Remote construction site monitoring.

Don't write the spec, let the security companies design and propose.

I used to have a couple of mobile units that we'd lease out...they ain't cheap to build (although I've seen a few lately that look like they are pretty cool) - but, we built ours. They worked fine but very expensive to upkeep and repair after the vandals used them for target practice.

I go through this same scenario about every few months with local builders, give them the pros/cons and then the price...thats when they barf. I won't even talk to them anymore, it's a waste of time designing and proposing something they don't want to pay for.

An alarm company can pre-wire all the homes for an alarm system and during construction, for model homes, etc., some of the wiring can be used for a basic alarm in each house. (Just doors and a motion detector in each house.)

Then run a wire underground from house to house and place all homes on same alarm. The wires run from home to home are disconnected and abandoned when construction is completed. (So no need for anything long lasting.)

Then construction company refers home buyers to the alarm company if they want an alarm installed in the home they purchased. Alarm companies like this because it is a source of many future sales.

hire a meth head to guard the site and pay him with meth?

Try

Thats how we used to do tract models.

Its a bad deal..very expensive for what it is and you dont monitor it..they do and its a long term contract to the alarmco not the client...imo it sux.

"Tommy" wrote in message news:44d53ad1$0$22563$ snipped-for-privacy@free.teranews.com... Try

Actually that is pretty damn funny and would probably work!

I had the very same experience. There was a rash of stealing (believe it or not) oil burners (for you winter challenged folk, that's a whole house heating unit) . Cut them right out or the house plumbing and wiring and carry them off.)

This kind of security system is very expensive to put together. The builders don't want to pay that kind of money, with only possibly fair to middling results .... even to save a $2000.00 Jacozzi. Just think about it from a power supply standpoint alone. The size of the battery necessary to run this package is supprisingly large. Here's some of the things that can happen. After the "newness" wears off, Where there's no available power to the job, they'll forget to recharge the power pack and when it's needed, it will have been forgotten about for a week or more. Even if there's power on the site, the unit will have to be moved for various reason by one trade or another. The motion detector will be blocked. The main unit will be unplugged and allowed to discharge it's back up power supply. It will be taken down by the framers, the electricians, the insulators, the drywallers and put in a closet someplace and no one will think about it until after someone has vandalized the place. Even if it IS running when someone breaks in, if they know that it's there, (because they're on the job or someone on the job gave them the information) they'll simply cover their faces. They'll find the unit and take it or destroy it. If they don't know it's there, you'll have the rare pleasure of watching complete strangers, whom no one will ever be able to identify, vandalize and steal your stuff.

Hire a guard or dogs or both. But ..... even they present problems. The guard will fall asleep and you'll have to clean up after the dogs.

Put your money to better use. Lock up your tools in a quality, heavy duty construction lock box and use a case hardened chain and lock wrapped around the biggest tree on the lot. Barricade the doors and windows, Make sure anything of value is installed and not left standing over night, for easy removal and hope for the best.

I've been in this industry for about 36 years and builders have been looking for this magic bullet, for all these years. Believe me when I say, if there were anything on the market that worked, and was reasonably priced, you wouldn't have had to come here to ask about it. Every builder would be already using it.

Try:

yep...right now copper plumbing is a hot item...they tear it right outta the walls.

"Jim" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@n13g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... | | Crash Gordon wrote: | > Don't write the spec, let the security companies design and propose. | >

| > I used to have a couple of mobile units that we'd lease out...they ain't | > cheap to build (although I've seen a few lately that look like they are | > pretty cool) - but, we built ours. They worked fine but very expensive to | > upkeep and repair after the vandals used them for target practice. | >

| > I go through this same scenario about every few months with local builders, | > give them the pros/cons and then the price...thats when they barf. I won't | > even talk to them anymore, it's a waste of time designing and proposing | > something they don't want to pay for. | >

