Wireless alarm systems in outdoor conditions: professional solution Optex.
Recently, wireless alarm systems have been receiving more and more attention, which is due to the constant improvement in the quality and functionality of such products with a significant reduction in cost, which, although it exceeds that of wired systems, is no longer several times higher than it was just recently. And from the point of view of installation, the advantage of wireless systems due to significant savings on work and installation materials is obvious.
The lion's share of the wireless fire alarm systems market continues to be occupied by equipment for indoor use. Until recently, there was virtually no offer for outdoor wireless models due to the fact that the creation of outdoor detectors in itself requires serious experience and special technologies, which only a few manufacturers possess to varying degrees. In the case of wireless systems, the task becomes an order of magnitude more difficult. However, the Japanese company OPTEX, a recognized world leader in the development and production of security detectors, has once again managed to make a technological breakthrough and offer the market a truly professional solution.
At present, the OPTEX line of outdoor wireless detectors is represented by both passive and active beam devices. A wide range of models allows you to organize a reliable barrier on the way of an intruder, starting from the perimeter of the territory and ending with the immediate approaches to the protected object. Passive detectors are represented by five models already sold on our market (BX-80NR, VX-402R, FTN-R, FTN-RAM and HX-40RAM), as well as the HX-80NRAM detector that is being prepared for production.
The line of active wireless detectors includes two models of medium range for 30 and 60 m (AX-100/200TFR), but barriers of increased range are also in active development. Incidentally, the emergence of wireless versions of active detectors is a very important and unique achievement of OPTEX, since the operating principle of beam detectors implies significant energy consumption for the formation and pulse transmission of an IR beam.
Experts will immediately notice the absence of data in this article on one of the main parameters inherent in any wireless system — the operating frequency. This is not accidental. One of the key advantages of the entire line of OPTEX detectors is the complete openness of the platform, i.e. the absence of a rigidly built-in transceiver part. This ensures full integration with any existing and newly created wireless system. Now there is no need to compromise between the quality and parameters of individual components, the only limitation can be the size of the niche for the transmitter and batteries provided in the detector housings. Thus, choosing advanced high-tech OPTEX detectors, the customer has the opportunity to use the most advanced transceiver equipment.Another important characteristic of wireless equipment is, of course, the current consumption. This characteristic determines the service life of batteries (i.e. the frequency of maintenance) and the stability of operation in low temperatures, when the capacity of batteries is significantly reduced. OPTEX engineers managed to achieve truly minimal consumption parameters, which guarantees stable operation of detectors from 3 to 5 years without replacing batteries (depending on the model and excluding the power supply of the transmitter). Moreover, note that we are talking about outdoor detectors operating in the most difficult, frequently changing weather conditions!
In general, when talking about the advantages of wireless systems, it is worth dwelling separately on two main determining factors.
Cost
There is an opinion that the cost of a wireless system is always higher than a classic wired one. This is partly true when it comes to a relatively small internal alarm system. However, if you need to implement a comprehensive project to protect a building, territory and perimeter, the benefit of wireless equipment becomes obvious. Firstly, there is no need to lay a huge number of wires. Secondly, there is no need to install a complex distributed uninterruptible power supply system (perimeter and territory). Thirdly, the time and cost of installation work are significantly reduced. Do not forget about the traditional situation when the customer remembers the need for an alarm after the complete completion of construction, finishing and landscaping work. In such cases, wireless systems become, in fact, the only acceptable solution. Also, the radio channel will be the only alternative for protecting mobile, quickly deployable objects.
Reliability.
Here, first of all, we need to talk about the radio channel noise immunity, since OPTEX wireless detectors are, in fact, optimized versions of classic wired models, the quality of which does not cause any complaints. Regarding the transceiver part, it can be said that the problem of noise immunity is also actively and successfully solved by all serious manufacturers: a two-way exchange protocol, changing frequency channels, changing the radiation power, changing the period of radio broadcasting, etc. As a successful example of the symbiosis of the reliability of OPTEX street detectors and a radio channel, we can cite the detectors of the Strelets system of the Stop series based on the wireless models OPTEX BX-80NR and VX-402R.
From the above, we can conclude that at present, the active distribution of wireless systems is largely hampered by established stereotypes and, of course, the lack of experience of most fire alarm system installers. However, it can be safely said that with the release of the professional wireless line of OPTEX security detectors, which significantly expands the usual boundaries of radio channel application, the share of wireless systems in the total number of projects will increase at an accelerating pace.
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