Product Spotlight: iDatastart VWX Remote Starter for Volkswagen and Audi

Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley vehicle owners are in luck! The VWX remote car starter from iDatastart was specifically designed for your vehicle. Starting your car a few minutes before leaving for work or the drive home will let the engine warm up in the winter or allow the air conditioning to cool things off in the summer. Either way, your drive will be much more enjoyable. Let’s take a close look at the features and some of the options available from this unique remote car starter.

iDatastart VWX Features and Compatibility

The VWX includes all the inputs and outputs necessary to allow it to start Volkswagen and Audi vehicles reliably. Aside from starting your Golf, Jetta, A3 or A4, you have complete remote control over door locking, unlocking and trunk or hatch release control on compatible models. The system includes a dedicated output for the vehicle horn, and an optional siren can be added to provide enhanced security and protection. The system can monitor the hood, trunk and door status to let you know if someone is trying to break in.

Depending on the specific year, make, and model of the Volkswagen or Audi vehicle you own, the VWX can automatically activate the rear window defroster and factory-installed heated or cooled seats after the vehicle is started.

Volkswagen Car Starter — The IDatastart VWX is a remote car starter controller specifically designed to work with Audi, Volkswagen and Bentley vehicles.

Remote Control Options

The VWX can be used with current Compustar remote control kits, including the fantastic 3-mile-range, two-way T13 LCD unit or the one-button R5. The new Q9 remote is an excellent option for a price-conscious two-way remote with an LCD screen. Two-way communication lets you know that a lock, unlock or remote start request sent from the remote has been received by the VWX controller in the vehicle.

For the ultimate convenience, you can pair the VWX with the DroneMobile smartphone telematic control system. You can send commands over the cellular data network to your vehicle using an app on your Apple or Android-based smartphone and a communication module connected to the VWX in the vehicle. You can check to ensure that the doors are locked when the car is parked at the airport and you’re sitting at the pool bar at a resort in the Bahamas.

Using one of the Premium service plans for DroneMobile adds GPS locating and alert options. You will get a notification any time your vehicle moves or an alert if someone drives off after bedtime. If you share your car or SUV with a family member, a quick tap on the smartphone app will let you know exactly where your vehicle is and how fast it’s traveling.

If your vehicle comes with a keyless entry fob, the iDatastart VWX can be programmed to work with that remote. Pressing unlock will not only open the doors but deactivate the security features of the VWX. The VWX can be configured to remote start the vehicle if you press the lock button on the factory remotes three times in quick succession. This feature is called 3X Lock Start and is handy if you want to use the factory key fob to keep your keychain uncluttered, along with DroneMobile for those times when you are too far away from the RF remote.

Upgrade Your Comfort with a Volkswagen or Audi Remote Starter

If you are shopping for a remote car starter for a 2006 or newer Volkswagen or Audi (or a Bentley Bentayga), drop by a local authorized retailer and ask about the iDatastart VWX system. They can explain exactly which features and functions are compatible with your vehicle’s specific year, model and trim level. The dealer will also help you choose the best remote control solution based on where you park the vehicle at home, at work and out on the town. Ensuring that you have the right control options and range is crucial to warming up or cooling the vehicle long before it’s time to drive off.

For more information on the iDatastart VWX, you can visit the iData website. In the United States, iDatastart products are distributed by Firstech, the parent company of Compustar. Most Compustar retailers have access to this unique Volkswagen and Audi-specific car starter solution.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

DroneMobile Smartphone Vehicle Control Response Time vs OEM

Being able to lock, unlock or remote start your car or truck using an app on your smartphone is handy. In listening to what owners of these solutions have been saying over the last few years, we’ve noticed a disturbing pattern: Most factory-installed remote systems are agonizingly slow. Nobody wants to wait around for their vehicle to unlock. So let’s do some research and see how the DroneMobile system from Firstech stacks up in terms of responsiveness.

What Is a Telematics System?

In the context of cars and trucks, telematics is a way of remotely controlling basic vehicle functions using an app on your smartphone. In essence, these systems replicate the operation of a key fob to let you lock or unlock your vehicle, pop the trunk or hatch, or remote start the engine. In addition, many systems include a GPS receiver that can locate your vehicle on a map or configure location-based security alerts.

DroneMobile is the aftermarket telematics system offered by Firstech – the company behind Compustar remote car starter and security systems. DroneMobile can be integrated with a Compustar remote car starter to provide unlimited control range. So long as your vehicle is parked somewhere with cellular service and your smartphone has access to the internet, you can send commands quickly and easily.

