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Hiding controller boxes out in the yard


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Posted

Ive been working on building my display up from last year. I had only one controller and mounted it to a aluminum column on my front porch. Well that was fine the first year, but this year I'll be adding 3 to 4 new controllers, and the placement will be out in the yard in the wide open. I would like to cover them up somehow so they don't look like something you would want to steal.

I've gotten suggestions about making fake present boxes and painting them, but I was looking some other ideas.

The boxes will be mounted to steel posts that I will drive down in the ground. They will be hard to pull out, but not impossible. I really don't want to mount them directly on the house as that would require a lot of extra extension cords or SPT2 wire.

any ideas?

Posted

Can you hide them in/behind decorations/elements?

Posted

I mount the controllers to a piece of wood 1x12x24", with a 2x2 on one end, just to make a slight ramp. The plugs stay off the lawn, then I cover it with Costco Lawn and Leaf plastic bags. I stake it down with those lawn fabric stakes. I don't bother with hiding them. You see them during the day, but not at night.

So far no issues.

Posted

I cemented two 1/2" x 2' pieces of conduit in the holes of cinder blocks and mounted a 3/4" piece of plywood to them. They are very heavy, but extremely stable. The weight isn't much of an issue as I move them around with my Kubota. I store them outside and just cover the plywood with a baggy. Don't have any pix here at work....

Posted

I mounted a few of my controllers to 1"x6" pressure treated boards and 3/4" PVC pipe that slips over a re-bar (See pic). I picked up some Christmas decorated caramel popcorn tins (the type people from the office give you that you throw the contents away) and they slipped right over the entire assembly. I sprayed clearcoat over the entire can to give them better weather protection. Looks like decorations around the yard. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the finished assembly, just the basic construction.

Richard


Attached files 204231=11354-IMG_0037 (Medium).JPG

Posted

I use a lot of plywood cutouts in my display and generally place them behind the cutouts. Many of my controllers just lay on concrete blocks to get them off the ground, not attached to anything. I attach other controllers to the "U" shaped, metal fence posts with a couple wood screws (all my boxes are home made from scrap plywood). Other boxes are attached with U bolts to the center poles that support my mega trees. I paint them dark brown or black, depending on what paint I have laying around, and they disappear at night. I just make sure the cords come out the bottom, whatever method I use, so that water doesn't run into the boxes. Been doing it this way for four years without a problem. My philosophy has been it doesn't do much good to try and hide/secure the boxes when you have 16 extension cords all running to one location. Doesn't take much to figure out that there is something there. Homemade wood boxes with a bunch of wires coming out of it probably doesn't make the casual observer think there is something really worth stealing there.

Posted

These are good suggestions guys.

I currently don't have any cutouts or really anything other than a for sale sign that I converted into my radio channel sign. I guess I could try hiding a box behind that sign for the 8 mini trees.

I like the idea about painting them black so they are harder to see. I will definetly do that.

There are also going to be 2 boxes that control 3 arches on the side of my driveway. The bundle of SPT2 wire coming from the ends of the arches are about 5' long, So I'm not sure what I could use to hide them. there is really nothing else at that part of the yard.

I've got an idea if I located the 2 controllers next to my garage. I could get an old trash can, or a cheap vinyl one. cut the bottom out it. then simply place the trash can over the controllers. weight it down with some bricks around the edges, and put the lid on. it would simply look like a trash can sitting there. I would need to add about 18 15' extension cords though. OUCH! I need to check with my subdivision to see if its ok to have a trash can visible from the street first.

keep up the good suggestions, and thanks for everyone's help!

Posted

Dan C wrote:

I need to check with my subdivision to see if its ok to have a trash can visible from the street first.

I feel so bad for you and everyone else that has issues like this. I'm so glad, not to have that issue. Good luck!

Question? How many have an issue with this type of problem? Meaning, How many have subdivision's, boards, councils, committees, or other places, that regulate what you can do outside? And how do you manage?

I'm just wondering how many are stopping people like us, from havin "real" fun!

Ray
Posted

This is all good info! Now Its in my watched folder so I can check it out later

Posted

Another item for your consideration...what is the crime problem in your neighborhood? This issue of hiding controllers comes up several times a year but rarely (if any) has anyone complained of a stolen controller. More often displays attract vandals. They usually go for the quick damage like inflatables, blow molds, wire figures.

I leave a controller laying on a 2x4 covered with a plastic tote (with the 2x4 screwed through both ends of the tote) between my arches. If you walked up in the daytime, you would see all the cords going to the tote.

