Created by our very own Technical Director, you can be sure that all information is 100% accurate at the time of uploading. Our recent edition to Channel TV is an Installation guide for iCapture, the video covers an overview of the kit options available, the set-up of a DVR and connection of the cameras.

View iCapture – the movie – let us know your thoughts and whether you found this helpful!

Also available on Channel TV are:-

·         Open-area Smoke Imaging Detection (OSID) by Xtralis is a new innovation in projected beam smoke detection, Beam smoke detector OSID, Beam smoke detection

·         A step by step guide of how to test your Channel Safety Systems Sabre Fire Alarm system, How to test your Sabre fire alarm system

A new report from IMS Research shows that analogue cameras recently accounted for 87 percent of total camera shipments in the consumer and do-it-yourself market.

IMS said that unlike the commercial space, the consumer market is not expected to see a “significant revenue transition” from analogue to network video in the next five years due to two primary reasons: costs and the primarily analog focus of the market’s suppliers.

“Consumer analogue video surveillance equipment is primarily sold bundled as a complete system containing at least one camera and a DVR. Conversely, network cameras largely are not available in four or eight camera bundles,” Josh Woodhouse, IMS market analyst and report author said in a statement. “Whilst consumer network security equipment offers some interesting solutions it is often not an equivalent product to analogue equipment. Typically, network cameras appeal to a different type of end-user who initially installs a single camera to monitor a particular area of their home.”

Despite weak economic conditions, IMS is forecasting double-digit growth for both the analog and IP product categories in the consumer market.

Peterborough Cathedral sings the praises of its new Hochiki Europe life safety system

With a history dating back over 1,350 years Peterborough Cathedral is one of the UK’s top landmarks and one of the finest Norman buildings in Europe today. The cathedral is an amalgamation of archaeological, architectural, cultural, musical and artistic treasures that visitors from all over the world come to discover and enjoy.

Within its rich and varied history fire has, unfortunately, been a recurring theme, dating back to 1116 when an accidental blaze destroyed large parts of the building and its contents. It was rebuilt in its present form between 1118 and 1238 and became the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Peterborough in 1541. More recently, in 2001 it experienced another fire – believed to have been started deliberately – in plastic chairs stored in the North Choir Aisle. It was spotted by one of the vergers, which led to a swift response by emergency services, however, the oily smoke given off was particularly damaging, coating much of the building with a sticky black layer.

Not surprisingly, due to a combination of precious artefacts and the high numbers of worshipers and other visitors that use the building on a daily basis, a fire detection system is a key part of its infrastructure. It means that in the event of another fire people and property will be kept as safe as possible thanks to an early warning.

In late 2011 Peterborough Cathedral recognised that its fire detection system was coming towards the end of its life and an increasing number of highly disruptive unwanted alarms made the installation of a new one an urgent requirement.

The current fire detection system is based around the innovative Enhanced Systems Protocol (ESP); Jayne Dunn, Hochiki Europe’s regional sales manager, said “ESP is a total communications solution for intelligent fire detection and fully integrated systems. It has a multi-purpose structure that provides the flexibility and expansion to accommodate simple addressable systems through to building management and other safety systems. It is also highly robust and therefore perfectly suited for Peterborough Cathedral, as maximum reliability and minimum disruption from unwanted alarms are essential.”

The system comprises a wide variety of Hochiki Europe devices, including the YBO-R/3 sounder mounting base, which is coloured red for easy identification and designed specifically for use with the company’s range of wall sounders – such as the CHQ-WS2 wall sounder and the CHQ-WSB wall sounder beacon – which were used extensively throughout.

These were complemented by the use of ALG-EN optical smoke sensors that feature High Performance Chamber Technology. This minimises the differences in sensitivity experienced in flaming and smouldering fires and the result is a high performance device that is incredibly responsive and helps to reduce the possibility of unwanted alarms.