Smartphone Control Response Time

In addition to reliability and ease of use, impressive response time is one of the main reasons thousands of people have upgraded their cars and trucks with this system. Firstech moved its authentication services to AWS a few years ago to increase reliability and responsiveness. AWS is one of the world’s premier cloud computing platforms and is used by companies like Netflix, Amazon, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Expedia and thousands more to host their online platforms.

If you’re sitting at your desk at work and want to remote start your vehicle with your smartphone, it doesn’t matter significantly if the process takes 2, 20 or 120 seconds. However, if you’re walking up to your vehicle and want to use your phone to unlock it, response time matters. The last thing you want is to stand in front of your vehicle for 30, 40 or 60 seconds while data commands travel around the globe. You want the system to unlock as quickly as possible so you can be on your way.

We surveyed a group of friends to look at the response time of the telematics systems that came with their cars and trucks. The answers were surprising in all regards. Most response times were slower than we expected, with a surprisingly significant number of users completely giving up on these systems because they often didn’t respond.

If we average all the responses, it took just under 18 seconds from when an icon on the smartphone was pressed to when the vehicle responded on most factory-installed telematics systems. In most cases, this was a simple lock or unlock command. However, the time it took for these vehicles to remote start and then report their status back to the app was often more than twice that.

DroneMobile – The King of Vehicle Remote Control Speed

Most of the employees at BestCarAudio.com have Compustar remote starters installed in their vehicles. We also have DroneMobile telematics systems integrated with those starters. We surveyed our team and many of our peers and found that the average response time for a lock or unlock request was about 2 seconds. In some cases, it was less. Sending a lock command over LTE was often faster than using a one-button RF remote. This isn’t a failing of the remote – it waits a second before transmitting to see if you’re going to press the button again.

If you have remote started your car or truck from inside your home, work, a restaurant or movie theater and are approaching the vehicle, using the DroneMobile system to unlock the doors in about 2 seconds is, frankly, the way these systems should work.

Upgrade Your Vehicle with DroneMobile

Many friends we talked with for this article expressed an interest in replacing the factory system with a solution like DroneMobile. The slow response time or complete failure of the system to function had led many of them to abandon using the factory-installed solutions. If you’re shopping for a lightning-quick telematics system for your car or truck, drop by a local DroneMobile retailer today. You can learn more about this impressive smartphone control solution by visiting the DroneMobile website, their Facebook page, Instagram feed or YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Control Your Vehicle Remotely with Your Smartphone

Using a smartphone app to control your remote start or car alarm system is nothing new. Technologies like Drone from Firstech have been around for several years. As with any technology, manufacturers are always working on new features that improve existing platforms’ usefulness or are developing alternative solutions. In this article, the BestCarAudio.com team will look at how smartphone remote control options have advanced over the years.

Lightning-Fast Response Times

One of the most significant changes to systems such as Drone has been the implementation of LTE connectivity. LTE, which unceremoniously stands for Long-Term Evolution, offers a boost in data transmission rate over the traditional 3G communication standard that’s been around since 2003. Not only is the maximum speed much faster, but the latency or delay time is reduced.

What does this improvement in speed mean to someone with a Drone X1-LTE or X1-MAX interface in their vehicle? Commands from your phone are relayed to your vehicle four to ten times faster than with 3G systems. Unlocking your car with Drone is just about as fast as using a one-button RF remote. The speed is absolutely amazing, considering that the message from your phone has to travel through the internet to the Drone servers at Amazon Web Services (AWS), be authenticated, then forwarded to the cellular network for transmission to your vehicle.

More Than Just a Remote Control

Drone does a lot more than just let your phone mimic the buttons on a wireless remote. The system lets you monitor battery voltage, so you’ll know if there’s something wrong before you get to your vehicle and are stranded with a dead battery. Likewise, you can check the temperature inside your vehicle from the app to let you decide if you need to remote start the vehicle five minutes before leaving work, or just a minute.

Smartphone Remote — Knowing whether the interior of your car or truck is hot or cold makes it easy to decide when to use your remote start system.

If you have opted for one of the GPS-activated Premium or Ultimate packages, the system will provide maintenance reminders based on the distance you’ve driven. These can help you plan when you need an oil change based on actual vehicle use. If you are managing a fleet of vehicles, this is a godsend!

The system can also communicate with the engine management system to monitor diagnostic trouble codes. If the Check Engine light pops up, you’ll get a message on your phone. In some cases, these warnings are related to something simple like a loose gas cap. In some cases, these warnings indicate that something is wrong with the vehicle and that it needs immediate service. Again, this might be information that your staff doesn’t always remember to share with you as a fleet owner.

