Posted: 2/28/2010 6:08:06 PM EDT
Generator theft is always a problem during power outages. Of course I chain mine to a tree; however, chains can be cut. I'm a heavy sleeper and someone shutting down the gen wouldn't wake me up. Since the dog sleeps under the bed she's not much help either. Have any of you tried one of these power outage alarms. For the money it seems like a reasonable bit of insurance and would at least give me a chance to stop the thieves. What says the hive?
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I have not tried them, but a 2x8 embedded with 20d nails, buried next to the genny, would handle the security duties just fine. Booby traps of this nature = assault with a deadly weapon. Both tort and criminal liability. As much as the thought of a thief spiking himself makes me laugh, no thanks. |
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I have not tried them, but a 2x8 embedded with 20d nails, buried next to the genny, would handle the security duties just fine. Booby traps of this nature = assault with a deadly weapon. Both tort and criminal liability. As much as the thought of a thief spiking himself makes me laugh, no thanks. Why not liable under the maiming statute? And I just found out the Communist Party is illegal in Oklahoma. |
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I have not tried them, but a 2x8 embedded with 20d nails, buried next to the genny, would handle the security duties just fine. Booby traps of this nature = assault with a deadly weapon. Both tort and criminal liability. As much as the thought of a thief spiking himself makes me laugh, no thanks. Why not liable under the maiming statute? I don't understand the question And I just found out the Communist Party is illegal in Oklahoma. So is blasphemy, sodomy and bunch of other silly shit that doesn't need codified. Until recently it was illegal to wear a mask in public. They could've racked up a crapload of arrests on halloween. |
| OP, i haven't tried the alarm you showed, but you can pick up a small alarm that is triggered when the pin is pulled out of the alarm. tie a thin heavy duty line to the genny and tie down the alarm. you might need to camo the alarm. when somebody tries to lift the genny the 120 db alarm will sound. that should be enough to wake you and scare the crap out of the thief. |
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The members of my extended family have several versions of the Kidde/Night Hawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm that plugs into an AC outlet. Whenever the AC power goes out, each of these alarms will emit a loud "beep" - Pretty hard to sleep through.
Naturally, this feature comes at no extra cost - and having a working CO alarm during power failures is never a bad idea anyway. |
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OP, i haven't tried the alarm you showed, but you can pick up a small alarm that is triggered when the pin is pulled out of the alarm. tie a thin heavy duty line to the genny and tie down the alarm. you might need to camo the alarm. when somebody tries to lift the genny the 120 db alarm will sound. that should be enough to wake you and scare the crap out of the thief. Perhaps I am a victim of incorrect thinking, but if I am running the generator at night while sleeping, I am probably using it to run an a/c, fridge, etc. So, I was thinking of pluging the unit inside the house on the same extension cord from the generator. If someone unplugs the cord or shuts off the generator, the alarm goes off. I am not sure how they could defeat it... I guess unplugging and immediately connecting the cord to a battery w/inverter... but the alarm would still go off for at least a second or two.... and I doubt thieves would be that prepared. ETA: and if I am in a situation where I think someone might come to steal it when its not running.... I will have in locked up somewhere inside a building. |
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OP, i haven't tried the alarm you showed, but you can pick up a small alarm that is triggered when the pin is pulled out of the alarm. tie a thin heavy duty line to the genny and tie down the alarm. you might need to camo the alarm. when somebody tries to lift the genny the 120 db alarm will sound. that should be enough to wake you and scare the crap out of the thief. Perhaps I am a victim of incorrect thinking, but if I am running the generator at night while sleeping, I am probably using it to run an a/c, fridge, etc. So, I was thinking of pluging the unit inside the house on the same extension cord from the generator. If someone unplugs the cord or shuts off the generator, the alarm goes off. I am not sure how they could defeat it... I guess unplugging and immediately connecting the cord to a battery w/inverter... but the alarm would still go off for at least a second or two.... and I doubt thieves would be that prepared. ETA: and if I am in a situation where I think someone might come to steal it when its not running.... I will have in locked up somewhere inside a building. wshbrngr - that's what I was thinking. If I'm running the gen at night it will be attached to the house wiring through a transfer switch. I'd plug the alarm into a house outlet in the bedroom. Since the alarm is battery powered I sure it either runs for a specified period of time or until you shut it off. |
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Generator theft is always a problem during power outages. Of course I chain mine to a tree; however, chains can be cut. I'm a heavy sleeper and someone shutting down the gen wouldn't wake me up. Since the dog sleeps under the bed she's not much help either. Have any of you tried one of these power outage alarms. For the money it seems like a reasonable bit of insurance and would at least give me a chance to stop the thieves. What says the hive? http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE3-4569185reg.jpg My home transfer switch has a 110V outlet on-board, and I have a device very similar to the one you pictured plugged into it. When the generator shuts down, it makes a shriek loud enough to wake the dead (or me when I'm sleeping...same thing  ). Since I know how long my generators are supposed to run before they run out of fuel an unexpected shutdown warrants an immediate response from me. I sleep fully clothed when grid power is down so I can get outside fast.
