Everybody needs one

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2015: Everybody needs one
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom VanMeeteren Valley, Nebraska on Monday, May 25, 2015 - 10:05 pm:

I picked up some stuff at a garage sale over the weekend and found this in the bottom of a box of goodies. It's a "Kar Kop" and is an early anti-theft warning device. You attach a hot wire to it and the horn and then when and if the car is moved the fishing weight at the bottom makes contact with the hot ring and blows the horn. original bag with instructionsNOS   Kar-Kop


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Monday, May 25, 2015 - 10:16 pm:

That is way cool!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Monday, May 25, 2015 - 10:26 pm:

Easy to copy.
I think I will make a few for my old cars that have no steering lock.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Kelsey on Monday, May 25, 2015 - 11:08 pm:

Pretty cool!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Martin Vowell, Sylmar, CA on Monday, May 25, 2015 - 11:19 pm:

I guess the button looking thing on the end of the dome is a way to break the connection so you can turn it off when you're not using it or once it goes off.

But what keeps the pendulum from pulling the contact down and making contact when you're trying to arm it? Does it move up and down or side to side? Or does it just have to touch that guide ring to go off? Just curious as to how it works.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John McGinnis in San Jose area, CA. on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 07:08 am:

Looks like one needs to park on a level spot or adjust the position if not. Could be a real nuisance. Seems likes it needs to be out in the open somewhere on the car...easy to defeat.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:03 am:

I think it mounts this way.


Car movement makes the pendulum swing and make contact with the ring. That would probably produce brief intermittent beeps as it swings back and forth, bouncing around in the ring. I agree the need for it to be level would probably make it a PITA.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:29 am:

It also doesn't work in the "power side" of the wiring since from looking at it the thing would provide a ground whenever the weight was swinging. Battery horns are not going to work with it since they have a permanent ground as part of their mounting bracket and the horn button switches the power side of the horn. Notice that the arm is a grounded ring so this is only going to work on an early magneto horn as used between 15-17 and will not work on later magneto horns without modification of the magneto horn. Again it won't work at all on the battery horn and I don't see any real easy way to modify it. It would be very dangerous to remove the ground and attempt to use this concept in a "power side" switch to a horn since the power side in that case would not have any current limiting as provided by the horn itself. In other words you would have a rather large and exposed bunch of power points that could easily get shorted to something unintended. Novel idea but not well thought out from a practical point of view with regard to wiring and installation. Could be rather dangerous if not well understood as to where it mounts.

Just my .02


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:35 am:

Well most of you guys are just no fun at all. =P

I think it's great Tom! I want one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Johnson on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:42 am:

My dad told me that when he was a kid in south Minneapolis in the 1930s-40s that a neighbor had a car alarm. He said the neighborhood kids would rock the car and the horn would sound.

It's quite possible that it was the device shown above, being that the Kar-Kop Co. above was located at 1112 Harmon Place in MInneapolis.

Harmon Place was once known as "Automobile Row" due to all the automobile dealerships/showrooms, service stations, repair shops, parts shops and other related businesses located along the street, starting in 1907 and peaking around 1930.

1112 Harmon Place is now a modern parking ramp. However, there are still a number of historic, automobile related buildings in the area.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Johnson on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:53 am:

I doubt that device was ever marketed to Model T Ford owners as it it is from a much later date.

If you read the instructions "1942 Chrysler Products" is mentioned.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 12:27 pm:

Might could use it to ground out the magneto. You wouldn't get very far if every little bump, turn, acceleration, deceleration etc... killed the mag.


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