| | I had the very same experience. There was a rash of stealing (believe | it or not) oil burners (for you winter challenged folk, that's a whole | house heating unit) . Cut them right out or the house plumbing and | wiring and carry them off.) | | This kind of security system is very expensive to put together. The | builders don't want to pay that kind of money, with only possibly fair | to middling results .... even to save a $2000.00 Jacozzi. Just think | about it from a power supply standpoint alone. The size of the battery | necessary to run this package is supprisingly large. Here's some of the | things that can happen. After the "newness" wears off, Where there's no | available power to the job, they'll forget to recharge the power pack | and when it's needed, it will have been forgotten about for a week or | more. Even if there's power on the site, the unit will have to be moved | for various reason by one trade or another. The motion detector will be | blocked. The main unit will be unplugged and allowed to discharge it's | back up power supply. It will be taken down by the framers, the | electricians, the insulators, the drywallers and put in a closet | someplace and no one will think about it until after someone has | vandalized the place. Even if it IS running when someone breaks in, if | they know that it's there, (because they're on the job or someone on | the job gave them the information) they'll simply cover their faces. | They'll find the unit and take it or destroy it. If they don't know | it's there, you'll have the rare pleasure of watching complete | strangers, whom no one will ever be able to identify, vandalize and | steal your stuff. | | Hire a guard or dogs or both. But ..... even they present problems. The | guard will fall asleep and you'll have to clean up after the dogs. | | Put your money to better use. Lock up your tools in a quality, heavy | duty construction lock box and use a case hardened chain and lock | wrapped around the biggest tree on the lot. Barricade the doors and | windows, Make sure anything of value is installed and not left standing | over night, for easy removal and hope for the best. | | I've been in this industry for about 36 years and builders have been | looking for this magic bullet, for all these years. Believe me when I | say, if there were anything on the market that worked, and was | reasonably priced, you wouldn't have had to come here to ask about it. | Every builder would be already using it. |

I have not checked into it very deep; just a couple of conversations with = a rep from there. It does do what he wants, but if the contract is with me = and not the end user, then it may well not be worth it.

If i remember right these are manufactured by tattlatale. It is a good = looking unit. Wonder how effective it is?

"Tommy" wrote in message news:44d7ea82$0$24690$ snipped-for-privacy@free.teranews.com... If i remember right these are manufactured by tattlatale. It is a good looking unit. Wonder how effective it is?

and...it's overpriced.

"Tommy" wrote in message news:44d7d92a$0$24732$ snipped-for-privacy@free.teranews.com... I have not checked into it very deep; just a couple of conversations with a rep from there. It does do what he wants, but if the contract is with me and not the end user, then it may well not be worth it.

With out a doubt but they sell.

They are small enough to steal. So if the bad guy steals it, then the installing company may still be on the hook for 3 years monitoring I bet.

| >

| >

| >

| >

| > Crash Gordon wrote: | >

| >> Its a bad deal..very expensive for what it is and you dont monitor | >> it..they | >> do and its a long term contract to the alarmco not the client...imo it | >> sux. | >>

| >>

| > -- | > Posted via a free Usenet account from

| >

| | With out a doubt but they sell. | |

You could have the meth head guarding the site down the road watch the = alarm too

So far the technology looks good. I see that Dewalt and GM/Tattletale offers an annual monitoring contract. I am concerned about the monitoring programs anyway. Since many municipalities have adopted the position that unless there is visual verification of the burglary by a human, they won't send out a police officer to investigate. I guess you all here would know about that but if it is true, why have the monitoring in the first place? Why not just have the device call a list of numbers and play a recorded message? Will the monitoring services that support the cellburst monitoring technology just call a phone and/or send a text message to a cell phone or pager? Will they do that cheaper?

I found a GE Simon system (don't laugh now...) that has a built-in dialer that uses the Sky Web (Skytel) wireless service to call your phone and play a message to you and out of its speaker.

Anyhow, I have done a bunch of investigating and see there is no real easy solution but we may test a Tattletale or Dewalt unit depending on the monitoring rates and if we can get a discount for phone notification only.

Thanks for your help!

-Kevin