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Centurion gate motor service in Johannesburg

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:52:54 +0100

Centurion Gate Motors not only install new Centurion gate motors, we also offer Centurion gate motor service to your existing gate motor. These could be older Centurion models such as the D5 EVO or D10 Industrial sliding gate operator. We also do offer upgrades to the new generation Centurion SMART gate motor range.

Fortunately, with these well manufactured gate motors they do not need too much maintenance. but it’s still important to periodically give your gate automation some TLC to ensure that it keeps running smoothly.

The greatest cause of driveway motor damage are pests such as ants and rats. Ants enjoy building nests in the gate motor cover as it keeps them safe from water. Rats are known to chew the wires. Placing an insecticide such as Blue Death can help to deter ants, spiders and lizards. Moth balls help to keep rats away.

We know that security is your priority so we always attempt to service and do maintenance to your gate motor on site. If this is not possible we bring the gate motor to our workshop and promise to service and repair your gate motor within 24 hours. As automatic gates are no longer a luxury but an integral part of your security system, we strive to get your gate operating as quickly as possible.

A driveway gate motor does not work in its own bubble. It connects to the gate via numerous elements. It is actually these that are the most important to keep maintained. These are where most issues arise with wear and tear.

A gate that’s been neglected may show signs of wear and tear. A symptom of this is a gate that wobbles, vibrates or is very noisy.

The track:

· Keep the track clear of leaves, sand and mud.

· Check that the track is still securely fastened to the driveway. If it has come loose, it needs to be securely reattached.

Wheels:

Replace the wheels and guide-rollers if they are worn out.

Cog:

Apply Q20 to the cog to ensure a rust free and smooth movement. Never use grease for Centurion gate motor service as it causes sand to stick to it and builds up into a thick paste which hampers the smooth movement of the gate.

End-stops:

The end-stops need to be secure. If they have become loose they need to be re-welded.

Why is my Centurion gate motor beeping

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 10:04:35 +0100

Why is my centurion gate motor beeping

A customer recently logged a call as her Centurion sliding gate motor was not working. The symptom she gave was when the power was off caused the centurion gate motor beeping two times every couple of seconds. When the power was turned on, the gate motor was no longer beeping but would not respond to being opened or closed via the remote control.Ssecurity was a serious concern for this customer, and leaving the gate on manual override over night would not be an option. We sent out one of our technicians on the same day to assess the issue. His diagnoses accurately concluded that the battery power supply charger had been damaged. The customer confirmed that there had been severe lightening strikes in the area a day before noticing the Centurion gate motor beeping. So the technician could explain why centurion gate motor beeping. The battery was not being re-charged by the power supply charger.

The technician replaced the blown battery power supply charger with a new one. We carry stock in our vehicles so that we can fix an issue immediately on site and not have to return later with the part. It was then observed that the battery was not charging fully and the gate was sluggish to open. He then advised that the battery needed changing too. Once this was done the sliding gate was back up and running to normal function much to the customers relief.

“Beeping” has been designed into the Centurion sliding gate motors to warn the home owner that something untoward has happened to the gate motor and it needs attention.

So what do the beeps mean?

3 beeps means the battery is running low. Either the battery is old or a severe thunderstorm with lightening could have tripped the trip switch on the DB board and therefore the battery is not being recharged.

2 beeps means the power supply (charger) has been damaged by lightning. This was the case with our customer.

4 beeps means that the gate has hit something in its way and can no longer fully open or close.

Why is my centurion gate motor beeping ? - other reason:

Problem with the internal drive circuitry

Avoid a driveway robbery - trust your instinct

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 11:06:18 +0100

Did you know that 80% hijackings in Johannesburg take place in the driveway? These may be an opportunistic driveway robbery or pre-planned attack. This may include the theft of your phone, purse, jewellery and/car. The worst case scenario is criminals using this modus operandi to gain access to your house and steal electronic devices inside.

Here are some tips to stay safe over the holiday period:

1) Remove the opportunity! When out and about in shopping centres or restaurants, do not wear flashy high value jewellery. Criminals often source people by targeting those wearing expensive watches and jewellery which results in follow-home crimes.

2) Trust your instinct. When Christmas shopping for high-end items especially electronics be vigilant of other shoppers around you. Check if anyone is watching your spending and has followed you into the parking lot.

3) When driving home from shopping, check if anyone is following you. If you suspect someone is taking the same turns as you drive directly to your nearest police station.

4) Turn the music off. Listening to the radio or your favourite download can be a big distraction as to what is going on around you.

5) Keep your car windows closed. A small gap in the window allows criminals to stick their fingers in and force the window down. This allows them to get access to you, your jewellery and open your door.

