California Surveyors Forums

Hi
Not sure if I have this posted on the correct portion of the site, So.apologies

Couple of Friday's ago, a GPS base station pole and radio antenna "walked" away from a jobsite on lottie lane. Oakdale Ca
It's three sections of range pole two sections of Trimble GPS poles and a whip antenna. With long yellow cord.

Hopefully it surfaces

If so, contact 209 526 9724

Hard to do RTK without radio Thank you

While we're on the topic, we had someone break through the window of a truck and steal a Leica TS16 instrument a week ago. Crime has got horrendous around here lately with hoards of traveling drug addicts around town. I think they're mostly meth users from out of the area who find Santa Cruz an inviting place to be.

we had someone break through the window of a truck and steal a Leica TS16 instrument

I often carry my data collector in a Pelican case on the front passenger seat, as it doesn't fit conveniently in my tool boxes. After reading about a similar theft a year or two ago, I began securing the case with a padlock and 1/8" stainless steel cable through the seat frame. (The padlock prevents the case from being opened as well as connecting to the cable.) I'm hoping that will be enough to encourage the smash-and-run types to leave my windows intact and look for easier pickin's elsewhere.

At the Wildfox restaurant in Novato, they smashed the crew cab back passenger window that was heavily tinted and stole a brief case that had my laptop etc.... in it. I was only parked 5 spots from the front steps up to the door. They must have come up from the frontage road through the bushes. It was still light out too and I was only in there for a half hour.

We have a Tonneau cover and when we debated putting the instrument in the cab, we felt it was a bad idea, and these stories make me realize how "safer" it is to keep the gun under the cover. It think it is easier to do a smash-and-grab move on these ehen they are in a space that can be accessed via a broken window.

People, we need to keep to the topic of stolen equipment from one of our members.
If you have a story to get out to others, it isn't fair to hijack his thread.

Bottom line, keep your eyes out and when someone wants to sell you some equipment, get name and number to contact them as you need to go get cash, then call PD and set up a sting.

I hate to say it, but if someone (or crew) leaves valuables in the truck and goes into a business, you are taking a risk. Lots of crime takes place in Home Depot parking lots, cause they know trucks have valuables, and who gets in and out of Home Depot in a couple minutes, lol?

People, we need to keep to the topic of stolen equipment from one of our members. If you have a story to get out to others, it isn't fair to hijack his thread.

Like by telling stories about, say, Home Depot?

PLS7393 wrote:People, we need to keep to the topic of stolen equipment from one of our members.
If you have a story to get out to others, it isn't fair to hijack his thread.

Every time someone responds to this thread it pops up to the top of the General Discussion list. It's like when people bump a thread. Keeps it fresh in people's minds. Therefore, I contend that even off-topic comments may benefit this discussion.

dedkad wrote:

PLS7393 wrote:People, we need to keep to the topic of stolen equipment from one of our members.
If you have a story to get out to others, it isn't fair to hijack his thread.

Every time someone responds to this thread it pops up to the top of the General Discussion list. It's like when people bump a thread. Keeps it fresh in people's minds. Therefore, I contend that even off-topic comments may benefit this discussion.

yup, it does.


My opinion is to keep it out of sight, like throw a coat or towel or blanket over it.
These goofballs are not thinking, it is smash and grab. If they see something in a nice case they will pop the window at minimum.
My father kept an old funky Styrofoam cooler on the back seat, in it was his camera or other valuable items. He said it was for the heat and the film, but he also used it for other valuables. I do the same now.

In this case, I ran a long radio cord to the antenna and mounted the pole and antenna on top of a tall metal container.
The base station was not touched.
There was some good separation between the two, however, after consideration, I see the antenna location was isolated from general pop, so instead of being hidden, it became an easy target. The base is always in open spaces.

I have had base stations stolen from peoples back yards !! A nice elderly lady let me put the base in her back yard for safety.
Instead, thieves broke her fence took the base and were gone in a flash. I had to fix her fence too.
I see there is a new "rash" of GPS thefts lately. Perhaps its time to get hooked to a network ??