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Fire and Theft: How can we avoid it and stay safe?


Sp@ce_d

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Never heard of them before, just had a look at the website and they look very nice (and good value)

Any chance you could PM me over a screen shot of your feed? I just want to a rough comparison of the quality compared to the IP cam I have at the moment

Here you go..

ipcam.jpg

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Something I do with all my valuables and has been mentioned on the forums before is DNA tagging (search for smartwater and selectadna), a tiny dab of DNA in an ultra violet sensitive gunk can make your gear easier to identify if it ever does get stolen.

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A great thread and one that I think should be maybe added to the sticky thread in the DIY obsy section.

I cant see much said about fire, so on that note there are a couple of things to consider. You could install a smoke and heat detector to give you warning of a fire. Another thing to consider is the cladding material and thickness. If you go with a certain section size for timbers then they will char thus inhibiting further flame spread. People I speak to about fire protection are often amazed when I mention that cavity stopping can be done with a timber block!

Security wise a good alarm and securely locking door will go a long way to helping deter wannabe thief's. Also some CCTV and or overt / covert monitoring will be good, if you can catch someone in the act then great.

Also marking kit with a postcode using a UV marker is a good idea (just don;t move house lol), but there is also something called smart water which might be something to consider.

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Good idea for a thread, I've taken this a bit more seriously recently after totalling up how much kit is sitting in the obs :)

I've put in a night vision outdoor IP camera that gives me on overview of the area, as well as one inside the obs to catch the faces of potential intruders. I've also put a IR beam sensor on the entrance that will fire an alarm should someone step in

The next step for me is to finish off a server machine I have that will record from both cameras, and put in some more robust locks on the whole thing

You can never be too careful :(

Sentry Guns? Mine Field, and of course anti Mole "Jasper style" gun emplacement?

Shark invested moat? :)

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"Careless talk"? I do wish I'd been a bit more circumspect with

neighbours. Especially with one (now unfriendly) loose cannon. :)

- Impressed how much "expensive stuff" I don't have though! :(

Seriously though, a shed was burgled at the end of my road, with dark mutterings about "targetting" and (known?) local involvement. :)

Edited by Macavity
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Some good info & great ideas coming in.. I hadn't heard about the selectadna & smartwater. That's really interesting.

As far as security goes.. what's the thoughts on getting the balance for deterent and detection. I'm thinking that visible deterrents may actually have a negative effect and advertise you've something worth nicking. So the sounder on the shed, barbed wire, Minefield, and the large "Man eating Jack Russell" (or Cairn Terrier) signs :).... may attract rather than deter?

Not too much has been said about fire detection and suppression. There are smoke detectors available but so far I haven't seen a system that is cheap enough to install that will suppress a fire in the typical environment of an obsy. Without damaging and writing off the scope and computer kit! I'm thinking along the lines of the types used in Data Centres.. however I don't see how a mixture of wood and electrical combustibles can be suppressed without damage to the gear. If that's the case is it best to make sure you are covered with insurance and let it burn if the worst happens? :)

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A great thread and one that I think should be maybe added to the sticky thread in the DIY obsy section.

.

:)

Moved to Observatory section and stickied for now (I'll add a best of sticky for security if I find any more)

Helen

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It's the FI8918W and IR is switched on. The interface you see there is basic and a bit buggy but it works well enough, you can move the camera by clicking on the image or the controller top left. The six buttons to the right are pan up/down and off, left/right and off, IR on/off. Max resolution is 640x480.

Mine came from eBay via Hong Kong costing ~£50 all in.

The only problem I had was getting a reliable wireless signal, the distance from and construction of my house meant I had to run a cat 5 network cable for it, which I borrow for the laptop when I'm in there.

/edit I forgot, there's a handy Android App called IPCamera Viewer that works well with the Foscam.

Edited by Steep
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It's the FI8918W and IR is switched on. The interface you see there is basic and a bit buggy but it works well enough, you can move the camera by clicking on the image or the controller top left. The six buttons to the right are pan up/down and off, left/right and off, IR on/off. Max resolution is 640x480.

Mine came from eBay via Honk Kong costing ~£50 all in.

