Frequently Asked Questions

Ultra Secure Limited supply a wide range of home & business security products suitable for DIY installations, we pride ourselves on giving honest, no obligation advice and will never oversell a product.
Please see below some of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) we get asked, or contact us by email (info@ultrasecuredirect.com) telephone (01604 589414) for advice on your own specific requirements.

Payment FAQ's:
Q: Is your payment page safe
A: Yes. Sage Pay is our secure payment gateway that enables us to accept card payments from customers via the internet, over the phone or by mail order.

Q: Are our details we leave with you safe
A: Yes, all of our customer details are kept for warranty purposes only and not given to any third party.

General FAQ's.

Q) Do you have a shop that we can visit ?
A) We do not have a retail shop as we work from an industrial warehouse to keep our running costs low, but we do have a small show room and welcome visitors.

Q) We have a security problem, but we just do not know what we need, can you advise ?
A) Yes, we spend many hours every day talking to our customers over the telephone or by email guiding them to the best possible solutions for their situation and budget.

Q) Will you send your products abroad ?
A) Yes, we often send our products abroad including Europe, Africa, Australia.

Q) We now live in Europe, do you charge UK VAT when sending goods to Europe ?
A) We have to buy law charge UK VAT to customers in Europe unless our customer can give us their European VAT Number, provided this number is authorized by the VAT web site we can then despatch the goods without UK VAT.

Q: How long has Ultra Secure Ltd been in business ?
A: We started up back in April 2003 and have been growing since.

Q: Can we trust you to give us good advice ?
A: We pride ourselves in giving honest, no obligation advice and will not ever oversell a product.

Q: Can we visit you to look at a product ?
A: Yes, we welcome visitors, please contact us to make an appointment.

Q: How do you find your products ?
A: We spend a lot of time looking at products from all over the world, we purchase a lot of samples that we sometimes even then reject after testing.

Q) Do you test your products before selling them ?
A) Yes, we test all electrical or mechanical products before deciding to sell them, in fact over the years we have thrown a lot of samples away because they were not suitable for our customers.

Q: We have a specific requirement and cannot find a solution ?
A: Please contact us with your special needs and we will happily try to look for a solution for you.

Wireless Driveway & Perimeter Alarm FAQ's.

Every product section within this web site has a help page, listed below are some sample FAQ's.

Q) What is a Driveway Alarm?
A) A Driveway Alarm is a wireless perimeter alert system that is designed to give home & business owners early warning or notification that there is a visitor within their grounds, this visitor may be a welcome visitor or a potential intruder. These systems are not designed to replace your intruder alarm systems or CCTV, but more as an invaluable addition.

Q: What system should I choose?
A: There are three main areas to consider when choosing a wireless perimeter alarm system (also known as driveway alarm):
Detection:
1) What do you want to detect (people, cars, both).
2) How many locations do you need to protect.
3) How wide are the areas that need to be protected.

Transmission;
1) How far away from the house, office etc is the detection area.
2) What obstructions are between the detection areas and receiver locations.

Receiving:
1) Have you got mains power at the location of the Receiver (or Receivers).
2) How many Receivers do you need.
3) When a Receiver gets a signal from a Detector, what do you want to happen, this can range from a chime, siren, flashing light, telephone call, text message, or a mixture of all.

With the above information you can then make an informed decision or contact us for freindly, no obligation advice.

Other Perimeter (Driveway) Alarm FAQ's:

Q: Do I need a power supply at the location of the detector (detectors) ?
A: No, most of our detectors operate using simple built in batteries although we can offer some systems using direct voltage.

Q: Do I need a power supply to where my receiver needs to go?
A: Yes, if using the tradional receivers as these are plugged into a standard 13amp 3-pin socket, however we do offer a battery operated portable pager.

Q: If I purchase a wireless driveway alarm and find the signal will not penetrate our walls, what options do we have?
A: We offer a full money back guarantee or system upgrade for customers who find that the system they have purchased will not work in their enviroment, we just ask that you try it before destroying the packaging as we would need this back.

Q: What warranty do I get with your Perimeter (Driveway) Alarms ?
A: Every product that we sell comes with a full one years warranty.