6) Wait on the side of the road and let cars pass you while your gate opens. This gives you space to leave if you notice any suspicious activity while waiting to drive in. Put your phone away, wait in your vehicle and remain vigilant before your gate closes behind you once inside your driveway.

7) Upgrade your gate motor to the fastest version available such as the Centurion D-5 SMART sliding gate motor.

8) Tell family members of your imminent arrival. This is suggested if you have made a large expensive transaction at a store. Someone can be waiting near the gate and call the alarm if there is suspicious behaviour of an impending driveway robbery.

SMART garage door motor - Just launched by Centurion!

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 12:51:19 +0100

Centsys – or better known as Centurion has done it again! They have just launched their SMART garage automation range for doors up to 6.5 metres wide or 12 Square meters. Centurion Gate Motors is a proud installer of this new generation tip-up and sectional garage door motor range. Centsys has been pioneering gate, garage automation and access control since 1986. Centurion motors make your life easier than ever before.

Who does not enjoy the sheer spoil of pressing a remote control as you approach your garage door. Not only does this save your back from lifting a load or getting wet in the thunder shower but it has now become an essential safety and security feature for living in Johannesburg.

Having developed the D5 SMART sliding gate motor two years ago, the design team is filled with experience and knowledge and putting intelligence into motion. This new generation design is quiet, elegant and smart.

These new generation motors are faster than the Centurion SDO4. This improves their safety offering to you.

With unforeseeable continuous load shedding schedules in South Africa the extended battery life is welcomed for its uninterrupted convenience during power outages –

Battery supply 2 x 3.4Ah 12V DC.

Main features of the SDO4 SMART tip-up and sectional garage door motor:

· Smartphone integration

· Intuitive electronics and mechanics

· Advanced safety and collision-sensing technology

· Changeable speed – up to 9m/min

· Compatible with Photon SMART wireless beams

· App-based management of remote controls

· Intruder detection

· Door status monitoring

· Can operate off a solar supply

· Can increase battery capacity for longer standby times

· Automate domestic garage doors safely and reliably

· Requires infrared safety beams to be fitted

Important considerations before having a garage door motor installed:

· The ceiling structure is adequate enough to support the weight of the SDO4 SMART

• The garage door is in good working order, meaning: • it opens freely; • it is well-balanced;

• It does not move on its own if left in any position for more than 100mm;

• it can be installed to have sufficient clearance between moving parts when opening or closing to reduce the risk of personal injury and / or entrapment

How a fast gate motor can prevent a driveway robbery

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:56:48 +0100

Be one step ahead with a fast gate motor to avoid a Driveway robbery.

Unfortunately driveway hold ups are a reality in Johannesburg. There are two modus operandi that criminals use. The first is opportunistic – whilst a gang cruise the streets identifying a soft target for their car or belongings such as cell phones, wallet and jewellery. The second is more intentional. This is where a shopper’s jewellery or car gets targeted at a shopping centre and they get followed home.

Both way, both are extremely traumatic for the victim and possibly even life threatening. Follow home crimes are by no means a new crime trend. These incidents often result in armed robberies that occur in a driveway or while your vehicle is stationary. The incident takes place within minutes and the perpetrator's goal is to get what they want as quickly as possible.

There are two types of Follow Home crimes: Sourced and Opportunistic

Sourced Based
In this type of follow home the victim is sourced from a public space like a shopping mall, bank, restaurant, hotel, supermarket, airport etc.

High-end items or cash are identified on the victim. The suspects then follow the victim home and conduct their attack when the victim pulls into a driveway or is in a vulnerable stationary position on the road.

Opportunistic Based Follow Home Crimes

Suspects will roam suburbs known for high-end vehicles and will opportunistically begin following that vehicle assuming that the driver has valuable items or cash with them. Once the driver of the vehicle is in a vulnerable position the suspects will initiate the crime.

How to avoid a driveway robbery:

Keep all valuables out of sight or do not wear them in public spaces

· When out at a shopping centre always be cautious of who is around you - these gangs are professionals and will try to blend into the environment.

· Always check behind you to see if you are being followed

· Remember to always leave space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.

· If someone is driving behind you, pull to the left, slow down and let them pass before turning into your driveway gate

· Do not turn into a driveway directly, pull off the side and wait at an angle while waiting for the gate to open

· Upgrade to a fast gate motor like new generation model Centurion D5 SMART sliding

· Before exiting your vehicle once inside your property - check who is around you and wait for your gate to close before exiting your vehicle.

If you notice you are being followed do not stop – drive to your nearest police station.

Sliding or Swing Gate automation - your top 3 burning questions

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:50:02 +0100

Driveway Gates come in thousands of designs and many materials but only in two common configurations. These are either sliding or swing gate.

