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Practical advice on home security, Ajax alarm systems, CCTV, LED lighting and electrical safety from Perth's trusted installer.
The Best Alarm System for FIFO Workers
I worked FIFO, so I know what matters in an alarm when you are on swing: a panic button the family can reach in the dark, an alert that finds you at camp, and nothing to pay every month.
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Dahua, Hikvision, HiLook or Ajax: Which Cameras I Install and Why
Four camera brands I quote in Perth, what each one is actually good for, and the thing that matters more than any of them: how the system is installed.
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Is a DIY Security System Worth It? An Installer's Honest Answer
When a DIY kit is the right call, where it stops working, and the one cost nobody mentions: in WA, self-installing can cost you the rebate.
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How Much Does an Alarm or CCTV System Cost in Perth?
Published prices for a supplied and installed Ajax alarm and Dahua or HiLook cameras in Perth, what changes the price, the ongoing costs, deposit and warranty.
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Does an Alarm or CCTV Work When the Power or Internet Goes Out?
What an Ajax alarm and a Dahua camera system do in a power cut, an internet outage, or both, why the alarm needs a backup SIM, and what to check after a new modem.
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From Quote to Install Day: What to Expect With an Alarm or CCTV Job
How an alarm or camera job runs, from the first message to the day it is finished: the quote, the deposit, lead time, new builds, install day and handover.
Read More →Asbestos Switchboards in Perth: What Happens When You Upgrade
Many older Perth switchboards are mounted on panels that contain asbestos. How to recognise one, what WA law says about removing it, and how I handle an upgrade.
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Is Ajax a Good Alarm System? An Installer's Honest View
What an Ajax alarm is like to live with, answered from the questions customers ask me: windows, pets, night use, key fobs, hacking, and why I install Ajax.
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Smoke Alarm Beeping? When to Fix It and When to Replace It
Why a smoke alarm chirps or beeps, what to try first, and when the answer is a new alarm: 10-year alarms, hardwired alarms after a power cut, and rentals in WA.
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WA Small Business CCTV Rebate: 50% Back, Up to $2,000
The WA Government will refund up to 50% of a new internal CCTV system, to a maximum of $2,000, for small retail and customer-facing businesses. Who qualifies, the camera rules, the steps and the deadlines.
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Bibra Lake: Security for a New Automotive Workshop, Ajax Alarm and Four Dahua Cameras
A newly opened mechanical workshop in Bibra Lake: four Dahua 6MP cameras on a 4-channel NVR in a wall-mounted cabinet, plus a 4G Ajax Hub 2 alarm with sirens, motion detectors and keyfobs.
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Ajax Alarm With Dahua Cameras: Why I Install Them Together
Ajax for the alarm, Dahua for the cameras. Why I install that pair on most jobs, what you get for the money, and when Ajax cameras make more sense.
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Ajax Superior or Baseline? How I Choose for Each Property
Ajax makes two alarm lines. How I decide which one goes into a home, a commercial site, or a property with an old wired alarm.
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Where to Put CCTV Cameras on a House, and How Many You Need
Cameras should cover the ways in. On most Australian houses that means four spots: the rear alfresco door, the side laundry door, the main entry and the driveway. How many cameras that takes, and when you need more.
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Cockburn Central Workshop: Eight Dahua Cameras and an Ajax Superior Alarm Retrofit
An automotive workshop in Cockburn Central: an old Ness alarm and coax Swann cameras replaced with an Ajax Superior alarm that reuses six PIRs and eight Dahua cameras, including a 180 degree dual-lens camera.
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Home Burglary in Perth: Statistics, How Break-Ins Happen and What Actually Stops Them
Perth burglary statistics by police district for 2025-26, how burglars get in, what puts them off, and how alarms and cameras compare. WA Police and ABS figures.
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Armadale Home Security: New Ajax Alarm, Panic Button and Dahua CCTV
A new Ajax alarm with a panic button for an elderly client in Armadale, linked to the family phones, plus a four-camera Dahua system covering almost the whole perimeter.
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Beeliar Home Security: Ajax Alarm, Garage Door Protection and Six Dahua Cameras
A Beeliar home with an Ajax alarm that covers the doors, the rooms and the garage door, plus six Dahua cameras on an 8-channel NVR, two of them back to back on a rear corner.
Read More →Bibra Lake Commercial Security: Old Ness Alarm to Ajax Superior, Plus Dahua CCTV
A Bibra Lake business: a 15-year-old Ness alarm upgraded to Ajax Superior, keeping the existing sensors and wiring, plus a seven-camera Dahua TiOC 3 Pro system.
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Martin Garage to Car Detailing Studio: Vertical LEDs and a Hexagon LED Ceiling
A Martin garage turned into a car detailing studio: vertical 40W LED battens for the sides of the car, then a hexagon LED grid across the ceiling for light from above.
Read More →North Perth Alarm Retrofit: Dead Ness Panel to Ajax Hub 2 Plus
The Ness alarm panel in a North Perth home had died. Instead of a costly new wired panel, the existing sensors were kept and connected to an Ajax Hub 2 Plus.
