Re: Remote construction site monitoring.

["Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

Crash Gordon wrote:
> Don't write the spec, let the security companies design and propose.
>
> I used to have a couple of mobile units that we'd lease out...they ain't
> cheap to build (although I've seen a few lately that look like they are
> pretty cool) - but, we built ours. They worked fine but very expensive to
> upkeep and repair after the vandals used them for target practice.
>
> I go through this same scenario about every few months with local builders,
> give them the pros/cons and then the price...thats when they barf. I won't
> even talk to them anymore, it's a waste of time designing and proposing
> something they don't want to pay for.
>

I had the very same experience. There was a rash of stealing (believe
it or not)  oil burners (for you winter challenged folk, that's a whole
house heating unit) . Cut them right out or the house plumbing and
wiring and carry them off.)

This kind of security system is very expensive to put together. The
builders don't want to pay that kind of money,  with only possibly fair
to middling results  .... even to save a $2000.00 Jacozzi.  Just think
about it from a power supply standpoint alone. The size of the battery
necessary to run this package is supprisingly large. Here's some of the
things that can happen. After the "newness" wears off, Where there's no
available power to the job, they'll forget to recharge the power pack
and when it's needed, it will have been forgotten about for a week or
more. Even if there's power on the site, the unit will have to be moved
for various reason by one trade or another. The motion detector will be
blocked. The main unit will be unplugged and allowed to discharge it's
back up power supply.  It will be taken down by the framers, the
electricians, the insulators, the drywallers and put in a closet
someplace and no one will think about it until after someone has
vandalized the place. Even if it IS running when someone breaks in, if
they know that it's there, (because they're on the job or someone on
the job gave them the information) they'll simply cover their faces.
They'll find the unit and take it or destroy it. If they don't know
it's there, you'll have the rare pleasure of watching complete
strangers, whom no one will ever be able to identify,  vandalize and
steal your stuff.

Hire a guard or dogs or both. But ..... even they present problems. The
guard will fall asleep and you'll have to clean up after the dogs.

Put your money to better use. Lock up your tools in a quality, heavy
duty construction lock box and use a case hardened chain and lock
wrapped around the biggest tree on the lot. Barricade the doors and
windows, Make sure anything of value is installed and not left standing
over night,  for easy removal and hope for the best.

I've been in this industry for about 36 years and builders have been
looking for this magic bullet, for all these years. Believe me when I
say,  if there were anything on the market that worked, and was
reasonably priced, you wouldn't have had to come here to ask about it.
Every builder would be already using it.