Mobile Edge Lehighton Mobile Electronics Experts » Remote Car Starters

Mobile Edge One of Top 3 Vote Getters for Retailer of the Year 2010

Mitch — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:53:56 +0000

About a month ago, we found out that we had once again been nominated for Retailer of the Year. We were nominated last year and finished in the Top 5 nationwide. Getting nominated 2 years in a row made us all extremely proud. It says that we are in a group of 100 retailers nationwide that are viewed as the best of the best.

Like last year, we immediately started campaigning. This was pretty straightforward. We contacted our friends and associates within the industry and asked for their vote. It looks like most of them voted because a few days ago we found out that we are currently in the top 3 nationwide! What an honor for a small shop in a town of 10K people in Eastern PA! Voting ends on April 15th and we are hoping to again be a finalist for the Retailer of the Year!

Thanks to all who voted and if you are in the industry and reading this, click HERE and vote for Mobile Edge!

Why Remote Car Starter Range is Important

Mitch — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:40:33 +0000

We sell A LOT of remote car starters. Sometimes it seems like I should just rename the store “Car Starters Are Us” during the colder months! We talk to thousands of customers every year. One of the most common comments that we hear is “I park right outside my home and work. I don’t need much range!” Lets take a loot at that.

The transmitters that we sell start out at 500 feet of range and go all the way up to 1 mile. I know what you are thinking: “500 feet is plenty!” Well, maybe it is when you are at work or home, but I would bet you go other places. How about the mall at Christmas time or a sporting event. What about the county fair or the the airport on the way back from a trip? I’d bet that you need to park considerably further away than 500 feet in these situations. I’d also bet that you still want to get into a warm car (or a cool one in the Summer).

Another aspect of range that people usually overlook is penetration. When a manufacturer states a range, it is a perfect world distance. If the car is 500 feet away from the user in the middle of a field with no overhead powerlines or walls to go through, the car will start. How often does that happen? Truth is, most of the time, you are starting your vehicle from inside of a building. The transmitter must penetrate glass, concrete, wood, siding, etc. All of these things will seriously diminish a transmitters effective range. Fluorescent lights, motors, computers, AC units and medical equipment will also have a negative effect on range. Your 500 feet quickly becomes 100-300 feet! In the case of a 3,000 foot transmitter, these interfering factors will still leave you with plenty of range to start your car from well over 500 feet away (if not much more than that). As you can see, having greater “perfect world” range helps ensure that your car will start in most cases.

Take a look at similar models that we sell. The less expensive model does 500 feet. The more expensive model does 2500 feet. The cost difference is $50. You decide.

The bottom line is this: When buying a remote car starter, consider all of the information above. It usually does not cost a lot to upgrade to a longer range unit. The remote car starters that we sell are extremely reliable, but they will only do their job if the signal gets to your car. With longer range units you are much more likely to never have to get into a cold vehicle.

(Note: As with any wireless service or transmission, it is impossible to guarantee specific distances. Different circumstances can have a dramatic effect on range. The ranges listed above are for illustration purposes only and not meant as a guarantee of service)

Coats for Kids – Warm Yourself and Warm and Child

Mitch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I was watching the news last night and saw a story about a community doing a coat drive for children. I guess I never really gave it a whole lot of thought, but there are a lot of kids out there that do not have warm coats during the Winter. The story really moved me. My parents weren’t rich, but I never had to worry about having a decent coat. I was never cold. I didn’t realize that there are a lot of kids in our backyard that are cold every day at the bus stop or on their way to and from school.

I came up with an idea of how my store could help. It’s pretty simple. Bring us a coat and we will give you $50 off the purchase of a remote car starter ($25 off 1 button model), or a $25 Mobile Edge gift card that you can use for something else. Here are the details:

Preferably a child’s coat but we will take all sizes.
Coats only please. No sweatshirts, etc.
Coats should be in decent shape.
You may bring more than one coat, however we will only be able to give one discount or card.
Discounts and card may not be combined or combined with other offers.
Cards may be used on regularly priced merchandise.
One discount per household please.

Give us a call if you have any questions. Hope to see you soon!

Another Reason Why We Love the Compustar Brand of Remote Car Starters

Mitch — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:48:08 +0000

The other day we did a remote starter installation in a 2010 vehicle. We did everything by the book, soldered every connection and verified all of the wires. When we tested it out, the vehicle would not start. Double checked. Triple checked. Everything was right. We were stumped.

