Mobile shack security

[als365]

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this in so movie it if necessary:

Has anyone had a problem with people breaking into your vehicles and stealing your mobile shack equipment? This is why my mobile shack consists of a single pro-95 handheld scanner that i clip on the cup mount and put under the seat when I'm not in my truck. I'll be interested to see how many problems (if any) people have had.

-Austin

 

[Viper43]

I haven't had any issues yet, but I live in the country and when in Indy it's normally for events I am covering and I park in media areas that are usually safer. Otherwise everything gets hidden under the back seat. Kind of difficult though in the truck, nowhere to hide anything in it

V

 

[Colin9690]

I have a $450 Pioneer stereo, my PRO-2055, and a Radioshack CB in mine, and I usually just throw my work shirt over-top of all the equipment. Tinted windows help too, just make sure they are within legal tinting limits (if your state has such a law). And no, I've never been broken into...

 

[Astro25]

Razor blades on the under sides of mobile radios. If they try taking the mobile, it cuts into the bottom of their fingers. Seen it done - works well. Garauntee they won't do it again.

 

[als365]

I'd rather not have the broken window in the first place, along with all the blood on the inside of my truck. I'd laugh my @55 off though if i saw that happen first hand.

 

[Colin9690]

Razor blades on the under sides of mobile radios. If they try taking the mobile, it cuts into the bottom of their fingers. Seen it done - works well. Garauntee they won't do it again.

LMAO sweet idea, plus unless they are dumb enough to sit in the car cleaning up a gallon of blood, they will be leaving DNA evidence at the scene. I normally would be more pissed than I have ever been in my life but if I saw blood all over my dash, I would just laugh so hard. When they steal electronics in cars they just shove their hand in there so fast, so it's guaranteed to inflict serious pain.

 

[als365]

Do you think the police will take DNA samples for such a minimal crime (minimal in the grand scheme of things considering it's not a rape or murder or anything like that)?

 

[commscanaus]

Razor blades Eh?

Having been the victim of a well executed theft some years ago (FT-8100 from my car parked in a friends driveway overnight) the idea of setting something like that up had crossed my mind. The b@st*rds even left the trunk and doors open, letting soaking rain ruin the interior and bared wires left shorting out damaged the electrical system when they literally ripped out the wiring harness (the transceiver was mounted in the trunk)

Unfortunately, setting booby traps is a great way to be charged with causing grievous bodily harm or some similar nasty law infraction.
Some offenders have even sued when injured from purposely set traps here in Australia, particularly traps set for burglars. I remember the case of the little old lady who had enough of her house being burgled, so she had boards with nails through them placed in the garden beds at the base of wall they liked to jump over. Serious injury resulted from some kid who got spiked- and his family sued the lady successfully.

Whilst it would seem a good idea to mount razor blades (and it serves the thief right if they get cut) please check with your local laws and think long and hard before doing something like that. Is it really worth the possible legal problems for a radio or stereo?

I have taken to removing remote heads when parked at any time and leaving the rig at home on short trips.

Commscanaus.

 

[SCPD]

on the whole setting booby traps ideas, while a good idea, i would never implement it. I'm one of those people who get their shack installed and don't touch it for months. totally forgetting about the traps that i had set. reach hand behind radio to make some kind of adjustment and SLICE!!!!!!!!! removes hand quickly and proceeds to the local ER.

 

[SCPD]

I had a Radio Shack Pro-43 stolen once, the a-hole smashed my truck window and I had to drive to work the following morning with the "cool" February air blowing through my hair. After that, I put an NRA decal on the rear window and I leave an empty gun holster with a half empty box of large caliber ammo on the front seat now. I haven't had any problems since.....

 

[JimTailor]

Ironic

Many years ago I had an 8 track casette player stolen from my vehicle. At the time of the theft I was attending a meeting with the Police Superintendent and my car was parked at the curb in front of police headquarters in an area designated for Youth Bureau parking! When the meeting ended and I returned to my car to discover what had happenned, I went back into police headquarters. The Superintendent was coming into the main lobby and I asked if he took walk-in complaints. Needless to say he was rather embarassed to hear my story. At the time, I was running a federal grants program under the Justice Department with monies intended to "reduce crime and improve the criminal justice system." Nothing like being a first-hand victim to improve the grant writing skills.

