Theft Proof Rack Unit

[alexadamson]

Due to a recent thefts from our dance studios we are after a new way to secure the amplifier and CD/Minidisc player that are permanently stored in these rooms.

 

I'm thinking maybe a rack unit that can be screwed into the wall and then the units fixed with secure screws. It only has to hold 4 units of rack at the most but I don't know how secure the unit will be and if the wall can take that kind of weight. Unfortunately most of the walls in the building seem to be made from cheese.

 

Just wondering if any body has any better ideas ??

[benge]

How about a normal small computer/server rack unit?

 

Just a thought

Ben

[Chris Beesley]

Have a peek here http://www.rackz.org - they offer a wide range of styles.

[Bobbsy]

Hmmm...

 

I don't know of any 19 inch rack enclosures designed to be able to hold their weight (and the equipment weight) with the rear of the box screwed to a wall. (This supposes you find a section of wall strong enough!)

 

What you might try is putting up a shelf using suitable brackets, then place the rack on the shelf, THEN screw it to the wall. Or, a free-standing rack would do if you could put up with something bigger...most of these have holes to be screwed to a wall to help stablilty.

 

When choosing the rack, many will give you the option of a lockable door or cover. These locks aren't exactly high security devices, but will act as a deterrent, especially if coupled with security screws on the gear.

 

Bob

[MarkPAman]

Have a peek here http://www.rackz.org - they offer a wide range of styles.

 

Edit - sorry, confused by similar names!

I was thinking of RaxX, with these or this.

[bruce]

Wall-mounted racks are not a problem - they are very common in the IT/Networking world. Of course, you need to find a reasonably solid wall to mount it on...

 

Note that these aren't particularly deep racks - they are designed for network switches, not servers - so you may have issues if you need to mount a power amp.

 

You can get them with fixed or removable side panels. You can also get them with "swing frames" which is useful if you need access to the rear of the units.

 

We (at work, in the IT world) used to use lots of the "microwave-oven-size" ones, and some slightly larger. But once you get above about 10U, wall mounting is a problem.

 

We now prefer to use bigger floor-standing ones, to accomodate deeper switches and to make cable management easier, but the A/V department at work is always keen to take the smaller ones off our hands when we swap them out....

 

The last AV install of this sort that we did was in a 800-seat venue, which has a "proper" sound system installed, but which is often required to accomodate very simple events which need little more than a single mic and background music. No budget for a sound engineer for these events. So, behind the stage, we mounted a "microwave-size" cabinet, with a 1U mixer, 2x radio mic receivers, and CD player, with the output fed directly to the distribution amp for the "main" system. Since the power amps on this could be remotely powered up from a switch in the stage area, the "simple system" can be easily set up by the caretaker, just by throwing a couple of power switches.

 

The ones shown in the link above look fairly "budget" - although I could be mistaken. The locks are little more than a visual deterrent - you can open them with little more than a screwdriver. You can get variants which are more solid, with steel doors and better locks. We use lots of these in public areas. I have got plenty of catalogues at work, if I remember I'll post some links next time I'm in.

 

Edit: The names that immediately come to mind are Imrak and UKRak (formerly Kedington). <_< for them. But there's another one, which is much more "sturdy", but I can't remember the name....

[Chris Beesley]

The RACKZ cabinets are manufactured from steel in the UK - some folk may remember them from the old HZ International days...

[bruce]

More ideas....

 

If they're not being racked, chain them down.

 

Most IT equipment these days comes with a standard fitting for a thing called a "Kensington lock" - in particular you'll see them on laptops, but I've also seen them on high-end AV kit.

 

If the devices don't have a Kensington fitting, you can use standard computer security devices, which are often a metal plate with a loop which is either bolted or epoxied to the unit, and then a wire rope is padlocked in place. With a bit of ingenuity and some large washers, this can also be used to secure cables.

 

Or get a "bobble fixing" - we use lots of these for securing PCs, and usually get them machined up specially - a cylinder of aluminium, about the size of a cotton reel. A hole through the axis, deeply countersunk, and another hole across the diameter, crossing the countersink. Remove one of the bolts fixing the cover plate on the device, and bolt the "bobble" in place, using a longer bolt. Now, pass a security chain through the second hole- this prevents access to the bolt underneath.

 

Or... get a "wallbox" custom-built. We have used a lot of these in lecture theatres - it's a steel box, wall-mounted, which can hold a DVD/VCR combo and an amp. The side is hinged and padlocked to allow installation, and there are slots cut in the front to allow access to the controls and DVD/VCR slots.

 

The RACKZ cabinets are manufactured from steel

 

Sorry - I guess that's a response to me commenting that they looked "budget", and that you could get some with steel doors.... :-) No criticism of the Rackz ones,, but they look very similar to the budget Imrak ones. While they're perfectly adequate for many purposes, there are other models on the market that are much "sturdier", with heavier gauge panels and better locking mechanisms.

[Matt Riley]

Hi,

 

Studiospares has a whole load of stuff suitable for stopping opportunist thieves nicking stuff from normal racks. If I were doing it, I probably would get hold of a reasonably hefty rack unit and secure it to the wall. I'd also get hold of a metal front security grill for the amp, punching a hole in it to enable people to turn the amp on, then fix it to the rack with security bolts and loctite. For the CD player, I would either buy a lockable perspex cover and fix it to the rack with security bolts, or get hold of a normal rack and adapt the lid with a padlock hasp so that the whole thing could be locked when not in use. For good measure, I'd also get my engraver and spray paint out and put the name of the owner all over the item and rack as well. Of course, if they want to they'll still nick it!

 

Rgds,

 

M

[Bryson]

More ideas....

 

If they're not being racked, chain them down.

 

Most IT equipment these days comes with a standard fitting for a thing called a "Kensington lock" - in particular you'll see them on laptops, but I've also seen them on high-end AV kit.

 

...but, don't get the Kensington Lock variant that uses the round keys, like so:

http://homepage.mac.com/bryson430/.Public/kensington.jpg

...as they can be opened very, very easily with a toilet roll and a biro. I kid ye not.

[MarkPAman]

http://homepage.mac.com/bryson430/.Public/kensington.jpg

...as they can be opened very, very easily with a toilet roll and a biro. I kid ye not.

 

Also, when I couldn't find my key, and my laptop was attached to a piece of steel-deck, it only took about a minute to cut the thing off with a small pair of snips.

 

Then (you guessed didn't you), I found the key. ;)

[bruce]

it only took about a minute to cut the thing off with a small pair of snips.

 

We use them a lot at work in public areas - our insurers have agreed that if a cable is cut with (eg) bolt cutters, it is classed as "forced entry" and we are covered.

[rob.d]

Try Orion racks, in Leeds.

 

They do wall mounting racks up to 12U high and 550mm deep, which is what you'll need if you need to accomadate a power amp. For example, a QSC RMX Inter-M PAM or a Yamaha P series amp will *just about* fit in a 450mm deep rack, but you'll need right-angle connectors to get signal in and out.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

 

edit- PS they also come with a lockable perspex door as standard. Nothing fancy, but enough, I would think, to stop the opportunist thief.