What do you use to keep your unattended kit secure?

[Starwatcher2001]

56 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

I think the average burglar would opt for something simpler like the garden shears out of of your shed…something they can sell for the next bag of weed! However it’s always possible……

 

Unfortunately I think "that shiny thing looks expensive" is more likely. 😞

[Clarkey]

I am obviously far too casual about this. I leave my stuff in the garden and go to bed. I have rain alarms but nothing else. Admittedly my garden is not easy to access and cannot be seen from the road, but maybe I should be more careful.

I used to have a PIR in the garage which alarmed in the bedroom. However, it kept going off for no reason so I gave up on the idea.

[Louis D]

In our neighborhood, thieves generally go for the quick, easy targets, cars and trucks parked in driveways and on the street.  I can't recall any backyard break-ins.

[iapa]

2 hours ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

 

Unfortunately I think "that shiny thing looks expensive" is more likely. 😞

I keep my kit under covers when not in use.

[Macavity]

Despite rumours, there isn't much crime around here. I cannot imagine anyone removing
my "Skywatcher Pillar" from the observatory... silently... Unless they're into... TETRIS?!? 😅

Aside: I did THINK a bit about "securing" a Skywatcher Tripod. Replace the central M10(?)
screw with an EYEBOLT! A length of chain... to a steel STAPLE screwed into the patio? 😼
 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Macavity

[astronymonkey]

On 30/05/2022 at 19:26, Louis D said:

In our neighborhood, thieves generally go for the quick, easy targets, cars and trucks parked in driveways and on the street.  I can't recall any backyard break-ins.

I agree,  things that can get stolen quickly, and there is a market for, are the the things they are more likely to pinched. I'm not sure anyone would know what to do with a telescope unless it was pinched to order in which case its going to be a challenge.

 

With many thefts being opportunistic i tend to make the garden difficult to get into and  look well protected, and  hopefully persuade them to go elsewhere. I've read that it's all about what it looks like from the road, an alarm box, dummy cctv, pir light, high gates and fence all mean you have considered security and to be honest there will be easy pickings elsewhere.

A mate caught a guy on his doorbell camera trying car doors on his drive. All the guy was doing was going from car to car along the road looking for one what was unlocked. Nothing fancy, just looking for an easy target, in this case all that was needed was the car simply to be locked . So make you house look secure and hopefully they will look elsewhere.

 

cheers

[DaveL59]

Not seen anything similar on sale recently, but place I used to live I'd fitted a PIR dual spotlight out front covering the drive, being 60ft it was useful to light the pathways to help find the way in the dark. Handy thing it also had was a plug-in unit for indoors that would activate with the floodlight, so it was hooked to a lamp which gave the impression to potential intruders that someone indoors was now also awake. Deterred a couple of stroll-ins to check out my car for sure.

Something like this might work tho, PIR to detect movement and a light turns on indoors to deter intruders

TC37- 110° PIR MOTION SENSOR TRANSMITTER AND PLUG THROUGH RECEIVER WITH GLOW LIGHT : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Edited June 2, 2022 by DaveL59

[Carbon Brush]

When trying to predict how a villain will approach a 'job' it doesn't help to think like an honest person.
It also helps to remember these people sleep about 8 hours, like the rest of us, which leaves 16 hours for their 'activity'.
We tend to put limited time into work, family and hobby. Little time into security matters.

Here are just three examples of one burglars behaviour, from a place where I lived 20 years ago.
His activities made him well known and recognised by many. He became known to the locals as Burglar Bill.
It shows (to me) how these people (insert other term) have a different way of thinking to many of us.

Incident 1. Homeowner (a large old farmhouse) returned to find Bill trying the back garden gate.
When challenged. 'I'm looking for work - with horses' and then left after being told there was no work - or horses.
A call to local plod with a description was met with 'Yes we know him - he is a burglar'.
But he hadn't done anything that day.

Incident 2. Bill was walking down the road between two villages, very early morning, carrying a load of garden tools.
PC Plod was passing and grabbed his collar - figuratively speaking as it could be assault.
Bill was ready. Glad you were passing. I found these at the side of the road. Reckon they are stolen and dumped.
Taking them home to be safe and let you guys know.
So although the loot was recovered. Bill had been ready with the excuse, so had not committed any crime.

Incident 3. Someone saw Bill walking along the road carrying (in his arms not in a bag) various frozen food items including gateaux.
This was several miles from the nearest supermarket. The person thought it strange but didn't do anything.
Next day the village telegraph had 'Did you hear about xxx had their shed burgled. They took a load of stuff out of the freezer'.
So Bill didn't need an excuse. Though I'm sure he was ready.

