[Chester from Kansas]

I just got back from my farm and someone, without allowing me a chance to shoot at them, broke into my barn and stole an ATV and lots of tools, several chainsaws, air compressor, etc. Years accumulation.

Do any of you have experience with alarm systems and security cameras. I know, horse out of the barn and all that. Luckily I had a number of guns there in a safe but they did not get to them. They are now safely locked up at home. What a nuisance.

What I envision would be several wireless cameras with motion triggering. I would keep the computer or whatever storage device isolated from the cameras, i.e. no wires running to the computer.

Thanks

 

[Bruce Eakins]

Don't know electronics....

but know how you feel. Makes you want to turn a good 12 gauge or 45 loose on some scumbag. I wil be following this post for ideas for my own place. I have 2-3 known perps in my area I have told that if I ever caught them within 2-3 miles of my place I would personally stomp the $hit out of them. Might be a pleasure to accomidate them.

 

[O C]

Wireless Cameras

Chester, Sorry about the break-in. If you can, use hard-wired cameras because they aren't as prone to interference as wireless. I install this stuff and haven't found wireless to be as reliable as the customer needs. A Digital Video Recorder allows you to program a group of pixels to monitor for movement ( such as the top of a door, move door and recording starts )They also can be monitored via internet ( requires phone line & IP Address ) The DVR can also send a "E" mail when a event happens, or send a alarm. All kinds of "stuff" can be done. Infared cameras, day/night, color, Vandal resistant, B&W, minature, pinhole. You name it and it can be had. I have a DVR with a built-in camera(color) that can be programmed for motion ect, that is the size of a pack of cigaretts. I use it as a temp DVR/Camera and hide it in a "J" box and stick it on a wall to see events. I've caught some interesting things that people swore wasn't happening.
This stuff is amazing, but comes with a cost. You can get a lot more bang for the buck now than 2 years ago and price is still falling. O C

 

[TinMan]

Alarms

15 years ago someone broke into the house we had at the time. We had a reporting alarm, one that phoned the police. Alarm failed, and they had NO liabilty/responsiblity - all written into the very fine print in their contract. Caused ~$4k damage to the house breaking in steel doors, wrecking door frames, etc. If the alarm works, it might scare amateurs away.

A friend has an elderly mother, 90+, who lives with them. He has set up web cameras (hallway, kitchen, laundry, etc) to monitor the house, with direct live feed into a computer at home that he leaves on all the time. He can call up his computer/webpage from work (or anywhere else) and make sure everything is okay. Sounds like this type of setup would be ideal for you, especially if you could somehow rig it to record or frame grab every few minutes. Hope this helps.

 

[colonelpanic]

Here in the solution I use.

Security Spy for Mac. It has lots of great features.

http://www.bensoftware.com/ss/index.html

A Mac Mini (very small and easy to hide) and a few IP cameras, you're in business. Detects motion but has a buffer so you see before the motion, web page, ftp, email, and a very reasonable price.

 

[xring]

Some Ideas ...

Noise and Light will usually put the dirt bags on the run . A friend of mine had a barn full of his kids stuff . Trail Bikes and a lot of big Model Airplanes . It is usually someone within a few miles of where you're at that breaks in . They can see who has a lot of goodies in the neighborhood and either steal it themselves or have buddies do it . Anyway , these Bozos broke in ( no alarm System ) , broke all the Planes and stole the Trail Bike . It was found in a Barn about 2 miles away about a year later . The State Police had a good idea who did it right from the start . My friend put in an expensive Alarm System with big Sirens , battery back-up Power , etc . The alarm went off ONCE , and a nearby farmer saw the crooks bailing out on foot down the mountain . Never had a problem after that . Besides door and window sensors , I would also put in some pressure sensitive sensors under carpets . Too bad you have to do this , but such is life these days !

 

[Oleman]

Securtiey Systems

They are as good as you keep them. You need to test them regularly. Your neighbors need to know you have one. Unfortunately more than likely it will be one of them or their friends or kids etc.

My system has sensors on all the doors, windows and is posted. It has a radio backup if they cut the phone line. Every room in the house is covered by a motion sensor except the bath. The only way in the house is to cut a hole in the bathroom floor. As soon as you step out of the bath your had.

The best piece of advice I give to people living around me was if someone is arrested for breaking in my house they'll be safe as long as they stay in jail.

They also knew I have a safe that weighs more than a 1000 pounds empty.

I have had no takers.

 

[CJ in Wy]

******* solution

DONT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN AROUND!!
330 conibears Yep those big beaver traps! You could no boubt get sued these days for doing it but has worked wonders for me in the past.Just bury a couple in the dirt and you'll know who broke in=He'll be the guy limping even though it dont help LOL.Might help just to let it out that you have set out a few of these.Most thieves are cowards and will not mess with a place they think might be boobie trapt!
A motion sensor light is a safe easy start and is handy to have anyway.
Check the local pawn shops and the bars for info on your stuff.Ben my expeience the law cant find their a$$ with both hands,there are some good exeptions but few and far between.

 

[Snake River Marksman]

I used a system from 10x.com to monitor a pool house at work. It was reasonably priced and worked well enough for the purpose. They have lots and lots of options. A phone call as well as the web page should give you some ideas.

 

[deadasslast2004]

sorry for your loss

I would try posting the guns as stolen on here and any other forum that you belong to and maybe between all of us we might get lucky and find them. I can't believe that even with the crappy weather they are still out there. I guess they really needed the money.

Good luck on finding them.

 

[Chester from Kansas]

Thanks for all the help. No guns were stolen, I brought back what I had down there. They were in a safe so probably secure. Just tools and the ATV.

I told my 84 year old neighbor, who still farms about 600 acres and is in great shape for his age, said that if he caught some one breaking into his barn he would get out his .45 and shoot them. He was in the Pacific during WWII so I believe that he could and would do it. He said that as old as he was he didn't have a long time to live any way so if he shot them just what were they going to do to him.

Old people are cool.

 

[Hogchaser]

My Mothers house was broken into about a year ago and they turned the place upside down trying to find anything of value, on top of just plain being violated they got into my fathers wallet(he passed about 3 yrs ago) the wallet was in his drawer and was the same as it was the day he went, there was about $70 in the wallet which they took and just scattered its contents all over the room looking for whatever they could find, just a horrible feeling all around.
________
RC211V

 

[Dana in Montana]

i knew an old guy like that..

He had been in Europe from D-day to the end of the war and claimed to have "killed a helluva bunch of Germans" and he said that "i wouldn't mind killing a few more before i die"......."what the hell they gonna do to me??? put me in jail?? who gives a damn???"....not the slightest doubt in my mind that he would have done it.....he still had a very beat up--but functional-- M1 carbine.
He was really a hard and crusty and bitter man ...eat up with hatred and anger...