Headlamps kicked in - car alarm advice?

[tymill]

Right, I don't like whinging - but I'm getting annoyed at kids in the area taking great fun in kicking in the headlamps on my car. Again. and Again.

I've a very good idea as to what group of kids it might be as the last time they were seen by a neighbour pulling my car's doors off, they were able to give a vague description - but nothing useful.

I really just want to honeypot/stakeout after school one day and catch them, but it's tough.

I'm wondering if there's some sort of cheap way to rig up a motion-detection cam in the car? I'd love to see a great mug of the kid kicking away at my headlamps so I can move on that.

Would an ordinary "whoo whoo" car alarm be helpful? perhaps.

Are they dear? do you get what you pay for? Can I make one up for peanuts as an electronics project? Hmm.

yeah, the car's quite distinctive - see my profile - but this is just getting annoying.

I just keep repairing it - never surrender. Last thing I want is to have them see me get all annoyed, as that's victory for them.

[MALLET]

Hi Ty,

You could get one of these set up and then you've got evidence to give to the old bill...

spy cam (http://www.pakatak.co.uk/shop/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=264)

Tim

[David Church]

Thats wank!!! I hope you catch the little feckers!!!!!

[MALLET]

Ty I've got one of these and they work well in a buggy going around the track as well :lol:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRELESS-PINHOLE-COLOUR-CCTV-SECURITY-SPY-CAMERA-DVR-UK_W0QQitemZ300369604047QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CCTV ?hash=item45ef6c6dcf#ht_4054wt_939

[tymill]

I like the spycam ideas.... wonder if I could just use an ordinary webcam mounted near the rear view mirror behind the windscreen with the bundled "motion detection" software and hide the laptop in a footwell or something.

Unfort my laptop's old and the bats only go for an hour or so though..

Might just try an old-fashioned stakeout.

Truth be told I'm beyond getting annoyed too much about this - after all a car's just a thing. but it's just disappointing that they get such a rise out of doing this.

[big p]

you could just wire your car up to the mains.... or better still a street lamp on 3 phase.

[Mike Hudson]

you could just wire your car up to the mains.... or better still a street lamp on 3 phase.
I'd second that! Or have something nice by your door so you can pounce on them and give them a good thwack

[DCM]

Is there nowhere else that you can park the car??

An alarm will warn you that there is something happening, but it would have to be sensitive, and end up false triggering.

USB CCTV cam on the fron of your house, that records through the night?

[BRS]

New head lamps brimmed full of nitroglycerin.... just dont forget and nail it over the speed bumps [o ] [ o]

[Titch]

USB CCTV cam on the fron of your house, that records through the night?
That would be my plan.. park in front of your house if you can, and set a webcam up in the bedroom to record your car through the day/night.. providing your hard drive is big enough then you should be able to record everything.

Get a decent cam though, else it'll just be a fuzzy picture.