The only problem I had was getting a reliable wireless signal, the distance from and construction of my house meant I had to run a cat 5 network cable for it, which I borrow for the laptop when I'm in there.

/edit I forgot, there's a handy Android App called IPCamera Viewer that works well with the Foscam.

Ok Thanks for that..

I've ordered a couple to see how they do.. If they're ok I'll get the out door version too. I also have probs with wireless coverage around the property so may need to run a cable.. would have to for power anyway. Haven't had too much success with wireless repeaters/bridges. I found an interesting negative but ending positive review that may be helpful for anyone here.. Hardware review: FOSCAM FI8918W wireless & wired IP camera Martin A. Brooks

Fingers crossed I won't need it.. :) I'm going to see if I can find some software they'll run on the Mac with too. I'll also be looking at the iPhone apps

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Never heard of them before, just had a look at the website and they look very nice (and good value)

Any chance you could PM me over a screen shot of your feed? I just want to a rough comparison of the quality compared to the IP cam I have at the moment

Euan, you're welcome to borrow one of mine to try out when they arrive, Just drop me a PM

Graham

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I should have said, that Foscam interface is built in and accessed via web browser so it should be fine on a Mac. I would set the camera up with a static ip using the supplied cat 5 lead before installing so you know where to look for it.

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I'm always a bit wary of companies with the word "scam" in their name... :)

I once bought some electronics from a company called Pervisell and yes, the package did have their name emblazoned on it in large letters.

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I think you can get dog alarms that detect movement outside a shed up to 6m away,

Starts with 1 bark then as they get closer turns into "i'm gonna bite your head off" bark if you know what i mean. And you dont have to feed it :)

As for fire, the car industry use a pressurised plastic pipe with c02 bottle, as the pipe heats up the gas escapes AT the fire. might be worth looking into.

+1 Vote for smart water too.

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Euan, you're welcome to borrow one of mine to try out when they arrive, Just drop me a PM

Graham

It's OK I've managed to get a login to a few test cameras

Very nice of you to offer though :)

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5FWD - X10 REX-10 Barking Dog Alarm System review by The Gadget Show

Does it come with an RSPCA Aware sticker if you use it in a shed... knowing my luck they would kick the door down thinking the dogs been left locked up in the shed all the time... :(:evil6:;)

lol no one is that unlucky ;)

Looking around for prices on the auto/piped extinguishers for cars and got a shock to say the least..:)

Found this though, ideal for a closed obsy ....

Automatic FE36 fire extinguisher | 1kg auto halon replacement

.Edit: As pointed out later in the thread this is not even close to adequate for protection of an obsy, for an 8X6 shed it would have to be around the 6 kg bracket i do apologise. Something like this would be better http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/6kg-automatic-FE36-extinguisher.html

Also do power ones a bit cheaper.. wouldn't like to see the mess it'd make though :)

Edited by Glen
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'Accidentally' connect your ali storage cases and tripod to the mains.

As tempting as this may sound, this namby-pamby government does not allow you to electocute the toerags that are nicking your possessions.

How about a remotely activated tazer gun? Linked to a tracking webcam for aiming purposes?

At least, even if they got away with your kit, you could get £250 from "You've been framed" for the video.

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My vote goes with Pete.

I have a very very large German Shepard and if anyone fancies taking him on they are more than welcome to try.

Same here.. we too have a German Shepard, and she provides the ultimate deterrent :)

Other methods (without giving too much away):

*CCTV cameras covering access points and the observatory

*Obsy looks like a big shed

*Lots of locks and clamps

*Two very bright IR security lights

The combination of the lights and the GSD works well :)

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lol no one is that unlucky :(

Looking around for prices on the auto/piped extinguishers for cars and got a shock to say the least..:)

Found this though, ideal for a closed obsy

Automatic FE36 fire extinguisher | 1kg auto halon replacement

Also do power ones a bit cheaper.. wouldn't like to see the mess it'd make though :)

Doing soem "iffy" maths...

An 8'x6' obs is "roughly" 8 Cubic meters volume so you would need at least 5 of the extinguishers.. or one with 5-6kg capacity

They are for confined spaces... engine bays , equipment cabinets etc...

Sorry ... ;)

Peter...

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