Security

[Guest guest]

There is only one way I know of to keep the Vandals out and it is to build a Trip Wire Alarm. Here is the site that shows how yo build an alarm.

http://www.christmasdisplays.net/howtovideos.php

If you have any solutions or ideas you can post it here.

Thanks,

Richard




[line]


Poll- Have you ever had a vandal break in your yard and destroy some of your display.

Chose one Anwser

Poll Is Located At The Top

[Guest guest]

My guess is that this will be moved...

But, vandalism is a big topic on my list. I prefer to lure them in the yard, catch them red handed and prosecute them. On nights I can stay up real late, I'll disable all my alarms and wait them out. You catch some pretty interesting rich kids with families willing to settle out of court!:cool:

Trip wires are nice, but that isn't the only was to stop this stupid behavior.

[Guest guest]

I use the "Chuck Smith Method" and it has worked extremely well for several years. I post several "Danger, High Voltage" signs along the perimeter of the display. I also have a defined border so visitors can see where the display begins. It serves a two-fold purpose. The best benefit is keeping the well intended curious out of the display. I often witness small children start to run toward the display and see the frantic parents run and grab them before they get too close. As far as I know the only intruders into my display are neighborhood cats.

Last year I added one more security element. I placed several security cameras in visible locations. I never did get around to hooking them up to a recorder, but their presence was obvious. It was kind of fun to see people dancing in front of the cameras thinking they were being recorded or watched. This year I plan to actually hook up the cameras so I have a record of any malicious (or humorous) activity.

I've also worked out a deal with the local police department. They drive by my home several times during the night. In fact they will often park in front of my house in the middle of the night while they do paperwork. A few years ago I left a full coffee pot on my front porch every night for the officers. They appreciated the gesture.

The final part of my security setup is several flood lights that turn on at the end of the show and stay on all night. You can't go anywhere in my display without being easily visible. Vandals don't like to be seen.

[Guest guest]

A few years ago, I had my Minny and Mickey taken. My dad thought that i had moved them somewhere else in the yard that was unvisible from the windows. But the next day they were back in their place with a bag of chips and a note saying that they were sorry. They also let a few other things that weren't mine, but I didn't care This year I am thinking of getting x10 sensors and hooking thoses up to a few flood lights throughout my yard.

[Guest guest]

I have been vandalized about 5 times, and have used the Danger High Voltage method.

Usually the vandals just pick up some lights and throw them, but 2 years ago my dad woke up on Christmas morning to find a missing animated frosty the snowman and a train cabbose that had been thrown on the ground and part of it broke off.

I will probably set up the trip wire, along with motion sensors, a webcam, and flood lights this year.

Just beware Joe, those x10 motion sensors eat batteries like monsters!

Greg

[Guest guest]

I still intend to use the alarm I designed a couple months back and have every item in the display connected electrically, please see the attached link.

http://planetchristmas.mywowbb.com/forum13/3506-1.html

[Guest guest]

Do You know where I can get a high voltage sign.



Thanks,

Richard :tree:

[Guest guest]

Try here:

http://www.planetchristmas.com/Signs.htm

Will Sanders

[Guest guest]

Thanks :tree:

[Guest guest]

Christmas 2005 was the first year I had any problems. After purchasing a snow globe on ebay for a very inflated price, I was so excited to see it in my yard 2 weeks before X-Mas. Well the very first night somebody stole the fan that blew it up. It made me so mad. They left the snow globe but took the fan that was a seperate piece from the globe.

So this year if there is a seperate fan it comes inside each night. I have been drolling over the new airblown Carousels



Chris

[Guest guest]

I am not a inflateable expert, I dont even have one! But with what I see at the stores, cant you weld/glue the fan to the metal base?



I like marty's idea, the flood-lights, it could serve as a theft deturent and a way to fix a problem at night!






--Daniel L




P.S.- While making this post I just thought "Where is Tim Fisher?" He is usaly first on this topic!

[Guest guest]

This paticular airblown was one from Home Depot and was different that all others I have seen. The fan actually wasn't part of the airblown. The snow globe had a tail on it, and that tail was attached to a very nice fan that you could use anyplace else as a regular fan. Thats the only reason why I think it was taken. This year I will only buy the standard airblowns where the fan and plastic are all one. They didn't want the snow globe just the fan.