GoView Surveillance - Blog #Perimeter Protection

WHAT BATTERY TYPE IS BEST? AGM OR LITHIUM

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:37:44 -0700

When it comes to batteries there are several options. Batteries are the key to consistent and reliable power for your mobile surveillance system. As such choosing the right battery is important. At GoView we use all 3 types of batteries listed below. The type of battery used depends on many factors. If cost was not an issue, we would use LiFePo4 (lithium) batteries in more applications and we anticipate that in the future we will use more lithium batteries on our trailers. Currently the market/competition and other factors are still preferring lead acid battery technology. An additional reason why we currently prefer AGM or Gel batteries on our mobile trailers is because they tend operate better under sub optimal conditions and are less prone to accidental damage or damage due to adverse environmental conditions. Lets look at the different types of batteries and their advantages and disadvantages.

3 Main Types of Battery Technology

AGM BATTERIES: AGM stands for (absorbed-glass-mat) This is a new version of SLA or sealed lead acid battery

GEL BATTERIES: this is a type of sealed lead acid battery

LITHIUM or LiFeP04: Lithium Iron Phosphate

Depth of Discharge (DoD)

When you start discharging a battery beyond a specific limit, it begins to suffer damage. Depth of discharge measures the percentage of the initial charge that can safely be discharged without causing harm.

Lithium Batteries

Modern lithium-ion batteries have a depth of discharge of 98%. So you can discharge almost the entire charge without damaging the unit. This provides optimal conditions for use with most of the stored power available.

AGM and Gel Batteries

Like other lead-acid batteries, the depth of discharge is about 80% when new and 50% when older. This makes them less competitive compared to lithium-ion batteries.

Winner: Lithium-ion batteries have the highest depth of discharge and a longer operating time.

Lifespan

Regardless of type, a gradual decrease in performance occurs over a battery’s lifespan. There is a point in time when the battery will become useless.

Lithium Batteries

LFP technology is known for its superior durability, typically degrading by less than 1% per year and providing about a 10,000 charge cycle life.

AGM Batteries

These degrade quickly, providing a useful lifespan of about 500 charge/discharge cycles.

Gel Batteries

These are better than AGM, providing a useful lifespan of about 2000-3000 charge/discharge cycles.

Winner: A lithium-ion battery has a considerably longer lifespan, typically about six times longer than an AGM battery.

Size and Weight

Size is a key concern for people working with limited space. This is more of a factor on our pole mount systems and is the key reason we use Lithium on our pole mounted solutions. Lithium batteries weigh approximately 50% less than AGM and GEL batteries for the same energy capacity.

Lithium Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries weigh less due to the absence of any liquid acid. Additionally, since they have a higher depth of discharge, a smaller lithium-ion battery can provide the same power as a larger lead acid battery.

AGM and Gel Batteries

AGM batteries contain absorbed liquid acid that creates added weight. Additionally, a low depth of discharge means that you need a high-capacity (big) battery for any given application.

Winner: Lithium batteries are the better choice in terms of weight and size.

Charge Time and Efficiency

Lithium-Ion Batteries

Due to their higher efficiency, smaller lithium batteries can do the same job as larger AGM batteries. They also charge faster.

AGM and Gel Batteries

Although they charge considerably faster than wet lead-acid batteries, AGM batteries still charge much slower when we compare them with lithium-ion batteries.

Winner: Lithium-ion batteries charge faster than AGM batteries and over four times faster than general lead-acid batteries.

Operating Temperature Range

Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium batteries have a limited operating temperature range and the ranges must be strictly observed or irreversible damage will occur.

Charge Range: 32 F to 114 F

Discharge Range: -4 F to 130 F

AGM and Gel Batteries

While all batteries benefit from optimal operating temperatures, SLA batteries are a bit more resistant to damage at extreme temperatures. When temps dip below -4 F and above 110 F you will get a reduction in capacity by anywhere from 20-30%

Winner: AGM and Gel Batteries are a better choice when it comes to extreme operating environments. Especially for application that require placing the batteries in a non climate controlled enclosure during summer and winter months, we find that this is currently the biggest factor in using AGM and GEL batteries. There are advances being made with lithium and sodium based batteries and we are hopeful that in the near future we will have battery storage options that overcome this limiting factor. Another alternative is to insulate your battery storage compartment and use a heating element with a thermostat to keep batteries in a more optimal range. This will greatly extend the life of any battery. Temperature effects all other performance parameters more than any other factor.

Initial Cost

Cost is one of the most important factors when deciding between two battery types. There are two cost factors to consider – the initial cost and the cost per kWh. Here we will discuss the initial cost of each option.

Lithium-ion batteries require a higher upfront cost. Although lithium-ion batteries outperform AGM batteries when considering all other parameters, the initial cost is much higher.

Winner: AGM batteries win when you compare the initial cost. Over a longer time frame LiFePo4 may have a lower cost.