Q: Can I purchase more than 1 detector/transmitter?
A: Yes, you can purchase multiple transmitters with all of our systems, however different systems have different parameters so if in doubt please ask.

Q: Can I purchase more than 1 receiver?
A: Yes, you can purchase multiple receivers with most of our wireless perimeter (driveway) alarms, if in doubt please ask.

Q: What tools are required to fit the systems
A: It couldn’t be easier, a screwdriver to mount the transmitter, the receiver simply plugs into a standard 13amp 3-pin socket.

Q: You advertize different working wireless ranges with your different wireless systems, what does this actually mean ?
A: Manufacturers of wireless equipment normally quote the working range based upon using the systems in good flat conditions with no obstructions at all (not even a wall), the advertized working range that we show is based on tests that we have done and distances that we have witnessed the systems working, however you will find each obstruction that the signal needs to pass through to reach the receiver will reduce the working range, as a very rough guide please see below:
Glass: 10% Reduction.
Trees: 10 - 20% Reduction.
Brick (no window) 20- 25% Reduction.
Stone (no window) 40 - 50% Reduction.

Q: Are the transmitters weatherproof
A: Yes, all of our transmitters are external models, perfectly OK in the British weather

Q: I am worried the sensors will pick up small animals
A: Yes, it is true the some detectors will pick up small animals; our advice is to:
1) Use our pencil beam detectors.
2) Mount the detectors in areas that will not have many animals.
3) Use our Pet Friendly PIR's or Vehicle Probes.
4) Give some thought where to fit each detector.



Q: Do your systems have CE & R&TTE approvals?
A: Yes, it has passed all the tests including Low Voltage Directive, Radio Product EMC , R & TTE Article 3.1a, 3.1b, 3.2

Parking Posts FAQ's.

There are three basic types of parking posts & bollards:
1) Removable, these posts are locked into place when they are being used, and removed and stored (normally in a garage or car boot). They are in general easy to fit, the benefit is that there is not much or nothing left on the ground when not being used, this can be seen as an advantage if you have a low car, a drive or entrance with a ridge, children or elderly persons walking past, the down side is that you have to store the removed post somewhere.
2) Fold Down, these posts are locked into the upright position when being used, and folded flat on the floor when not being used, these are also generally easy to fit. The biggest benifits are that when you do not need them you just lay them flat on the floor, you don't have to worry about where to store them, the down side is that there is a post on the floor that could potentially be driven or tripped over.
3) Fully Telescopic, these are by far the best post for security & strength and the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye & safe when not in use. The only down side to this type of post or bollard is that they are hard to install, and you have to make sure there are no underground services.

Can We Install The Posts Ourselves!!
There are three basic types of installation when installing parking posts:
1) Bolt Down, this method is simply fixing the post onto your concrete floor using four suitable bolts & plugs, provided you have a drill, drill piece and suitable bolts this can be done very easily.
2) Short Spigot: this type of post has a small spigot of approximately 300mm in length, it requires a small hloe to be dug in the ground of about 300mm cube, then backfilled with cement, if you have the tools to dig this small hole and the means to mix cement or (post mix) it is an easy job to do.
3) Fully Telescopic: this requires a deep narrow hole being dug, the approximate size would be 700- 750 deep by 300mm wide, then backfilled with firm cement. You need the correct tools, strength and time to do this, often installed by builders, DIY persons or fencers for our customers.

Please see some frequently asked questions below:

Q: Which post should I choose?
A: It depends on what you need; it is all about making a balanced choice, between the cost, looks, ease of fitting and strength.

Q: When would I choose a simple bolt post?
A: You can use a bolt down model, when you have a good solid surface to bolt into, i.e. concrete or when you only want a visual deterrent.

Q: When would I use a spigot-based post?
A: You would use a spigot-based post in soft ground, such as tarmac, block paving or other loose surfaces.

Q: When would I use a telescopic post?
A: The telescopic posts gives the strongest mounting, and are hidden away when not in use.

Q: Can I buy on line today?
A: Yes, by simply clicking on the pictures above, this takes you through to the shopping catalogue, here you can purchase any product using a credit card.

Q: I don't like buying on line, can I telephone an order through?
A: Yes, we welcome telephone orders, we can take your credit card details then.