So we did the next logical step and called technical support at Compustar. We verified everything with them and sure enough, we had done everything correctly. The tech asked us if we would give him 30 minutes and he would call us back. 25 minutes later he called and said that he had contacted a company called ADS. ADS makes the bypass modules that we use to interface with various vehicles. They slide into the bottom of the starter “brain” and we program them with a PC. Each car on the road has a specific set of firmware that needs to be “flashed” onto the module.

Apparently, the particular vehicle that we were working on needed a little tweak to the firmware. The engineers at ADS made this tweak, sent it to us and we flashed the module. The vehicle started on the first try! Compustar and ADS saved our day.

Had this been a different brand, there would likely have been one of two different outcomes: 1. We would have had to wait weeks or months until a new module was released or 2. We would have been put on a list and perhaps got the new firmware in a couple of days or weeks. End result would have been a black mark on Mobile Edge and a very unhappy customer. Their ability to correct this situation in less than 30 minutes was nothing short of remarkable and proved to us yet again that we have partnered with a world class remote car starter manufacturer.

2006 Ford F150 Gets the Works!

Mitch — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:29:15 +0000

A few weeks ago, a customer came in for a high end remote starter in his 2006 Ford F150. Bob recommended the 2 way LCD remote package with 1 mile range. The customer agreed and they set up the appointment.

The customer mentioned that they might want to upgrade their audio system in the future. This vehicle has 5×7 speakers in the doors so immediately, Bob showed him the Hertz ESK570.3 5×7 component speakers. The customer was blown away. These speakers sound WAY better than the stock 5×7′s! What started out as just a great remote car starter soon ended up being a complete audio overhaul!

We installed the ESK570.3 components in the front doors. To do this, we had to surface mount the tweeters in forward part of the door panel. They looked great. We installed Memphis Pr572 coaxials in the back for rear fill. Also located in the rear was a single Memphis 12″ Power Reference subwoofer in a sealed enclosure. The front speakers were powered with 2 channels of a Hertz EP4 amplifier and the remaining channels were bridged to handle the sub. The back speakers were run off o f the deck.

When it was all said and done, this install sounded fantastic. Crisp highs and a good low end. Oh yeah, when he dropped it off he had us go ahead and tint the whole vehicle! So now it sounds great, the remote car starter keeps him toasty warm and the tint makes the truck look even better!

It’s Your Vehicle – Why Trust it to the Lowest Bidder?

Mitch — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:05:56 +0000

They say that the 2 biggest purchases that most people make are their house and their vehicle. Because people are willing to part with large sums of their hard earned money for these things, they must be very important. So why do some people want to trust these items to the lowest bidder? Does that make any sense?

We hear it often: “I can get a remote starter installed for $50 bucks less.” Well of course you can. Shops charge what they are worth. They charge what the market will bear based on the quality and expertise that they bring to the table. Mobile Edge brings 15 years of experience and numerous industry awards based on our installation quality and customer service to the table. There is a value to that. Let me explain.

We have grown to achieve national recognition in a small town. As of the 2000 census, Lehighton had a population of 5537. Within a radius of 10 miles, the population is not likely more than 25,000. Obviously, we are in a somewhat rural area. We have not only survived, but thrived over the past 15 years. I guarantee you that we would not have been able to survive for even 2 years in this market if we did not do exceptional work. Word travels fast in a small town.

Are there shops that are cheaper than us… Short answer…. Yes. I started this business in 1994 with one goal: To run the very best mobile electronics shop possible. I’d like to think that I have succeeded. To do this, I have had to hire great people. I know that I have succeeded in doing that. My guys have talent and their talent makes them valuable. They are paid a wage that is well about average and worthy of their talents. I do this so that I can keep them working for me. My employees are my most valuable assets.

On top of this, we handle only top brands. Vendors look at Mobile Edge and want their products in our shop. We do not just accept what we can get. We are sought after by our vendors. We test everything that we sell. We don’t carry anything that we wouldn’t sell to our own family or friends. In short, we sell the best. The best costs more.

Mobile Edge sells the best stuff and employs the best installers . We do cost more. We don’t apologize for that and we don’t make excuses. You spent a lot of money on your vehicle. Do you really want to trust it to the lowest bidder?

I welcome all feedback and comments on this post.