Crime threatens the lives of man and animal alike daily in South Africa. People who want to protect their families, livestock and assets must be resourceful to overcome these challenges. Fortunately, technology offers many solutions.
There are a variety of methods you can use to protect yourself, but their effectiveness is generally questioned – and with good reason! Farmers invest in cameras, electric fences, alarm systems, motion sensors and many more products which then also need to be installed and adapted to be independent of a fickle power supply. But then they don’t see the desired results.
As things currently stand, there are two reasons for this:
- The technological equipment is of low quality or is not fully utilised.
- The service provider does not offer the correct security system for the farmer’s unique needs.
It is no wonder that one’s trust in technology is broken even before you have had a chance to use it. Farmers lament their plight that there is insufficient proactive security system available. Upon closer examination, one finds out that the available system is not the efficient combination of a well-designed system.
SDE’s national control room monitors systems 24/7.
Technology solutions that provide security
The crux of the matter is this: an effective security system is more than just a hodgepodge of cameras and motion sensors that are flung together. The best system is one that is strategically put together by an expert who listens to your needs and who determines exactly what you want to achieve with the system. This is why a reliable service provider is so important.
This mast consists of several components: The solar panel for power supply, the steel cabinet with the equipment inside, the microwave radio, and then also 5 cameras. Two are license plate cameras and two are overview cameras, for opposite directions. There is also a mast camera that monitors the pole for theft or vandalism.
A security specialist visits your farm, house or shed and makes a complete assessment of the facilities and surroundings. Then they design a system that takes every factor into account. According to SDE, the best way to proactively look after your farm and family’s safety is video monitoring systems and the correct management of that system. Video monitoring is a technological tool that has proven its success over and over again as a proactive tool. It is also versatile and can be used for various purposes. SDE is a company that helps farmers with the assessment and installation of their video security systems.
Because farms are so large, the installation of cameras is usually accompanied by transmitters that send the image data from the camera to the control room, where a person tends to the security screens. It is not recommended that mobile networks or an internet network be used, because they usually have limited bandwidth and reliability. SDE are the market leaders in cellular signal boosters. They started as manufacturers of antennas in 2000, but since 2012 they also specialise in cellular technology and have imported towers since 2014. Their repeaters are network approved and trusted by the governing body, ICASA. Their towers are adapted to South African conditions, ready to operate on 12 V battery power. These can either be charged by the power supplier, or by solar panels.
The overview camera gives a general picture of the area and helps to identify animals, vehicles and loads
Success begins with the establishment of efficient video technology
SDE follows six aspects to achieve success in an establishment process.
It is as follows:
- They carry out a complete investigation on the premises.
- They draw up a complete breakdown of engineering designs, including costs.
- All cameras used are of the highest quality.
- They also set up the complete microwave network they design for the system so that data and video streaming is secure and reliable.
- They ensure that the control room has the right, reliable equipment that enables the person monitoring the monitors 24/7 to do his or her job. The customer himself only has to identify the right service provider.
- They also suggest that the client make use of trained community groups that will act quickly when a threat is reported.
To set up a security system like this, the foundation, bases and typical 6-meter mast will have to be looked at. The mast is the structure on which all equipment will be mounted. It remains important not to focus too much on the purchase price. Quality remains the watchword in the pursuit of efficiency. During the construction of the system, a steel cabinet approximately 5 meters high will be mounted on the mast for equipment such as the battery, solar power controller and an ethernet switch.
The equipment may include any number of the following:
- Number plate recognition cameras
- Overview cameras
- Masbesketracking cameras
- Microwave communication network
- Monitors and video recorders
- Solar power system
The purpose of the cameras is as follows:
Number plate cameras
The main purpose of the number plate cameras is to read vehicle number plates day and night. That information is given by the system to the people who can then further process the data. This kind of camera does not make any other observations. The camera can also be linked to Natis and police databases to identify blacklisted vehicles.
Overview cameras
The overview camera gives a general picture of the area and also helps to identify animals, vehicles and loads.
Surveillance cameras
The main purpose of the surveillance cameras is to monitor day and night activities on a road or in a specific area. It can be used to look at livestock moving past, pedestrians moving, the make, color and model of passing vehicles or the load in the back of vans and trailers. SDE also offers technological solutions for water management, solar power systems and weather stations at hubs. Cameras don’t just need to be erected to promote security either. It can also be used to secure fuel in tanks, keep warehouses and stock under surveillance, as well as control the check-in and check-out of employees.
For more information, contact Dirk Laing on +27-12-663-4331 or +27-72-668-0800 or send an email to dirk@sdexperts.co.za or andridebeer@sdexperts.co.za. Also, visit their website at www.sdexperts.co.za.
