Frequently Asked Questions
Alarms
Is an alarm complicated to use?
No – It’s normally just a matter of entering a four digit code whenever you want to set it.
Can I set it the alarm at night?
Yes, and we advise that you do. You can program the system to include only those areas that you want protected and exclude others during a ‘night’ setting. It is more disturbing to be burgled when you are asleep, than when out!
What happens if it goes off?
The alarm will only ring for a pre-programmed length of time before silencing and re-arming itself. If you are there you just enter your code to stop it.
Will I know if it has been off while I was away?
Yes. When you return you will notice the external strobe light flashing, to warn you that there may potentially be danger in the house. Also the keypad will bleep differently to normal when you open the entry door.
I have pets. Can I still have an alarm?
Yes. We can use various equipment and methods to protect your home, whilst still allowing your pets to be in the house. Our surveyor will advise the best way of doing this when we assess your property.
Do I have to change any batteries in a wired system?
No. All batteries are rechargeable and have a life-expectancy of 5 years. Our engineer will check these annually and change them for you when necessary as part of an annual service plan.
What happens in a power cut?
All systems have rechargeable batteries that must keep the system powered for at least 12 hours. Should power not be restored before the battery runs out a second battery is then used to trigger the external Alarm Box alerting everyone that there is a problem. The system does not just run flat quietly.
What happens if my neighbours just ignore my Alarm?
Additional equipment can be added to the alarm, linking it to a telephone line that calls either your mobile, office, relatives, etc, or a central monitoring station, whenever your alarm goes off, alerting you of a potential problem.
Do you service alarms that you haven't installed?
Yes, we will attend any call to whatever system you may have and can offer you an annual service plan should you require one. Obviously, the type of system you have and extent of cover required will determine the price.
CCTV
What is CCTV?
What is Digital CCTV?
Digital CCTV refers to the use of the storage medium for the images, typically a hard drive within a DVR (Digital Video Recorder). This is not being too confused with IP video cameras which refer to the transport medium used to connect with the recording device.
How will I know what system I need?
The type of system should be designed with the purpose in mind along with environmental conditions. Our surveyors are trained to match the correct CCTC installation to your needs.
What is a DVR?
DVR means Digital Video Recorder. This is the recording device that replaced the old video records that used tapes.
Can I view images remotely?
Yes, most DVR’s these days include remote viewing software. All you will need is a broadband line to which the DVR gets connected to.
What is Remote Monitoring?
Remote monitoring is the linking of your site to our Video Control room where they can see and control the CCTV whilst having the ability to issue warnings over a speaker system.
How long will my system record for?
The short answer is as long as you want. All data is recorded to a built in hard drive, the bigger the hard drive, the longer your images will be saved. A 1TB hard drive should record four cameras (depending on frame rates) for one month. Therefore, it will record one camera for over four weeks.
What happens when it’s full?
Nothing. Your Digital Video Recorder will record over old images when the hard drive is full. So if you have capacity to record for 30 days, on day 31, day 1 recordings will be deleted to make room on the hard drive for day 31 recordings.
Do the cameras light up at night?
If your camera has infrared, yes. There will be a small row of infra red lights that cast light that’s invisible to the human eye. Without this, your camera wouldn’t be able to see in the dark.
What’s the difference between CIF and D1 Recording?
Resolution is the size of the image on the displayed. The most popular resolutions are D1 or 4CIF and CIF.
Nearly all DVRs will display in D1 or 4CIF but CIF is a more popular recording resolution. D1 and 4CIF are larger images, but to record the larger image takes up more hard drive space.
In addition, most DVRs frame rate needs to be lowered to allow these resolutions to work. A DVR that records at 30 frames per second (real time) in CIF mode will usually only record around 7 frames per second in D1 or 4CIF.
For a DVR to record at 30 frames per second in D1 or 4CIF is rare, the nearest to 30 frames you can record for is 25 frames per second which isn’t far off. DVRs are more affordable.
The majority of our DVRS can record in D1 resolution at 25FPS (real time) at affordable prices.