Danny, cat six is comunication cable that is screened unlike cat five thats not, I run broadband over two so have four pairs free for perhaps CCTV, Just saying,just asking, andrew.h.

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

Ten years ago bike theft around Banbury had reached unbearable levels. Until Aprillia supplied a bike for bait, Tracker supplied and fitted one of their tracking devises to it, then the local Aprillia dealer parked it outside his home for a few nights before it was stolen. The tracker guided the police to the thieves lair where they were arrested. It was a local girl feeding the thieves with information as to where bikes were owned/ parked/ garaged. She seemed a nice normal local village girl, but you never know the intensions of the people watching you which is why I say keep them hidden.
Even with all the work done for them the police were reluctant to retrieve the Aprillia and prosecute the thieves as they said it was 'entrapment'.
I do like the idea of taking handle bar clamps off though.
One guy was washing his bike outside his house, he went in to fill his bucket with clean water. When he came out the bike was gone.

email (option): Gasboy@btinternet.com

I've often wondered if you could effectively make your own tracker device for around £20. Or less. Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but here goes.

It works like this:

Buy a cheap mobile phone.
Get a free SIM card.
Hide the mobile phone on the bike (especially when in a high risk location).

The police can triangulate a mobile phone within a few tens of metres (if they can be bothered). The mobile phone always knows where it is. If you've got an idea of who's nicked the bike, you could even try calling the phone in the small hours and listening for it. Sounds unlikely, but it might work.

You could even try negoitiating with the thieves when they answer the phone. Sounds even more unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Shame that we have to think like this, but c'est la vie.

Mobile phones are extremely small these days. They could fit in a few places around a bike (under the tank or mudguard). Standby time might be 3-4 days. Or more. For £20, it might be worth considering.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Good idea Danny but keeping it charged up might be a problem.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

I'm not so interested in getting back whatever is left after some 'waster' has had a go at it..The focus should be mainly on how to stop them getting it in the first place....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Note to Horror: You don't need to worry about keeping it charged. I was thinking that you'd only use a mobile phone in high risk situations. But maybe some smart guy out there can figure out how to hide a charger on the bike too. Some of these are pretty small. Phone require less than 12-volts, don't they?

Note to Ian: Stopping the bike getting nicked is what the camera is all about. But security is, of course, always a combination of things. Ultimately, a very good lock and keeping the bike out of sight is paramount. Varying your routine helps, especially if you're regularly riding it to work or something and parking in the same spot (big mistake).

But if the bike does go missing, the jury-rigged mobile phone idea might at least help with recovery. The phone doesn't need to keep broadcasting its location. If your bike is nicked at midday, for instance, chances are that the bike would have reach its destination by the small hours. You just need to know where it is at that time. Maybe it helps if you turn down the phone's volume and simply call it. The mobile phone account provider will know where it is. give or take a few tens of metres. If it's a BSA M20, you can look for the oil stains.



Then it's down to Old Bill to go and fetch it and nick the bastards.



P.S. Maybe you can train your dog to pick up that unique smell of your favourite engine or gearbox oil.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Hi Danny, you can get vehicle trackers that do all the things you're talking about. They send you a text with the vehicles location and you can ring the device (which doesn't ring out loud) and listen to the people who have the vehicle without them knowing. It works on a mobile phone SIM card. A quick search on ebay and I've found this one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Realtime-Mini-Personal-GPS-Tracker-GSM-Car-Tracking-Spy-Bug-/230674079354?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item35b53f1e7a

I've noticed that some of these have an annual or monthly fee because a call centre is involved, but I can't see anything like that on this one. A message to the seller will clarify.

It can also be use as a personal tracker ie, young kids away for the day, you just put it in there pocket and know where they are at any time.

You can even track in other countries, sounds good

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Thanks, Horror. I know about this system. I was just thinking of a cheapskate way of doing it.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Hi all,

Here you can find GPS trackers for less than £20.
Cannot say I tried it though.
Price include international postage, but it does take its time getting there.

http://dx.com/s/gps+tracker

There is a very good CCTV application/software for PC, which is called: “Zone trigger”
Or “Webcam Zone Trigger” which is free for few weeks for test,
Then you can buy license cheap via PayPal.

It lets you to use USB web cameras, (The regular PC chat kind or better. I used a Microsoft HD),
IP cameras, coaxial attached camera or others, and connect few of them, not only 1-2.
You can chose “Triggering zones”, you can chose the sensitivity and coverage of each zone,
Chose to take photos or a short clip when triggered and so on.
Every clip and photo has Date and time stamp.
The software also lets you hook up a microphone, or in my case, I used the one imbedded in the web cam.- Worked great.

A crazy neighbor was throwing trash in to my sidecar daily, and this is how I found him.

Later, I hanged it above my door, and find out that this same maniac was nicking my newspaper from the threshold,
Opened the electricity fuse box which is outside my door and disconnect me at 04:00 am
(you can actually see him putting his hand in, and the record terminates. I wish he was shocked to coal)

Today I do not see him around much, (the neighbor) and when I do, he is led by his wife.
Apparently he did mark me as a target, but it is a kind of a mental issue or dementia.

A smart feller told me once that “Locks are against honest people”
Meaning that if a thieve sets his mind to it, anything can be stolen,
But yet- I do believe it is a very good means to delay or to make someone leave your bike all together if the bother is too high..

Noam.

email (option): noam10@gmail.com

Never mind all this technology, in case of bike thieving scum, I've got a dog, a 12 bore and the farmer less than a mile away owns 500 hungry pigs and he owes me a favour!