Winter safeguards for outdoor sensors

Winter is arriving in our Northern hemisphere and if you are using OPTEX intrusion sensors, you are in good hands, as they are designed to perform in all weather conditions. To keep the performance to its maximum, here are some key housekeeping tips.

Detector lens

If the lens of any of our sensors are soiled or dirty, it may affect their performance. The cleaner the lens, the better the performance. If there is mud or dirt on your OPTEX sensor’s lens, it should be cleaned. The best way to clean it is with a soft cloth and water, or with antistatic foam cleaner. Detergents shouldn’t be used as they can deteriorate the quality of the lens.

DQ circuit for our active detection devices

Our active infrared beams and LiDAR’s both use active detection technology, constantly emitting a signal. In some instances, the quality of the signal emission can be altered by thick fog, or a snowstorm. To be alerted of the lower performance of the sensors during that time, it is important to utilise the environment disqualification circuit or DQ circuit. If the intrusion system is using an alarm panel, ensure the sensor’s DQ circuit is physically or wirelessly connected to the panel. If the sensor can’t emit its signal properly due to extremely bad weather conditions, the alarm panel will be alerted. Depending on the level of risk, a backup system can be put in place to take over temporally.

The DQ circuit is featured in our REDSCAN Series, SL series and AX series (AX-100/200TF).

Heaters

To offer best performance even with very low temperatures, several of our sensors feature an integrated heater. This is the case of our REDSCAN RLS-3060SH and RLS-2020S; and our pre-built beam towers. For our infrared beams and our long range PIRS the SIP series, heaters can be purchased as accessory.

• Heaters for IR beams

The HU-3 heater will suit all our hardwired beam models, from AX series to SL series. Wireless beams can’t use heaters due to current consumption constraints on the batteries. When installed the heater will be always on. The best way to check that the heaters are working properly before the temperature plummets is to check the power on the power supply.

For the pre-built beam towers, a thermostat is fitted and will only action the heater when needed. To test it is all working properly, use the Thermostat test switch. Click here for more information.

• Heaters for the SIP series

The SIP-HU is the heater that will work for all our SIP models. Once installed, it will be on constantly. Similarly to the IR beams, you can check the heater is working by checking the current.

Snow Shield for SIPs

Another accessory that could be useful for the winter (and summer) time is to install a metallic hood on top of the SIPs to avoid snow to accumulate on the PIRL.

• SIP Mini-hood: for the SIP-3020/404/4010 series and SIP-3020/404/4010-IP-Box
• SIP Mid-hood: for the SIP-5010/100 and SIP5010/100-IP-box

In summary, winter checks are simple. Check the cleanliness of the lens for all your sensors. If your sensor has got a heater, best to test it. For active detectors, the DQ circuit will alert you if the sensors are affected by the weather conditions.