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

[reezeh]

On 14 October 2017 at 04:04, Delasaurus said:

Just came across this...smart idea me thinks!

That is until it's located on Google Earth! ?

[reezeh]

One thing NOBODY on here has considered as motive for theft, and I believe it's what my Celestron tripods ended up as, is scrap metal.

They're not all smack-heads and druggies going around looking to fund their habits, but essentially professional thieves.

Day before my stuff was half-inched they sent their kids around looking for scrap, I had an old aluminium ladder out in the back garden... To cut a long story short they took that ladder too.

I tried ringing round some of the local scrapyards - no joy. One of the people on the phone was pretty darned nasty too tbh.

I do suspect that some of these scrap metal merchants are in collusion with such thieves. ?

[Gina]

That's a thought ?

[reezeh]

Well, how sellable are two sets of metal legs and a wedge? People don't shell out cash for stuff they have no clue what they're are; if they did I could sell a few bridges on da tinternet!

Take them apart and even most astronomers here won't recognise what they are, but scrap metal dealers would love them!

[Macavity]

I live in an area that (despite the rumours) is *relatively* crime free. With a little
ingenuity, protecting e.g. tripods against (casual) theft, seems a real possibility?
Whatever, I have devised extra obstacles to less determined "non-professional" 
criminals? A few extra HOLES in metal things... Add Heavy Chains... Padlocks? ?

I suppose if "Bad people" come equipped with Angle Grinders, Bolt Cutters etc.,
I will be heartbroken to lose (my precious) few £100's of "scrap metal" at most?
(The Telescopes and "Optics" live indoors with me at all non-observing time!) ?

I AGREE that a potential enemy is "careless talk"? According to ONE neigbour I
have "Thousands of pounds worth" in my Shed... I'm also a Secret Millionaire? ?
(Seriously, if I had a *tiny* fraction of the stealable wealth of such speculation!) 

Edited February 10, 2019 by Macavity

[reezeh]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

That's a thought ?

Indeedleedeedleedoo Gina

[reezeh]

40 minutes ago, Macavity said:

I live in an area that (despite the rumours) is *relatively* crime free. With a little
ingenuity, protecting e.g. tripods against (casual) theft, seems a real possibility?
Whatever, I have devised extra obstacles to less determined "non-professional" 
criminals? A few extra HOLES in metal things... Add Heavy Chains... Padlocks? ?

I suppose if "Bad people" come equipped with Angle Grinders, Bolt Cutters etc.,
I will be heartbroken to lose (my precious) few £100's of "scrap metal" at most?
(The Telescopes and "Optics" live indoors with me at all non-observing time!) ?

I AGREE that a potential enemy is "careless talk"? According to ONE neigbour I
have "Thousands of pounds worth" in my Shed... I'm also a Secret Millionaire? ?
(Seriously, if I had a *tiny* fraction of the stealable wealth of such speculation!) 

Beware that once they do you over, they might wait for a few months till you've replaced your valuable gear, then they'll repeat their "favour".

That's a common tactic they employ.

[Nigella Bryant]

My then ror observatory was broken into around 2001 and my 12inch GPS stolen, it was obviously a targeted thing, bolt cutters were used to gain entry while we were on holiday. Thankfully it was all insured and had a quick settlement for new for old policy that I had. I've since moved years ago from there and now have a pulsar dome in my current situation. Last year our neighbour lit up there's and our back fence, conifer tree's. It was a huge blaze from their bbq, fire engine's the lot. We were out there hosepipe on the sheds and fibreglass observatory, they were steaming with the heat. The plus side is I now have a good easterly view where huge conifers used to be. Still glad I'm insured though. My dome is also alarmed. 

Moral of the story is get insurance. It's sometimes covered under outbuildings and contents but check the values as you might need to up that.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Nigella Bryant

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Moral of the story is get insurance.

... before you set fire to your neighbopur's trees ...

[Nigella Bryant]

32 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

... before you set fire to your neighbopur's trees ...

Oooooo, implying I wanted to get rid of 70ft conifers for a better easterly view? Now why would any amateur astronomer resort to such behaviour, lol in all seriousness I had visions of my dome melting and my neighbour hadn't house insurance, crazy, I know. 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

On 10/02/2019 at 11:59, reezeh said:

I tried ringing round some of the local scrapyards - no joy. One of the people on the phone was pretty darned nasty too tbh.

I do suspect that some of these scrap metal merchants are in collusion with such thieves. ?

Some merchants are undoubtedly inscrutable and devious. Buy very low, sell high. Don't ask where the stuff comes from. Much the same as the occasional car scrap dealers.

All one can do is delay a determined thief. Slowing them down with decent locks and doors, plus the small deterent of alarms and lights.

Even then, the gods can turn against you. For instance last year, we had car keys stolen during the night from the house and a brand new car pinched.

The conservatory door lock was easily snapped, the locksmith was very helpful explaining how. Then, because I had worked 50 hours nights I was jiggered and conked out on the couch, thus leaving the patio door unlocked and alarm off.

