Looking for a sub-$300 alarm with remote start

[Heresy 10+ year member]

I have been out of the car electronic scene for a long time (got into home and commercial electrical things instead). I just bought a 1990 Chevy 1500 that I feel confident in owning for another 5 years because it has all the features I want, and I have no problem working on it mechanically. The problem is it was kept completely stock by a guy who only used it to pull a camper trailer between RV parks for a few months out of the year. It currently has no alarm or keyless entry system at all, and old heavy duty trucks are popular in the Southwest with thieves to take over the border.

From reading posts and remembering discussion in the past, I know DEI brands are near the top of car alarms. I am trying to narrow my search down to a few models. My budget is $300 and below with me doing all the installation and wanting a robust alarm that has remote start and a 2nd battery backup but also let me add more inputs/outputs in the future. Can anyone direct me to a particular module that fits this bill and a source to buy it?

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[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

Check out the Viper 5901 and the Python 991. Both made by DEI. They're essentially the same unit so whichever one you find cheaper will work. You can check both their feature on the DEI site, here. Everything matches. I currently have the Viper 5901 in my car. I paid like $230ish on ebay just a few months ago. Many extra for both of them(interchangeable, obviously). I currently have DEI 520T (Backup Battery System), 507m (Digital Tilt Motion Sensor), and 506T (Audio Glass Break Sensor). Disconnected my battery and tripped the alarm and it went off with the backup battery. The tilt sensor has two options, 1 degree and 3 degrees of tilt. I have mine set at 3 degrees, and one solid pump for a 2 ton floor jack trips it. The audio glass break sensor has adjustable sensitivity as well, although I don't intend to shatter my window in an effort to get it tuned perfectly. I just set it so everyday noise won't trip it.

Overall I love mine completely. 1 mile claimed for the remote start. Not sure if it's truly one mile, but I can start it from across campus(not a huge school, but not tiny), so I'm satisfied. 2 way remote so I know the car is on. Run time is adjustable between 12,23, and 26 minutes. I have mine at 12, but you can reset the run time again if you think it needs a little longer. I don't know, just read up about them, great units IMO.

 

[ecko_0113 10+ year member]

you may also want to look into the viper 5701 its the same exact thing as the 5901, its a two way system with remote start and alarm, it just doesnt have the screen like the 5901