Equipment security cameras

[5030]

This battery isolator would be a good subject for its own thread. Product link, picture of where it's mounted, etc.

I mount mine on the NEGATIVE post of the starting batteries. You can buy them in various configurations, with a knob or as a knife switch or with a key operated switch and none are expensive either, heck, I even haave on on my Kubota F Series lawnmower because it sits all winter in the barn as well. I use the 'knife' style switches as well as the knob style. Your local auto parts store has them and are on Amascon as well. Max cost should be less than 15 bucks each, even today.

I look at it this way, if some vandal did fool with my tractors or equipment and it won't start, they'd probably leave it alone anyway. Not going to be looking under the hood in the first place.

You always break the NEGATIVE post, never the positive.

 

[MarblemountLane]

Naturally, a lot of what I’d LIKE to do is illegal, but we have a few things around the place. In the house, we use BurglarBomb (just go to www dot burglarbomb dot com). There are no people or pets inside when we leave. Burglarbomb could be adapted to a tractor cab. But protecting externals is harder.

12 gauge blank firing devices might be useful, but it takes time to set up the devices and trip wires, then take ‘em down when you move.

I’m all for super loud alarms, something that makes it physically painful to remain. Any firefighters here may know what it means that I have a Federal Q siren (imagine a motor driven siren that pulls 100 amps from the battery, and has been banned in some cities for being too loud). Any logger may know what it means that I have a yarder whistle - uses a fair bit of air, but really screams.

I’m rural in the Pacific NorthWET, in a state ruined by politicians (Washington, but I’m planning on Idaho). Tweaker thieves are everywhere. Most of our motion lights and yard lights are 120VAC but we do have a couple solar motion lights, and they do work. Lights, dummy cameras, noisemakers, anything giving the impression “someone’s there, we’ve been spotted,” it’s all good.

I use a .357 blank firing device, also rigged to puncture an outdated Burglarbomb pepper spray canister, to keep bear from tearing into our garbage cans.

 

[5030]

I much prefer live ammnntion myself.

 

[Hay Dude]

Interesting HD. When I was running hay on not adjacent to the farm fields, I would always leave the equipment parked if I didn't finish that day and I never had an issue, ever. Of course I removed the keys and defeated the starting systems, I have master disconnects on both my tractors that isolate the starting batteries but not so much for vandalism but for when they sit in the barn all winter. Isolating a fully charged starting battery, if there is any parasitic loss, it's eliiminated. Flooded cell batteries typically loose 5% of their total charge per month which is incinsequential and they sit, unused, all winter. Do the same with my garage parked pickup trick as well. Battery isolation switches are cheap compared to a drained and possibly frozen battery and once a flooded cell battery freezes, it's basically junk. A fully charged battery is viable down to -40 which I'd never see here. If something ever happened, which it never did, I was insured anyway.

All 3 tractors have battery isolation switches. They come that way from the factory.
And what does this have to do with security cameras?

One thing I'm not and never have been is paranoid about things that 'might' happen.

I’m not “paranoid”, BTW.

But we have some locals that like to vandalize equipment here and there and I’d like to catch them and deal with it my way.

 

[ptsg]

What about some dashcams? One facing forward and another facing backwards, with hardwire kits.

 

[topgun05]

Park at farthest end of field so can't be seen when they're spot-lighting deer?

 

[Hay Dude]

Park at farthest end of field so can't be seen when they're spot-lighting deer?

It’s not deer spotlighters, although they are generally a-holes.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

This may be an odd suggestion, not a real cheap one either but go by a high end auto stereo place and look into their new security systems. Multi camera, inferred that is invisible to the eye (no glass issue) cell based and 2 way communication along with a whole host of things.
Otherwise....

 

[newbury]

Maybe with a (fake) camera that is visible to the theif?

Always install a non-working camera or two in an area where it could be sacrificed bu monitored by working cams.

I have 6 cams in and around my house and 5 trail cams around my property. I would use the trail cams and possibly another trail cam watching that trail cam watching the camera. That way they may trash the first trail cam but you will get proff of that.

All video cameras I know of have a light that goes on when it is recording. To lessen likelihood of camera being noticed, electrical tape over that red light is a must have.

On some you can turn the light off via software. For example on my Wyze cams:

You can turn off the status light on all Wyze Cam and video doorbell devices except Wyze Video Doorbell Pro.