He did get his just desserts (definitely not gateaux) after a few months.

 

[Louis D]

48 minutes ago, Carbon Brush said:

When trying to predict how a villain will approach a 'job' it doesn't help to think like an honest person.
It also helps to remember these people sleep about 8 hours, like the rest of us, which leaves 16 hours for their 'activity'.
We tend to put limited time into work, family and hobby. Little time into security matters.

Here are just three examples of one burglars behaviour, from a place where I lived 20 years ago.
His activities made him well known and recognised by many. He became known to the locals as Burglar Bill.
It shows (to me) how these people (insert other term) have a different way of thinking to many of us.

Incident 1. Homeowner (a large old farmhouse) returned to find Bill trying the back garden gate.
When challenged. 'I'm looking for work - with horses' and then left after being told there was no work - or horses.
A call to local plod with a description was met with 'Yes we know him - he is a burglar'.
But he hadn't done anything that day.

Incident 2. Bill was walking down the road between two villages, very early morning, carrying a load of garden tools.
PC Plod was passing and grabbed his collar - figuratively speaking as it could be assault.
Bill was ready. Glad you were passing. I found these at the side of the road. Reckon they are stolen and dumped.
Taking them home to be safe and let you guys know.
So although the loot was recovered. Bill had been ready with the excuse, so had not committed any crime.

Incident 3. Someone saw Bill walking along the road carrying (in his arms not in a bag) various frozen food items including gateaux.
This was several miles from the nearest supermarket. The person thought it strange but didn't do anything.
Next day the village telegraph had 'Did you hear about xxx had their shed burgled. They took a load of stuff out of the freezer'.
So Bill didn't need an excuse. Though I'm sure he was ready.

He did get his just desserts (definitely not gateaux) after a few months.

 

Guys like that are lucky you have strong gun laws over there.  Rightly or wrongly, Burglar Bill might very well have been shot doing that here in Texas.

[jetstream]

Even the sight of my buddy is a deterrent eventhough he is friendly. These dogs notice anything different in the yard and let you know immediately, as a pup he would growl and snarl if we parked the cars in different spots lol! Hes a 100 lbs now and looks intimidating.

[iapa]

22 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Even the sight of my buddy is a deterrent eventhough he is friendly. These dogs notice anything different in the yard and let you know immediately, as a pup he would growl and snarl if we parked the cars in different spots lol! Hes a 100 lbs now and looks intimidating.

awwww, cute wee puppy 😃

[jetstream]

43 minutes ago, iapa said:

awwww, cute wee puppy 😃

He is actually lol!

He knows my neighbours and likes them all, however he likes to "interview" newcomers to the yard and is very good at it 😀

[DaveL59]

5 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

When trying to predict how a villain will approach a 'job' it doesn't help to think like an honest person.
It also helps to remember these people sleep about 8 hours, like the rest of us, which leaves 16 hours for their 'activity'.
We tend to put limited time into work, family and hobby. Little time into security matters.

 

 

Sadly overt security measures can in fact mark your house as being worth investigating. Bought a nice detached 4-bed house in 1/3 acre in SE London many years back. Formerly owned by a little old lady who passed. Her kids had arranged to have those roll-down security shutters fitted on the rear windows to keep her secure, ye olde metal crittal windows behind them (pity they didn't just get better windows fitted really). Anyhoo, we bought it, moved in and started doing the place up after a decade or more of neglect, sort a kitchen, rewire etc.

Then after replacing some of the downstairs rear and side windows with new uPVC, someone decided to try breaking in. They popped the beads out on the small side window and tried to remove the glass. Luckily the ones I fitted you bonded the glass to the inner side of the frame, so instead of coming out the external pane shattered but the inner was fine and the glass unit remained in place. They then tried another of my new windows and bent the frame on it but again didn't get it. OK so police duly called next day, no evidence of fingerprints etc but some advice on security etc. I started to look into alarm systems I could fit and while deciding  wouldn't you know it but a couple days later they came back. This time they tried to force one of the casements on the huge crittal window (1.5m x1.5m huge), bent the frame and cracked the glass. Police again visited and again nothing. Joke was that the huge window had a secondary glazing panel on the inside so they'd not have got far anyway lol.

