Telescope / Mount anti-theft measures

[jonathan]

Security Lights...are you sure you are an astronomer?

How about red security lights and the screeching noise from Psycho?

[ScubaMike]

^^^sadly, such contraptions are generally considered to infringe on the scumbags legal right to rob you blind, or something akin to that...

So bear traps are a no-no ??

Damn.

I would have thought that a suitable sign saying that there is experimental equipment dealing with high voltages would suffice. I think most astronomers are amateur physicists too (your honour).

If they choose to ignore all the "safety" signs you have put up, they would have only themselves to blame.

[yeti monster]

If they choose to ignore all the "safety" signs you have put up, they would have only themselves to blame.

Were they gainfully employed and it were their place of work, you would think so, but even then the numptards seem to get the law on their side.

As they are fully fledged theiving scumbagses, no manner of warnings will hold them to blame for breaching security and robbing your kit, 'tis the law of the land it would seem, scumbags-1, honest decent folk-0.

Not until the law abiding citizen gets the right to defend themselves and their property will anything change.

[scoobymike]

I would have thought that a suitable sign saying that there is experimental equipment dealing with high voltages would suffice. I think most astronomers are amateur physicists too (your honour).

Not sure that would...

I recently read of a man who was liberating our rail network of some copper used for signalling. Touched a live rail, and spent weeks having his face rebuilt. 3 weeks after being let out, he was back in the dock for another burglary.

Having said that, if you could 'liven up' your mount, and have a motion detector camera nearby, you'd get some great 'You've been framed' moments...

Unfortunately my EQ6 has to come in every night as I have communal gardens.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Instead of three-phase stuff, why not modify a cattle-prod, or the more easily obtainable electrified fly-swatter (Gods, I love the smell of frying chitin in the evening ). These give a harmless but painful jolt, and can lend weight to any "Danger High Voltage!!" signs.

[ollypenrice]

Choose where you live; I'm five miles up a cul de sac on the top of a mountain and all the neighbours hunt boar with rifles. They also have that Harry Dean Stanton look about them...

Olly

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Choose where you live; I'm five miles up a cul de sac on the top of a mountain and all the neighbours hunt boar with rifles. They also have that Harry Dean Stanton look about them...

Olly

And then there's the boars themselves

[sirmetin]

Maybe put a pond next to the scope and hire these guys ?

Sea Marshals, Armed security teams for ship protection

[Psychobilly]

A few yars ago I had a threead that showed how to convert a cheap Friedland/Wickes Shed alarm into a loop alarm (like the ones used to "protect" high value items on shop shelves).. I have spent far too long with the "search engine" trying to find it today

When I have the kit setup outside I thread this through the kit.. so if I pop into the house and some "tea-leaf" decides to move anything It wakes up the neighbourhood... you just have to remember to switch it off when stripping the kit...

The kits also covered by IR CCTV which I can have PIP on the TV...

I still have the pics but not the text that went with them...

Basically you had to change two resisteance values to give short on delay and instant alarm delay instead of the "as bought" 30s entry exit delay...

Solder the sounder wires to the PCB , and also the 3.5mm jack plug and socket leads that form the loop...

Peter...

[garethmob]

i would imagine a trip wire going on a 1000DB alarm could also work, or even a cheap alternative a rape alarm

[Psychobilly]

I bought a load of Wickes ones for under a tenner each they dotn do them anymore.. the unit is a Friedland Response PA1 Shed alarm...

Available from

Friedland Response PA1 Shed Alarm: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

And possibly ebay...

We used them a load of them modded like this to protect the plasma TV's, Xbox 360's in the salon...

Peter...

[Pug]

Has anyone on SGL had a telescope pinched from their garden though? I'd have thought the little scrotes would only take stuff they could sell easily to fund their crack/smack/expensive trainers habit? Maybe I'm being niave.

[garethmob]

i do rememeber reading that one member did have it stolen whne it was imaging.... another who lives near me had a pile of scope stuff stolen from his properity (but i think it was packed away) so it does happen

[ScubaMike]

Not sure that would...

I recently read of a man who was liberating our rail network of some copper used for signalling. Touched a live rail, and spent weeks having his face rebuilt. 3 weeks after being let out, he was back in the dock for another burglary.

Having said that, if you could 'liven up' your mount, and have a motion detector camera nearby, you'd get some great 'You've been framed' moments...

Unfortunately my EQ6 has to come in every night as I have communal gardens.

The sign was meant as a legal defence for electrocuting the tealeaves, not as a deterrent. I'd still want the 240V (or more if possible).

[Ptarmigan]

some "tea-leaf" decides to move anything It wakes up the neighbourhood... you just have to remember to switch it off when stripping the kit...

there was a time when several of my neighbours had similar loud security alarms, (usually set off I suppose by fox and deer in the middle of the night and at random times in the day) almost as annoying as security lights, one of those neighbours was a Chief Constable (and later an ex- ). The thing is, what did he ( or they) expect me to do upon hearing their alarms, go and confront the tea-leafs ? ha I should coco, or just listen to it and hope the local constab. would arrive soon to turn it off :-!)

A silent alarm for the use of the owner would be better, especially in the case of my ChiefC who was wired to the local nick anyway and who could then have apprehended miscreants in the act instead of frightening them off !

Just more pollution I callsit

[Ptarmigan]

The sign was meant as a legal defence for electrocuting the tealeaves, not as a deterrent. I'd still want the 240V (or more if possible).

I dont think that will work as a legal device, it may however demonstrate that you knew that it was dangerous to others when you come to court, ooops !!

But there is another basic flaw to that, you are assuming that the ne'erdowells can take notice and react suitably let alone read ! LOL!

[laser_jock99]

Maybe leave some easily accessible copper wiring far away from the telescope, enough to fill their arms

How about some piano wire at neck height?

[jonathan]

How about some piano wire at neck height?

You mean like a noose attached to a weight slung over a nearby tree branch? That should head them off!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

You mean like a noose attached to a weight slung over a nearby tree branch? That should head them off!

Why so shy, why not plant some claymore mines (remotely (de)activated ones for preference, we wouldn't want accidents ourselves, would we).

However much fun it is to dream up bear traps and other such devices, anything causing serious physical harm will land you in court. A harmless jolt as given off by these fly-swatters is a deterrent, no more, and combined with a warning should work, and NOT land you in court.

I keep my stuff in the house, and all our locks etc, are in good order. We have a home alarm system that automatically sends a message to a home security firm, and if they cannot reach us by phone, the inform the police. A lesson we learned from a false alarm is that the police DID turn up in five minutes (the nearest police station is just 900 m away). This will probably not be the case everywhere. Having said that, the system has had a record of keeping us awake at night by producing a variety of beeps when it cannot reach the server, due to some malfunction, that we usually keep it switched off when we are in.

I sometimes feel that simply placing some odd little box with a red LED in a visible but hard to reach place will suggest there is a security system, and at that one they don't understand. This might be as effective as the real thing.