police lights, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available - http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/
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