So, I've decided on an alarm and just need to go get it when... third try, this time the side door into the kitchen, removing the cat flap and breaking out the panel then helping themselves to my HiFi and various other bits, even my daughter's school bag - probably to cart stuff off in. All the while on all these we were asleep upstairs, that was the scariest part of it all. Thankfully they didn't come upstairs!

Of course, police came, fingerprinted all over and nothing but we then had the task of trying to clean up their special powder that really doesn't want to come off even glazed tiles. That was 3 visits in a 2 week period which made us and the police suspicious but no evidence to go anywhere with. We were also advised that they often leave it 6 months for insurance to have replaced the items then come back for the latest models, how comforting! Police also advised that while those security screens can work, they also advertise that you have something worth stealing so they'd come and try anyway. If they can't get in via the window they'll try a door and even the wall.

 

Then some months later we had a much better idea of who it might have been, not that we could prove anything, a neighbour a couple doors down the hill or his associates. Seems they went on holiday and while away they were 'broken into'. Strange that the small glass panel in their back door was carefully placed against the wall next to the door on the outside when the glazing beads were on the inside. Even more so when a while later a friend brought them over items that were exactly what had been reported stolen and their car had been at the house during their holiday. We also noted that there was sometimes someone hanging about in the alley that ran alongside our garden but if they noticed us they retreated back into said neighbours garden.

A few months later and I was woken by noises out front, car doors closing etc. Peek out of the window to see a car parked at the roadside and a group of youths looking under the bonnet of that neighbours car. Next thing they've pushed it back out onto the road and then both cars drive off up the hill. Now being a good neighbour I'd of course already called the police and was describing in detail the 2 cars and number of people. 10 mins later they called to let me know the fools had stopped at the top of the hill to sort something and they got them all 😄 Things went quiet after that, no further troubles, perhaps because they were doing time 😉 

So for me, definitely worth getting a feel of who your neighbours are and those who overlook your property. Easy for them to spot a routine or possible valuables and tip of their mates etc. Round here I'm defo not planning to leave gear out unattended, been trouble free, so far but there's some less than trustable characters that pass thru and 2 adult kitties ain't gonna do much protection duty, I'd need my daughter's husky for that 😉 

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by DaveL59

[jetstream]

1 hour ago, DaveL59 said:

All the while on all these we were asleep upstairs, that was the scariest part of it all

This is horrible and scary, very sorry to hear of this.

What I like about dogs is that these criminals will know of the animal when they case out the place and will normally go to an easier target, well thats my thinking anyway.  I walk my dog all over, I'm in a remote place, but lots of people see me with Nico and know about him. Neighbour has a guard dog too and between us not many come down our road, just cabin owners etc.

I cant believe whats happening all over.Sickening.

[DaveL59]

4 minutes ago, jetstream said:

This is horrible and scary, very sorry to hear of this.

What I like about dogs is that these criminals will know of the animal when they case out the place and will normally go to an easier target, well thats my thinking anyway.  I walk my dog all over, I'm in a remote place, but lots of people see me with Nico and know about him. Neighbour has a guard dog too and between us not many come down our road, just cabin owners etc.

I cant believe whats happening all over.Sickening.

True but unfortunately I'm a cat person, oh well lol.

As for dogs, size doesn't even matter much if they make noise. Old lady that lived across the hall at a flat I used to live at had a wee yappy terrier, darn thing would go crazy even when the outer door opened and she'd walk it around the blocks daily. A few weeks after she moved away we got broken into and a couple other places too, even the policeman that had moved into her place. That one was funny tho as he hadn't secured his bedroom window properly so it was easily forced open, seems they tell you all the things you should do but sometimes forget to themselves.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

Sadly overt security measures can in fact mark your house as being worth investigating. Bought a nice detached 4-bed house in 1/3 acre in SE London many years back. Formerly owned by a little old lady who passed. Her kids had arranged to have those roll-down security shutters fitted on the rear windows to keep her secure, ye olde metal crittal windows behind them (pity they didn't just get better windows fitted really). Anyhoo, we bought it, moved in and started doing the place up after a decade or more of neglect, sort a kitchen, rewire etc.

Then after replacing some of the downstairs rear and side windows with new uPVC, someone decided to try breaking in. They popped the beads out on the small side window and tried to remove the glass. Luckily the ones I fitted you bonded the glass to the inner side of the frame, so instead of coming out the external pane shattered but the inner was fine and the glass unit remained in place. They then tried another of my new windows and bent the frame on it but again didn't get it. OK so police duly called next day, no evidence of fingerprints etc but some advice on security etc. I started to look into alarm systems I could fit and while deciding  wouldn't you know it but a couple days later they came back. This time they tried to force one of the casements on the huge crittal window (1.5m x1.5m huge), bent the frame and cracked the glass. Police again visited and again nothing. Joke was that the huge window had a secondary glazing panel on the inside so they'd not have got far anyway lol.

