After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Fill it with cockroaches.

On Sep 6, 8:10 pm, Tim S wrote:

Fill it with cockroaches.

That won't stop them. There are already cockroaches that crawl over
the other cameras and get in the way of the lens. Damn things, I spray
them and then have to clean the lens.

Tim S wrote:
Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras.
Not quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new
camera that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Fill it with cockroaches.

Smar****er?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Sep 6, 9:03 pm, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:
Tim S wrote:
Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras.
Not quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new
camera that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Fill it with cockroaches.

Smar****er?

The fake cameras are cheap. If I get the rego number and videos of
their crimes that will be enough to convict them.
I'd like to scare them a lot. I'm thinking of a loud alarm plus a
number of devices like rat traps. Purely to catch rats of course Your
Honour!

In uk.d-i-y, Matty F wrote:
I'd like to scare them a lot. I'm thinking of a loud alarm plus a
number of devices like rat traps. Purely to catch rats of course Your
Honour!

Anti-vandal paint on the pole seems like the obvious answer.
Battery, loud alarm, tilt switch, in the dummy camera.
A much slimmer pole.
A big dog.
Strobe lights are pretty disconcerting.

--
Mike Barnes

"Tim S" wrote in message
...
Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Fill it with cockroaches.

I am disappointed that so many real cameras give such poor quality images or
they are positioned poorly that renders them almost useless. Eg. In banks
why not have them at face level.

On Sep 6, 8:47 pm, "John" wrote:

I am disappointed that so many real cameras give such poor quality images or
they are positioned poorly that renders them almost useless. Eg. In banks
why not have them at face level.

Yes there is no excuse for poor pictures in a well-lighted area and
without fast motion. My problem is that the area is very dark. Many
infrared cameras have lots of bright red LEDs that anyone can see. I
have some small cameras that have invisible infrared LEDs. Why can't
all cameras have invisible LEDs?
Other problems are that the cars are usually moving at speed, and the
rego number is therefore blurred. The headlights and tail-lights are
also too bright and wash out the picture.
What I need is an invisible LED strobe that runs all night. I can't
find any so I suppose I'll have to make it.

"Matty F" wrote in message
...
On Sep 6, 8:47 pm, "John" wrote:

I am disappointed that so many real cameras give such poor quality images
or
they are positioned poorly that renders them almost useless. Eg. In banks
why not have them at face level.

Yes there is no excuse for poor pictures in a well-lighted area and
without fast motion. My problem is that the area is very dark. Many
infrared cameras have lots of bright red LEDs that anyone can see. I
have some small cameras that have invisible infrared LEDs. Why can't
all cameras have invisible LEDs?
Other problems are that the cars are usually moving at speed, and the
rego number is therefore blurred. The headlights and tail-lights are
also too bright and wash out the picture.
What I need is an invisible LED strobe that runs all night. I can't
find any so I suppose I'll have to make it.

Professional systems use IR floodlights.

Colin Bignell

In article ,
"nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk writes:

Professional systems use IR floodlights.

If you're looking up the price, make sure you're sitting down...

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Sep 7, 2:24 am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"Matty F" wrote in message

Other problems are that the cars are usually moving at speed, and the
rego number is therefore blurred. The headlights and tail-lights are
also too bright and wash out the picture.
What I need is an invisible LED strobe that runs all night. I can't
find any so I suppose I'll have to make it.

Professional systems use IR floodlights.

A continuous light is not good enough because the number plate is
blurred when the car is moving at speed.
I need a flash, like this taken on my digital camera:
http://i30.tinypic.com/13zmid1.jpg

The lower car is moving at about 60 miles an hour and its number plate
is perfectly readable.

But I want a non-visible flash, i.e. infrared. And it needs to flash
about 10 times per second all night, every night.
Or I need a video camera with a shutter speed of a thousandth of a
second.

On Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:10:18 +0100
Tim S wrote:

Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Fill it with cockroaches.

Put a tarantula (hungry) in it.

TheOldFellow wrote:
On Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:10:18 +0100
Tim S wrote:

Matty F coughed up some electrons that declared:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?
Fill it with cockroaches.

