Site Power Monitor Reduces Copper Theft

Going wireless is generally a good thing, except when it’s a result of thieves breaking into your remote site and stealing the copper and fiber cables.

This frequently occurring scenario happened to a gas pipeline operator who was experiencing a rash of wire loss at their remote pumping/monitor stations, rendering the site useless, causing extended down time and high expense to repair the system. They had already successfully deployed the Site Power Monitor (SPM-200) to report site power and other conditions via Ethernet, and thought they would have a chance to catch the thieves if they could use the SPM-200 to send an early warning signal that the site was being pillaged. The solution involved configuring the
SPM-200 auxiliary input contacts to connect to a form C sensor on the hut’s door which reported a door open alarm which was programmed through the SPM-200 to send an e-mail notification to the sheriff in the area.

After adding this configuration to the SPM-200, results were almost immediate, reported door open alams came from several locations, and sheriffs were able to catch the thieves in
the act.

The SPM-200 provides web based monitoring of multiple conditions: AC voltage (both mains and back-up), DC voltage, current, temperature, and as in the example above, inputs can be programmed for multiple sensors such as door open alarms, water leak detector, and IP cameras.

For more information on the Site Power Monitor, model SPM-200