So, I've decided on an alarm and just need to go get it when... third try, this time the side door into the kitchen, removing the cat flap and breaking out the panel then helping themselves to my HiFi and various other bits, even my daughter's school bag - probably to cart stuff off in. All the while on all these we were asleep upstairs, that was the scariest part of it all. Thankfully they didn't come upstairs!

Of course, police came, fingerprinted all over and nothing but we then had the task of trying to clean up their special powder that really doesn't want to come off even glazed tiles. That was 3 visits in a 2 week period which made us and the police suspicious but no evidence to go anywhere with. We were also advised that they often leave it 6 months for insurance to have replaced the items then come back for the latest models, how comforting! Police also advised that while those security screens can work, they also advertise that you have something worth stealing so they'd come and try anyway. If they can't get in via the window they'll try a door and even the wall.

 

Then some months later we had a much better idea of who it might have been, not that we could prove anything, a neighbour a couple doors down the hill or his associates. Seems they went on holiday and while away they were 'broken into'. Strange that the small glass panel in their back door was carefully placed against the wall next to the door on the outside when the glazing beads were on the inside. Even more so when a while later a friend brought them over items that were exactly what had been reported stolen and their car had been at the house during their holiday. We also noted that there was sometimes someone hanging about in the alley that ran alongside our garden but if they noticed us they retreated back into said neighbours garden.

A few months later and I was woken by noises out front, car doors closing etc. Peek out of the window to see a car parked at the roadside and a group of youths looking under the bonnet of that neighbours car. Next thing they've pushed it back out onto the road and then both cars drive off up the hill. Now being a good neighbour I'd of course already called the police and was describing in detail the 2 cars and number of people. 10 mins later they called to let me know the fools had stopped at the top of the hill to sort something and they got them all 😄 Things went quiet after that, no further troubles, perhaps because they were doing time 😉 

So for me, definitely worth getting a feel of who your neighbours are and those who overlook your property. Easy for them to spot a routine or possible valuables and tip of their mates etc. Round here I'm defo not planning to leave gear out unattended, been trouble free, so far but there's some less than trustable characters that pass thru and 2 adult kitties ain't gonna do much protection duty, I'd need my daughter's husky for that 😉 

 

House break-ins seem quite rare around here.  I wonder if it's because Texans are so heavily armed, and the Castle Doctrine gives them carte-blanche to shoot to kill anyone in their house who doesn't belong there?  Outside the house, it's a lot more fuzzy if you can shoot to kill to protect property or even lives, so burglars are unlikely to get shot burglarizing cars or sheds, so cars get broken into all the time around here.  Burglars also hitch up to cargo trailers and steal them all the time as well.  I've lost track of the number of Boy Scout trailers that have been stolen along with all their camping gear from storage on church grounds.  They can be hitched up and gone in well under a minute.

[Ade Turner]

On 30/05/2022 at 16:23, Jiggy 67 said:

I do think the nature of the equipment is a deterrent to burglars without the need for fancy defenses. Many burglars ( or trespassers in this case)can barely read, if they could they would have progressed to more lucrative criminality. I don’t think they would be able to dismantle my EQ6 R Pro in the dark and without making a racket and there is little chance of them moving it fully assembled. If they did get away with it, what would they do then??…they don’t know what it is. I think the average burglar would opt for something simpler like the garden shears out of of your shed…something they can sell for the next bag of weed! However it’s always possible……

To be fair I struggle to dismantle my EQ6 R Pro in the dark too 😉 As you say, not the easiest thing to fence I’d imagine - and a lot of hassle to take it away.

[Ade Turner]

On 30/05/2022 at 17:41, Clarkey said:

I am obviously far too casual about this. I leave my stuff in the garden and go to bed. I have rain alarms but nothing else. Admittedly my garden is not easy to access and cannot be seen from the road, but maybe I should be more careful.

I used to have a PIR in the garage which alarmed in the bedroom. However, it kept going off for no reason so I gave up on the idea.

