Knowledge Hub

If you have made it to this page then we at least have you interested, however it also means that we have failed to give you the right information on the main pages. Our Knowledge Hub section is our "To Do" list for future website updates. If you can't find what you are looking for here then please let us know.

Quick Links

1 - What is EAS? 2 - What is the difference between traditional EAS and Chirp? 3 - What is the difference between Edge and Zone? 4 - How does Chirp-Protect work?

5 - Can I try it first? (What if I don't like it?) 6 - How much will it cost me? 7 - How easy is Chirp to set up? 8 - How quick is delivery?

1 - What is EAS?

99% of in-store retail security is EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance). In most cases this is evident with a series of gates or antenna at the entrance/exit. Electronic tags are fixed to merchandise and if a tagged product is taken past special gates located at the exit then an alarm will sound. When a product is purchased, the tag is removed by the employee.

2 - What is the difference between traditional EAS and Chirp?

Traditional EAS gates (or antenna) are installed into the ground at each exit of your store. Each antenna creates a wireless zone of around 2 metres either side, so two antennas would cover up to 4 meters between the pair of antennas.

Antenna can vary in price depending on their quality, and can be purchased from a variety of different vendors starting with ebay, all the way to dedicated providers who service large retailers. All antennas need to be permanently installed, and will require professional installation which will be an additional cost.

Chirp has a very different approach. It still uses an antenna of sorts, but rather than permanently installed into the ground, the Chirp system consists of a 20cm x 20cm Hub which can discreetly be placed on a surface, or hung for a ceiling mount.

Chirp-Protect currently sells two different retail security systems: Chirp-Edge and Chirp-Zone. They look similar in design but work in two very different ways.

3 - What is the difference between Edge and Zone?

It is important to understand the difference between the two systems as they provide two very different solutions. Please read this section carefully as it will help you determine which system fits your requirements.

Chirp-Edge - in this scenario, the Hub woks in the same way as a traditional antenna but it can be discreetly mounted to the ceiling or above the exit. Like with EAS antennas, an alarm will sound if a Tagged product is taken too close to the hub.

Chirp-Zone is a unique Retail Security approach that uses proximity rather than perimeter. The key difference here is that the alarm will sound if a Tagged product is taken too far away from the Hub. This makes it perfect for locations without four walls and a standard exit - such as stores within a store, trade shows or even outdoor shops.

Here is a comparison of both Chirp systems and conventional EAS antennas:

	Chirp-Edge	Chirp-Zone	Traditional EAS
Alarm sounds?	In the tag	In the tag	On the antenna
Available tags	Lanyard, Surface, Wrap	Lanyard, Surface	Lanyard, Surface, Wrap
Active radius	5m	5m	2m
Can be ceiling-mounted?	Yes	Yes	No

With Chirp-Edge, the tag is triggered if the tag comes within range of the Hub, whereas with the Chirp-Zone system, the tag is triggered if the tag is taken out of range of the Hub..

Still a bit confused? Look at it this way..

Chirp-Edge - works with your existing perimeter.

If the space you’re trying to cover has walls and doors then that space already has a perimeter. You just need to know if someone tries to take something towards the exit. In this case, placing an Edge Hub at that exit will trigger the tag if someone tries to pass through. This kind of setup is similar to regular EAS security systems, just without the antenna either side of the exit. Plus the alarm is in the tag, not in the antenna.

Chirp-Zone - creates its own perimeter.

But what if the space doesn’t have walls? For example, you have a concession store within a department store. The department store already has its own EAS installed, however you want to know if someone removes an item from your area, not the outer department store. This is where Chirp-Zone comes into its own. Chirp-Zone works on proximity. If you placed a Hub(s) in the middle of your concession area, a tag will alarm if someone takes an item outside of your area regardless of whether there are walls or not.

4 - How does Chirp-Protect work?

The technology in our security products is deliberately straightforward. Both Edge and Zone systems use Radio Frequency (RF) - on a low frequency (LF) band.

Chirp-Zone

Works on a proximity basis. If a Tag is taken too far away from the Hub then the Tag will alarm until it is either returned to the safe zone or deactivated using the Chirp Remote. The radius of the safe zone can be set up to 5 metre radius. Adding multiple hubs will expand the range covered.

Chirp-Edge

Works on a perimeter basis. If a Tag is taken too close to the Hub then the Tag will continue to alarm until it is deactivated using the Chirp Remote, regardless of whether the Tag is returned to the safe zone. Again, the radius is up to 5 metre radius, so 1 hub can protect a doorway that’s up to 10 metres wide and again it’s easy to add additional Hubs if your exit is wider than this.

5 - Can I try it first? (What if I don't like it?)

Sure thing.. We have designed the Starter-Pack to get things started. This comes with all of the components and 25 tags to help you establish how the system will work for you. You will need to buy the Starter-Pack, however we offer a 30 day money back guarantee if you don’t like it.

We will also swap out the Starter-Pack from Chirp-Edge to Chirp-Zone (or visa versa) if you realize that the alternative setup suits your requirements better. If, at the end of 30 days you decide that it isn’t quite for you, simply return all of the items for a full refund. You will just need to pay the cost of shipping it back to us.

6 - How much will it cost me?

The starter packs retail at:

Chirp-Edge

£1,150 + VAT

Chirp-Zone

£1,250 + VAT

Once you have had a play with the system you will have a better idea which setup works for you. We will then guide you through what you will need for your specific bespoke set up. This guidance is free, as it is in our interest that the setup suits your requirements.

Because every setup is different, it is difficult to show exact costs. But to help you budget here are a few scenarios to give you an idea.

Pricing Scenarios

7 - How easy is Chirp to set up?

Your first thought might be: “will I have to pay for installation?”.

In many cases - for smaller stores, we doubt it. If you want to ceiling-mount your Hub and bury the cables in trunking, then some basic DIY skills will be required. But you won’t need to be an electrical wizard to get up and running.

The installation process consists of 3 sections:

1) The Hub. Can be either placed on a shelf or surface, or it can be mounted using the 1/4-20 UNC thread (a standard Camera Tripod thread) on its base. It requires power via a standard 13a plug socket which is connected to an external power supply (a bit like a laptop). The cable between the Hub and the power supply is approximately 3m and then the power cable from the power supply to the plug is around 1.5m. Once the Hub is powered up the range can be adjusted from 1m to 5m using the dial on the side of the Hub.

2) The Remote Control. Consists of two parts - the Remote Control and the Remote Reset device. The Remote Resetter requires a 13A standard plug socket and should be placed somewhere safe like the store room or under the counter. This is because the reset device is used to reactivate the Remote Control each day. The Remote Control is a battery powered handheld device which is used to deactivate the Tags on each product. After 24 hours the Remote Control automatically deactivates as a security measure in case the Remote Control is stolen or lost.

3) The Tags. Takes seconds to attach to a product and 30 seconds to activate. Once activated, they require the Remote Control to be able to remove one from the product.

If it was a You-Bet style challenge, for a basic setup of a Starter Pack we reckon you could be up and running in the time it takes to make a cuppa.

8 - How quick is delivery?

We hold a good quantity of stock in the UK ready to ship. If you are after a Starter Pack or a setup for a small-medium store, we will despatch within 48 hours. If you represent a major retailer or supermarket chain, you might need to bear with us a little bit...