The thief walked past me to pinch the keys...

Good luck securing your obsy's. I couldn't sleep at night if I had one!

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[steveex2003]

On 13/06/2019 at 09:48, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

The thief walked past me to pinch the keys...

 

 

Wow. It's just so brazen.
A few months ago I was awoken to the sound of the back door. A full length, double glazed, fairly strong affair being fiddled with. I opened the curtain to see a bloke, who ws absolutely non detered by my presence, or the fact I was stood there with a fairly serious kitchen knife (probably not a good idea but there we are) or that I took a photo of him. The door offering good service he started ranting about i'd better let him in, he'd take what he wanted and leave and no one would be hurt. The sirens had him jumping over the wall into the night screaming he'd be back.
It was a pretty intense few minutes. I don't think this perhaps the norm, if i had to guess i'd say he may have been chemically confused or something. The attending Police indicated that this sort of thing does happen. 
it just shows the mentality of some seeking to relieve you of your hard earned chattles. 

[Carbon Brush]

Great phrase ' he may have been chemically confused '.

I think I would have been there with a kitchen knife to confront him.
My crowbar and hammer are stored in the garage so would not have been to hand😅.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

That sounds scary Steve... Maybe next time forego the knife and just confront the perp in the buff.. About 17 years ago, a guy trying to break into our kitchen window around 4am ran for the hills, leaving his tools behind, when he witnessed a 6ft, 17st nude nutter hurling obscenities at him!

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[nameunknown]

My problem was wind - that big storm back in the spring. A freak gust lifted the 4th floor roll-off roof straight off, over the house and into the street, where it experienced spontaneous disassemby.. This was followed by some running about and moving stuff while the rain was pouring in. Fortunately I had a few packs of the thin (decorating) poly sheet in the obsy as an emergency rain cover. Next day I boarded it as a temp measure, then came lock down, builders merchant shut, instructions to put myself under house arrest and the price of polycarbonate sheet went through the roof (if you could even get it).  I never found my wind gauge. I did contact my insurance provider and they sent someone round to have a look, who thought it was an "external door" and needed a lock. I did point out that anyone who had a helicopter wouldn't be interested in robbing me, but agreed to fit a lock. Eventually I decided that making a claim wasn't economic as the only thing that seemed to be damaged (apart from the lid) was the wind gauge and one old SLR.

This week I put a newly built lid on, with even more tie-down options than the old one. While at it, I installed a locking mechanism. Then I decided that the roof needed another coat of waterproofing. So, up on the obsy roof with tin of stuff etc. At some point I needed to close the roll offslightly and forgot about well-oiled rollers and the locking device - CLICK!

Mmmmm....four floors up, on a flat roof with a locked roll-off skylight having a lot of cunning self-locating pins holding it down against serious storms. Fortunately, I managed to work out a way of opening it (since fixed). Anyway, the positive side was that it reminded me that while I was restoring my composure with a stiff drink, it was time to post something on SGL after a long absence.

[Ole Larsen]

After nightly visitors run with all my gear from my observatory, i installed a camera with ir detc. If it "feels" anything i got an alarm on my phone. Yes, it was too late, but the insurance like it. Hope my new gear will be my gear. ;0))))

[Guest]

I have two dobs and a Stellina.  The dobs stay in the garage and the robot is in the house.  They are covered under my homeowners insurance for fire and theft 

[woldsman]

I think to a large extent the header of the topic sums it up. If something doesn't feel or look right then respond accordingly. It's true that the typical person may not judge

relative risks well and that the probability of a road traffic incident outweighs other forms of risk when doing astro in dark sky locations of the track. But that said,

we have thousands of years of evolution programmed into us and if your instincts and senses are telling you that there is danger, best to heed this! 

[iapa]

I had a Pulsar observatory installed earlier this year, and had some difficulty insuring it and semi-permanent located equipment.

My house insurance was happy to insure the observatory and my astro kit in in the house, garden or remote location but not so much for stuff kept in the observatory.

After some time browsing I found a company that specialised in photography equipment, including that for astrophotography.

The former increased my premium by <£20pm or there abouts covering some £15K+ of kit over £2K. Under £2K value was ready covered e.g. most of the cameras and some of the mounts and OTAs.

The latter covers c£10K detailed kit (pier, IT, optics etc.) for £200pa

Seek and ye shall find

 

[Will_does_astro]

On 10/02/2019 at 13:26, Macavity said:

I AGREE that a potential enemy is "careless talk"? According to ONE neigbour I
have "Thousands of pounds worth" in my Shed... I'm also a Secret Millionaire? ?
(Seriously, if I had a *tiny* fraction of the stealable wealth of such speculation!) 

Food for thought.
As it is, I am in the process of having a shed custom-built that will be built with conversion to an observatory in mind (maximum security) but the old saying "loose lips sink ships" still stands.