I have several controllers in mega trees. They would be relatively easy to take as well.

Posted

Thats a good point to bring up. Crime/vandalism in my neighborhood has seeminly increased in the past few years for some reason. My guess is as the kids in our neighborhood get older (teens now) they might be the cause.

A house got broken into a few doors down from me a few months ago. People drive their cars up on lawns and spin their tires causing yard damage, landscape light football. that kind of vandalism.

What worries me is just leaving thousands of dollars of equipment and wire just out in the open during the day where the guy walking down the sidewalk could just reach down and pickup it up and its gone.

Yes its pretty obvious there is electronic equipment for what we do, anyone could see that. but that doesn't mean I want to just leave it out in the open.

I would rather hid it as best I could so a thief has to either come up in the yard and work for it. the more time he has to spend finding the equipment, or the more tools and time it takes to remove it is a better deterrent.

Obviously, nothing is foolproof. If a thief's wants it bad enough, he will find a way. I know a lot of thief's out there go for the copper too. hopefully that doesn't happen to anyone.

has anyone thought of or come up with a system where if a controller is disconnected it sends a signal or alarm through the computer. Then the computer could set off some type of alarm?

Posted

I panted mine black on panted black wood. Used two rebar at angles in form of an X. No one ever knew they were there because at night they were looking at the lights. They had no clue that these were controllers.

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Posted

Dan C wrote:

has anyone thought of or come up with a system where if a controller is disconnected it sends a signal or alarm through the computer. Then the computer could set off some type of alarm?


Several posts on here and the d-light boards regarding the unused wires in the cat5 cable to create an alarm circuit.

Here is just one of several

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum72/15909-1.html
Posted

JBullard wrote:

Dan C wrote:
has anyone thought of or come up with a system where if a controller is disconnected it sends a signal or alarm through the computer. Then the computer could set off some type of alarm?


Several posts on here and the d-light boards regarding the unused wires in the cat5 cable to create an alarm circuit.

Here is just one of several

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum72/15909-1.html



This is what I have to protect my display!

I got a Sentry paintball system!
http://www.paintballsentry.com/index.htm

video
Posted

THAT IS CRAZY!!!!!!!

Posted

lol, funny you say that. Thats the colors I use. I have a sign on the end of the property, that says posted no tresspassers will be shot on site. people think I'm joking. Who sirously, who who shoot someone. until they get no leathal shots of paintballs. its completely leagal here. people say the wrong, but the state police, say, not only am I giving warning, they disregarded, they got hit with non lethal force. most cops find it amusing!

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Dan C wrote:

Thats a good point to bring up. Crime/vandalism in my neighborhood has seeminly increased in the past few years for some reason. My guess is as the kids in our neighborhood get older (teens now) they might be the cause.

A house got broken into a few doors down from me a few months ago. People drive their cars up on lawns and spin their tires causing yard damage, landscape light football. that kind of vandalism.

What worries me is just leaving thousands of dollars of equipment and wire just out in the open during the day where the guy walking down the sidewalk could just reach down and pickup it up and its gone.

Yes its pretty obvious there is electronic equipment for what we do, anyone could see that. but that doesn't mean I want to just leave it out in the open.

I would rather hid it as best I could so a thief has to either come up in the yard and work for it. the more time he has to spend finding the equipment, or the more tools and time it takes to remove it is a better deterrent.

Obviously, nothing is foolproof. If a thief's wants it bad enough, he will find a way. I know a lot of thief's out there go for the copper too. hopefully that doesn't happen to anyone.

has anyone thought of or come up with a system where if a controller is disconnected it sends a signal or alarm through the computer. Then the computer could set off some type of alarm?

I think thieves or vandals would target your decorations before the little gray box.
I used lights and some fence post to make a fence for the season.
Posted

I put my controllers in plastic tubs, usually 2 to a tub. I cut a large hole in one end with a saws-all. Some are Christmas colors so during the day they don't look too bad. The one under my mega tree is a clear tub that I but lights in that match some present decorations with lights. Put a big bow on it for day time.

I put 1x4 strips inside and drill holes in the bottom of the tub to keep water from ponding. The controllers stay nice and dry. The issue is with 32 plugs it get a little tight and can be difficult to hookup.

Posted

I mounted all 16 of my controllers on the two sides of my house and proceeded to run 12,000 feet of extension cords between the 250 channels and the controllers. It was just easier to do this than deal with them in the yard. All of the extension cords were bought at Home Depot on sale or after Christmas --- cheaper, but not free.

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