1.         Outdoor protection devices are not susceptible to false alarms due to the high quality of manufacturing and artificial intelligence built in to today’s units.

a.         True

b.         False

2.         Leaky coaxial systems are considered to be ________________ detection devices.

a.         passive

b.         active

c.          outdated

d.         highly ineffective

3.         In order to determine which direction an intruder is moving, it is suggested to use __________________ leaky coaxial cables.

a.         2

b.         3

c.          4

d.         5

4.         Photoelectric beams mounted on the roof of a building are useful in preventing roof top break-ins.  These are known as __________ devices.

a.         active

b.         passive

c.          thermal

d.         clear zone

5.         Fiber optic systems are not used for outdoor protection because they do not carry voltage.

a.         True

b.         False

6.         Video motion detectors are a useful false alarm prevention tool because

a.         the perpetrator is caught on video for later identification.

b.         the authorities may be able to receive a video clip en route.

c.          the central station operator can verify an intrusion prior to dispatching.

d.         All of the above

e.         None of the above

7.         Leaky coax is different from conventional coaxial cable used for CCTV and master antenna systems in that leaky coax does not have a center conductor.

a.         True

b.         False

8.         A mesh network is a useful outdoor protection system designed to interrogate each other to verify an intrusion has taken place.

a.         True

b.         False

9.         Outdoor gates should be provided with __________  and __________ magnetic contacts for reliable operation.

a.         weatherproof / biased

b.         high-security / recessed

c.          armored / open-circuit

d.         tamperproof / supervised

10.       Outdoor protection devices used for detecting an intruder should immediately have the authorities notified for a dispatch.

a.         True

b.         False

11.       Because they are of a single cable running around the perimeter of a location, a leaky coaxial system cannot be zoned.

a.         True

b.         False

12.       An effective use of a leaky coaxial system would be which of the following?

a.         Jail

b.         Boat storage yard

c.          Car dealership

d.         Psychiatric facility

e.         All of the above

f.          a and b

13.       To prevent against lightning strikes affecting outdoor magnetic contacts, normally closed circuit contacts should be used.

a.         True

b.         False

14.       Wiring going to, or coming from an outdoor device shall be protected by a surge suppression or a lightning arresting device.

a.         True

b.         False

15.       Microwave detectors are not suitable for outdoor protection due to the harmful effects they can cause to people.

a.         True

b.         False

What’s Wrong With This?

An alarm technician was given a set of plans and followed them precisely. He was installing outdoor protective devices at a gate house entrance to a large residential property. He ran all the wires during the rough and called for inspection. The inspector failed the alarm technician based upon something at the jobsite. Can you tell what the alarm technician did wrong?

Answer to: What’s Wrong With This?

The alarm technician ran his high- and low-voltage wires in the same conduit. He should have notified the engineer of record that this was improper. Depending upon the locale and the licensing regulations in effect, there could be two separate and distinct violations. The first violation is that the technician ran high- and low-voltage wires in the same conduit. This is a code violation, as well as a safety issue. It also could cause interference on his security systems depending upon what he was installing. The second violation could be that the scope of his license did not permit the alarm technician to either install or work on high-voltage wiring. Do you know the rules in the areas you are working?

Here are the answers to 5-Minute Tech Quiz

1.         b

2.         b — Because energy is always being used to send a signal from one cable to the other.

3.         b

4.         a — Because a beam of infrared energy is transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver.

5.         b

6.         c — While all of the above may seem to be the correct answer, not all choices are related to  false alarm prevention.

7.         b — The difference is in the design of the shielding.

8.         b

9.         a — Any outdoor device must be rated for the environment, including weather.

10.       b

11.       b

12.       e

13.       b

14.       a

15.       b