Although there were some problems accessing and utilising the existing cabling, the ease of installation and flexibility offered by Hochiki Europe’s products helped ensure that the project was completed on time. Mike Palmer comments, “The ability to use a standard YBN-R/3 base unit offered us significant time and cost savings. However, while fast installation is obviously a good thing, with Hochiki Europe it’s also backed up with excellent levels of reliability.”

Work was completed in June 2012 and the system has since lived up to all expectations, with no unwanted alarms reported. Richard Cattle, assistant to the dean and head of fundraising for Peterborough Cathedral concludes, “Its somewhat troubled history is part of what gives our Cathedral such a rich and wonderful heritage, as well as its blend of diverse and interesting architecture. We obviously want to protect it so that many more people can experience this fantastic building and I’m confident that our new Hochiki fire detection system will ensure they remain safe while they do so.”

If there is anything that has been raised in this article that you would like to discuss further, or if you would like to know more about which Hochiki product is best for you, our technical team are on hand to assist at technical@channelsafety.co.uk.

Channel Safety Systems offer a system design service for fire alarm and device commissioning, based on contract awarded. For more information please contact our Technical Services Division at services@channelsafety.co.uk.

Construction output reaches five-year high

Construction industry output levels grew more in the first quarter of 2013 than at any other point in the last five years, according to a new survey. Research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that ten per cent more surveyors across the UK reported a rise in their workload. One of the main factors behind this was a boost in private housing construction.

While the industry is still struggling, this positive news suggests that some of the government initiatives to support the sector are beginning to take effect. Respondents to the survey were also more confident about prospects for employment. An extra 22 per cent of chartered surveyors said they expect more jobs to become available over the next year.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, commented: “Although it’s far too early to start talking about a recovery in the construction sector, the rise in output at the beginning of the year is a little better news. The government’s attempts to stimulate the market seem now to be having some impact but there are still significant challenges to be overcome. In particular, the availability of finance and planning related issues continue to present obstacles to development.”

However, the survey also highlighted considerable regional differences. While London, the south-east and the Midlands saw an increase in construction, workloads in Northern Ireland and Scotland continued to fall.

Jim Sammon, RICS Northern Ireland Construction Spokesman, said activity is still decreasing and key challenges for the industry remain.”Finance is constrained, private sector activity remains scarce and public sector demand remains constrained. “Many firms are increasingly turning to markets outside of Northern Ireland for work,” he commented. The future is also uncertain for construction in Yorkshire.

Rob Hindle, the Chairman of the RICS Yorkshire and Humber regional board, told the Yorkshire Post there is a lack of confidence in the sector, which is impacting upon the decision-making process. When combined with the difficulties in obtaining finance, this makes 2012 “an ongoing challenging time for the construction industry”.

Outlined below are step by step instructions on how to set up a quick link app that is on your iPhone desktop whenever you need it! Followed by some step by step instructions on how to download our product guide to iBooks.

Quick Link App

1. Open the Safari web browser and navigate to the website. Wait for the website to load.

2.Touch the    icon at the bottom of the safari screen. You will now be given a list of options.

3.Touch the ‘Add to Home Screen‘ button, then name it and press  in the top right of the screen, as shown below.

4.You will now see the icon from the site on your home screen. Now simply touch the button and you will be directed to the URL without having to do anything else.

Download Channel’s Product Guide to your iPhone

1. If you haven’t already download the Free iBooks App from the App store on your iPhone.

2. Access your emails and select the Email ‘Download Channel’s latest price guide’… Once the PDF is downloaded the price guide should open, like this…

3. Selecting this icon  will then bring up the options to save or send…

4. Select ‘Open in iBooks’ then iBooks should load and take you to the end stage…

You now have the Channel Safety Systems Price Guide Saved to your iPhone. If, however you haven’t received an email from Channel Safety Systems with a current Price Guide attached, please follow this link which will take you to the current Product Guide…

Once you have opened the PDF, you should see the image below…

Now, touch the button saying ‘Open in iBooks’…

You now have the April 2013 Product Guide saved to iBooks and your iPhone whenever you need it.

