How Safe Is Your Gear....?

[+Bino-viewer]

I've just read a rather worrying post over on Star Gazers Lounge.

Take a look at it, and read through it. (Assuming that is, i'm allowed to actually share it)

 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/323988-a-theft-check-your-insurance/

 

A few points i'd like to raise for discussion.

 

1. Does anyone here insure their gear separately (from their main home insurance) and is it kept in an out building / observatory ?

How many on here list any of their gear on their insurance policies ?

And further : it that insurance even worth the paper it is written on ?

 

2. A good point was made in the above thread regarding 'signatures'.

Should we really be advertising what gear we have on an open domain ? I realise not everyone lists a gear signature.

But a point was made that if you advertise what gear you have on a forum, and keep it in a garden outbuilding, and it gets nicked, you won't be covered.

 

3. To Admin : how secure is our forum ? 

We list our names, our rough locations.....i believe there is a more precise location on here of where we live ? Am i right ?

If someone with bad intentions, (and lets face it, criminals are smart) can look at our forum, look on social media, and find someone who lists £ thousands worth of gear,

well....you can put 2 and 2 together, and so can they. This is an expensive hobby, and it can attract the wrong sort of attention potentially.

If we share an image, can anyone see it ? Taken with this scope, that mount and that camera. From home. Its a worry.

This is not a gripe or a grumble from me, i'm just interested and concerned for all our security.

 

I find it very troubling that we live in a world, where if the worst happens to your gear and its stolen, the Police are simply not interested, 

and neither are insurance companies. I think its a disgrace.

 

My own home insurance is due for renewal at the end of November, and i'll be taking a good look at it, 

and also i shall be reviewing my home security. I know though, at the end of the day, if they want to take som thing, they will.

Worrying times, i think.

[Tweedledee]

Very good points you've highlighted Rob. ?

 

This is a very sad state of affairs and should make us all think a bit more seriously about all aspects of your post. 

[Craig]

25 minutes ago, Bino-viewer said:

1. Does anyone here insure their gear separately (from their main home insurance) and is it kept in an out building / observatory ?

How many on here list any of their gear on their insurance policies ?

And further : it that insurance even worth the paper it is written on ?

I don't have insurance for any astro gear as I currently don't have any, but I do have separate insurance for my photography gear. It's very clear about where the equipment is covered, and anywhere else is excluded. It's covered in my home, so long as all accesses are secure and the alarm, should the property be vacant, is armed. It's also covered in the boot of a locked car anywhere but at home. (When at home, it must be in the house.)

 

I've claimed on it once and the company (Photoguard) was superb. I'd dropped my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens onto concrete, at the time valued at around £2,000, which totaled it. It was covered with no quibbles, only an excess to pay and I got a brand spanking new lens.

 

A friend of mine was burgled and had allowed his photography gear insurance lapse, so relied on home insurance. He had to jump through hoops and only got around 60% of the value back.

[+Bino-viewer]

Thanks Craig. 

I will take a look at Photoguard. I seem to remember a discussion about it before. 

I dont own an observatory and rarely leave stuff (astro) in the garden shed. 

All of my gear is kept indoors (should i be advetising this?) The dob lives in the garage which is a bit warm with the boiler etc in it. So warm scope, cold outside and lots of thermal problems....sometimes you can’t win ! ?

[Daz Type-R]

Thanks for the post Rob, to address some of your points....

 

• Posting links to other astro sites is fine.
• More precise locations other than what you choose to share, nope, we used to have a members map, but due to security (I.e this very subject of location) we got rid.
• You asked if you share an image, can anybody see it? Yes they can, they don’t even have to be a member, a visitor can see nearly every post (examples of what they can’t see are the dark site sections, shout box, for sale board ETC).  I’m not sure what meta data cameras can gather regarding location, but if your location is in the pictures meta data then that will be viewable.

I myself have my kit listed, my full name and rough location, but as I don’t have my home location listed on any other platform and every password for every site / service is different, the closest any body should be able to get is what’s in my profile.  Facebook doesn’t even know where home is, even though it has asked once or twice.

 

Suppose at the end of the day all you can do is make it as difficult as you can.

[BAZ]

As for the forum security, this is very tight. If you look in the address bar you'll notice the secure padlock. To access the staff area we use two factor authentication so that no half arsed attempt can be successful and we do get attacked, so far these have all been repelled.

 

I would strongly suggest that profiles only give a rough location, ie Nottingham in my case. As Daz said , be vague and don't put sensitive info on your profile.

Edited October 18, 2018 by BAZ

[+RonC]

All points duly noted. I put my astro gear on a separate policy but with the same insurance company as the house insurance, that way I don't forget to renew it every year!!

 

Ron

[Sheila]

Mine is covered on my home policy and is in the Observatory which is linked to the house alarm.  I have told them about the astro

gear but they were not really interested unless any one item was over £15,000, which i was quite happy with even though I queried the amount twice  LOL.  But reading this I

will be checking again with them to make sure it is all covered for any eventuality !

 

Thanks for the post its good to be reminded of these things

[Doc]

It's shame when this sort of stuff occurs. Mine is covered on my house policy as well and I have spoken to the insurance company but like Sheila they didn't seem bothered and asked if anything was over £10k, I said no and they told me as long as the shed is alarmed it will be covered.

 

What I have done is taken lots of photo's off all my stuff just in case anything goes missing.