1.     Test the Location in Advance of the Installation

Perform a comprehensive pre-installation AES Site Survey, this will equip the installer with valuable insight about the installation site.

In a previous AES Insights Blog post, 6 Steps for Performing a Quality Installation, we provided guidance to help you perform an installation that meets AES guidelines and best practices.  In today’s Blog, we’ll share some real world installation pitfalls that you must avoid. 

Let me introduce you to Pete...

Pete has been in the industry for 20 years and really knows how to get the job done. Well, at least in his opinion!  

AES recognizes that we all work in a fast paced, highly-competitive industry where even the slightest improvement in operations can have a significant impact on business.   In the pursuit of operational excellence, our customers are always looking for ways to enhance their skills, improve efficiency, and reduce overall costs.  Alarm monitoring businesses with installing organizations and Central Stations seek a competitive advantage to set them apart from the rest of the pack.  Designed to help our dealers sharpen their skills and gain that competitive edge, AES developed the AES Training Academy.

So, how can AES Academy help you?

The Purpose and Proper Use of the J4 Output

Today’s blog is not intended to be overly technical.  The intent is to raise awareness of the J4 output on subscriber units; it purpose and proper use.  J4 is the output connector for the Form C Fail Secure Antenna Cut / Acknowledge Delay Relay / Low Battery / Charger Fail located on the subscriber circuit board. The subscriber will engage this relay for normal operation. It will be disengaged for one or more of the following reasons:

• antenna cut
• communication troubles or Acknowledge Delays (Ack Delay)
• low battery
• charger fault
• Loss of power
  • Loss of AC, Beginning with Rev 2.64ZI of 7788F and 7744F, disabled by default
    • Note: AC failure does not report from J4, except on 7788F/7744F Rev 2.64Zi + if enabled
• A pushbutton, remote or watchdog reset which causes the routing table to be deleted, resulting in the Subscriber not being on the network

Testing Your Cable Installation, Antenna & Transceivers Performance

In our last AES Insights Blog post, we reviewed the importance of selecting proper coaxial cable and its installation.  In today’s Blog, we’ll briefly review just a few ways you can test your cable installation along with your antenna and transceivers performance.

There are several points of failure associated with Radio Frequency (RF) power performance.  During the course of terminating coaxial cable, it’s possible to damage one or more of the cable components (such as the conductor, dielectric, shielding, etc.).  This type of damage will degrade performance of the network.  Other performance impacting areas include tight cable bends, cables damaged by weather conditions, damage to antennas, and underpowered transceivers to name a few.