ABF Security - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn the answers to the most commonly asked questions, click on the drop-down and choose the category you are interested in. Then, click each question to see the answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn the answers to the most commonly asked questions, click on the drop-down and choose the category you are interested in. Then, click each question to see the answer.

Q - Will my alarm system work with a Voice over IP Provider such as Vonage?

A - Maybe, we don't recommend using VoIP to connect a home alarm system. If there were a power outage or interruption in your Internet service, your home alarm will not be able to communicate with our central station. There may also be other reasons the system may not communicate.

Q - Will my alarm system work with my DSL phone line?

A - Yes, your alarm system can send out signals through your DSL phone line, however a special security alarm DSL filter is required and will need to be installed to ensure there are no interruptions on the line.

Q - Will my alarm work with Charter phone service?

A - Yes, your alarm system will work with Charter Telephone.

Q - Will my alarm system work if the power goes out?

A - Yes, all security systems have what is called a standby or backup battery. In the event of a power loss in your home or business, this battery can supply power to the system for up to 24 hours depending on the size of the battery backup. Caveat: You must have phone service during the power outage or have ABF's Secure Net which sends signals wirelessly.

Q - What happens to my alarm system when the phone line is cut?

A - If your system is armed, the siren will sound but ABF will not receive a signal. However, ABF can install our exclusive Secure Net which secures the transmission of the signal.

Q - Can my system be monitored without a phone line?

A - Yes, we are able to monitor your system without a land line. Call and ask one of our sales reps about our Secure Net monitoring system.

Q - What is the difference between the keypad code and the verbal code?

A - The keypad code is used to arm & disarm your home's onsite security system. The verbal code is the secret code that identifies you and your security system to the ABF dispatcher to cancel a false alarm.

Q - What does the red memory light on the keypad mean?

A - The red armed light indicates that your system is armed. When the light is flashing it means you had an alarm. Disarm you system and look at the keypad number lights for the zone that was faulted. Then push the reset button to reset the system. If your smoke detectors went off during the alarm do not press the reset button until an Emergency Response Center dispatcher instructs you to do so.

Q - Why does my phone go out when my alarm trips?

A - The alarm system takes control of your phone line to prevent interruption of the security signals (possibly by the burglar) to our Central Station. Your phone line will be returned as soon as the transmission is completed, usually less than 30 seconds.

Q - Why did my motion detector activate when there was no one in the room?

A - Motion detectors can be sensitive to temperature change. If there is a strong draft from a window or vent, it may cause a motion detector to activate. Any false alarm will need to be addressed by an ABF trained technical support person. Pets also have the ability to activate standard motion detectors, ask any of our sales associates about pet friendly motion detectors which would prevent this from happening.

Q - How often should I test my system?

A - You should test your system once a month. Call our Emergency Response Center at any time and they will assist you.

Q - How do I test my smoke detectors?

A - You will have to schedule a service call. A technician will use a synthetic smoke to test the sensitivity. This will also present an opportunity to clean out the smoke detector(s) for optimum performance. If you prefer you can also purchase a can of synthetic smoke from ABF and test them on your own.

Q - My alarm went off and ABF did not call me, what happened?

A - This will happen sporadically if you have Charter telephone service. When Charter does maintenance on their system, they drop cables and lines, which causes your alarm to go off. If you have Charter telephone and this happens check the keypad to check for a trouble light. If there is no light then your security system was only activated by a Charter telephone glitch.

Q - What is the reset button on the keypad for?

A - This button is used to clear the system of any key entry mistakes or clear system memory or trouble indicators on the system.

Q - How do I reset my smoke detectors?

A - Instructions will vary based on the system that you have in your home. Log into our website and click User Guides under My Account. If you don't have a log in register for free and ABF will provide you with one.

Q - What is Home Automation?

A - Home Automation controls your security system, access control, lighting, HVAC, whole home audio and entertainment to work together to maximize safety, comfort, convenience, and energy savings.

Q - How can Home Automation save money?

A - Home Automation can significantly reduce your home's energy consumption. You can automatically program your thermostat to adjust during unoccupied times and save 10% off your heating/cooling bill annually. By dimming the lights in your home 25%, you save 20% in energy costs and extend the bulb life by 4 times. Electric water heaters can also be programmed to turn off during the night reducing your energy consumption. Visit our Energy Management page to find out more.

Q - Can Home Automation be installed in my existing home?

A - Yes, Home Automation systems can be installed in new construction or retrofitted to existing homes. Wireless technology allows additional components to be controlled in a retrofit situation.

Q - Is Home Automation affordable?

A - Yes, Home Automation is available for every income level and lifestyle. You can start with a basic system that has the ability to be added to at a later date. One of the best features is that there is a payback, you will save money on your energy bills and extend the life of your light bulbs.

Q - What does it mean to access your home remotely?

A - This means you can securely access your home automation system from any computer while you are away. This lets you control your home while you are at work, out of town, etc.

Q - What size TV should I get?

