Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I have a security problem but I am not sure how to tackle it. Can I get advice?
A. Yes, you can ring us any business day. We will advise you on the best way of protecting your property. We will send you further details, and in most areas of the country we offer a no obligation site survey where you get to talk to a rural security professional.
Q. I have a few outbuildings but by the time I get out there the damage will have been done. Can we get to know that somebody is on our property before my farm equipment has been stolen?
A. It is our company's philosophy that we try to locate the villains before any damage is done. If your driveway and external areas are protected you will be given more time to respond in an appropriate manner.
Q. Will the system do anything else?
A. Yes. We are actively working on new developments that will see individual transmitters monitoring a host of things. Even now we can monitor temperature, fluid levels and fluid flow. All of these requirements are customer driven. Have you a special requirement?
Q. Will the detectors pick up vehicles as well as people?
A. Yes. To detect vehicles coming down your driveway we do advise a slightly different set up. This is all explained in our comprehensive instructions.
Q. Can the detectors be set to avoid detection of animals?
A. The detectors are preset in the factory to avoid detection of small animals such as cats, dogs and foxes. However, it would detect large animals such as deer, cattle or horses. The latter you would probably want to know about in any case.
Q. I need a standard Sentinel system. Will I have a lot of wiring and installation to do?
A. No. This kit is wire free. The detectors simply need mounting onto a sound fixing point with a few screws. The receiver is free standing and just needs plugging in. This is true for the vast majority of our products. However, if there is a requirement for a different partly fixed system this is still easily within the capabilities of most of our clients, although we do offer an installation service.
Q. If I buy a system will I have to set site codes, zone codes and everything else when it arrives?
A. Everything leaves our factory ready to operate the minute you unpack it. Even our road probe goes out the door fully wired. We test everything thoroughly before dispatch, and we check any site codes that are being used in your area by other customers.
Q. The road probe has come fully wired but I need to unwire part of the system to pass a cable through a wall. Are there instructions?
A. If the system is a little out of the ordinary, or you wish to adjust it to your own specification, the full colour photograph showing how it is wired together should help you.
Q. I have a gate and drive I wish to protect but it is over 300 metres away. Will the radio signal go that far?
A. Yes, in fact it should go much further. Our standard product will radio back over 500 metres but we have different systems for most applications. We can send the signal several miles if that is a requirement.
Q. I have a shed with two doors about 25m apart. Will I need two detectors?
A. No. As long as the two entrances are roughly in line with each other one of our 35m (100 feet) straight line detectors will cover both entrances easily.
Q. We are often away from the property. Can we, or a neighbour, be contacted by the Sentinel system?
A. Yes. All our radio receivers can plug directly into one of our Speech Diallers and your phone line. This will contact up to 4 different telephone numbers including your mobile. Of course it may be that neighbour is within radio range. If so, just give him your portable receiver.
Q. If the alarm goes off, what do I do?
A. That's up to you. The Police will react quickly if you can verify that you have an intruder. Remember the intruder does not know that he has been detected which gives you the best chance to spot him discreetly.
Q. It is alright having an alarm at night but I have a workshop that I use during the day which is a bit away from the house. Is the system portable enough to take with me?
A. Yes. The Sentinel receiver has a battery backup that will last for 12 hours or more. Furthermore, you can slip the receiver into 'doorbell' mode which will give a two second warning tone every time that somebody passes your detectors, without the need to reset the receiver every time.
Q. Can I disguise the detectors?
A. Yes and for covert detection we would expect this. The detector can be hidden almost anywhere and needs only a 4 cms. diameter view. You can hide it in anything non-metallic. We can even supply wooden enclosures.
Q. Does the aerial have to be in the open?
A. No. As long as it is not covered in metal the system will be fine. But remember anything in the way of the radio signal will bring the signal strength down slightly, so if the detector is a long way away you must verify that the signal is getting through to the receiver.
Q. I have bought a small system but now I have other areas to protect. Can I add to the system?
A. No problem. We keep details of your particular set up and can send you equipment already working for your site.
Q. A farmer friend says that taxis and aircraft radios set off his “Brand X” system. Will this happen to mine?
A. Not the Sentinel system. The DTI have approved this equipment for non licence use and it works on a frequency far away from possible interference.
Q. My friend next door has some of your equipment and has recommended it to me. If I buy a system from you will it interfere with hers or vice versa?
A. No. We have a database that tells us about your friends set up. We set your system up differently so that you don’t get to know when your friend comes home.
Q. I have a manager and a gamekeeper and I would like them both to have a receiver, is this possible?
A. You can have as many receivers as you like preset to the same site codes.
Q. I see the Sentinel receiver has six zones, but I have a release site that may need 3 detectors and I need 5 detectors to cover my main farm. How do I fit them all on the receiver?
A. No problem at all. The three detectors can all be set onto one zone. You will not identify which has activated but you will know the area of intrusion.
Q. If someone sneaks up behind the detector and moves it, will it trigger?
A. More than likely it will. It will see changes in temperature as it moves and go into alarm. However, we hope that the detectors are suitably hidden.
Q. What will stop the system working?
A. Very little as this is external quality equipment and designed for hostile environments with an operational temperature of between -10 deg C and +40 deg C. If during a severe downpour water is driven at the lens, a film may form which can partially reduce detection range. It will return to normal as the rain decreases. We always advise putting the detector in something that not only makes it covert but also offers some protection from the elements. Something simple like a bird box will protect the detector against this. (We can supply wooden enclosures).
If you have any questions not answered here, please contact us.