Put a tarantula (hungry) in it.

Naw, they are pussy cats. Try a funnel web instead. :-))))))))))))

Dave

"Matty F" wrote in message
...
After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

10kV?

Adam

On Sep 6, 9:09 pm, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"Matty F" wrote in message

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

10kV?

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

"Matty F" wrote in message
...
On Sep 6, 9:09 pm, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"Matty F" wrote in message

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

10kV?

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

You will have to try anti vandal paint then.

Adam

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Matty F
saying something like:

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

How is NZ for poisonous spiders?

Grimly Curmudgeon coughed up some electrons that declared:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Matty F
saying something like:

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

How is NZ for poisonous spiders?

Don't think they have many (any?).

Oz, OTOH...

"Tim S" wrote in message
...
Grimly Curmudgeon coughed up some electrons that declared:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Matty F
saying something like:

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

How is NZ for poisonous spiders?

Don't think they have many (any?).

Oz, OTOH...

I have an Oz customer who has an odd habit of shaking his shoes before he
puts them on. He says old habits die hard. After twenty years in Yorkshire
he passes as normal.

Adam

On Sep 7, 9:29 am, Tim S wrote:
Grimly Curmudgeon coughed up some electrons that declared:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Matty F
saying something like:

It has to be legal. "Man traps" are not legal.
But it's not my fault if something breaks when they stand on it.

How is NZ for poisonous spiders?

Don't think they have many (any?).

Oz, OTOH...

NZ has fierce-looking wetas. But they won't be seen in the dark so
wetas and spiders are no good. I could put up a fake wasps' nest in
case they check it out during the daytime.

I've found good idea, a large horizontal pipe along the top of the
fence. It has bearings so that it rotates and is impossible to stand
on or hold.

On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F wrote:

After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Filll with indelible skin-dying ink which spills out of holes in the side when it's moved.

In message , Mike Harrison
writes
On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F
wrote:

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Filll with indelible skin-dying ink which spills out of holes in the
side when it's moved.

A bottle of black Quink? Cheap and cheerful.
--
Graeme

"Graeme" wrote in message
news
In message , Mike Harrison
writes
On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F
wrote:

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Filll with indelible skin-dying ink which spills out of holes in the side
when it's moved.

A bottle of black Quink? Cheap and cheerful.

The trouble with paints and inks is that the solvent is designed to
evaporate. What the OP needs to do is replace or add a solvent which by
nature is fluid but stable and non volatile. Perhaps a heavy fractionate of
oil with some serious quantity of staining pigment. A open tin or bottle
would do the trick once it's moved and has toppled within the camera
housing. And then slowly oozes out of the housing?

It is sad that security systems are assembled with low quality cameras, and
low quality recording systems.

On Sep 6, 2:27*pm, "Fredxx" wrote:
"Graeme" wrote in message

news
In message , Mike Harrison
writes
On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F
wrote:

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Filll with indelible skin-dying ink which spills out of holes in the side
when it's moved.

A bottle of black Quink? *Cheap and cheerful.

The trouble with paints and inks is that the solvent is designed to
evaporate. *What the OP needs to do is replace or add a solvent which by
nature is fluid but stable and non volatile. *Perhaps a heavy fractionate of
oil with some serious quantity of staining pigment. *A open tin or bottle
would do the trick once it's moved and has toppled within the camera
housing. *And then slowly oozes out of the housing?

engine oil plus diesel should be just about spot on. Used engine oil
for extra points. Mix in some standard household gloss for the
pigment, but that will settle.


NT

"NT" wrote in message
...
On Sep 6, 2:27 pm, "Fredxx" wrote:
"Graeme" wrote in message

news
In message , Mike Harrison
writes
On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F

wrote:

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Filll with indelible skin-dying ink which spills out of holes in the
side
when it's moved.

A bottle of black Quink? Cheap and cheerful.