A - The correct viewing distance is the viewing distance inches divided by 2.5. This will give you the proper distance. You can always go smaller if you do not mind losing some impact for movies and sports or larger if you are willing to lose some image quality. Our sales professionals can help you with your choices.

Q - What is the difference between Plasma and LCD?

A - The difference is two different ways of producing an image. LCD is considered to be a Tran Missive technology, which means that a light panel in the very back of the TV has to go through another surface to create the image on your TV. Plasma is more of a direct technology where you are looking directly at the picture source, very similar to a regular tube TV. We have noticed that the industry is moving towards LCD technology and away from Plasma.

Q - How many speakers do I need for my Home Theater?

A - For the large majority of clients we recommend a six speaker (5.1) speaker system. Usually the key factor in our recommendation is the room size. Most rooms under approximately 15'x20' require a six speaker system. If you have a larger room we may recommend an 8 channel (7.1) system that will have an additional pair of back speakers to better distribute the sound.

Q - Are choosing quality cables and wires important?

A - Yes, cheaper cables usually do not have good shielding so the signals going from the DVD to the TV are picking up noise along the way which lessens your picture quality. Using a better cable results in a stronger signal reaching the component and less 'noise'. Usually cables and accessories will end up being approximately 15% of the total system price.

Q - Can wires be hidden in the walls of an existing home?

A - Yes, if there is an open area (basement, attic) above or below the room we can usually hide wires into the wall, under the floor or in the ceiling. But we always have to do a walk-thru to check. If there's no possible way to access a certain area we can incorporate wireless technology to help minimize visible wires. Contact us for a free in-home consultation.

Q - What is "burn-in"?

A - Burn-in occurs when a static image remains on the screen for an extended period of time. It results in a faint ghosting that is visible over any image in that part of the screen. They can result from computer games, station ID logos and stock tickers amongst other static images.

Q - Do Plasma screens have shorter life spans?

A - There used to be a lot of evidence that this was true. But newer models may be getting a bad rap. The lifespan for plasma displays may be just as long as LCDs. The problem is they just aren't old enough yet to know for sure.

One issue plasma screens do have is that they fade in brightness over time, whether you use it or not. So five years from now, your plasma screen won't be as bright as it is now. Of course they start out pretty bright, so that leaves some room for dimming and still having adequate brightness.

Q - How many speakers do I need for my home audio system?

A - It depends on how many rooms you would like to listen to music in. For stereo sound two speakers per room is recommended, but the choice is yours.

Q - How many rooms can I have audio in?

A - As many rooms as you would like, you can even extend your audio to the outdoor areas of your home. Additional equipment could be required when more than two rooms are installed.

Q - Can I listen to different music in each room?

A - Yes, this is possible.

Q - Is there a volume control for each room?

A - Yes, you can have standard volume controls, remote controls, touch screens, or multi-room volume controlling devices. These will allow you to control each room with the same source, or control the volume at each room individually.

Q - What music sources are compatible with whole house audio?

A - You can play music through the radio, an ipod, a cd player, satellite radio, a computer, or a digital source (ie. Rhapsody).

Q - What is the Aperture of a camera?

A - An automatic iris lens is a lens with a motorized iris that automatically adjusts to only allow a specific amount of light to reach the image sensor. When there is little light, the iris will open to let more light in. When there is too much light, the iris will close to reduce the amount of light let in. Auto iris lenses are primarily used in applications where light levels vary and it would be impractical to manually adjust the lens. Automatic iris lenses are generally more efficient than the electronic shutter since they actually control the amount of light reaching the sensor as opposed to simply adjusting shutter speed.

Q - What is Backlight Compensation?

Many cameras include a BLC circuit. This circuit is used to help correct an image with more light behind the subject being viewed. Without backlight compensation, the subject appears dark with little detail. Using the backlight compensation will reduce the brightness of the light to allow the subject to appear brighter and bring out the details.

Q - What is Camera Format?

A - Camera Format refers to the size of the imaging sensor. Common formats are ¼”, ½”, 1/3”, 2/3”, and 1”. The size of the sensor directly affects the field of view obtained. When using the same size lens on different format sensors, different viewing areas are obtained. For example, using a 6mm lens on a 1/3” sensor will give you a 37degree field of view the 56 degree and 74 degree on a 2/3” sensor. It is important to make sure you have a lens that was designed for your camera’s format. The lens must be designed for at least the size of your sensor. For instance, you can use a 1” camera. If you use a lens designed for a smaller format camera, the image will be vignetted. Also, by using a lens designed for a larger format sensor, the field of view you get will be greater than what is specified.

Q - What is Depth Of Field?

A - For a lens, the area along the line of sight in which objects are in reasonable focus. It is measured from the distance behind an object to the distance in front of the object when the viewing lens shows the object to be in focus. Depth of Field increases with smaller lens aperture (higher f-number), shorter focal lengths, and greater distance from the lens.

Q - What is Focal Length?

A - The distance from the lens to the surface of the imaging sensor when the subject is focused. Expressed in millimeters. Shorter focal lengths give wider field of view. Longer focal lengths give narrow (telephoto) views.

