I work in a mostly rural area, sometimes just downright "backwoods". And since Jan. 1 I have been "solo" so the thought of some equipment walking off has crossed my mind.
Luckily almost all of my work is centered on private parcels with previously arranged access. Although there's generally nobody around I can usually find a spot that is secure and can't be seen from the road. In the cases where my base might be compromised I stay pretty watchful with a keen eye and a round chambered. I guess someone could make off with the base, but I'll be able to tell what truck it was by the shattered back glass and holes in the tailgate.
All good ideas about not leaving the base in sight of the public and I often do that too rather than use the trailer setup, it just gives me another option. I sometimes work in remote areas, I have been known to visit the trailer about every three days as long as I am getting RTK comms, I know it is still there and alive, the security plus the solar lends to the ability to do that.
SHG
paden cash, post: 415512, member: 20 wrote: I guess someone could make off with the base, but I'll be able to tell what truck it was by the shattered back glass and holes in the tailgate.
You will recall that a couple of years back there were a few bases that were stolen from side of the road setups in your area.
Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 415517, member: 335 wrote: visit the trailer about every three days
I maybe am more paradiod about critters and such, I check mine at least twice a day, even if it's inside a corral and I locked the gate. I use the time to swap spent rover batteries onto the charger, refresh my water bottles, double check my maps, that kind of stuff.
Norman Oklahoma, post: 415519, member: 9981 wrote: You will recall that a couple of years back there were a few bases that were stolen from side of the road setups in your area.
Some Okies do seem to be fond of snagging things that aren't theirs'. In my memory they all actually were grabbed in urban areas. Not that the thieves stay in any one particular place. I just try to make sure if you can get to my base or equipment, you had to know it was there.
Monte, post: 415520, member: 11913 wrote: I maybe am more paradiod about critters and such, I check mine at least twice a day, even if it's inside a corral and I locked the gate. I use the time to swap spent rover batteries onto the charger, refresh my water bottles, double check my maps, that kind of stuff.
Well, sometimes while close via airline distance, via roads this might be a two hour or longer RT. This is part of the reason I have thought of adding a security camera system that can be accessed over the internet.
For citters, I carry a portable electric fence designed to keep animals away. I have watched a moose walk right up to the base, no harm done (and the electric fence wasn't deployed), however cattle aren't so nice, I usually just try to avoid cattle, park on the other side of the fence, etc.
SHG
I had a local welder make me some spiral wood screws. They are about 10" long, and up to 1-1/2" dia. They have 5/8" (I think) bolt welded on top.
They are made so that I can take a battery powered screw gun, and screw them into the earth, and fasten each tripod leg to one.
My kids love trapping. They have these things called BERKSHIRE Disposable Trap Anchors.
Here is a youtube video:
[MEDIA=youtube]jyLXjLKw96k[/MEDIA]
That they use to fasten traps, so the animal does not wander off.
I have NOT yet used these. however, at some point, I expect that it will become SOP to use these.
For certain base stations, these can be left behind, and used multiple times.
They cost some 3 bucks each.
For our uses, I'd think adding a heavier steel ring to the top of the cable. So that a would be thief, SEES the heavier metal ring, not the lighter cable.
My thoughts are to use a piece of hardened chain, up through the tripod, and on to the GPS, (bracket on bottom of GPS). Then, add a bungie, to make the base more windproof.
I have kept my base in pretty good locations.. however it only needs to be stolen once, to ruin you day....
Since some of you are in WORSE places than I am,
But, I thought you'd like to see my thoughts... as you may have a greater need than I do.
N
Nate The Surveyor, post: 415547, member: 291 wrote: They have these things called BERKSHIRE Disposable Trap Anchors.
I carry a few trap anchors in the truck for use when I can't locate my control adjacent to a fixed object. The anchor cable is bigger than the cable I usually attach to the gun or GPS tripod, so I use them as-is. I bought mine on eBay. They're easy to use and cheap enough to leave behind.
I used to have a motion sensitive alarm that could be clipped to the tripod. It was made for bike anti theft and was very loud, and I thought it would be a very good deterrent if someone tried to uplift the tripod in a public place, as the alarm should make them panic and run. Used it for about a year until it broke and for some reason never got around to replacing it. But having read this post and written this and seen that there are lots on ebay, I think I'll give it another go.