The FIA covers all the key aspects of fire safety training. From basic fire detection design to detailed training for specific issues such as Approved Document B, FIA training courses offer real and tangible benefits for all involved in fire protection from designer to user.

Fire Detection is a specialised area of electrical engineering. Since the legal reforms of recent years, electrical contractors have shied away from the installation of  fire detection systems hoping to avoid the potential minefield of litigation that could arise in the event of an error. What if there was some way for electrical contractors to continue to carry out the  installation without the legal responsibility?

We at Channel Safety Systems can offer you a complete Design, Supply & Commissioning service in the following areas:-

• Fire Alarm. To BS.5839. Part 1 2002
• Emergency Lighting. To BS. 5266. Part 1/7/8
• Nurse Call Systems
• Disabled Refuge Systems

We provide a dedicated design, supply and commissioning service for Emergency Lighting, Fire Alarm and Assistance. We offer the Contractor and Wholesaler a comprehensive service. With over 35 years’ experience working within these sectors, Channel’s knowledge base is extensive and is an invaluable resource for our customers. As Industry standards are ever-changing, we make it our mission to keep abreast of regulatory and legal changes that affect our clients.

Our Project Sales Engineers and Service Engineers are based across the UK and we offer a fast and efficient service for design, site surveys, project management and all commissioning and maintenance services requirements. All our external team members are fully qualified to ‘sign off’ designs and Channel maintains all the relevant insurance policies which means the legal onus is on us, not the contractor.

This design service is free on the basis of receipt of order on contract award.

For more information about this service, contact our sales team on 0845 844 7000 or email sales@channelsafety.co.uk

For more information on the courses FIA run, visit their website here.

The ranges available include Channels’ door access offering ENTRitech, which is available in both video and audio kits; iCapture, Channel’s newest edition CCTV kit solution product; and MotionPro – the high end security light – which is available from 10W to 80W, with or without PIR.

If you would like to see the quality of the products first hand then please don’t hesitate to contact our sales team on 0845 884 7000 or email sales@channelsafety.co.uk and we will arrange for our sales reps to contact you and organise a product demonstration.

To find your local stockist of Channel’s products you can use our search facility by clicking here.

Following the recent launch of our new product line in CCTV, iCapture; we thought you might appreciate an overview of the history of video security cameras.

Published originally by Super Circuits this info-graphic gives a great overview of key events in the history of video surveillance – who new George Orwell’s 1984 may well have given precedence to CCTV!

What are your thoughts on this? Has it missed any key issues?

Lighting for your CCTV pictures is crucial. So why is poor lighting so commonplace in CCTV systems?

CCTV pictures all begin when light or infrared (IR) hits the camera’s sensor. IR is the same as light but its longer wavelength is outside our eyes’ range so we call it invisible. Cameras, however, generally can see both. Let’s begin with the eye-friendly visible stuff.

Understanding the light spectrum

Rainbows show all colours humans can see. Violet/blue are short wavelengths of around 400nm (nanometres: billionths of a metre) progressing across the rainbow spectrum to red at around 700nm.

We are most sensitive to green light; less so to blue and red. The standard graph of this is the ‘photopic curve’.

This is built into light meters (measuring ‘lux’) so figures are meaningful when we’re designing environments for human eyes.

For instance, sunny days may be 30,000lx, dropping to 500lx in an office, and only 5lx street lighting.

Incidentally, because IR is beyond human visibility your lux meter is, by definition, completely insensitive to it. Be aware that sellers of “zero lux” CCTV might deliver nothing more than a camera which is simply IR-sensitive, like many others.

Cameras’ sensors respond to a wider range of wavelength than our eyes. Much sensitivity is in the infrared region.

However, for realistic colour video this IR needs to be suppressed so an IR-cut filter is put over the chip.

Consequently, colour cameras and IR lamps are not designed for use together. Nonetheless, when a ‘day/night camera’ switches to monochrome it physically shifts this IR filter so natural IR sensitivity is fully utilised at night.