Q - What is Infrared Lighting (IR)?

A - Infrared Lighting is lighting the area below the visible spectrum. B&W cameras are very sensitive to infrared light and allow the use of infrared illuminators to enhance poorly lit locations without alerting subjects during surveillance. Color cameras are also sensitive to infrared light, but require an infrared filter to filter out the red light to keep the image colors looking natural.

Q - What is Lux?

A - Lux is a unit measuring the intensity of light. Full moon light is about 0.1 lux whereas full daylight is about 10,000 lux. Most color cameras can produce decent images during deep twilight. Most black and white cameras need about as much light as produced by a full moon. With HAD and Super HAD CCD cameras, the only light you need is starlight on a dark night (about 0.0003 lux).

Q - What is a Field?

A - A Field is one of the two equal parts into which a television frame is divided in an interlaced system of scanning. There are 60 fields per second in the NTSC system. The NTSC field contains 262 ½ horizontal lines. Adjacent lines in a TV picture (525 Lines total) are located in alternate fields.

Q - What is Resolution?

A - Resolution is the amount of resolvable detail in a picture, or the maximum number of pixels that can be distinguished either horizontally or vertically. Horizontal resolution is expressed as the number of distinct vertical resolution is expressed as the number of horizontal lines that can be seen in the picture.

Q - What is a Varifocal Lens?

A - A lens with an adjustable focal length. Varifocal lenses require focusing adjustments whenever the focal length is changed. They are described by magnification power according to the difference between the longest and shortest focal lengths. A 5mm to 50mm zoom lens has a magnification power of 10X. Also, a 10mm zoom lens has a magnification power of 10X. Many different varieties of varifocal lenses are available including both manual and motorized versions.

Q - What is White Balance?

A - Color cameras only. Different lighting sources provide different color temperatures. The white balance helps correct these differences by adjusting the color processing to bring the color temperature to a fixed level. Without this balancing feature, due to the CCD’s poor adaptability, some colors would appear different (green instead of white in sunlight).

Q - What is Access Control?

A - Access Control is a set of procedures performed by hardware, software and administrators to monitor access, identify users requesting access, record access attempts, and grant or deny access to a specific area.

Q - What is a Card Reader?

A - Access control card readers are used in physical security systems to read a credential that allows access through access control points, typically a locked door. An access control reader can be a magnetic stripe reader, a bar code reader, a proximity reader, a smart card reader, or a biometric reader.

Q - What is an Electric Strike?

A - An Electric strikes is a devices that replaces a standard door strike. It is mounted on the door frame and receives the latch and latch bolt. Electric strikes allow mechanical free egress.

Q - What is a Mag Lock?

A - A "Mag" Lock is the most basic type of electronic lock. A large electro-magnet is mounted on the door frame and a corresponding armature is mounted on the door. When the magnet is powered and the door is closed, the armature is held fast to the magnet, preventing the door from being opened.

Q - What is the difference between Fail Safe and Fail Secure?

A - Fail Safe means a door or gate will "fail" or quit in the open or unlocked position. Fail Secure means a door or gate will "fail" or quit in the closed or locked position. An example of when a door or gate would "fail" is a power outage.

Q - What is Biometrics?

A - Biometrics is the method for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. As it pertains to Access Control, Biometrics is the capturing of data such as voice, fingerprints, iris or retinal images, or facial contours to compare them to a database of people to determine if a given person is allowed access to a specific area.

Q - Can I lease a security system or do I have to purchase it outright?

A - We are flexible, and allow you to lease your security system, or purchase it outright.

Q - Will my alarm system work with a Voice over IP Provider such as Vonage?

Q - Will my alarm system work if the power goes out?

Q - Can my system be monitored without a phone line?

A - Yes, we are able to monitor your system without a land line. Call and ask one of our sales reps about our Secure Net monitoring system.

Q - What Are the Code Requirements for a Fire Alarm System In My Building?

A - Codes vary by county and municipality. They depend on things such as what the building will be used for, how tall the structure is, and whether the building is protected by sprinklers.

Q - What is NICET?

A - NICET is the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies. NICET certification is the industry’s method of verifying an individual’s experience, level of proficiency and knowledge of fire alarm codes for installation of fire alarm systems.

Q - What Are the Code Requirements for a Fire Alarm System In My Building?

A - Codes vary by county and municipality. They depend on things such as what the building will be used for, how tall the structure is, and whether the building is protected by sprinklers.

Q - What Should I Look for in a Fire Alarm Contractor?

A - Look for fire alarm contractors whose staff is NICET certified, ask how long the fire alarm contractor has been in business, and how many technicians it has working in the area. Also, be sure and ask the contractors about their expectations for additional charges for the project.

Q - What is NICET?

Q - What Are the Code Requirements for a Fire Alarm System In My Building?

A - Codes vary by county and municipality. They depend on things such as what the building will be used for, how tall the structure is, and whether the building is protected by sprinklers.

Q - What Should I Look for in a Fire Alarm Contractor?

Q - What is NICET?