Solar panel theft alarm?

[Gashmore]

I am putting together a self supporting burglar alarm system to try to stop copper theft in my vacant rental units. It has a 20W solar panel maintaining a 12AH battery and uses the cellular network to notify me if it goes off. I have motion detectors, perimeter detectors and a detector for the A/C compresor. The only thing that is not protected is the solar panel.

I need a curcuit that will open the alarm loop if the wires to the solar panel are cut. The panels output zero volts at night to 17V during the day and has a blocking diode so I can't just look for voltage or resistance. Anyone have a suggestion?

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Yep. Fake it. Run a pair of wires or cable tightly wrapped to the cable(s) that appear to measure temperature. Etc but are actually shorted together.

Make it a real temp sensor and detect shorts and opens.

 

[Rosso]

Cutting the wires may be the last thing that the thief would do before driving off with the panel, therefore why not wire a closed circuit to physically detect interference with the mounting of the panel? ie running a wire through the mounting bolts, which if broken opens the circuit, and triggers the tamper alarm?

 

[3v0]

Start with a motion detector. Maybe you can set it up to ignore cats and dogs.

 

[4pyros]

Put a fake camera on it with a flashing light

 

[Gashmore]

I need to start thinking outside the box. Thanks. I like the idea of twisting a pair of thin gauge wires around the cable and tying that into the loop. I have a lot of extra 30 ga for wire wrap prototyping. Maybe drill a hole through the head of the mounting bolts and run the wire through. I could add a simple latching circuit so even if they try to short the wires back together once broken it stays broken.

I'm gonna get these B*@$&!%ds one way or another.

 

[Gashmore]

Put a fake camera on it with a flashing light

I had thought about one of those game cameras from Cabelas but they would steal that too. A quick one shot strobe from out of nowhere might scare the s%$t out of them though.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Notifying you isn't going to catch the thiefs. Video motion sensing (where the area of the camera) is looked at for movement might.

They can be tied to give you an SMS message and with the right system, you can look on your cell-phone for the real-time video feed. You can then call the police

 

[Boncuk]

Attach a small magnet to the rear of the solar panel and a Hall-sensor opposite. The magnet and Hall-sensor are very small and not easily be detected visually.

As soon as the panel is removed the output of the Hall-sensor swings high and can be used to trigger an alarm circuit.

Alternatively I suggest to use HV-fencing around the solar panel.

Boncuk

 

[4pyros]

This can all be replaced by one good dog. Andy

 

[chemelec]

Attach a small magnet to the rear of the solar panel and a Hall-sensor opposite. The magnet and Hall-sensor are very small and not easily be detected visually.

As soon as the panel is removed the output of the Hall-sensor swings high and can be used to trigger an alarm circuit.

Alternatively I suggest to use HV-fencing around the solar panel.

Boncuk

I Like this one!
And Instead of the Hall Sensor, you could also use a Reed Relay.

 

[gary350]

I have some rental houses too. Here is what you need to do. Put a $15 light motion detector 120 VAC under the house. Don't put any light bulbs in it connect it to a police siren mounted under the point of the roof 18 ft off the ground. Put a PotterBrunfield 15 minute timer relay in the circuit. If someone goes under the house the siren blasts for 15 minutes you can hear it 4 blocks away then shut off. You can also use the motion detector to turn on a video camera get a video of the thieves. Use a car battery charger to power the siren.

**broken link removed**

 

[bryan1]

If your worried about the PV panel and it will be permanently mounted just pop rivet the pv panel to the roof, how many thieves carry a cordless drill with them..............

 

[Reloadron]

It has a 20W solar panel maintaining a 12AH battery and uses the cellular network to notify me if it goes off.

Therefore your response time is important. Thus far I like Boncuk's suggestion as to using a magnetic reed switch but there are other options.

What could be done is use a device as pictured in the attached image. Place the device in a tubular can and remove the pin, make sure the spoon has a tight fit but loose enough for easy slide out. Tie a small piece of wire to the device and the solar panel. Make sure the trip wire is hidden as well as the device.

This method may be a little rough on the solar panel but I can absolutely guarantee response time will not be a factor and you will likely never have the same thief twice. When the device exits the secure tube the thief has between 3 and 5 seconds to think about a course of action.

OK, seriously, I like the reed switch or PIR sensor approaches but had to suggest my way.

Ron

 

[ericgibbs]

This method may be a little rough on the solar panel but I can absolutely guarantee response time will not be a factor and you will likely never have the same thief twice. When the device exits the secure tube the thief has between 3 and 5 seconds to think about a course of action.

Ron

hi Ron,

I like the idea but its a little under powered, something like this would solve most problems.

 

[gary350]

I have found thieves are extremely stupid that is why they are theives. I open all the blinds and leave all the lights on in every room of an empty house so thieves can see in. I even leave the closet doors open so they can see in the closets. As long as they can see every inch of the inside of the house and see the house is empty and there is nothing to steel they will not break in. If I close the blinds and turn the lights off thieves will break in just to see if there is something inside to steel.

I have learned not to rent to working class Americans. They are perfessional renters. They have all the money saved for first months rent and deposit but after they get moved in they have no more money. They have every excust in the world why they can not pay, car broke had to get it repair, sick missed a week work, wife was in hospital, out of town for a week death in family missed a weeks work, unexpected bills, and the list goes on and on. The law in this state protect the renter I can not legally get them out for 3 months and the smart renters will refuse to answer the door when someone comes to deliver the notice to appear in court. If they can not be served notice to appear they do not have to appear in court so by avoiding being served they may get to live in the house without paying for 6 to 9 months. In the mean time they save enough money to cheat their next land lord when they finally have to move. I have learned a cool trick. Buy law the landlord is allowed to do maintenance to keep the house safe. If the renters do not pay I call the electric company and tell them the wires from the main braker to the watt meter are bad and I need to have an electrician replace the bad wires. I want the electricity turned off. Power company argues the renters are paying and we can not turn them off. I tell the power company if the wires short out and the house burns down your responsible for refusing to let me fix the problem. I get put on hold about 30 seconds then I am told electricity will be off in 15 minutes. Electricity is turns off at the power line pole the meter is pulled and you can not get the electricity turned on again without an inspection. Dead beat renters will be moved and gone on their own in 2 days no one will live in a house with no electricity they can't watch cable TV, charge their cell phones or get on the internet so the move. It saves me the hastle of taking them to court.

College students are the best renters. First question I ask is, are they football players or basket ball players. If yes I refuse to rent to them they are big partiers and very distructive. They can distroy a house in one month. If they are junior or seniors I rent to them.

Second best renters are foreigners. Mexican, India, Chinese are all good renters.

Americans are the worse renters. I tell them all go to a certain agency fill out the papers, pay the fee, if you pass I will rent to you. They leave and are never heard from again.