For best image clarity our lighting should enable the camera to maximise contrast. Black should appear…well…black. White should be as bright as possible. That means plenty of light on the scene, but how much is plenty?

Inverse square law

We’ll understand this better by following the light’s journey.

Our source such as sunlight or an electric lamp pours rays onto the scene we’re viewing. Naturally, these spread out as they travel. So, the greater the distance to our target, the fewer the rays that directly hit it, so the dimmer it is lit.

This is the ‘inverse square law’ because when we double the distance we find the reduction in lighting is doubled horizontally and vertically, thus making a loss factor of four. Some light is then not reflected because white targets might only be 80-90% efficient.

Photographers use a rule of thumb that an average scene is only 18% reflective. Then these reflected rays suffer the inverse square law again when travelling to the camera. Focusing it through the camera’s lens reduces it significantly. Now you can appreciate how little of the original lighting makes it into your picture.

“Ah”, you say, “but my camera says it will give a usable picture with only 1lx scene illumination.”

Unfortunately, you’re very likely to be disappointed.

Taking a realistic example, manufacturers’ “usable video” might mean white targets show as 30% grey. To achieve 100% grey (i.e. white) you obviously need about 3 times the light.

Their data quotes an F1.0 lens. You’re using F1.6 so you’ll need 2.5 times more light.

Their AGC (automatic gain control) boosts by 24dB to brighten things, simultaneously reducing clarity (signal-to-noise) from 50dB to 26dB (50-24 = very snowy).

You try maintaining image clarity by limiting S/N to 40dB using only 14dB so you must compensate using 5 times more light.

Of course, situations differ, but the laws of physics don’t. Beware fuzzy claims in data sheets! Clear images need lots of light.

Backlight compensation and dynamic range

Positioning is vital. Dirt and cobwebs on housings reflect brightly and warm lamps attract wildlife.

F1.0 lens can unhelpfully darken your images when reacting to glare. Cameras’ backlight compensation settings (BLC) might help.

Often we point CCTV lighting in the same direction as the camera so scenes are lit front-on. Remember, you’re only going to see a silhouette and lose details if lights are behind your target (e.g. daylight in a doorway).

For useful images the brightest and darkest parts of a camera’s view should be within its ‘dynamic range’.

Put practically, try and keep the evenness of scene illumination no worse than 3:1 with normal cameras. Matching the spread of light with the camera’s field-of-view is a fine goal.

Computer-based modelling with free, powerful software such as www.relux.biz can be extremely useful. In 2013, wide dynamic range (WDR) cameras are increasingly common but be warned they do not remove the pitfalls of careless design in CCTV lighting.

Night time surveillance lamps

At night the colours we perceive can be greatly influenced by colours emitted by our light source. Compared with perfect daylight, tungsten/halogen lamps give excellent ‘colour rendition’ but running costs can be high.

‘White light’ approximations from metal halide, fluorescent and LED lamps are good and more energy efficient.

‘Orange white’ from high-pressure sodium lamps is commonplace but colour rendition is worse.

Cameras tend to have AWB (auto white balance) active but this doesn’t correct poor colour rendition.

Low-pressure sodium lamps are very efficient and commonplace but emit only one colour, yellow, so distinguishing colours is impossible.

The same is true of infra-red light which is used with cameras in monochrome mode. Beware, a target reported wearing dark jacket and light trousers under IR light might under visible light appear the opposite – light jacket and dark trousers – because materials reflect wavelengths differently.

Wavelengths focus differently, too. IR-corrected lenses are designed to minimise any out-of-focus effects when switching from visible daytime to IR night time illumination. Especially when using non-corrected lenses make sure focus is adjusted with iris fully open (minimum depth of focus) under IR light.

When under daylight the iris shrinks and the increased DoF should reduce effects of focus shift.

‘Non-covert’ tungsten-based IR lamps (deep red glow around 750nm) need less correction than ‘semi-covert’ lamps (dim orange glow around 830nm) and, again, less than ‘covert’ lamps (nearly invisible glow of 950nm).

