Holloween Vandalism?

[Redbirdruss]

I have been seriously thinking of introducing a Holloween display this year for the first time but I have some reservations because I am concerned that the show might attract vandals.

Have any of you that run Holloween shows stopped because of vandals or do anything different for Holloween than Christmas to protect your equipment?

[JBullard]

do both shows. All controllers and equipment just scattered all around the yard. Never done anything special.

[Guest guest]

Redbirdruss wrote:

I have been seriously thinking of introducing a Holloween display this year for the first time but I have some reservations because I am concerned that the show might attract vandals.

Have any of you that run Holloween shows stopped because of vandals or do anything different for Holloween than Christmas to protect your equipment?

When I was in the house, controllers and DC-MP3 Showtime Director/FM Transmitter boxes all bolted to the walls outside. BM's staked to the ground by using cable clamps screwed to their backsides and zip tied to the stakes, cords from BM's also screwed to stakes with a cable clamp and then all BM's cords are zip tied together that are near each other and connections also zip tied where extension cords are connected to each one. A lot of extra work, but it keeps the cords in place, keeps the cords from being accidentally or pulled apart by pranksters or thieves.

Only difference I made to this was when I was in an apartment last year in 2011, the controllers were all mounted on an old personal toilet that had been gutted repainted black and wood boards {also painted black} screwed to the outside frame to mount the controllers on, DC-MP3 Showtime Director, FM Transmitter and antenna were kept inside. Still tied the BM's and cord connections as mentioned above.

So far, haven't had any problems with vandals or anyone terrorizing the display, plus they can't take the cords apart to mix or match the connections since I have them all zip tied together, they'd have to cut a lot of zip ties to move the plugs around. I also zip tie the cords going to the hanging cords coming from the controllers so they can't fall or be pulled out either.

Again, a lot of extra work many won't do, but I have done it this way since I started my first show, which was Halloween 2010 and thus far, I have had no problems.

This year my controllers will all be mounted in a centralized location on my back staircase to the wooden slats and cords ran from them to their respective controlled lights. and again all zip tied. This years display won't be as spread out as in the past, it'll be in the side yard among the garden area by our back door which is where we will be directing the trick or treaters too go. The outdoor speakers will also be mounted on the stair support railing.

Won't be any lights or anything on the house this year. I don't have a proper ladder to get to the eves, so until I can get a more suitable and stable ladder, won't be decorating the house per se this year. Tried it with my current ladder and it just isn't safe, not even with someone holding it. And I don't feel like taking a plunge off the top of a 12'+ ladder to the ground below.:shock:



But anyway. this is how I protect my display from vandals/thieves, if you can call it that, if they try and take one thing, they'd have to cut a crapload of zip ties to get it or if they happen to cut a live cord, since I keep the display on slow fades all night long, and they would have no idea which cord was live because of the way I wrap them, so if they happen to cut into the extension cord, they are very likely liable to get zapped. Bzzzzzzzzttt!:shock: LOL


BTW: I also padlock all my boxes to keep hands out of them too, and to prevent someone from unscrewing them from their mounting place.