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Optex

Optex Detectors and Outdoor Beams in South Africa

Optex is Japanese and specialises in one thing: detecting intrusion without generating false alarms. That focus is why Optex sensors turn up on sites where cheaper detectors have already been tried and removed, particularly outdoors where wind, animals and moving foliage defeat ordinary PIRs. NeonSales carries 75 Optex products, from R225 for a wired indoor PIR up to R3,355 for a 180 degree outdoor beam.

What Optex products does NeonSales stock?

  • Indoor PIRs: Core Saver, FlipX, FlipX DT dual technology
  • Combination detectors: MX-40 PIR and microwave
  • Outdoor PIRs: LX402, FIT compact, BXS Shield, in wired and wireless
  • Wireless indoor: WNX40
  • Outdoor beams: QXI at 120 degrees, WXI at 180 degrees
  • IR beam sets: AX130 dual beam rated to 40 metres
  • Long range wireless: Infinity 120 outdoor PIR

Indoor or outdoor detection

Type Detects Best suited to
Indoor PIR Body heat moving across the field Rooms and passages, the cheapest and most common detector
Dual technology Requires both PIR and microwave to agree Areas with heat sources or air movement that trip a plain PIR
Outdoor PIR Movement in a defined outdoor zone Perimeters, gardens, driveways, built to reject weather and small animals
Outdoor beam Something crossing a fixed line Boundaries and approach routes, the earliest possible warning

Why dual technology matters outdoors

A plain PIR detects heat moving across its field of view, and outdoors that includes sunlight moving across a wall, a cat, and branches warming and cooling in wind. Dual technology detectors require a PIR trigger and a microwave trigger simultaneously before signalling, which eliminates the large majority of those false alarms. The cost is a slightly higher price and a marginally slower response, and on any outdoor detector it is worth both.

Detection at the boundary rather than the door

The argument for outdoor beams and perimeter PIRs is time. A detector inside the house tells you someone is already in. A beam across the boundary tells you someone is on the property, which is a different situation entirely and gives armed response a genuine head start. The AX130 covers 40 metres, and the QXI and WXI cover wide angles from a single mounting point.

Common questions

Wired or wireless? Wired is more reliable and needs no batteries, so it wins on a new build. Wireless suits retrofits, outbuildings and anywhere cable cannot be run, at the cost of battery maintenance.

Will these work with my alarm panel? Detectors signal over standard alarm inputs, so most integrate with common panels. Wireless models need a receiver compatible with their protocol, so check before ordering.

How do I stop pets triggering it? Choose a detector with pet immunity or a dual technology model, and mount it at the recommended height. Angling a standard PIR upward helps but is not a substitute.

What is the difference between QXI and WXI? Coverage angle, 120 degrees against 180. The WXI covers a wider area from one point, which can replace two detectors.

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