Cameras’ sensitivity to IR drops as wavelengths increase so more IR light is needed (in watts/m2 rather than lux) to produce your image.

Field trials are strongly recommended rather than relying on a manufacturer’s vague estimates surrounding IR performance.

LED lighting

LEDs will, doubtless, continue to advance the world of CCTV lighting, both visible and infra-red  For instance, flood lamps are improving in output, and some dome cameras now carry lights rather than rely on separately mounted arrays of static lamps.

Lighting design has for a long time been a dark art, literally and figuratively.

Often CCTV lighting isn’t so much badly designed as not designed at all, relying on what is already in place.

If there is anything that has been raised in this article that you would like to discuss, our technical team are on hand at technical@channelsafety.co.uk, if you would also like to know more about our security lighting you can find it all listed here, as well as our very own CCTV range, iCapture here.

Channel Safety Systems can also offer you a system design service for your emergency lighting and security lighting to work in place with your CCTV systems. For more information please contact our Technical Services Division at services@channelsafety.co.uk

With regards to product sales for our Wholesale and stockist clients, we issued a new survey at the end of December 2012 which asked for views on the service they’d received with regards to contacting our office, the ordering process, relationships with their sales representatives and where their general level of satisfaction sat.

We were delighted to have 129 individual responses to our plea for feedback! As we believe in developing our business around our clients we wanted to share with you some of the responses we received alongside how we plan to evolve Channel Safety Systems in 2013.

When you contact our office how do you rate our customer service representative on their product knowledge?

When you contact our office how do you rate our customer service representative on their technical knowledge?

When you contact our office how do you rate our customer service representative on their ability to provide solutions to your problems?

 What areas do you feel we most need to improve our customer service?

We did ask! With 24.03% stating our response times and 4.65% in other; which clients requested a faster turn-around on credit notes – we are now reviewing our service standards and setting some benchmarks for the team to work towards, we hope to publish details of Channels Service standards within the next couple of weeks. We are also reviewing our order processing software to see how we can sharpen up the internal procedures in view of orders entered onto the system and adjustments to orders. Again we will feedback and communicate the results of this in our quarterly newsletter.

With regards product and technical knowledge we have organised training programmes for staff to ensure they are comfortable with the ranges in our product portfolio – you should notice a difference when contacting our office by the end of February!

How does our customer service compare to other companies?

With 3.88% of clients answering worse or much worse we are hoping that with the introduction of guaranteed service standards and product and technical awareness sessions that next time round this is 0%

How frequently do you see your local Channel Representative?

Over the past few years Channel has had a big change round with areas for our sales reps and we are now confident that we have correctly determined their regions. We were dismayed to hear that 12.4% of you stated you didn’t know who they were and as a result it is their target to ensure that everyone knows who they are! If you haven’t received a visit or introduction by mid-Feb please do not hesitate to let us know about it.

How do you feel our product literature compares to other companies?

We were pleased to hear that 93.79% thought our product literature was much better, better or on par with our competitor offerings as we have invested heavily in our company brand and literature to date.

We will constantly evolve and add to the literature available at Channel – if you need literature on a product that is not currently available please do not hesitate to drop us a line on marketing@channelsafety.co.uk.

Overall where does your level of satisfaction lay?

With 84.5% being very satisfied or satisfied, 13.95% neutral which we hope to move up into the satisfied category. Even though it was just 1.56% that were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied;  we hope that with the other issues that have been identified in the process of this survey with the introduction of training and service standards that this is reduced to 0% the next time we conduct this survey.

And the last question …

How long have you been a customer of Channel Safety Systems?

With nearly 60% of our client base being with us for over 5 years we are determined that with the introduction of our new service standards and systems and procedures that clients will continue to choose Channel.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients who took their time to complete our survey. And of course… Send our congratulations to Dave Hawksworth of Newey & Eyre who won the iPod touch in our prize draw.