Q: I don't have a credit card, can I send a cheque?
A: Yes, we welcome payments by cheque, please send to 15 Ryehill Court, Lodge Farm I/E, Northampton, NN5 7EU. Unfortunately this will delay despatch whilst the cheque is cleared.

Q: How do the posts lock?
A: All the posts are supplied with either a discuss or integral lock.

Q: Can I have multiple posts using the same key?
A: Yes, some of our posts have the ability to use the same key; there is a small charge of £2.50 per post to do this, please call to see which posts are available for this service.

Q: What tools do I require during installation?
A: The tools required to install all types of posts are listed in the product description, click on pictures above to enter.

Q: How quick is delivery?
A: The posts are normally delivered from between 2 - 5 working days; we can offer guaranteed next day delivery, please call for a quotation.

Q: Do you supply a fitting service?
A: Yes, in some areas. Please contact us with your location.

Q: What if we have a question or problem during fitting?
A: Please telephone us, we are more than happy to assist.

If you have any further questions please contact us through this web site or by telephone.

Decoy (Dummy) CCTV FAQ's.

Q: Do decoy camera's actually work?, we get this asked every day.
A: Our answer is, most people slow down when they see a speed camera, even though they are sure it is a false one, the same goes for CCTV.
Provided you use a quality camera that looks real, you will deter most people (but not all).
Q: What Camera Should We Choose ?
Please see the list below to help you choose:
1) Do you need decoy camera's outside, inside or both.
2) Do you have existing CCTV, and you want to add the awareness of the system by using decoy camera's, if so then try to match the shape and style of your live camera's.
3) Do you want big visual camera's acting as a deterrent, or small less obvious ones.
4) Do you want a flashing light, most of our camera's have this, but you can disable this feature by not fitting batteries.
5) Most decoy camera's come with false cable connected to them, should we fit them into a conduit to make them look more real?, you can purchase real cameras with thin cables coming out of them so it would be your decision if you need to add conduit, we do sell a cable management box should you want to.

Automatic Gate Systems FAQ's.

One of the most important things to consider when you decide to automate your gate, is how to operate it, all electric gate systems can be operated by remote control, but how do your visitors access the gate.
Is it a gate that visitors actually need to access or operate, or is it a gate that only you and your close family ever use.
We strongly believe that an automatic gate working to suit your application is one of the best investments you can make for your convenience and more importantly your security, but give it no thought, or get rushed into an order and get it wrong, it quickly become a hindrance to your life and security.
Obviously you can add to any automatic gate system during or after installation, with a multitude of gate accessories, to make it work for you, but we simply recommend that customers take a few minutes to work out what suits them, questions such as:
1) How do we gain access: this one is easy isn't it ?, you have a remote control, but what if you go out on horseback, or walk the dog, do you carry a remote or do you hide a button, do you have a digital keypad ? etc.
2) How do our family members operate the gate: do you give them all a remote control, will your teenager come in late at night, after losing their remote control?
3) How does the postman, milkman and delivery person gain access: you could have a simple push button inside and outside the gate, it may only open the gate partially using the pedestrian button, it may be isolated at night time or when you are on holiday, if in doubt please ask us for advice.
4) Do we want the gate closed all day?
5) What time of night or day do we want to restrict visitors?
6) How do you secure the premises when you are away on holiday, but still gain access after that long flight and drive?
7) Do want to be able to drive up to your gate from the inside and the gate automatically opens, but you don't want this happening at 2 am, a unwelcome visitor could break into your car and then has the gate open for them?

WANT HELP DECIDING, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FRIENDLY NO OBLIGATION ADVICE

You can have the same choices and decisions to make about the correct gate accessories, regardless of which automatic gate system you choose to purchase.
There is always a sensible solution to the answer about choosing the correct gate accessories to suit all house holders and businesses, it is simply the case of balancing usability and costs.

We have listed below the most common solutions we sell to our customers below, if you can't find a solution for you there, please contact us for advice.

Remote controls only (as many as you require).
Push button for entry & exit of the gate.
Push button either side of the gate for entry & exit, and an isolating timer, these push buttons would only be active at your chosen times, the remote controls would remain active 24 hours per day.
Digital keypad entry, push button exit.
Digital keypads either side of the gate, entry & exit.
Wireless intercom entry, push button or keypad exit.
Wireless intercoms with a built in keypad entry, push button or keypad exit.
Vehicle detecting underground systems entry & exit (the problem with vehicle detectng systems is that if a burgular steals your car, the gates will open for him).
Digital keypad entry & vehicle only exit.