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Spearwood: Adding a Dahua TiOC 3 Pro When the NVR Has No Free Port
A Spearwood client needed night detail and active deterrence to protect a work car and tools, but the 4-channel NVR was full. The fix: a TiOC 3 Pro recording on its own.
Read More →CCTV Laws in WA: Audio, Neighbours and Sharing Footage
Can your cameras see next door, record sound, or be posted online? What WA's Surveillance Devices Act actually says, with section numbers to check.
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Commercial Electrical Compliance Perth: RCDs, Emergency Lighting and Load Management
Commercial electrical compliance covers more than most business owners realise: RCD testing intervals, six-monthly emergency lighting tests, and switchboard load capacity all carry real legal and safety obligations.
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LED Downlights: How Many Is Enough, and When Does More Become a Problem?
More LED downlights does not mean better lighting or lower power bills. Every 90mm hole in your ceiling has consequences for insulation, efficiency, and comfort that most Perth homeowners never consider.
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RCD or Safety Switch Tripped? No Power in the House? Here is What to Do Before Calling an Electrician
Safety switch (RCD) tripped and no power or no lights? Follow these safe, step-by-step checks, understand when to stop, and know when to call a licensed electrician.
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Spearwood Switchboard Upgrade: From Mixed Fuses to RCBO Protection
Breakers kept tripping in a Spearwood home: nine power circuits were sharing three 16A breakers, and the earth stake was missing. How the board was rebuilt.
Read More →How to Read a CCTV Quote in Perth (And Spot When You're Being Oversold)
Three CCTV quotes land in your inbox, one is thousands cheaper, and there is no obvious way to judge which is right. What we check when we read someone else's quote: channel counts, storage claims, camera coverage and the line items nobody itemises.
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Home Alarm Repair in Perth: Repair It, Retrofit It or Replace It?
Your old wired sensors and cabling are often the parts still doing their job. It is the panel that is obsolete. How a wired-to-Ajax retrofit works using the MultiTransmitter, what carries over, what does not, the settings that decide whether it runs clean, and three Perth retrofits we have done.
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Smoke Alarm Compliance in WA: What You Actually Need When Selling or Leasing
Mains-powered smoke alarm requirements in WA, sourced from Building and Energy and DFES: who is captured, the 10-year rule, why interconnection depends on the building permit date, and why alarms powered from a security system may not comply.
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Can Your Home Handle an EV Charger? What Perth Homeowners Need to Check First
Before you choose a charger, check what your home can support: the main switch rule, spare capacity in the switchboard, the RCD type, and where the charger will go. What a licensed electrician looks at before quoting.
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Floodlight Cameras Explained: Why We Chose the Dahua IPC-WL46A Over Ring
Floodlight cameras combine a motion light, camera, and siren in one unit, but not all of them work the same way. How they work, what to look for, and why we chose a Dahua unit over a subscription-based option like Ring.
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DC Ceiling Fans: Why Perth Homes Should Ditch the Old AC Fan
A DC ceiling fan can use far less power than a standard AC fan (makers commonly quote up to 70% less), runs almost silently, and can keep you comfortable through Perth's mild shoulder seasons without touching the air conditioner.
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Electrical Safety Certificate for Selling a House in Perth: What You Actually Need
Selling a house in WA does not legally require an electrical safety certificate, but two specific requirements can delay or derail settlement if you skip them. Here is exactly what matters and what does not.
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Is Your Old Fuse Box a Risk? Signs Your Switchboard Needs Replacing
Ceramic fuses, circuits with no RCD and older Type AC devices: what an old Perth switchboard is missing, when WA rules require an upgrade, and how to tell if yours is due.
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Perth CCTV & Security Rebates: How to Get Money Back on Your Install
Perth councils and the WA State Government offer rebates on CCTV, alarms, RCDs and smoke alarms. Here is every current program, how much you can claim, and who qualifies.
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Whole-Home Surge Protection: How a $500 Device Protects Thousands in Appliances
A Perth storm can send a surge through your power lines that destroys your fridge, TV, and computer in a fraction of a second. A whole-home surge protector installed at your switchboard stops it before it reaches a single appliance.
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Security Sensor Lights: What They Do, Where They Go
Motion sensor lights do two jobs: they put off opportunistic intruders and light your way around the house at night. How they work, where to put them, and the options.
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Smart Switches for Perth Homes: Turning Dumb Lights into an Intelligent System
Your existing light switches can become smart without rewiring your house. An honest guide to Clipsal Wiser, Shelly, Zigbee technology, and Home Assistant for Perth homes.
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The Best CCTV Camera for Night Vision in Perth
Almost every camera gives you a beautiful picture during the day. Far fewer give you one at 11pm. What decides whether you get a readable face or a grey smudge after dark, and how to pick a camera without reading a datasheet.
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Ajax Smoke, Heat & CO Detectors: Why Perth EV Owners Should Pay Attention
More Perth homes now have an EV in the garage. What fire authorities recommend for detection, and where Ajax FireProtect 2 fits into a home security system.
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Ajax vs Wi-Fi Alarms: What Perth Homeowners Need to Know
Most Perth homes still rely on basic Wi-Fi alarms. How Ajax is different, and when the upgrade actually makes sense.
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