You know, I’d love to do just that and I’m pretty sure all would be well. We already have cameras covering most of the garden and in the 4 or 5 years I’ve had them we have never once captured any night visitors other than foxes, cats and hedgehogs. Having said that my paranoia tells me it’s only a matter of time…

[Ade Turner]

On 02/06/2022 at 14:02, DaveL59 said:

Not seen anything similar on sale recently, but place I used to live I'd fitted a PIR dual spotlight out front covering the drive, being 60ft it was useful to light the pathways to help find the way in the dark. Handy thing it also had was a plug-in unit for indoors that would activate with the floodlight, so it was hooked to a lamp which gave the impression to potential intruders that someone indoors was now also awake. Deterred a couple of stroll-ins to check out my car for sure.

Something like this might work tho, PIR to detect movement and a light turns on indoors to deter intruders

TC37- 110° PIR MOTION SENSOR TRANSMITTER AND PLUG THROUGH RECEIVER WITH GLOW LIGHT : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Not seen a combo like that before, looke interesting. At the moment I’m looking at the Switchbot system: Switchbot motion sensor

I’m thinking of coupling up their mini pir mounted in a clear waterproof housing on the tripod to one of their mini button pushers to activate a wireless doorbell in the house. I’ve got the bits already for something else so I’ll experiment when I get chance 👍

[AbsolutelyN]

I have a 4k security camera pointing at where I setup, recording any movement 24/7. You can access it via phone so easy to check what's' going on from anywhere and setup detection alarms etc. Useful to check meridian flips etc never mind the obvious security implications. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by AbsolutelyN

[DaveL59]

1 minute ago, Ade Turner said:

Not seen a combo like that before, looke interesting. At the moment I’m looking at the Switchbot system: Switchbot motion sensor

I’m thinking of coupling up their mini pir mounted in a clear waterproof housing on the tripod to one of their mini button pushers to activate a wireless doorbell in the house. I’ve got the bits already for something else so I’ll experiment when I get chance 👍

always handy to be able to fiddle with stuff. I adapted a couple of wireless panic buttons for my house alarm, rigging them to become flood sensors since those aren't available as such for the system I have. A kitty dreamie biscuit and a couple wires to the push switch, job done. Thankfully so far they've not needed to alert me of a burst flexi-hose which is what made me find a solution in the first place 🙂 

[Ade Turner]

4 hours ago, AbsolutelyN said:

I have a 4k security camera pointing at where I setup, recording any movement 24/7. You can access it via phone so easy to check what's' going on from anywhere and setup detection alarms etc. Useful to check meridian flips etc never mind the obvious security implications. 

I’ve Reolink PoE cameras covering most of the garden backed up with Arlo wireless. The Reolink images are great, very clear but their detection protocol is rubbish. The Arlo’s are the reverse - terrible image quality but brilliant detection and they’re well concealed. Together they compliment each other.

[Ade Turner]

4 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

always handy to be able to fiddle with stuff. 

I’m always on the lookout for stuff I can subvert to do tasks it was never meant to do 😉

[DaveL59]

11 minutes ago, Ade Turner said:

I’ve Reolink PoE cameras covering most of the garden backed up with Arlo wireless. The Reolink images are great, very clear but their detection protocol is rubbish. The Arlo’s are the reverse - terrible image quality but brilliant detection and they’re well concealed. Together they compliment each other.

My setup is Hikvision, works pretty well, using Annke cameras re-flashed with Hikvision firmware. Gives 1080 picture with line-crossing and area intrusion detection options and the NVR can email alert. Agree re Reolink, I had a couple and they weren't great, not sure their implementation of ONVIF was that good tbh, it sure didn't want to work well with my Hik NVR.

I'd not rely on just CCTV tho to watch over kit outdoors unless you're watching it all the time. The PIR triggered light indoors kinda works because it makes it seem you've disturbed the occupant who may well now be looking at you and calling PLOD/loading the shotgun 😉 

[herne]

A simple, cheap solution I use is a personal attack alarm connected to a tripwire.

The type of alarm used is where a pin is removed to set it off.  For example this (cheap) or this (more expensive).

 The alarm gets secured to something solid (I use a zip tie) with the tripwire (some fishing line) attached to the pin and stretched across a point of access.  For me, my equipment is set up on a raised platform which has railings all around it and a single set of steps leading up to it, so the tripwire goes across the steps.  I keep it at just below waist height to avoid foxes/cats setting it off.  A 140db alarm going off in the middle of the night will wake me up and (hopefully) scare off an intruder.

If it’s not possible to stretch it across a point of access, it could be attached to the scope - one part on the scope, the other connected to the mount - or perhaps on a tripod leg connected to something solid (plant pot, nearby bush etc).

Here’s a video to give you an idea of how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaQq2otgKH4