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That hanging from the tripod should do the trick.
I just ordered a couple of http://www.ebay.com/itm/322245055086&apos ;">these:
Less than 5 bucks each shipped, so if they turn out to be junk I'm not out much. They seem to be like the ones Richard describes above, but with a remote.
Find a fake bees nest?
Daniel Ralph, post: 415644, member: 8817 wrote:
That hanging from the tripod should do the trick.
We have a sign that says exactly that, but accompanied by "radio hazard" in case some boffin questions its legality, then on the same sign we have "remote monitored" and a picture of a camera, then in 3 languages something to the effect of "stay away". That being said I have seen a group of schoolkids read the sign, step over the cones/rope and touch the base station tripod. In that case I did have the motion alarm on it and it went off and the effect was like a stun grenade. From memory the one I had, had a battery/wiring fault in it that I reckoned I could fix but didn't get around to it. That one I bought maybe 3 years ago when there was only 1 or 2 available online, cost me about $40, but as Jim says they are a lot cheaper now, and have remotes.There are also things like door alarm proximity sensors which can spit out a pre-recorded message like "stay away, Police have been alerted", plus remote cameras. But with everything it's always a catch 22.
Jim Frame, post: 415671, member: 10 wrote: I just ordered a couple of http://www.ebay.com/itm/322245055086&apos ;">these:
Less than 5 bucks each shipped, so if they turn out to be junk I'm not out much. They seem to be like the ones Richard describes above, but with a remote.
Jim, let me know how those work out. I like the looks of that!
As I posted in August, I had an R10 stolen from what I thought was a pretty hidden location. No tripod, I had it bungied to a sign post at the end of a dead end road leading into some woods. What happened is that a homeless couple came walking out of the woods and took it. I sort of caught them, but by the time the police got there they had gone in to Lowe's and ditched it. Never turned up. When I went back to resurvey the job I used a local VRS ($50/day). Should have done that to begin with, but I didn't think the coverage was there.
Jim Frame, post: 415671, member: 10 wrote: I just ordered a couple of http://www.ebay.com/itm/322245055086&apos ;">these:
Less than 5 bucks each shipped, so if they turn out to be junk I'm not out much. They seem to be like the ones Richard describes above, but with a remote.
Ordering now, thanks Jim.
Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 415463, member: 335 wrote: Tripod if need to be over existing point, tripod/antenna is only exposure, receiver, battery, memory, etc. are safe inside trailer. Wheel boot on trailer wheel. If super paranoid, I will chain the tripod to the trailer, been thinking of adding a security camera system with ability to monitor over the web, but this is usually deployed in remote areas often with no cell coverage.
If I just need a base, I have developed a roof mount, no tripod needed. In this photo the solar panels show up as well as cell phone antenna and 900 Mhz antenna for the Intuicom bridge radio.
I have never lost a setup or had it disturbed once I started using a trailer in about 2003, prior to that I lost two setups, one with my helper 50-100 feet away and we also lost one at a prior place I worked, so that is three that I have personal knowledge of walking away. Of course these days, as often or not there might be a RTN, so the base is used less often.
SHG
I hate this truck.. 😉
What's the point of a robot, when you have to have a babysitter for it?
I'm thinking of 3 good anchors, in the ground, and an alarm, and a hole through the bell housing, with a rod, through the hole, and locks on the rod, so you cannot detach the tribrach, from the tripod. I don't have or use a robot, but it does seem that robots would get placed by roads, in vulnerable places.... So, we will need a complete mechanism to attach a GPS base to the ground, with alarms, to that a would be thief, is instantly in over his head, with a screaming alarm.
N
Nate The Surveyor, post: 415870, member: 291 wrote: and a hole through the bell housing, with a rod, through the hole, and locks on the rod, so you cannot detach the tribrach, from the tripod.
I came up with a number of ideas that involved locking the instrument attachment screw, but in the end concluded that all were more elaborate than yet no more effective than a cable threaded through the tribrach, so I went with the cable.
Jim, thanks.
I think you are right. Fast, simple, secure. Add to that the screaming bicycle alarm, and it's probably pretty good.
Anchor that to a trap anchor, or screw in anchor, and most would be thieves, are "in over their head", as the common modus operandi is "grab and dash" It's over in less than 30".
N