Sliding gates consist of one leaf gate. Swing gates consist of two leaf gates. But there can always be exceptions. A single leaf gate can be automated to swing and two swing gates can be joined to slide with a gate motor.

If you have never automated your driveway gate and budget is limited, then you do not have much choice in the gate configuration. This will be determined for you. If you have good budget and are installing a new gate and new motor then the following questions need to be pondered on in order to make the best decision for your home.

Sliding gate

1)How Much Space Do The Gates Need?

Sliding gates and swing gates are very different when it comes to space. Any sliding or swing gate requires space to move into. Sliding gates need to slide along a continuous, straight track parallel to the property wall. It needs to be as wide as the opening until the gate has completely cleared the opening. Swing gates move through an arc from hinges on the columns. This is usually into the driveway so as not to hurt any paedestrian on the pavement. Therefore nothing can be left in this space to stop the gates from fully opening. Sliding gates do offer more off-street parking in the driveway as do swing gates.

2)Which Is Faster?

To open fully, swing gates move a shorter distance than a sliding gate and are therefore slightly quicker to open because of this.

3) Which Is Safest?

Any gate automation installed without due consideration is not safe be it either sliding or swing gate automation

Sliding gates move across stationary surfaces so they have the potential to cause shearing and crushing injuries. Swing gates can cause pinching and crushing injuries at the hinges and impact and crushing injuries as the gates swing open.

Sliding gates should not be installed on slopes as they require more force to push uphill and higher breaking force to stop them accelerating downhill.

Swing gate

Centurion sliding gate motors
Centurion swing gate motors

The importance of matching driveway gate weight and motor size

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:41:54 +0100

It is very exciting to have a new driveway gate manufactured. Many choices of materials, designs and opening styles can be daunting. The weight of the gate is a fundamental consideration to make.

Just as exciting, is then having your driveway gate automated for your security and convenience. There are many brands on the market and each brand offers its own range. So where do you begin?

Each motor operates within certain parameters of weight so knowing these metrics are fundamental. Do not fall into the trap of choosing a motor for a lighter gate due to budget constraints. Gate motors, whether they are sliding or swing are manufactured with weight specifications. Each manufacturer, such as Centurion will specify the maximum gate weight that can be pushed by their motors. You should not install a motor which has a maximum weight limit under the actual weight of your gate. The motor will be under powered, likely malfunction and cause damage to your gate motor by pushing a weight that is too heavy for the motor.

Centurion gate motor options:

Range of sliding gate motors:

· D2 Turbo can push up to 250 kgs

· D5 Evo and the new generation D5 SMART can push up to 500 kgs

· D10 industrial sliding gate motor, the D10 Turbo high-speed industrial sliding gate motor and A10 Endurance can push up to 1000kg

· A10 Heavyweight can push up to 2 000kgs

· The 884 operator has been manufactured to handle the heaviest commercial or industrial-type gates in the simplest, most convenient way. It can push up to 3 500 Kg

Range of swing gate motors:

· VANTAGE linear swing gate motor V400 ,2.5m = 500kg <4m = 150kg V500 ,2.5m = 750kg <4m = 230kg

· FAAC 770N - Residential swing-leaf gates with a single-leaf length of 3.50 m
and maximum weight of 500 kg

· FAAC 400 - Large, robust operator suitable for gate leafs up to 7m.

Our technicians will advise you with the best industry knowledge as to which motor size will be your perfect match, considering your driveway gate weight.

Best Choice of Driveway Gate

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:55:58 +0100

When it comes to the manufacturing of a new gate for your house or office, there are several considerations to bear in mind before choosing. The type of material is a critical choice.

Stainless steel, aluminium and wrought iron are the options when it comes to metal driveway gates. Which is best?

Stainless steel gates

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium. It is heavy, robust and strong. It does not corrode, rust, or stain with water like ordinary steel does. It therefore requires little maintenance, which makes it a desirable material for gates.

This material is a very good choice for high traffic driveways such as townhouse complexes and office complexes.

The caveat is that its weight means that powerful motors are required to operate this type of gate. Plus a more rigorous maintenance schedule is required because the mechanism is working harder and so is vulnerable to wear and tear.

Wrought iron gates

When it comes to classic driveway and garden gates, many people think of wrought iron. There’s no denying that beautifully-crafted wrought iron gates have real aesthetic appeal - particularly when matched with a period property. However, although it looks the part, wrought iron is not necessarily the most practical material for automated gates.

While it is a strong and robust metal, iron is vulnerable to rust because it oxidises in the presence of water and oxygen. That chemical reaction is accelerated when salt is added. So they are definitely a no-no if you are living on the coast with sea mist. Iron needs priming plus a final coat of enamel paint in order to seal it from the elements. Maintenance is high on these types of gates.