The trouble with paints and inks is that the solvent is designed to
evaporate. What the OP needs to do is replace or add a solvent which by
nature is fluid but stable and non volatile. Perhaps a heavy fractionate
of
oil with some serious quantity of staining pigment. A open tin or bottle
would do the trick once it's moved and has toppled within the camera
housing. And then slowly oozes out of the housing?

engine oil plus diesel should be just about spot on. Used engine oil
for extra points. Mix in some standard household gloss for the
pigment, but that will settle.


NT

I would say used diesel engine oil would be pretty good!!

On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Matty F wrote:

Some compound that gets on their hands and can't be washed off for
weeks? etc etc?

"Anti climb" paint, 'orrible stuff. Or something cheaper, henna hair
dye that is release from inside the camera and leaks out when it is
disturbed/removed.

Smart water is detectable but doesn't mark the person, or their
clothes, visibly which I guess is the what the OP really wants. I
can't think of something like henna but is bright green say.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Matty F wrote:
After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Some how coat the outside with hydrofluoric acid?

From the Haynes manual:

"Special hazards
Hydrofluoric acid
l This extremely corrosive acid is formed when certain types of
synthetic rubber, found in some O-rings, oil seals, fuel hoses etc, are
exposed to temperatures above 400°C. The rubber changes into a charred
or sticky substance containing the acid. Once formed, the acid remains
dangerous for years. If it gets onto the skin, it may be necessary to
amputate the limb concerned"



This is not a serious suggestion.

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:21:21 +0100, Rob Horton wrote:

Matty F wrote:
After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Some how coat the outside with hydrofluoric acid?

From the Haynes manual:

"Special hazards
Hydrofluoric acid
l This extremely corrosive acid is formed when certain types of
synthetic rubber, found in some O-rings, oil seals, fuel hoses etc, are
exposed to temperatures above 400°C. The rubber changes into a charred
or sticky substance containing the acid.

Viton seals.

Once formed, the acid remains
dangerous for years. If it gets onto the skin, it may be necessary to
amputate the limb concerned"

This is not a serious suggestion.

If it was, we could just cut out the middle man and fit a swinging chainsaw
activated by removal of the camera!

SteveW

On Sep 9, 7:48 am, Steve Walker wrote:
On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:21:21 +0100, Rob Horton wrote:
Matty F wrote:
After publicity about a number of vandals and taggers caught because
of hidden CCTV cameras that I have installed in the neighbourhood, I
decided to put up a rather obvious CCTV camera (fake) complete with
flashing red light.
Someone recently went to a lot of trouble to pinch the fake camera.
The theft and their car was recorded on three of the real cameras. Not
quite good enough to identify them but I'm working on a new camera
that should capture rego numbers.
I don't want them to pinch or damage the real cameras.

I'd like to put up another fake camera. Does anyone have bright ideas
on something amusing to put on the camera to give them a big fright
when they try to pinch it? A loud alarm perhaps. Some compound that
gets on their hands and can't be washed off for weeks? etc etc?

Some how coat the outside with hydrofluoric acid?

From the Haynes manual:

"Special hazards
Hydrofluoric acid
l This extremely corrosive acid is formed when certain types of
synthetic rubber, found in some O-rings, oil seals, fuel hoses etc, are
exposed to temperatures above 400°C. The rubber changes into a charred
or sticky substance containing the acid.

Viton seals.

Once formed, the acid remains
dangerous for years. If it gets onto the skin, it may be necessary to
amputate the limb concerned"

This is not a serious suggestion.

If it was, we could just cut out the middle man and fit a swinging chainsaw
activated by removal of the camera!

I don't think I want to injure anyone, as they may retaliate.
I've made a very strong fake camera out of 75mm steel pipe fixed on
the pole with a 20mm steel bolt. It should be immune to even a
sledgehammer. I could even put a camera in it to video a contorted
face getting very close.

In uk.d-i-y, Matty F wrote:
I don't think I want to injure anyone, as they may retaliate.
I've made a very strong fake camera out of 75mm steel pipe fixed on
the pole with a 20mm steel bolt. It should be immune to even a
sledgehammer. I could even put a camera in it to video a contorted
face getting very close.

Hey, a fake camera with a camera in it! Brilliant!

--
Mike Barnes