You can have any or all of the above access control systems to operate your gate, take some time thinking about it.

Wireless Home Alarm System FAQ's.

Choosing the correct system !!
XL-80 metre System
Ultra Secure Ltd XL Alarm System is a very reliable & affordable alarm/alert system that is designed to secure any small - medium size house & business.

Detectors !!
Q) Choose what, where & how you want to detect !!
A) The PIR of the XL system is designed to be mounted at a height of 2 - 4 meters looking down towards the ground, or at a height of 1 metres looking accross the ground, ideally suited for home perimeter detection, the sensor has a fan pattern which can be narrowed using the Ultra Secure PIR Cover. The XL can also be used with door & window detectors, water & temperature detectors, window vibration sensors, garage door tilt switches & plug receiver switches.

Q) Choose how many detectors you need.
A) You can have up to 16 detectors working on any receiver, utilizing the four channels we can have 4 sensors per channel, but it is important to understand that channel four on this system is only ever an alert system, the other three channels can be used as an alarm system with a PIR, or an alarm and/or alert system using the windown, water & temperature detectors.
A popular way to use this system is to have one or two PIR's outside on the wall of the house or garage set to channel four, these only ever chime, then have door and window sensors that can chime in the day but change to an alarm situation at night, please contact us for advice.

Q) We have some pets and would prefer not to use a PIR (passive infra red sensor) for fear of false alarms, what options do we have.
A) The XL Alarm system has a large option of wireless detectors & transmitters including window & door magnets, window vibration sensors, garage door tilt switches which can be used to fully alarm any home.

Q) Decide if it would be benificial to have a water or temperature detector within the system.
A) This system has the options for water sensors, temperature sensors together with the normal PIR's & Door Contacts, so you can be warned about water leaks, high or low temperatures together at the same time as having an alert or alarm system.

Receivers!!
Q) After the chosen detector or detectors have been activated and they have sent a wireless signal back to the receiver, what would you like to happen ?.
A) You can choose to have a chime/bleep or 100 Db siren coming from the receiver, dependant on which channel has been activated, and what type of detector has been triggered. We also have a wireless wall socket receiver that can be used to turn on house hold appliances in various ways to make an intruder believe someone is at home, aspecially if used with a PIR outside the property.

Q) Choose if you require any additional sirens or dialers connected to the receiver.
A) We can offer a choice of solutions using our XL Alarm System, please see below:
1) Trigger indoor & outdoor sirens, these are wireless activated and plugged into a standard 13-amp wall socket, no need for a cable between the receiver and siren allowing it to be located in the most suitable location, this may be outside on a wall, or inside hidden inside a garage of ceiling.
2) Trigger dialers, these will send out pre-recorded voice or text messages to a selected number of land line or mobile telephone numbers, it is wireless triggered similar to the siren, simply plugged into a standard 13-amp socket and telephone extension lead (due in Dec 2010).

Questions To Ask Yourself!!
1) Would it be nice to have an alert if someone was outside the house or business, if so then our XL alarm system is one of the few systems that can give you this.
2) Would it be nice to have the option to have a chime, alert or alarm on any external door or window, if so the XL system will give you this.
3) Would it be benificial to have water & temperature problems detected before any damage has been done, if so our XL home security system is the perfect solution.
4) Would it be benificial to have the abitiliy to alarm garages & sheds near the house with either an alert or alarm, if so our XL security system will be a perfect solution.
5) Would it be benificial for a sensor outside a shed or garage to monitor intruders without setting of sirens, but then activating sirens if they proceed further to inside the buildings, if so the our XL security system is your solution.
6) Would an additional loud siren be benificial, our XL system has a loud wireless siren powered by a mains adapter, but triggered by a wireless signal from the receiver, this siren is fully weatherproof.
7) Do you want to be notified by telephone if you system has gone into a full alarm activation, provided you have a telephone extension to plug into, the XL system can supply a wireless triggered telephone system (available from May 2010).

