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CCTV Surveillance

The rise in camera sales is seeing so many badly designed installations, with camera suppliers opting to supply just wide-angle lenses with no alternative.

There are many sizes of lenses to have but a good all-round lens is a Varifocal Lens meaning that it is possible to adjust the lens for example from 2.8mm (wide angle) to 12mm (narrow angle).

The Image Sensor type typically these days a CMOS, (complementary metal oxide semiconductor). These vary in size, but the larger the sensor the better for the image of the picture and less distortion. There are 4K cameras on the market that have small sensors and when a view is played back and enlarged (a portion of the picture) the picture becomes distorted. It would be good to compare Image Sensors when purchasing or being specified cameras.
Layout of a camera system – i.e. Spot Camera and Scene Camera  A camera with a suitable lens that will enhance the and give a clear view of a face and body that will take approximately ½ the monitor screen view is a Spot Camera. The Scene Camera will show the surroundings of the spot camera view.

Definitions of the basics of an Intruder Alarm System

 Arming/Set and Disarming/Unset Methods, there are many types of methods from your basic pin code, to a proximity tag where you swipe it close to the keypad and no code is required. Or a remote keyfob where you press the arm or disarm buttons to do either to the system. Lastly but not least is the smartphone APP again you arm or disarm from your phone with many more functions depending on the manufacturer.
Zones should contain 1 detector per zone. A zone defines a detection area whether that be a room with a PIR or a window with a vibration detector, however when you have a large window or similar you may want more than one detector on that window,
Detectors/Sensors there are too many to go into detail but basically a detector does just that detects an intruder and signals the control panel to sound the sounders etc.
 Passive Infrared Detector
 Dual Tec, combined Passive Infrared and Microwave Detector
 Magnetic Contact
 Vibration Detector

 Partitions/Areas, segmenting of the system for example a control panel that has 20 Partitions could actually implement a separate alarm system for 20 large offices in an office block or if you look at it as a common layout is per floor of the office block is a different company and each would have their own Keypad for arming and disarming, detectors that are for forced entry and detectors that are for entry.
Or another example would be a House, Garage, Shed and Office building, each user could have their own unique code for arming and disarming. Depending on the user access, to disarm or arm 1 or more of the house garage shed or office partitions.

Access Chart	House	Garage	Shed	Office
User 1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User 2	Yes	Yes
User 3			Yes
User 4				Yes

Alarm systems can be as complex or simple as you want them to be in this current day and age and have more functions than just sounding the siren when logic says it time to sound the siren

WORDS FOR THE WISE

In the privacy and security scheme of things would you normally give the engineer that is servicing or fixing your system your Code, I think not, he has an engineer code and generally does not need your code(s) and if so you would be asked to change it and then changed it back once the work is done.
However, there are panels on the market these days that do give the engineer all your codes. If you have one of these panels then is it wise to get any one other than a Security Professional to install or maintain your system. That’s not what I would call good security otherwise.

Security installation companies have a vetting system to know that our engineers can be trusted it’s not done on faith or that person seems nice.

Current legislations dictate that a valid user with the correct authority should enable access to an engineer to the installer menu, does that sound like the engineer should have all the user codes as well?

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