WHY SECURITY GUARD COMPANIES SHOULD ADD MOBILE SURVEILLANCE

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:57:36 -0600

GoView has recently partnered with several security guard companies to help them offer mobile surveillance services to their existing business plan. We see this as a win-win collaboration which provides increased security to locations that need full time coverage at a reduced cost point.

Mobile surveillance solutions are to the guard industry what automatic hamburger flippers are to the fast food industry. It is automation. It takes a redundant lower skill task (watching a jobsite for activity) and allows a higher skill person to cover more sites while the surveillance system does the "watching"

Here is an example. A construction site hires a security guard company to do nightly patrols of their site. 3 times per night a guard drives to the site and spends 10 minutes doing a patrol. The driver drives through the site and looks for any suspicious activity and then leave. Total time on the site is 30 minutes per night. The customer is frustrated because despite paying for security they still have problems with theft on a regular basis. The customer is considering full time security and having a guard posted at the site all night 7 days a week. The problem is that this type of security is costly and because the site is so large, it may still not fully stop the problems.

In this case a mobile surveillance trailer is the perfect solution. By deploying a mobile trailer to the location, the guard service can be notified of any human activity on the site. The surveillance unit deploys strobes and recorded voice warnings while the live security guard is routed to the site. This solution is 1/3 the cost which the customer appreciates. This also helps the security company to retain a customer that they might have lost to another competitor offering a mobile security solution. Most importantly, the solution is effective and stops the losses due to theft.

Advantages of offering mobile surveillance:

Improves customer perception as a leader in the industry offering innovative solutions to your clients
Win more bids and grow your company because you a better lower cost option between patrol and posted gauards
Force multiplier helps you cover more properties with less people
Improves customer satisfaction because they can have video evidence when a crime is prevented
Increase revenue without any additional upfront costs

Contact GoView today and get more information on our dealer and reseller programs designed specifically for guard companies. We have many options for your clients to fit almost any reasonable budge

SHOULD WE USE MOBILE OR FIXED SURVEILLANCE? IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 11:46:00 -0600

We often see mobile surveillance solutions being deployed at locations that might be better served by a fixed surveillance solution and vice versa. In some cases the reasons for using mobile surveillance might not be obvious. This post will explore some of the factors to consider when choosing which solution will provide the best results for your specific application.

The biggest factor when determining what type of solution to use is how long you will need the solution. A construction site is an ideal use case for mobile surveillance. Even sites that might take 1 or more years to complete are still ideal for mobile solutions because the location of materials and areas of interest will likely change. Lumber, copper, and other valuable materials may be stored on on the jobsite and moved to different locations on the site as construction progresses. For this reason, the ability to quickly move the surveillance system is important.

Location and source of power is an important factor. If the site will never have grid power or it is not cost effective to install grid power, then you might want to initially use a mobile solution. If power is the only issue, then you might want to consider a skid type system that will provide a semi-fixed solution. This form factor will provide a platform that will allow for storage of an adequate battery bank and solution arrays. It also is less likely to be moved, tampered with, or stolen.

The aggressive appearance of mobile trailers can be intimidating to criminals. This has been proven in the case of retail stores. Retail big boxes have found that they can actually reduce instore shrinkage and theft by deploying external mobile trailers with lights and audio. Big box retail stores have found that mobile surveillance units reduce crime that fixed cameras when placed in the exact same location.

In some cases it makes sense to use a mobile solution initially and then transition to a fixed solution. Take for instance a car dealership or equipment yard. Initially it might make sense to quickly deploy a mobile solution. Once you feel like this is an effective solution and that it is something you plan to incorporate into your long-term security plan, it would likely make sense to transition to a fixed solution. You could install 3-4 stations on your parking area for the cost of 1-2 years of mobile surveillance rental.

GoView can work with organizations to create their own mobile surveillance program. In one case a big box retail change was spending $32,000 per location to rent mobile surveillance units from a competitor. GoView was able to reduce that cost to less than $20,000 per location with no impact to operations. Call us today and learn how we can save your organization time and money.

VIDEO ANALYTICS AND PERIMETER PROTECTION

Fri, 19 May 2023 11:33:00 -0600

When it comes to using video analytics for outdoor perimeter protection there are 2 types of technologies.

Standard video analytics has been around for more than 15 years and is the most widely used. This technology looks for the change in pixels to determine if there is activity. It differs from standard VMD or video motion detection because it typically looks for the pattern of pixel changes to determine if the motion is caused by people, cars, or something else. If a high enough percentage of pixels change in a defined pattern the system triggers an alert. The advantage of this tech is the speed it can detect an intrusion. The disadvantage is that it creates a lot of false alarms.

The newer technology that has evolved and is currently evolving is Deep Learning video analytics. With Deep learning the system needs to have a clear view of the object (close up). Deep learning can identify the motion as male/female, approximate age, assess threats and many other advanced functionality. At GoView we call this Video AI. The best systems use both technologies to quickly identify activity and self verify the motion to reduce false alarms. All systems will produce false alarms but the rate of false positives can be dramatically reduced with the right technology. Contact GoView to learn about how our Video AI solutions can help you solve security problems