 

[W5TWX]

The best way to protect your equipment is to not leave it in the car in the first place. I always take mine inside. That's why I use a handheld...

 

[N467RX]

I normally take it with me, since 2 of our cars do not have tinted windows.

That NRA sticker is a cool idea.

 

[Radionut453]

i am in the process of having a plate steel case custom fabricated for my car. It will be bolted down and it will resemble the havis-shield, jotto desk etc consoles that police cruisers have. Its not fool proof but it would ure take a while to remove all the bolts.

 

[zmichael]

Typically the only thing I leave visible is my cellphone which is in a holder mounted on the air vent and my camera which is mounted to the headliner above the driver side. My radio head and light switch are mounted in my center console and are hidden. If you look real closely, you can see my lights mounted underneath the luggage racks, but most people have no idea that those are there. Tinted windows help as well.

I don't live in a big city, but when I visit them (which I have done for extended periods of time), I've never had a problem. I throw everything I can in the center console and lock my doors. Usually people have NO idea that I have all the equipment in there that I do.

In my opinion, the key is not to draw attention to yourself. If people see five antennas and a lightbar, they are going to know you have equipment. If they aren't convinced the driver of this vehicle is a public safety official and/or the vehicle is government-owned, it is more likely to get broken into.

This is one case where if you have it, don't flaunt it. Hide what you can, when you can.

 

[XTS3000]

Razor blades on the under sides of mobile radios. If they try taking the mobile, it cuts into the bottom of their fingers. Seen it done - works well. Garauntee they won't do it again.

Me too! Me Too! Seen the exact same thing. A trucking company was having problems with their CB's being stolen from a fenced/locked/security/dogs area. Some radios were close to the $500 range with all their accessories.

After 10 or so radios disappeared, these 10 people all chipped in and bought a $300 CB, and epoxied a dozen or so razer bladed on the back of the radio (where the FCC tags go).

They all noticed when their radios got ripped off, ther perp was grabbing the radios by the back and just yanking it out, damaging the dash and other stuff.

Not but 3 days after the razer radio was installed, it got stolen.

Seeing as this was a secure lot, the perp HAD to work there on the lot. Sure enough, a truck mechanic had one hand all bandaged up. THese guys seen that, and confronted him. There was no mistaking that this was the thief.

They gave him 2 options 1) we call the police OR 2) replace all the radios within 1 year.

Last I heard, this guy had already bought 6 new radios for the truckers. The thief complained that these 10 truckers might rip him off by saying they had a $300 radio when they really only had a $50 installed. The truckers said, "well, thats how it goes"

 

[als365]

The best way to protect your equipment is to not leave it in the car in the first place. I always take mine inside. That's why I use a handheld...

Yes, I have 1 handheld in my truck and i clip it on the cup holder. When I get out, i put it under the seat and nothing can be seen.

I also have the CLUB. I put it on my steering wheel. I'm sure that if someone was really hellbent on steeling my truck, they could, however the CLUB is just there to prevent those crimes of opportunity.

 

[jparks29]

Never had a problem with someone trying to break in.. dunno why though.. :shrug:..

I DID have someone spit on it, and promptly persuaded him it would in his best interest to wash the entire car, which he did....

 

[MrCheez]

I DID have someone spit on it, and promptly persuaded him it would in his best interest to wash the entire car, which he did....

Haha I'm interested to hear what you told him.


Also, I've never had a problem, but I hide everything from plain sight, always lock my car, and live in an area with relatively minimal vehicle break-ins. The biggest thing to remember is that these are usually crimes of opportunity, as mentioned earlier, so the best way to prevent them is just to be cautious.

 

[jparks29]

Haha I'm interested to hear what you told him.

The usual...threatened to have him arrested... destruction/damage of property, tampering with a vehicle, disorderly conduct....etc....

Yeah, a little extreme, but so is spitting on someone else's car...