Shed & Garage Security FAQ's.

Our Shed & Garage security products range from battery operated alarm systems operated by remote control or keypads, silent wireless alert systems through to decoy cameras & locks with built in sirens. A lot of customers have more than one system working together.

What System or Systems Do I Need !!
1) Do you want a siren going off, in the event of an activation, some customers do, so do not, if you want the siren working please look at Shed Alarms 1 to 6. We would strongly recommend using the additional sirens with these systems, this prevents the system from being damaged to stop the siren, should the burgular damage the system, the additional siren (that can & should be hid away) will continue to activate even if the cable is cut.
2) Do you want to be alerted inside your house when you have an intruder, if yes please choose one of our battery operated driveway alert systems, there is a big choice in detector type to radio range, one to suit all applications. These could be used in conjunction with a battery shed alarm or on its own, some customers want to scare intruders away, some want to catch them.
3) Do you want a visual deterrent, if so you can use inside or outside decoy cctv camera's, or cctv signs, please see the full range in decoy cameras on the web site.
4) Do you want to physically secure some items down, if so look at our range of cable padlocks that include a piercing siren should they be tampered with.
5) Do you want an external alarm sounding outside the house for a few seconds when someone is wandering unauthorized around the yard or garden, this can be done using our external driveway alarms, often used in conjunction with internal shed alarms.

It is normal for our customers to have two different systems working together.

CCTV

We have a range of CCTV systems that are suitable for DIY installation ranging from a four camera DVR system complete with a hard drive, monitor, four cameras and user remote control to single camera monitors or covert recording systems.

Q) We want a CCTV that we can install ourselves, what would you recommend ?
A) Decide if you want the systems to:
Simply monitor a location, or monitor and record or record only.
Is it is possible to run cables from the location of a monitor to the camera or cameras locations (if it is not easy, perhaps a wireless system would be possible).
How many cameras do you actually need.
Do you need night vision.
If you are going to record, how long do you need the images to be stored before being over written.
What budget do you want to use (there is a massive choice of CCTV available from budget prices to very high).

Once you have made some of these basic decisions, please contact us for friendly, no obligation advice.

Portable Game CCTV Camera Systems.

We do a range of fully portable weather proof game cameras designed to take pictures and video of wildlife or crime.

These Game CCTV Systems are all basically working on similar principles, each having slight technical differences, when choosing a Game Camera please think through the following basic questions:

Do you want day and night pictures & video.
Do you want a flash or infra red glow during night time operation.
Is the position of the camera likely to be at a location where animals (or criminals) are likely to be stationary or slow for a few seconds.
How much footage do you want to store on the built in sim cards before being over written.

Once you have decided on these basic questions, please feel free to contact us by email or telephone for friendly, no obligation advice.

Fuel Tank Security FAQ's.

The first question is do you want an alarm system, CCTV or perhaps both.

Most customers choose an alarm system first as this is the first line of defence, our systems are designed on a battery powered magnetic contact that will send a wireless signal back to the receiver.
Q) How far away is the fuel tank from the house (or location where the receiver is going to be located)
A) Our standard systems will transmit up to 200 metres (line of sight) but we can greatly increase this for you by using repeaters if required.

Q) When the magnetic contact on the fuel tank is triggered, what would you like to happen back at the receiver ?
A) Using a selection of receivers we can get a mixture of results ranging from a voice message being sent to multiple telephones, a text message being sent out to your mobile phone, a siren or flashing light being activated either with or without using the dialer options.

Q) Do you have a telephone line in the location that you would like the receiver ?
A) if you have a telephone line we can easily send out pre-recorded messages, if you have no telephone line we can now use GSM technology.

Q) Do you have mains power in the location that you want to locate the receiver ?
The receivers needs to be plugged into a standard 13-amp wall socket, if you do not have mains we can use battery and solar power, please ask for advice.

Q) How about CCTV ?
A) CCTV is worthwhile in helping the police try to catch these criminals, and they will also act as a deterrent, but we would suggest this is as an addition to an alarm system rather than instead of.

Q) I have a fuel tank that has an unusual opening, will your alarm systems still work ?
A) Our alarm systems will work on most fuel tanks, but if your are in doubt please contact us or send us photos for us to look at, we will normally be able to help.