What is that beeping?

Forums › Off topic › What is that beeping?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

"Cookie"
3425 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1432272 21-Nov-2015 16:02

UPS's beep too when you turn the power off to them.

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79309 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1432276 21-Nov-2015 16:16

I thought of a UPS. Perhaps they have one for the printers and turn the power at night?

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1432299 21-Nov-2015 16:24

freitasm: I thought of a UPS. Perhaps they have one for the printers and turn the power at night?

Oh, dear. It could be. However there have been a couple of instances where it's gone off like an alarm, so hopefully a UPS doesn't do that? Still plucking up the courage to go down there. The older guy is the friendly one - waiting for him to show up.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Grant777

63 posts

Master Geek

#1432375 21-Nov-2015 19:24

Likely a smoke alarm.

ScuL

487 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1432423 21-Nov-2015 20:58

I think it's likely to be a drug lab, or at least a cannabis growth device.

The reason why I'm saying this is that when I still lived in Holland (where growing weed for personal consumption is legal), our neighbour two houses down the road had a system like that in his shed.
It was some kind of temperature regulation device that kept the plants in optimal condition. It only beeped at night time, usually starting after midnight all the way to sunrise.

Especially on hot summer days this was highly annoying as I would sleep with the window open and would hear a constant beep.

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1432616 22-Nov-2015 12:19

ScuL: I think it's likely to be a drug lab, or at least a cannabis growth device.

The reason why I'm saying this is that when I still lived in Holland (where growing weed for personal consumption is legal), our neighbour two houses down the road had a system like that in his shed.
It was some kind of temperature regulation device that kept the plants in optimal condition. It only beeped at night time, usually starting after midnight all the way to sunrise.

Especially on hot summer days this was highly annoying as I would sleep with the window open and would hear a constant beep.

Hmmm, if they hadn't lived there so long I might be worried you were right - however there is no room in that house for them to grow anything - it's a shoebox 3-bed place with at least 4 (possibly 6) adults and 3 kids, ranging in age from toddler to teen. I can see into the enclosed area of their deck and into their shed, and there's nothing going on there. The guy who used to live next door works at the same place I do and was quite friendly with them, often in their house. He said they were straight-up. I'm reasonably comfortable they are not breaking anything other than building code and residential zoning laws (by running a commercial print business on their deck). Smoke alarm makes the most sense because they have lots of non-compliant electrics on the deck and are probably worried the place will catch fire.

There was a lot of activity down there yesterday. Several of their boxes were picked up by a truck that delivered what looked like flat-pack furniture, then it was back later and took away the bed parts and the sofa that were on the deck. So the junk pile has shrunk, and last night there was no beeping! I was just relishing the thought of a peaceful night when that huge thunderstorm nearly shook the house apart, lol. I'm assuming that after all the junk got moved they were able to finally access the beeping device and change the battery. Hopefully that's the end of it.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

ScuL

487 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1432941 22-Nov-2015 23:15

Well, fingers crossed it's not that.. it just came to mind vividly as I've dealt with it personally. Also it would probably be the worst option as people who do these things usually don't give a hoot about their neighbours :)

Let us know if/when you find out what it was..

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1432952 23-Nov-2015 00:13

ScuL: Well, fingers crossed it's not that.. it just came to mind vividly as I've dealt with it personally. Also it would probably be the worst option as people who do these things usually don't give a hoot about their neighbours :)

Let us know if/when you find out what it was..

That must have been horrible. These guys do generally seem to want to be good neighbours but its obvious they come from somewhere that's a bit more communal and less regulated. If I ever find out what it was I'll let you know :)

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1433537 23-Nov-2015 20:52

Update - the beeping is back. Going to try to catch them before or after work tomorrow. I notice they've wired up a camera on the outside of the house.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek

#1433632 24-Nov-2015 00:43

Do they have a washing machine or dryer on the deck? As some models will beep when a load is finished. And will keep doing "reminder" beeps as well until you unload them.

andrew027

1286 posts

Uber Geek

#1433689 24-Nov-2015 08:49

I have no idea what the beeping may be but reading through your original post though you say all this activity is happening on their back deck so I don't know if it would be a smoke alarm; installing one of these outside wouldn't be particularly effective. If it does turn out to be a smoke alarm though, tell them to get a long life one. The battery lasts for 10 years, which is the life of the sensor anyway, so never needs replacing and doesn't beep. Alternatively, perhaps one of their printers is out of ink or has a paper jam?

