[Empeg-general] Re: How did you solve this problem?

[Tony Fabris]

Don't think along those lines. It's useless. You have to take the Empeg with you.

I've had two stereos stolen out of my car, and I have come to the conclusion that the only way to prevent a theft is to take the stereo with you. In fact, this was one of the empeg's selling points to me: The fact that I had to take it with me was GOOD. For instance, you might think that a removable faceplate is the most convenient theft protection: Think again, I've had a removable faceplate stereo stolen. Anything at all which leaves the stereo in the car (such as putting it in the trunk) will result in a stolen stereo. Trust me on this one, I've had my trunk crowbar'ed open.

I've found that the situations where I absolutely can't take the empeg with me are incredibly rare. The Empeg's carrying case makes it quite convenient to carry around. Most of the time, if I think I can't take it with me, a moment's reflection tells me that I'm acutally just being lazy and I'd better get that thing into its carrying case and get it out of the car. If I'm going to a waterslide or an amusement park with rollercoasters, then yeah, I can't take the empeg on the rides with me. But at those locations you can rent lockers, which I do. I don't go dancing, but if I did, I'd have the bartender keep it under the bar for me. When I go to the beach, I just take it with me and keep an eye on it. I could see how if you went surfing it might be an issue, but then again you'd have the same issue with your wallet and car keys at that point. Can anyone else name a situation where it's genuinely impossible to take the Empeg with you?

I've only seen one other option which allowed you to leave the stereo in the car with a reasonable amount of safety, and it was touched on elsewhere in this thread: The lockbox. However, in most cases, this is more hassle than just taking the stereo with you.

The solution I saw (in a car stereo magazine about 5-10 years ago), was to have a keyed lockbox hidden under upholstery in the trunk. The lockbox was welded to the frame of the car, so that the thief would have to steal the whole car to get the contents of the lockbox. In the dash, a hinged cover plate covered the hole where the stereo was inserted. A very stealth install. But that's a lot of trouble to go to.

Still, I'd like to come up with a stealth installation for my Honda. I need to get a cover plate to cover the hole in the dash. I'd feel a lot safer knowing that my car appeared to be without a stereo. I still wouldn't leave the Empeg in the car, but I'd feel safer about my amps and speakers.

____________
<A HREF="http://www.jps.net/tfabris" target="_new">Tony Fabris</A>_