ETA: You could easily run this alarm at the end of an extension cord in your sleeping area if you are concerned about not waking up-you could also run a second one on the genset itself-I did that after several theft attempts during the 2008 ice storm. That alarm is louder than hell in the dead of night. |
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I don't worry about the nail embedded 2x thing. If someone stepped on it, I would remove it in the morning and it would be "I don't know what you are talking about officer"
An alternative security set-up would be to wrap the handles of your genny with some heater hose, then wrap coils of copper wire around that. Connect that to a 220 volt plug, and plug it into the genny's 220 volt side. You will know about it, so you will use caution, but the bad guy will be "shocked" at your security arrangements. If you don't want to do that, wire in a charged capacitor to the copper coils. It's a one shot deal, but it's one hell of a shot. You could rig up a shotgun with riot control rubber ball shot. It would be tripped if someone tried to move the genny. Don't put it on a tight leash, but leave it loose enough that they have to move it a foot or so. This prevents unwanted firing. You could also rig it to a bucket of parts cleaner in the tree overhead. Move the genny, and you get soaked with parts cleaner, which would not be pleasant. You might think of an alternative liquid that is not so pleasant to have on your skin, eyes, etc. If your mind isn't as devious as mine, then I suggest digging a 2 foot hole in the ground, adding concrete and a big eyebolt. Set your genny over it and attach with a good grade of cut-resistant cable. It won't be cut-proof, but it will slow them up. If you want to go further, then remove or flatten the wheels to make it harder to move. Beyond that, build a small fence, maybe 4 foot tall, around it with only one entrance. You can have a trip wire or switch that triggers an alarm or sound to alert you. Oh, and that little alarm from Ace Hardware looks like a good idea as well. |
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I won't be running my generator at night unattended while I sleep, even though it would be chained/locked up. No one will be opening the fridge or freezer all night, and I will have stoked the heat before bed. I will have flashlights, lanterns, and LED lanterns for night time lights as needed.
I'll run it late and be up early to run it again as needed, but I will not be running mine all night unattended. |
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Sorry for the hijack, but what transfer switch is that? I can't find the one w/ a 110v outlet on it... Thanks, -Slice GENTRAN 20216 |
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Sorry for the hijack, but what transfer switch is that? I can't find the one w/ a 110v outlet on it... Thanks, -Slice GENTRAN 20216 My EMERGEN has a convenience plug just like that. When I bought it I thought it was another input. 
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I have not tried them, but a 2x8 embedded with 20d nails, buried next to the genny, would handle the security duties just fine. Booby traps of this nature = assault with a deadly weapon. Both tort and criminal liability. As much as the thought of a thief spiking himself makes me laugh, no thanks. It's not a booby trap.... Um.... Sorry officer, I forgot my 2X4 with 20 nails in it by my generator b 4 I went to sleep! lol |
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I don't worry about the nail embedded 2x thing. If someone stepped on it, I would remove it in the morning and it would be "I don't know what you are talking about officer" An alternative security set-up would be to wrap the handles of your genny with some heater hose, then wrap coils of copper wire around that. Connect that to a 220 volt plug, and plug it into the genny's 220 volt side. You will know about it, so you will use caution, but the bad guy will be "shocked" at your security arrangements. If you don't want to do that, wire in a charged capacitor to the copper coils. It's a one shot deal, but it's one hell of a shot. You could rig up a shotgun with riot control rubber ball shot. It would be tripped if someone tried to move the genny. Don't put it on a tight leash, but leave it loose enough that they have to move it a foot or so. This prevents unwanted firing. You could also rig it to a bucket of parts cleaner in the tree overhead. Move the genny, and you get soaked with parts cleaner, which would not be pleasant. You might think of an alternative liquid that is not so pleasant to have on your skin, eyes, etc. If your mind isn't as devious as mine, then I suggest digging a 2 foot hole in the ground, adding concrete and a big eyebolt. Set your genny over it and attach with a good grade of cut-resistant cable. It won't be cut-proof, but it will slow them up. If you want to go further, then remove or flatten the wheels to make it harder to move. Beyond that, build a small fence, maybe 4 foot tall, around it with only one entrance. You can have a trip wire or switch that triggers an alarm or sound to alert you. Oh, and that little alarm from Ace Hardware looks like a good idea as well. As much as I THOROUGHLY enjoy the idea of a thief getting hurt stealing my stuff, the above advise is terrible and if you do it, will probably end up with you in jail. Not recommended. |
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Generator theft is always a problem during power outages. Of course I chain mine to a tree; however, chains can be cut. I'm a heavy sleeper and someone shutting down the gen wouldn't wake me up. Since the dog sleeps under the bed she's not much help either. Have any of you tried one of these power outage alarms. For the money it seems like a reasonable bit of insurance and would at least give me a chance to stop the thieves. What says the hive? http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE3-4569185reg.jpg This looks like an excellent idea. I will check one or two of these out. My plan is to chain it down, but it would be extra protection. It could also alert when I'm out of gas, too. Flashlight would be handy, as well. A $15 safety net ain't bad. |
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How about putting the genny in a small garden shed made from 1/2" T-111 plywood with no windows and multiple locks on the doors. Run an extension off the exhaust through the wall of the shed. Screws instead of nails for the construction. Piano hinges and battery operated remote alarm on the door of the shed. Can be dual purpose, can store garden tools in there as well as the genny.