The best thing to do would be to talk to them; not just about the beeping but about the eyesore they have created which is affecting your quality of life and likely your property value. But be nice about it - perhaps explain that you know it must be a temporary structure because they know it's not legal, right? So you were just wondering how long it was going to be up for because, you know, that beeping is keeping you awake at night?

If they don't show that they want to be good neighbours, invite someone from council around to your house and tell them you want to know how to gain consent to build a deck on the front and run a small business from it "like they have next door" and point over the fence. See what happens...

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1433718 24-Nov-2015 09:18

andrew027: I have no idea what the beeping may be but reading through your original post though you say all this activity is happening on their back deck so I don't know if it would be a smoke alarm; installing one of these outside wouldn't be particularly effective. If it does turn out to be a smoke alarm though, tell them to get a long life one. The battery lasts for 10 years, which is the life of the sensor anyway, so never needs replacing and doesn't beep. Alternatively, perhaps one of their printers is out of ink or has a paper jam?

The best thing to do would be to talk to them; not just about the beeping but about the eyesore they have created which is affecting your quality of life and likely your property value. But be nice about it - perhaps explain that you know it must be a temporary structure because they know it's not legal, right? So you were just wondering how long it was going to be up for because, you know, that beeping is keeping you awake at night?

If they don't show that they want to be good neighbours, invite someone from council around to your house and tell them you want to know how to gain consent to build a deck on the front and run a small business from it "like they have next door" and point over the fence. See what happens...

Thanks for the advice :o) I wouldn't put it beyond them to put an indoor smoke alarm outdoors. They've mounted a normal indoor 4-plug power board on the outside wall of the house! The fact that it's gone off like an alarm a couple of times leads me to believe it's either smoke or intruder, and surely nobody would be silly enough to put a motion sensor on an outside deck? I'm hoping to find one of them outside when I am coming or going so I can ask nicely what the noise is, and offer them a spare battery if needed. I just bought a 3-pack :o)

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1433731 24-Nov-2015 09:22

littleheaven:
andrew027: I have no idea what the beeping may be but reading through your original post though you say all this activity is happening on their back deck so I don't know if it would be a smoke alarm; installing one of these outside wouldn't be particularly effective. If it does turn out to be a smoke alarm though, tell them to get a long life one. The battery lasts for 10 years, which is the life of the sensor anyway, so never needs replacing and doesn't beep. Alternatively, perhaps one of their printers is out of ink or has a paper jam?

The best thing to do would be to talk to them; not just about the beeping but about the eyesore they have created which is affecting your quality of life and likely your property value. But be nice about it - perhaps explain that you know it must be a temporary structure because they know it's not legal, right? So you were just wondering how long it was going to be up for because, you know, that beeping is keeping you awake at night?

If they don't show that they want to be good neighbours, invite someone from council around to your house and tell them you want to know how to gain consent to build a deck on the front and run a small business from it "like they have next door" and point over the fence. See what happens...

Thanks for the advice :o) I wouldn't put it beyond them to put an indoor smoke alarm outdoors. They've mounted a normal indoor 4-plug power board on the outside wall of the house! The fact that it's gone off like an alarm a couple of times leads me to believe it's either smoke or intruder, and surely nobody would be silly enough to put a motion sensor on an outside deck? I'm hoping to find one of them outside when I am coming or going so I can ask nicely what the noise is, and offer them a spare battery if needed. I just bought a 3-pack :o)

Good grief, I would keep well away from the place. Maybe I am old and suspicious but hmmm its suspicious

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1433734 24-Nov-2015 09:27

MikeB4: Good grief, I would keep well away from the place. Maybe I am old and suspicious but hmmm its suspicious

Yes, there is a risk it'll go up like a torch or explode, I think. If they hadn't lived there so long I'd definitely be more suspicious than I am. I might try speaking to the other neighbours first (the ones who share a garden boundary with them) and see what they think.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Jaxson

8044 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1433783 24-Nov-2015 10:48

MadEngineer:

http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

Spent way too long looking at this...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4