The Locksmith Journal Jan/Feb 2019 - Issue 60 | Page 19

INDUSTRYNEWS • 19 PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE at these laws in your area and conform to the specifications they set out. This is going to save you and/or your cutomers some money. 2. Camera Placement - Now, although this would seem like a very simple thing that everyone thinks about before installation, that’s not always the case. Often the placement of a CCTV camera won’t be right. For example; when there is a network of CCTV cameras on a commercial property, we’ve found that they will cover a vast area, but the number of blind spots will be too high. This means that an intruder will be able to slip through your defences undetected. Having enough cameras to cover the property is important. 3. Cable Length - The length of the cable you’re using should be a short as possible. While there are digital systems on the market, if you’re using an analogue system, we’d recommend shorter cabling distances. In addition to this, having your wires exposed is a bad idea, look at chasing the cable inside the wall. Leaving them exposed obviously means that anyone can get to them, including animals that may damage the cable or themselves. 4. Cable Quality - Cable quality is one of the most overlooked aspects of CCTV installation, people will usually spend a lot of money on a CCTV system and neglect the cabling. Even if you’ve purchased a cheaper CCTV system that contains all the cabling you’ll need, we’d recommend going out and getting something a little more expensive. The most common cable used in traditional CCTV is called RG59 Siamese. It’s comprised of two different cables; Coaxial RG59 and a power cable. 5. Watch the Live View - When you’re installing the camera itself, it can be difficult to get the right position and mentioned before. So, if you can watch the system as you’re positioning it that would be great. You’ll be able to see that the image will look like, what areas are being covered and which areas need to be covered. 6. Be Courteous - Making sure that you think of other people’s privacy when installing CCTV is always a good thing to do. You should try to angle the cameras to capture only your premises unless agreed otherwise, whether that’s a commercial or domestic property. This may not be a law in your area, but it’s a nice thing to do. In doing this you’re more likely to have a frictionless installation and save a bit of money because you don’t want to have to pay for someone to reposition any cameras after someone’s made a complaint. 7. Avoid Over Exposure - Make sure that you don’t feature bright white walls in your frame and avoid having lights pointed directly at the camera lens. These things will have an effect on the auto- exposure function on your camera. This means that you’ll have a recording that, in some cases, doesn’t capture anything of use. ‘Make sure that you don’t feature bright white walls in your frame and avoid having lights pointed directly at the camera lens’ ‘Having enough cameras to cover the property is important’ REMOTE CCTV MONITORING Put simply; remote CCTV monitoring is a security solution involving a CCTV system and a team of operators that have access to a 24/7, real-time feed. This means that the operator attached to your system will be able to monitor it, they’ll get motion sensor notifications tailored to your systems to make sure your property is protected properly. One of the biggest problems with a traditional CCTV system is that it only captures the crime. While the fact that having a camera on show will help to deter criminals, many of them ignore it, hide their faces and go in anyway. If you’ve implemented remote CCTV monitoring, the owner will be able to better protect the property. The individual that monitors your CCTV will be able to ward off the intruder before they even break-in. The ability to communicate with them means a reduction in the chance of them going through with the crime. This is done through a system of speakers throughout the property. In addition to this if the team think that a crime is about to commence, they’re able to call the police beforehand. This gives the police the opportunity to get there before anything has been stolen or damaged which is likely to save you a lot of time and money when it comes to making an insurance claim. Don’t forget that a claim isn’t guaranteed to be approved which could result in a lot of expense. Talking to clients about remote CCTV monitoring for their property isn’t an easy task. It can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly what it is, how it works and why they should consider it. Knowing the ins and outs of what you’re selling means you’ll be able to explain the products properly. Re:sure Intelligence Ltd www.resure.co LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019