Jim -

You're overlooking one important thing here. You do NOT want the substitute empeg to "...look like the real thing". The cost of replacing your empeg is small compared to the literally thousands of dollars damage that a determined thief can do to your car attempting to remove it. That's why I am still uncertain about how I will handle security on my unit. Fortunately, being #8741 in the waiting queue, I still have a lot of time to make up my mind! ;-(

I do plan to use a solenoid lock on my unit, so that it can only be removed or replaced with the ignition switched ON. I will also investigate the possibility of preparing a dash plate to cover the unit when the car is unattended with the empeg unit installed. As a last resort, I am going to try and replace the screws securing the handle to the empeg unit with "breakaway" screws made out of plastic, so a good tug on the handle will yield only a handle - not an empeg.

I do like the really cheap radio idea, though I don't think that I, personally, will ever be in the position of leaving my car where I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the empeg in it as well. Hell, in Alaska it'll be years before anybody besides me even knows what an empeg is!

tanstaafl.



"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"