Bluetooth Vehicle Control Options

If you want effectively unlimited range, then a cellular-based smartphone remote control option is the only choice. With that said, what if your phone could connect to your vehicle directly using technology like Bluetooth? A product called CarLink (in the US) or SmartControl (in Canada) may be exactly what you are looking for, and more!

This remote control package includes a one-button remotes that provide two-way communication with a range of up to 1.5 miles or 2.4 kilometers. The antenna and remotes work with most name-brand remote starter and security systems on the market, including Compustar, Viper, iDatastart, CodeAlarm, Omega, Pursuit and many more.

Here’s where your phone comes into play. With the CarLink/SmartControl app installed on your phone, you have the option of connecting directly to the antenna in your vehicle using Bluetooth. You can lock, unlock, arm/disarm or remote start your vehicle with a tap on the screen. You can also monitor battery voltage and remaining remote start runtime, and if your starter system includes a thermistor, you can see the temperature in the vehicle. Pretty neat, isn’t it?

Well, wait a second, it gets better. The remotes have Bluetooth transceivers built-in. This connectivity option means that you can connect your smartphone to the remote, then use the radio-frequency (RF) communication to talk to your vehicle. Now, your phone has more than a mile of range available, so you can start your car or check to make sure the doors are locked from inside an apartment or building. Best of all, because it’s all RF-based, there are no fees involved to use the service.

Update Your Car Starter or Security System with Smartphone Control

Whether you need unlimited range from a cellular-based smartphone control system or want to be able to use an RF remote with an app, many technologies are available. Drop by your local mobile enhancement retailer today to find out how you can make it easier than ever to start your car or truck using an app on your Android or Apple phone.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

DroneMobile Is the Best Car Sharing GPS Tracking Solution

Just as Uber and Lyft have changed the way we move around when we don’t have access to a vehicle, car sharing is changing how we rent vehicles. If you’re sharing your vehicle through Turo, Getaround, HyreCar or Outdoorsy and you’re looking for the best GPS tracking and control solutions, DroneMobile is an excellent choice. Being able to check your vehicle’s location at any time gives you peace of mind, and best of all, the system is reliable, accurate and easy to use. Let’s take a close look at the features and information that make DroneMobile the top choice for people who own car-sharing vehicles.

Precision Vehicle Location Information

DroneMobile can be added to your vehicle as a stand-alone tracking solution or an accessory to a security or remote car starter system. This telematics solution provides state-of-the-art LTE-based communication with a vehicle using the DroneMobile app on your Android or Apple smartphone or tablet, or via the web interface on a laptop or personal computer. One key element is that the hardware is completely invisible and can’t be easily disabled by the end user.

Car Sharing GPS — As soon as you launch the DroneMobile app, the system displays the location of your car or truck.

Locating and tracking your vehicle in case of an emergency is as easy as launching the app on your device or logging in to the website. In a second or two, you’ll know the exact location of your car or truck. You’ll be provided with the address where the vehicle is, and you can check its speed if it’s in motion. You can even use your Apple Watch or a WearOS device to check the vehicle location.

Instant Alerts Add Peace of Mind

The DroneMobile system does much more than report a vehicle’s location. You can configure alerts for vehicle speed, operating hours and excessive idling. If you want, you can receive a notification any time the ignition is turned on or off. DroneMobile monitors battery voltage and can send you a warning message if its low, so the person renting your vehicle will never be stranded. If you add DroneMobile to a security system, you’ll know when the alarm is triggered and what caused the alert.

The system pushes instant notifications directly to your smartphone. LTE communication (with 3G fallback) between the vehicle and blazing-fast servers means you get these alerts usually within two seconds, if not faster!

Detailed Information Makes Managing Your Rental Easy

If you choose the DroneMobile Premium Plus or Ultimate service package, you can see turn-by-turn details of where the vehicle has been driven. The data includes the total distance traveled and timestamps for stop and start locations and each turn made during the trip. If your car-sharing service uses per-mile billing, this information is perfect for invoicing.

Monitor Your Car-Sharing Vehicle with DroneMobile GPS

Renting out your vehicle can be stressful. DroneMobile helps to alleviate this stress by letting you monitor the vehicle usage, its security and location. More than 2,000 dealers across the United States and Canada are available to install DroneMobile in your vehicle. You can find one near you using the Dealer Locator on the DroneMobile website. Learn more about DroneMobile products by following them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or their YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Compustar CSX7905-A Premium Car Alarm System

Protecting your car or truck from theft or vandalism requires constant monitoring. While sleeping in your vehicle all night might be one solution, it isn’t really an option. The Compustar CSX7905-A vehicle security system includes a long-range two-way RF remote control and the Drone X1-LTE with the DroneMobile App so that you know what’s going on – whether you’re six blocks or 60 miles away. Let’s delve into the features of Compustar’s flagship car alarm system and why it’s the best way to protect your investment.

