Why Remote Car Starter Range is Important

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 look 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)