Joints or hinges on the gate are also at risk of rusting which, over time, affects the structural integrity of your gate, making the gate unsafe.

Secondly, wrought iron is heavy.

Thirdly, wrought iron is also the most expensive material for a metal gate.

Aluminium gates

Aluminium is lighter than stainless steel, but still incredibly strong. This significantly reduces the power required to move the gate by automation. There are numerous sliding gate motors and swing gate motors on the market that are perfect fits for this weight of gate. A less powerful gate motor is also more cost-effective.

Aluminium gates do not rust like iron gates, or do they rot like wooden gates. Aluminium gates are covered with a robust coating that provides protection against the elements. The surface coating also means maintenance is mostly limited to an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth to remove surface dirt.

Aluminium is best choice of driveway gate – increasingly becoming the material of choice.

GSM technology and Centurion products

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:01:28 +0100

C Centurion has embraced the benefits of mobile technology and have included this in their products.

1) Intercoms - G-SPEAK ULTRA enables you to answer your intercom from anywhere. The G- ULTRA is a remote monitoring and control system which is GSM enabled.

2) Gate motors - Intelligent monitoring of CENTURION gate motor status. The G-ULTRA integrates seamlessly with the new D5 SMART sliding gate motor.

C Centurion offer free activations and notifications for life with the G-REMOTE mobile app.

What is GSM?

GSM technology is cell phone technology. GSM stands for The Global System for Mobile Communications. It is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation (2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets. "GSM" is a trade mark owned by the GSM Association. The decision to develop a European standard eventually resulted in a unified, open, standard-based network which was larger than that in America.

Using this powerful technology makes life more convenient and easier. Everyone has a cell phone and it is not just for making phone calls. Our smart cell phones have become mini computers. This puts huge power in our hands, in only 8 x 16 cm.

The GSM (2G) has evolved into 3G, 4G and 5G. 5G is roughly ten times faster than the newest 4G, allowing speeds of around 200Mbps. It’s much faster than fibre – for now.

GSM in South Africa

Vodacom launched its 5G network, in May 2020, following the introduction of Rain’s network the year before. MTN now also offers 5G in certain areas. Rolling out 5G means a lot more cell phone towers and that takes time.

Due to the radio frequency that 5G uses, high-frequency waves which enable faster data speeds but don’t travel as far, it needs more base stations to work. Existing cell phone towers can be upgraded but network operators will also need to build more infrastructure.

Features of GSM:

One of the key features of GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module, commonly known as a SIM card. The SIM is a detachable smart card containing the user's subscription information and phone book. This allows the user to retain his or her information after switching handsets. Alternatively, the user can change operators while retaining the handset.

Technical details

The structure of a GSM network

GSM uses General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for data transmissions like browsing the web.

Centurion D5 SMART wireless technology explained

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:03:14 +0100

Centurion D5 SMART wireless technology

There is only one constant in this world and that is change. We see this most in the field of technology, and more recently wireless technology. What we could only dream of a few years and decades ago is now our day to day reality in our daily experience. Technology affords concepts to become tangibles. Technology turns dreams into reality. Technology turns the present into the future. This is the 4^th Industrial Revolution – the Age of AI.

Growth in technology has been one of the most predominant influencers of our time. We see its powerful mechanisms for effecting societal growth and progress on a daily basis.

Centurion Systems has been moving along this journey of innovation too. The motivation has been to solve technicians’ and customers’ problems and short falls of the older generation Centurion D5-Evo sliding gate motor. Cutting edge technology has been bundled into the new generation sliding gate motor – Centurion D5 SMART. This is a revolution” asserts the company’s national branch manager, Johan Lessing. “It’s a total game-changer [that is] pushing the limits of technological innovation and giving the world a fully intuitive gate automation solution”.

The innovation does not stop here. Their designated design team is continuously pushing the envelope of speed, intelligence and technological sophistication to create a superior user experience at all interface levels.

The design team conceptualised the D5 SMART’s blue print in such a way that the customer can effortlessly and remotely add new elements to its functionality as they become available using nothing but a smart phone and the Centurion’s MyCentsys Pro mobile app.

These are current elements you can add today:

1) Courtesy Light timer functionality

For added peace of mind and security, you can determine how long the light should remain on for, once the gate has been opened/closed.

2) Break-in and Ambush Alarms

When the gate is in the fully closed setting, but the gate beams are interrupted, the break-in alarm will siren.

Watch this space for more applications and easy, mobile app-based setup and configuration.

Centurion D5 SMART wireless technology aims to exploit the massive potential of remote connectivity working hand in hand with advanced functionality and supported by smart hardware.