SI box security

[Scott]

Ollie O'Brien wrote a very detailed description of how they secured the SI boxes at the London City Race last year, which can be found here.

[andy]

http://blog.oobrien.com/2008/10/how-we- ... -controls/

a blog Ollie wrote about it

we used a slightly more simple version with a padlocked wire through the 'hole'

[AndyC]

The organiser of a recent major event has a nice line in TA Cadets acting as security for controls (they also have a function of "it's over there" to people looking lost).

But for some areas I think security guards with shotguns might be the only answer -I'd suggest rottweilers but the orienteers couldn't get past them either

[Marco Polo]

I'm trying 1m x 2.5mm steel cables with padlocks. I used a local chandler to crimp small loops into the end of the cables to put the locks through- just cost the price of the cable and crimps- about £2.60 per m length.

It would be useful to get a large number of cheapish identically keyed padlocks. I've never really found a good supplier although some four packs purchased in Aldi have done us well so far. This is all reusable, and relatively quick to put out- but more difficult to fix the controls tightly as in London and this makes punching slightly more difficult.

Haven't lost any secured this way, but thee is an extra overhead in thinking how controls will be secured when planning.

[DM]

MDOC used GRIPPLES for the recent Stockport event and did not lose any boxes, despite 2 attempts. This was based on advice from Ollie O'Brien.

Wire is wrapped round a fixed object and secured with a gripping device that can be undone with the supplied tool. Placed well it is hard to get wire cutters under the wire. Deters all but the most determined and equipped people on a Sunday morning.

see http://www.gripple.com

[Duncan]

The organiser of a recent major event has a nice line in TA Cadets acting as security for controls (they also have a function of "it's over there" to people looking lost).

Might be referring to JK 2009. Sadly this approach wasn't perfect and some controls were still vandalised due to inattentive moments from the cadets.

[EddieH]

I cannot see any advantage in using padlocks with fixed length wire loops. Gripples are surely equally as secure - (the wire has to be cut), cheaper and you cut the wire to the length you need at each site.

We use plastic ties in many areas and gripples in others with no marshalling. So far we have lost none, although we are tying emit stakes not SI units. It seems to me that the most endangered npart is the flag, but none have gone so far.

[Marco Polo]

Gripples certainly look useful and i wasn't aware of them before.

One question- Ollie and DM give a slightly different impression of how to remove cables and reusability? What exactly is reusable- do you need to cut cable or use another tool to remove. What would you need to get rid of after the event?

[EddieH]

The gripples are reusable. You need to have wire cutters to cut the cable and generally the two remaining bits of wire are not really reusable.

[Angry Haggis]

The gripples are reusable. You need to have wire cutters to cut the cable and generally the two remaining bits of wire are not really reusable.

I thought this was the case, when I wrote that article, however I've since learned that there's a special key (a bit like an allen key) that you can insert into the Gripple. This will cause the wire to release, so you can reuse the whole length (and the Gripple itself.)

The metal cable ties however are not reusable - once tied, they can only be cut.

[Marco Polo]

Eddie, AH,

thanks - that's useful to know.

[martyn]

At the Leeds Uni and Skipton races last year we went with wire cable approach, but instead of using gripples or padlocks, we used some heavy duty "chocolate block" electrical connectors. These can be done up and undone with a small screwdriver (not something the average vandal will carry about with them) and are very cheap. We didn't lose any blocks.

Martyn

[EddieH]

We also tried electrical connectors, but there were 2 problems.

1 is less relevant for SI, but tying our stakes meant that we need them tight so the wire needs to be exactly the right length.

2 is that they take quite a long time per control to set up - far more than with gripples.