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Hi all, advice, info needed


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Good evening all, 

 

I'v joined to seek advice and info on going self employed and becoming a sub contractor. Im currently working in a small firm as a Service engineer/days works. My question is, If I get my own van/insurance etc Do companies seek for the same role (days/service engineers)  ? Is there any good Agency that can provide work ?    

 

 

Regards

Eric

 

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59 minutes ago, Bananaman Eric said:

Good evening all, 

 

I'v joined to seek advice and info on going self employed and becoming a sub contractor. Im currently working in a small firm as a Service engineer/days works. My question is, If I get my own van/insurance etc Do companies seek for the same role (days/service engineers)  ? Is there any good Agency that can provide work ?    

 

 

Regards

Eric

 

What is your skill, Intruder ? And what does your current employer do?

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If you want to sub you need to be able install, no-one needs a subbie service engineer. They have to have employed service engineers for the call outs. 

 

If you cant install you have no chance of getting any work sorry 

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Agency? Forget it,if you haven't built up a rep in the industry and have plenty of contacts I'd stay where you are,subby rates are not that great so you will be up against  plenty of lads who are quick and know the game 

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20 hours ago, PeterJames said:

If you want to sub you need to be able install, no-one needs a subbie service engineer. They have to have employed service engineers for the call outs. 

 

If you cant install you have no chance of getting any work sorry 

This the answer I needed. I can install alarms and cameras no problem, I just haven't had a install role. So from your answer I guess I need to get a install role and get more experience before going out. I do my own bits at the weekend so I know I more the capable but on a larger scale I'm not sure?  Thanks

 

Edited by Bananaman Eric
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21 hours ago, al-yeti said:

What is your skill, Intruder ? And what does your current employer do?

Sorry, Intruder alarms and CCTV is my best skill. Scantronic,menviers,galaxy,texecom, Hik vision,concept pro to name a few. Door access, only touched net2 plus, abit of Videx.

 

As above the company does. I service the odd fire alarm panels.

19 hours ago, goncall said:

Agency? Forget it,if you haven't built up a rep in the industry and have plenty of contacts I'd stay where you are,subby rates are not that great so you will be up against  plenty of lads who are quick and know the game 

Thanks mate, i kinda new where I am now at this time might be tough out there.  

Edited by Bananaman Eric
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4 minutes ago, Bananaman Eric said:

Sorry, Intruder alarms and CCTV is my best skill. Hik vision,

 

No skill with Hikvision thats why its so popular, its all plug and play. Do you know how to back-focus a camera? ( i dont mean focus I mean back-focus) Do you know what any of the stuff in the OSD is for like what BLC stands for or HLC stands for, shutter speeds? Very few people installing cameras nowadays have any idea on what settings to use, Hik have taken all the skill away and now a ten year old can claim to be a CCTV expert

 

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10 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

No skill with Hikvision thats why its so popular, its all plug and play. Do you know how to back-focus a camera?

 

Ah the good old days, diagnosing intermittent issues up a pole in the rain, measuring for peak and sync on cameras that actually had pots to adjust them.

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48 minutes ago, Bananaman Eric said:

This the answer I needed. I can install alarms and cameras no problem, I just haven't had a install role. So from your answer I guess I need to get a install role and get more experience before going out. I do my own bits at the weekend so I know I more the capable but on a larger scale I'm not sure?  Thanks

 

Probably best to stick that ,and not do anything that might be conflict of interest with your employer, assuming they only do fire ?

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2 minutes ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

 

I found specific testers much easier to use on site have a BBV and a Ranger.

My old boss wouldnt even by a hand held scope, mind you £300 was a weeks wages back then, I had to take a full size one to site 

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33 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

Or behind a multiplexer with your scope checking you have 1v p to p. I always found it terribly clever how the mplexer encoded and decoded onto a vhs.   

 

And the sync, was it 0.3v

 

Used to play pool / drink in the pub against one of the men that came up with the multiplexer

www.nova-security.co.uk

www.nsiapproved.co.uk

No PMs please unless i know you or you are using this board with your proper name.

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5 hours ago, PeterJames said:

No skill with Hikvision thats why its so popular, its all plug and play. Do you know how to back-focus a camera? ( i dont mean focus I mean back-focus) Do you know what any of the stuff in the OSD is for like what BLC stands for or HLC stands for, shutter speeds? Very few people installing cameras nowadays have any idea on what settings to use, Hik have taken all the skill away and now a ten year old can claim to be a CCTV expert

 

He doesn't need too,that's like asking him to snap wire a door

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Beat me to it, we're dinosaurs in comparison with skills that are no longer needed, don't knock plug and play in a few years home security will be wireless plug and play interconnected to your Alexa... Oh... 

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.


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