booby-trap it!
How to keep housemates from using your rig?
I just about had it with my 2 college-aged, housemates. Their guests broke one of my Blue Room MiniPods during one of their soccer parties, and they kept knowledge of the damage from me until I did some investigative work and discovered it myself. (No wonder the speakers never ever fully-broke in...!!!). When I first asked them if they (or their guests) dropped my MiniPods, they lied to my face about it. Only after confronting them with evidence of the damage, did they mumble something about "Perhaps one of their guests dropped the speaker, and did not tell them about it." [That, btw, is a lie. I heard the crash and bang from my room, and when I came out of the room and asked what was that about, my housemates said a few DVD cases fell]. They agreed to pay for the damage, but pro-rated it against the last month of use, and as a result, are only paying me 85% of the full-price.
Being an easy-going fellow, I let that one slide after lecturing them on respecting the personal property of others. Kids will be kids...
Last night, I discovered that they have been using my other soundsystem--a set-up that amounts to a grand total of US$9,000. As I no longer trust them to honor their word and keep their paws off my system, I had to come up with a method of keeping them from turning it on. I am also pretty sure that (Gawd forbid!) if they broke or damaged my set-up (e.g. turning my amplifier to 100%, causing it to clip, and blow the speakers), they would not own up to me. [My present room is too small to contain these speakers within them. 2 months from now, when I move into the master bedroom, I will move the rig to my room, and end this headache].
This, so far, is my best idea. I am getting a chassis from RadioShack, and putting a power-strip inside it. This power-strip is equipped with a single On-Off switch. A 9V Radio-Frequency Controlled Receiver would be hooked up to servo motor unit, with a linkage, which turns the power-strip-switch On or Off. The receiver would be powered by a seperate 9V AC/DC power supply which sits outside the chassis.
All the power cords of my hi-fi system will be hooked up to this power-strip inside the chassis. The chassis will be secured by tamper-resistant allen head screws.
I will carry the transmitter (basically an R/C type) with me. This unit would turn the power-strip On or Off remotely.
Is this a good idea? I know for a fact that they cannot afford to pay up if they damage my system, but my current room is too small to hold my set up, and I didn't pay 1/3rd of the rent to hide everything in my room, and banish my stuff from the living room.
Suggestions/opinions are highly welcome.
Being an easy-going fellow, I let that one slide after lecturing them on respecting the personal property of others. Kids will be kids...
Last night, I discovered that they have been using my other soundsystem--a set-up that amounts to a grand total of US$9,000. As I no longer trust them to honor their word and keep their paws off my system, I had to come up with a method of keeping them from turning it on. I am also pretty sure that (Gawd forbid!) if they broke or damaged my set-up (e.g. turning my amplifier to 100%, causing it to clip, and blow the speakers), they would not own up to me. [My present room is too small to contain these speakers within them. 2 months from now, when I move into the master bedroom, I will move the rig to my room, and end this headache].
This, so far, is my best idea. I am getting a chassis from RadioShack, and putting a power-strip inside it. This power-strip is equipped with a single On-Off switch. A 9V Radio-Frequency Controlled Receiver would be hooked up to servo motor unit, with a linkage, which turns the power-strip-switch On or Off. The receiver would be powered by a seperate 9V AC/DC power supply which sits outside the chassis.
All the power cords of my hi-fi system will be hooked up to this power-strip inside the chassis. The chassis will be secured by tamper-resistant allen head screws.
I will carry the transmitter (basically an R/C type) with me. This unit would turn the power-strip On or Off remotely.
Is this a good idea? I know for a fact that they cannot afford to pay up if they damage my system, but my current room is too small to hold my set up, and I didn't pay 1/3rd of the rent to hide everything in my room, and banish my stuff from the living room.
Suggestions/opinions are highly welcome.