Budget home security

[Psyclist]

....after looking at some stories of stolen bikes and the regularity of bike theft has made me paranoid even more about my bike and it's safety.
Living in an area which is known to crime like burglary and so on, I've started to wonder about locking up my bike at home. When I've moved into my new place, I'm thinking of getting a few decent locks and a decent anchor i.e wall anchor or banisters to keep it secured to.
Problem is that I'll be living in a council house for a good time, and the security on most council places are not good, meaning I'm open to burglary, and I can't afford proper alarm systems or PVC and the like.

Should I be paranoid? Thieves and burglars seeing me taking in my bike into my property is the last thing I want.

Any tips on cheap(ish) home security which will be effective?

I know bike security, but a lock or two can be broken given time.

Only think I can think of at the moment is a pad lock alarm as one of my locks.

Thanks.

 

[Pauluk]

Thieves and burglars seeing me taking in my bike into my property is the last thing I want.

This is hard to avoid I would imagine, but you could make it difficult for a burglar by slowing them down. A good d-lock and a good wall anchor fastened in a way that hides/blocks the fixing screws.

If you can't afford a security alarm fix a dummy alarm box to the front and rear of your house, I know people who have done this for a few pounds. You could also print off a good quality warning sign and mount it next to the bike that explains that the bike is data tagged (don't know if they tag bikes anymore, one of my expensive bikes was data tagged some years ago).

You could also mount a dummy cctv camera, either near the bike or on the outside of your property.

 

[Psyclist]

This is hard to avoid I would imagine, but you could make it difficult for a burglar by slowing them down. A good d-lock and a good wall anchor fastened in a way that hides/blocks the fixing screws.

If you can't afford a security alarm fix a dummy alarm box to the front and rear of your house, I know people who have done this for a few pounds. You could also print off a good quality warning sign and mount it next to the bike that explains that the bike is data tagged (don't know if they tag bikes anymore, one of my expensive bikes was data tagged some years ago).

You could also mount a dummy cctv camera, either near the bike or on the outside of your property.

All good advice, cheers. I could possibly get a proper CCTV camera. I've seen some motion sensor ones going for fair prices.

 

[Cyclopathic]

When we were burgled the police gave us some alarms that are sensitive to vibrations to put on doors and windows. They are about the size of a large egg and have adjustable sensitivity so I plan to use them on my bike when it is locked in the shed. I haven't tried it out yet but it's something you might consider that is quite cheap. I don't know how much these things cost but I can't imagine that they are prohibitive. At a guess I'd say they look like less than a tenners worth of technology. I'm sure google will tell you about them and if I do get around to trying them out I'll post the results.
Just to clarify I was thinking of putting them on the bike itself set to the most sensitve rarther than to the doors although may do them as well.

 

[Psyclist]

When we were burgled the police gave us some alarms that are sensitive to vibrations to put on doors and windows. They are about the size of a large egg and have adjustable sensitivity so I plan to use them on my bike when it is locked in the shed. I haven't tried it out yet but it's something you might consider that is quite cheap. I don't know how much these things cost but I can't imagine that they are prohibitive. At a guess I'd say they look like less than a tenners worth of technology. I'm sure google will tell you about them and if I do get around to trying them out I'll post the results.
Just to clarify I was thinking of putting them on the bike itself set to the most sensitve rarther than to the doors although may do them as well.

Thanks I'll have a look, but you may need to find out the name of them

I was also thinking, a dummy camera and a spy camera. So if they break the dummy, the spy one will still catch them out.

 

[oldroadman]

Thanks I'll have a look, but you may need to find out the name of them

I was also thinking, a dummy camera and a spy camera. So if they break the dummy, the spy one will still catch them out.

If the sensors are free standing, surely all a scumbag has to do is chuck the thing away. Scumbag runs away with bike, alarm blasts off in the long grass. If that's how it is, considered a bedroom? In days of old as amateurs, it was not uncommon in hotels to simply walk a bike into a lift and keep it in the room if there was no secure place or team truck to store it in.

 

[Psyclist]

If the sensors are free standing, surely all a scumbag has to do is chuck the thing away. Scumbag runs away with bike, alarm blasts off in the long grass. If that's how it is, considered a bedroom? In days of old as amateurs, it was not uncommon in hotels to simply walk a bike into a lift and keep it in the room if there was no secure place or team truck to store it in.

You have a point.I guess I'll have to invest in something which I can mount to a wall etc.

Someone on another forum mentioned B&Q shed alarms (£12 a piece) to all the big windows and front/back doors. They have a very loud ring to them, but only downside, is they don't alert the police.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

If your property has Internet you can get some cost effective internet cctv camera's on the market, and a even cheaper alternative if your on a budget is to use a wireless webcam configured to take a picture every 2 or three seconds, or configure this against a motion sensor. Configure this to upload the images to the Internet (dropbox, cloud hosting etc) and you have the data nice and secure and more importantly out of reach of the thief.
The other advantage of a Internet ready CCTV camera or wireless webcam is that you can log in and check things yourself if you have a concern.
I have a Linux based CCTV Internet based solution which not only works in the manner described above, but it also has a motion sensor which when trigged sends my mobile phone a SMS message to alert me to this fact. A webcam is not vastly more expensive than a dummy cam imho but offers vastly more.

With the help of ebay/amazon/forums all the above can be accomplished at a reasonable cost especially compared to the cost of replacing your bike

 

[sidevalve]

All depends if you want something to alert the police, alert you or frighten the thieves. If you're taking the bike into the house and they get in then it's a bit of a lost cause 'cos not much will stop a determined tea leaf once he has a nice safe comfy place to work in. If you want to be alerted the mobile phone alert type of alarm is good but if you're 50 miles away what can you do anyway ? OK you can ring the police but this takes time and thieves love time. There are monitoring firms who monitor their own alarms but this is'nt a cheap option. A wireless alarm system is easy to set up [and take with you if you move] and may be your best solution By all means fit a solid ground anchor bolted to a brick wall or concrete floor. Fit good window locks and a GOOD door lock, you may have to leave them if you move but that's the cost. Cameras are OK but they do give the idea that there is something worth stealing. Remember jack the crook might not be too fussed over a bike [unless it is and LOOKS very expensive], he'll take it of course if it's easy pickings but they're hard to get out of windows and can be tricky to sell on.

 

[Psyclist]

Both good replies. Cheers for the info

I'll go for the wireless camera approach (I have Linux on my laptop) and wireless alarm system. I'll have cameras mounted indoors, or get secret/spy cameras. I won't bother using dummy cameras as said due to them giving burglars the idea that I have something expensive inside.

I'll insure my bike, but as it's a one of a kind (although cheap'ish) carbon frame, I'd rather not it be stolen.

 

[jonathanw]

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

some good ideas here

I use the shed shackle with a 17mm chain and one of their padlocks along with one of these

http://www.neulock-products.com/

 

[Mikelase]

i think an cctv camera or an alarm system will be an effective one for you.

___________
security systems ncr

 

[classic33]

http://www.spykeeworld.com/spykee/UK/index.html

 

[steveindenmark]

You can pay £105 and get a huge rottweiler from Battersea dogs home. Save a life and a bike all in one stroke

 

[Oldspice]

I have a extra laptop and two webcams that i have pointed outside my place. They can also be set up to stream to my phone or other computers.