OPTEX, one of the world’s leading sensor manufacturers, is passing on its expertise and specific product knowledge to installers, customers, and remote video monitoring centres by offering them a complimentary training and technical support service.
Ensuring the industry supply-chain, from manufacturer to installer to end-user, are always kept up-to-date with the very latest products, installation equipment and techniques, and have easy-to-access support, OPTEX is helping to ensure security applications are installed correctly to reduce nuisance alarms.
OPTEX’s intrusion detection sensors are often specified by a consultant, and installed by a third-party. Although the stability and catch performance of OPTEX’s PIRs is very high, sometimes the equipment can be unaligned, causing an overspill and unwanted nuisance alarms.
This was the case at Jemma Lloyd’s specialist baking store, IcedJems, in Stourbridge. Backed by nearly 200,000 social media followers, Jemma opened her first store in an area with previous break-in history, so called her father, Tony, CCTV Security Consultant at Lloyd Asset Protection, to prevent her store from being the next target.
The system, specified by Tony and installed by a third-party, is comprised of two OPTEX HX-40 high-mount detectors covering the approach of the building and triggering a CCTV system that is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), Cougar Monitoring station. Straight after the installation, false alarms, particularly when larger vehicles passed the site, caused regular nuisance alarms at the monitoring station, although no obvious cause could be identified.
Tony contacted OPTEX for its support: “OPTEX manufacturers reliable equipment, and its engineers are well versed in the product range, so if the system was false-alarming it probably meant it had been installed incorrectly.
This proved to be the case: “The sensors were overspilling by three degrees onto the road and being triggered by the smallest movement, such as a bus driving past, until we aligned them properly. Now they are working perfectly,” he continues.
An OPTEX engineer adjusted the detection angle, and the system is now producing no nuisance alarms, much to the pleasure of Cougar Monitoring and IcedJems.
Jemma says the system has already proven a success: “The front sensor detected an attempted break-in at the next door store shortly after being re-installed,” she says. “Its good to know the system will protect my own premises, and even sense untoward activity next door too.”
Tony says that installers should take note: “That such a small installation error can cause nuisance alarms highlights to all installers that conducting a minimalist ‘walk-through’ test isn’t enough to tell whether the equipment is fully functioning.”
Ricky Miwa, Managing Director of OPTEX Europe, explains it is exactly this scenario where the installer may need support: “Our sales and technical staff are trained to support consultants and installers in selecting the right product for a particular application.”
“But no matter how good and stable our sensors are, they have to be correctly installed for best results,” he continues. “With this in mind, OPTEX’s training and technical support is there to ensure nuisance alarms are reduced, and the security application is functioning at 100 percent, 24/7.”