Oh, and that little power failure alarm in the house as added insurance. If the shed is built correctly, it would make a lot of noise getting into it. stasiman BTW: All the civil and criminal liabilities in regards to "man traps" is a real buzz kill! 
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Robby9 did you decide to get one? How loud is it?
It's a great idea, the reviewers on Amazon say the alarm is too quiet. |
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While putting some sort of an alarm on your generator is a good idea, I think it would be more useful to have one of the driveway-type alarms that senses motion. That way you would know someone was approaching the generator and would have more warning that appropriate action was needed...
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No doubt a better alarm system would be more effective, but I was trying to do something cheap and simple. My neighborhood is gated, so that reduces traffic. I have a chain for the gen as a second line of defense. If my situation were different, I'd be more inclined to put in a driveway alarm.
I have considered putting up a solar powered security light with a motion detector. Can anyone recomend one? |
| Once I start my generator I use one of the heavy Kryptionite motorcycle chains & locks to secure it around a tree. I also use a second large cable lock & run it through landscaper cables. The lanscaper cables are driven into the ground with a large metal rod and are extremely difficult to pull out of the ground, the only thing above the ground is the eyelet. If someone is going to steal it they will have to work for it. |
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You could take a 12V battery and residential burglar alarm siren, car horn, or whatever. Attach through the NC circuit on a 110v dual throw relay wired to plug into a receptacle. It should be very simple to build and loud as you need.
Another device I had planned to build was an alarm to let me know if grid power came back up. |
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I did some checking a standard smoke alarm is 85 dB, according to several boxes I looked at, at Lowes, Walmart, & Home Depot. I think I'll try this power outage alarm and see. I wonder where the reviewers had the thing? A smoke alarm is pretty loud, it will wake you up if it's in the house.
Edit I just read the reviews again. Even if it says it's loud on the package, that doesn't make it so. Other folks complained about it breaking, too. I'm done beating this horse; it's dead. I'm not buying one. |
| I bought one of those in the first pic, at my local Ace hardware. I kid you not, I have a single battery travel alarm that is louder. This thing goes beep - beep - beep...... beep - beep - beep........ Very quiet, no way it's 86db that I can figure, but no meter to test it either. It would not wake me up next to my bed, although it "probably" will wake up my wife. Don't even think about putting it in another room, closet, etc... Daaaammmnnnn MournSword |
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I don't worry about the nail embedded 2x thing. If someone stepped on it, I would remove it in the morning and it would be "I don't know what you are talking about officer" An alternative security set-up would be to wrap the handles of your genny with some heater hose, then wrap coils of copper wire around that. Connect that to a 220 volt plug, and plug it into the genny's 220 volt side. You will know about it, so you will use caution, but the bad guy will be "shocked" at your security arrangements. If you don't want to do that, wire in a charged capacitor to the copper coils. It's a one shot deal, but it's one hell of a shot. You could rig up a shotgun with riot control rubber ball shot. It would be tripped if someone tried to move the genny. Don't put it on a tight leash, but leave it loose enough that they have to move it a foot or so. This prevents unwanted firing. You could also rig it to a bucket of parts cleaner in the tree overhead. Move the genny, and you get soaked with parts cleaner, which would not be pleasant. You might think of an alternative liquid that is not so pleasant to have on your skin, eyes, etc. If your mind isn't as devious as mine, then I suggest digging a 2 foot hole in the ground, adding concrete and a big eyebolt. Set your genny over it and attach with a good grade of cut-resistant cable. It won't be cut-proof, but it will slow them up. If you want to go further, then remove or flatten the wheels to make it harder to move. Beyond that, build a small fence, maybe 4 foot tall, around it with only one entrance. You can have a trip wire or switch that triggers an alarm or sound to alert you. Oh, and that little alarm from Ace Hardware looks like a good idea as well. As much as I THOROUGHLY enjoy the idea of a thief getting hurt stealing my stuff, the above advise is terrible and if you do it, will probably end up with you in jail. Not recommended. 220v from hand to hand would go right across the heart. Hello murder charge, |