Securing urban cntrols

[Mrs H]

What are people using to secure/attach their urban controls. Has anyone used reusable gripples, were they good/easy to use if so where did you get them from and how much did hey cost.
All information gratefully received.

[daffdy]

We used a mixture of normal and extra long cable ties for the Cambridge race for simplicity's sake. They're light, cheap and quick to deploy, but a bit vulnerable to the determined miscreant. We had a control go AWOL just as courses closed, so they're perhaps better used selectively in safer locations...
What's a gripple then?

[Scott]

Ollie's blog post from 2008 still seems to be the classic link that gets mentioned in connection with this. Note that it is incorrect in saying that you cannot release the gripples - you can if you have a special tool.

I also believe the technique may have been refined a bit in the intervening years - eg. Deeside have a document giving a slight variation on it here.

[Stodgetta]

We've used gripples for mtbo/score type events & haven't lost a control yet, even if they've been out for a few days. Tiny screwdrivers or straightened paper clips undo them nicely.
We have lost some boxes when they've been attached with zip-ties. A quick twist and they break.

[DaveR]

We use wire loops and padlocks.
The padlocks are "key alike" so all use the same key.
The wire loops were made with stainless steel wire from a ships chandler with "Copper Ferrules" from the same source to clamp the ends into short loops.
The SI units are on metal baseplates with a separate hole through which the wire passes so that the wire is not obscuring the SI hole.

[RS]

Gripples like used in London are the best for competitors in my opinion. I HATE the thick wires where it's a struggle to get the SI Card in
Gripples may be more work for the putter-outers/collecting iners but very much appreciated by the competitors.

[Mrs H]

Gosh - you all go to bed later than me and get up earlier I just logged on to see if anyone had replied and there is all this super info! Top job! Thanks
...and keep it coming if there is more to say.

[EddieH]

Gripples are easy and effective. There is no need to use fiddly screwdrivers. Simply collect the controls with decent wirecutters, cut close to the gripple and simply pull the wires through in the allowed direction. They are infinitely reusable so long as you tell your collectors to bring them back, not as unfortunately happened at the Moray Mix where a collector binned the lot

[swat]

We use the No 1 size Gripple loop fast (this means a wire with a loop at one end plus the gripple gadget) This size is the smallest/cheapest and the wire is thin enough to go through the small holes in the ends of the newer (red or blue) SI blocks which leaves the punching hole free.

1m length is fine for most urban controls on lamposts, railings etc. If you need more length you can just join two or three together daisy chain style as required.

I buy them from here: http://www.jpldirect.co.uk/catalog/Gripple_Loop_Fast_B35050.html, the price is currently £17.42+VAT for a pack of 10 (plus delivery if you don't live round the corner like I do!).

A couple of things to watch out for in use: I like to pull the wire through fairly tight so the block doesn't swing around when people are trying to punch, but you need to leave a little bit of slack otherwise they can be tricky to undo (unless you're cutting them off which seems a bit wasteful to me). Also, it is possible for the little rachet inside the gripple to get pushed out which renders it useless for securing things, so it's worth having one or two more than you need.

[Jethro]

Having used gripples for years for fencing purposes - one word of warning, they do eventually corrode. So possible best to make sure they are properly dried after each event, and even given a spray with WD40.

[King Penguin]

I know Oxford a couple of years ago used metal cable-ties, with a ball-bearing like inner which prevents removal. They were not cuttable with standard wirecutters (I tried, when collecting in) and therefore safe from all but the most determined and tooled-up thieves. They are in theory removable by inserting the end of a spare one (make sure you have some), and some did indeed come undone OK in this way when collecting. Others were an absolute pig, one of them taking me about 10 minutes of trial and error before I eventually got it to unlock.

Warwick a couple of years before used standard plastic cable-ties (as did Birmingham Uni), with just gaffer tape round some particularly big trees. Birmingham Uni suffered no losses. Warwick had one stake completely destroyed, but all the bits recovered - fortunately this only happened between the last runner visiting it and control collection.

Plastic cable-ties should deter the casual mischief-maker, but will not prevent a determined thief. They can be chained together (as can the metal ones) to make a longer loop.

[redkite]

Gripples and Plastic coated wire.
Works fine
Just do not lose the gripple keys. Even more important, take the key with you when collecting controls.

[HOCOLITE]

Mrs H
If you know what sort of gripple you want then I can probably get a trade price but they might have to be collected from Stourport as the carriage is usually a bummer, that is unless you want delta or medium and if so I know where there are a few of those and could get a price.

[Mrs H]

Thanks Hoco but me and Mr H have been playing with our gripples all evening

[Copepod]

And what will Mrs & Mr H be doing on Valentines evening?!?