Communication Enables Easy Monitoring

With the CSX7905-A, you have two ways of knowing if someone is tampering with your vehicle. The system includes a two-way T9 LCD remote control that offers up to 3,000 feet of range. The remote features an LCD screen that provides details on the security system status. Should the alarm go off, the remote will beep, and an icon will show you what zone triggered the alert.

Compustar CSX7905-A — The two-way T9 remote includes an LCD screen that will let you know when the security system has received and executed commands from the remote.

Even if your apartment is 15 floors up, or you work in a large factory or a building like a hospital, then the included Drone X1-LTE Smartphone Telematics module is the perfect solution. The Drone hardware uses the cell phone data network to relay information to the DroneMobile app on your phone and commands from the app back to your vehicle. If the shock sensor is triggered, a door opens or even something as simple as the ignition turns on, you get a notification on your Apple iOS or Android-based smartphone in a second or two. Based on those alerts, you can decide to check on your vehicle or alert the authorities.

The Drone X1-LTE module includes a high-sensitivity GPS receiver that adds a second level of protection. If someone were to drag your car or truck onto a flatbed, you’d get a tow alert on the DroneMobile app that lets you know your vehicle was moved without authorization. You can track its location and notify the police. In many cases, vehicles stolen this way are returned in a few hours instead of being shipped out of the country, never to be seen again. Your Compustar retailer can help you choose a DroneMobile subscription service that offers the communication and security features to suit your needs.

On-Board Security Features

The CM2400 security module at the heart of the CSX7905-A monitors door, hood and truck pins and includes a two-stage analog shock sensor. Compustar includes their E-Lock starter disable relay that prevents hot-wiring of your ignition system. Of course, Compustar includes a dash-mountable warning LED to let would-be thieves know they are up for a challenge. The included 105+ dB siren draws attention to the vehicle should a persistent thief decide he or she wants in.

The flexibility of the CM2400 allows your installer to add upgraded security features for advanced protection. Perhaps the most popular upgrade is the DAS-II sensor. This four-zone security module includes a two-stage digital shock sensor, a motion and tilt sensor and a microphone calibrated to monitor glass breakage. The optional FT-KP2 keypad works like the number pad many vehicle manufacturers include by the door handle on some vehicles. By entering a user-selected code, you can disarm the security system and unlock the vehicle. The FT-KP2 keypad mounts on the inside of the windshield. Touch the glass on the outside to enter the code and arm or disarm the system.

Another upgrade option is the Drone X1-MAX. The X1-MAX hardware includes a built-in backup battery. If a thief cuts a battery cable in hopes of disabling your security system, the X1-MAX will continue to send you alerts and allow you to monitor the vehicle location. The X1-MAX also includes a shock, tilt and glass-breakage sensor.

Of course, all Drone solutions let you monitor the temperature inside the vehicle and its battery voltage. You can lock and unlock the doors and pop the trunk or tailgate if your vehicle has an electronic release option.

Protect Your Vehicle With the Best Car Alarm Available

If you’re worried about theft or vandalism, visit a local authorized Compustar retailer today to learn more about the CSX7905-A and how it can keep your vehicle safe and secure. You can find a retailer near you by using the Dealer Locator on their website. To learn more about Compustar car alarm systems, follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to visit their YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: iDatastart VWX Remote Starter for Volkswagen and Audi

iDatastart VWX Features and Compatibility

Remote Control Options

Upgrade Your Comfort with a Volkswagen or Audi Remote Starter

DroneMobile Smartphone Vehicle Control Response Time vs OEM

What Is a Telematics System?

Smartphone Control Response Time

DroneMobile – The King of Vehicle Remote Control Speed

Upgrade Your Vehicle with DroneMobile

Control Your Vehicle Remotely with Your Smartphone

Lightning-Fast Response Times

More Than Just a Remote Control

Bluetooth Vehicle Control Options

Update Your Car Starter or Security System with Smartphone Control

DroneMobile Is the Best Car Sharing GPS Tracking Solution

Precision Vehicle Location Information

Instant Alerts Add Peace of Mind

Detailed Information Makes Managing Your Rental Easy

Monitor Your Car-Sharing Vehicle with DroneMobile GPS

Product Spotlight: Compustar CSX7905-A Premium Car Alarm System

Communication Enables Easy Monitoring

On-Board Security Features

Protect Your Vehicle With the Best Car Alarm Available

Customer Reviews

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