We realise that it’s not every day you buy a pedestal, so we’ve put together a quick guide to help you purchase the right one for you.
You need to consider the following:
You need to consider the following:
What technology do I need for my store?
The world of in-store pedestals is not as complicated as you might think. Here we go… There are 3 types of systems (technology) available each having their own feature and benefits. It’s just a case of choosing what best suits you – the three are…
- RF (Radio Frequency). Very popular systems used in around 50% of the high street stores - good solid performance - many different style of tags – great value – wide price range – so there has to be one that suits you.
- AM (Acousto-Magnetic). Very popular pedestals - used in around 35% of the UK stores – reliable - great performance - visually pleasing – more expensive than RF - slightly higher performance.
- Loop systems. Unlike the RF and AM systems mentioned above, where frankly it’s down to personal choice, the third system on the market has a very specific offering – you can not see it. The Loop system is hidden inside (or looped around) your store door frame. Like RF and AM this system performance is excellent but Loop is hidden. Loop is the most expensive of all systems.
What tags do I need?
Once you have chosen your type of pedestals the next step is to choose the tags and labels you need.
There are many types and sizes of tags – one thing to remember, they all do the same thing, they make the door system alarm sound on exit.
A few things you might consider when choosing:
There are many types and sizes of tags – one thing to remember, they all do the same thing, they make the door system alarm sound on exit.
A few things you might consider when choosing:
- Make sure they are the same frequency as your pedestals that is RF, AM or Loop.
- The size, and therefore the weight, of the tag.
- The colour.
- An important point to remember is the tag is fixed, via a pin, through to the clothing and like tags there are many different pins to choose, but here the choice is not that difficult as Catalyst are the pioneers of what has now become known as “Cone plastic pin - Foot safe pin”. A pin that when it falls on the floor always falls in such away not to be dangerous if stepped upon. This “the footsafe pin” we would recommend 99% of the time.
Price
The least expensive system is RF.
This doesn't mean the quality of the product is in doubt… remember 50% of all high street retailers use RF. On the subject of price this will heavily depend on the cost of installation, but typically a standard RF dual door entry-exit system would be the least expensive option.
Next on the List is AM, again like RF, these systems are commonly used along any high street. They are slightly more robust and more aesthetically pleasing than an RF system. A dual door entry-exit system would be more expensive then the RF above.
Finally we come to the Loop system (this is designed to be concealed inside the door frame). Here a door entry-exit system would typically cost more than the two options above but if no gates at the door entry is important to you it could be worth it?
This doesn't mean the quality of the product is in doubt… remember 50% of all high street retailers use RF. On the subject of price this will heavily depend on the cost of installation, but typically a standard RF dual door entry-exit system would be the least expensive option.
Next on the List is AM, again like RF, these systems are commonly used along any high street. They are slightly more robust and more aesthetically pleasing than an RF system. A dual door entry-exit system would be more expensive then the RF above.
Finally we come to the Loop system (this is designed to be concealed inside the door frame). Here a door entry-exit system would typically cost more than the two options above but if no gates at the door entry is important to you it could be worth it?
