Stolen Pro-Link scanner

Iceni John · November 05, 2016, 06:21:51 PM

Last night some homeless/junkie/crackhead/POS broke into my bus in the RV storage yard and stole, amongst other things, my Pro-Link 9000 scanner that I bought only this year. I haven't even used it for real yet, only read some codes but didn't have a chance yet to clear them (which is why I bought it in the first place). My Pro-Link had the DDEC II & III cartridge, the orange adapter for my bus's scanner port under the dash, a printer (not that I would probably use it much), and the complete manual. Unfortunately I didn't note down its serial number, and the police were basically useless - they didn't even dust for prints, even though it's quite likely that one of the local itinerants who are mostly known to the police perpetrated this crime. I'll see what, if anything, the RV yard's cameras show, and tomorrow I'll start visiting local pawn shops. Obviously the POS thief had no clue what it was - it's not exactly a high-demand item on the streets. I guess it will get a few bucks in a pawn shop, enough for another crack high..

So, does anyone here have a Pro-Link that they no longer need and would be willing to sell to me? Please PM me if you have one available.

Many thanks, John

luvrbus · November 05, 2016, 06:42:50 PM

John, I feel for you for mine walked off with a 500 buck electrical meter while I was working on guys bus I know where mine went and I told the SOB needles to say he has never came back and dropped off both boards.

I won't sell mine yet but I did buy a new IQ model,but you can borrow it as long as you need it with DD and Allison cartage ,I have the printer too frigging thief's I hate one

Iceni John · November 05, 2016, 06:51:49 PM

Thanks for your very kind offer - I don't have any pressing need for one right now, but I would like to clear my old codes at some point. I'll search all the local pawn shops and Craigslist first, even though it's a slim chance it will ever show up again. If/when you decide to sell it, please let me know.

At times like this I feel that Sharia punishment is too good for thieves . . .

Thanks, John

B_K · November 05, 2016, 06:57:47 PM

John it will show up in the local pawn shop in a few days!
The pawn shops will research it see what it's worth and offer pennies on the $ for it.
W/O the serial # you won't be able to force the pawn shop to give it back to you. But they will most likely sell it to you for a small profit over what they paid for it.

I too hate a fricken meth monkey thief!

BK

brmax · November 05, 2016, 07:46:06 PM

That frickin sucs!
spot on with checking yard cams, first thing as reading though I thought about my game cams but they are 4 years old and show the red lights, but somehow don't scare game but sure tel sign for humans.
Its a good move to check pawn shops, it may? be trackable through your visa or plastic ?maybe I sure wished it could be found, especially before turned.
sorry
Floyd

edvanland · November 06, 2016, 10:47:59 AM

Sorry for you loss Thieves don't care. I inscribe my telephone number on things like that.

bigred · November 06, 2016, 03:24:09 PM

Check around the trash bins!! If these guys happen to figure out that an item is worth little or nothing as a quick pawn they tend to make a deposit in the nearest dumpster!!!

Oonrahnjay · November 06, 2016, 03:30:57 PM

Quote from: bigred on November 06, 2016, 03:24:09 PMCheck around the trash bins!! If these guys happen to figure out that an item is worth little or nothing as a quick pawn they tend to make a deposit in the nearest dumpster!!!

That's been my fear as soon as I read the initial post.

Iceni John · November 06, 2016, 08:27:21 PM

Quote from: bigred on November 06, 2016, 03:24:09 PM
Check around the trash bins!! If these guys happen to figure out that an item is worth little or nothing as a quick pawn they tend to make a deposit in the nearest dumpster!!!

Way too many dumpsters here for me to do that. I saw the camera footage today of the thief casually walking away with my suitcase full of my hard-earned possessions. I hope for his sake that I never catch him. The RV yard owner says he's prohibited against extending the walls higher or using razor or barbed wire "due to city ordinances", and the city's police are essentially just Keystone Cops in cases like this. Sickening. The longer I live here the more I'm repulsed by it - more crowds, more traffic, more crime, less of everything I value, etc etc. Maybe it's just time to move. A nice empty desert sounds really good at this stage. Too bad I have to work for another four years before I can do anything.

John

plyonsMC9 · November 07, 2016, 06:39:03 AM

Hi John,
Sorry for your loss on this. In a similar situation I also received the advice to check craigs list & ebay.

Kind Regards, Phil

Jim Eh. · November 15, 2016, 11:05:02 AM

With everyone having a smart phone nowadays it is best to take video/pictures of anything you acquire right away. I do a video log walk around of my business and home about every 6 months. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words and I am simply too lazy to write anything down. Best place to put them is google drive or some other "free" cloud space so you can access them from wherever and whenever you may need them. Once every other year I copy them to a cheap thumb drive and throw it in my junk drawer with a date sticker on it. Simple, cheap and sooo easy.

Iceni John · November 18, 2016, 09:42:20 PM

I've bought from eBay another used Pro-Link for only $80, and a brand-new unused DDEC II and III cartridge for only $225, so for not much over $300 I've now got a complete replacement. That's quite a lot less than I paid for the stolen one. The scanner has a cartridge and two manuals for 1992 GM cars that I don't need (if anyone here wants them, they're yours for the cost of postage), a printer that I probably won't use much but could be useful to keep written records of the engine parameters from one year to the next, and what even looks like the correct GM adapter plug for my bus's DDEC data port. The cartridge has its 100-plus page manual, but most of it only applies to DDEC III.

I'll engrave it with my drivers license number, and take photos of it and everything else of stealable value. Once bitten, twice shy. What really bugs me is knowing that my old Pro-Link is completely worthless to almost anyone else, so it will probably be thrown away by the thief because he can't fence it for quick cash. It's not showing up on the local Craigslists or eBay, but I don't have time to visit every pawn shop in Orange County - the three local ones here don't have anything of mine.

John

bigred · November 19, 2016, 06:44:13 AM

Just curious John.How did the perpetrator gain access to your bus??

Lin · November 19, 2016, 10:13:40 AM

John, If the video of the thief shows enough to possibly identify him, you might make copies of it or send some stills to the local parole and probation authorities. Since many of these crimes are committed by those the make a habit of it, he may be known to some parole/ probation officer. These officers are usually very interested in finding out if anyone on their caseload is going astray.

Iceni John · November 19, 2016, 11:49:49 AM

Quote from: bigred on November 19, 2016, 06:44:13 AM
Just curious John.How did the perpetrator gain access to your bus??

He forced open the rear emergency exit window. I had tightened the latch so it would need a wrench to open it, but he evidently just jimmied it open. I've now removed all the outside handles for that window and for the emergency door and secured the driver's sliding window, and along with a hefty lock on the front door it means that someone would now have to smash windows to get in. After much complaining by me, the RV yard has now made their wall slightly higher, but unless they have more effective barriers than that I don't hold out much hope that there won't be a recurrence in the future. I'm thinking of installing an interior motion detector that will trigger either a VERY loud siren and strobe light, or maybe something else more imaginative . . .

John