This trouble condition indicates that the system backup battery is low. This battery is used to provide power to the alarm system in the event of AC power loss. If this battery requires replacement, a new one may be installed or purchased from us.

Battery Ratings: Voltage = 12VDC, Type = Gell Cell or Lead Acid, Amp/Hour = 4Ah (minimum)

Note: After replacing the battery, it may take up to 24 hours for the battery trouble indication to clear on the keypad.

Programming Time and Date:

• Enter [*][6]+[Master Code]
  
• Enter [1]
  
• Enter Time [HH:MM]
  
• Enter Date [MM:DD:YY]
  
• Enter [#]

• Enter [*][1]
  
• Enter the 2-digit number of the zone or zones (1-4) to be bypassed
  
• Enter [#]

Enable/Disable Door Chime:
Enter [*][4]
When the above command is entered, the keypad will provide an audible indication of whether or not the chime has been enabled or disabled:
Chime ON = 3 rapid beeps
Chime OFF = 1 long tone

To add a user access code to the system:

• Enter [*][5]+[Master Code]
  
• Enter 01-32, 40, 41 or 42 to select the user code which is to be added
  
• Enter the 4-digit number for this user
  
• Enter [#]

To change the 4-digit access code number of an existing user:

• Enter [*][5]+[Master Code]
  
• Enter 01-32, 40, 41 or 42 to select the user code which is to be changed
  
• Enter the new 4-digit number for this user
  
• Enter [#]

To erase a user access code to the system:

• Enter [*][5]+[Master Code]
  
• Enter 01-32, 40, 41 or 42 to select the user code which is to be erased
  
• Enter [*]
• Enter [#]

There are 2 methods for arming your system in the 'Away' mode. They are as followings:

Method#1:
Press and hold the 'Away' function key for 2 seconds

Method#2:
While the system is counting down the exiting delay, leave through a designated entry/exit zone.

There are 2 methods for arming your system in the 'Stay' mode. They are as followings:

Method#1: Press and hold the 'Stay' function key for 2 seconds

Method#2: While the system is counting down the exiting delay, do not leave through a designated entry/exit zone.

Unfortunately, there is no set standard or answer in this case. There are a lot of factors to consider when assessing a panel's standby and backup capacity. Age of the battery, temperature, size of the battery, even the load imposed by the system's operation as well as if you're pressing buttons all factor to standby times.
As a general term, most home alarm systems will provide at least 4-8 hours worth of standby time.

Please follow these steps to test your system:

• Put your system on Test by calling the monitoring station.
• Arm your system in away mode. Wait foir few minutes.
• Trigger a signal by walking in-front of a motion or by opening a door.
• You need to let your alarm ring for some time, but when your alarm is transmitting its signal, your phone line should have no dial tone.
• Motion detectors are tested by walking infront of them, and verify the unit's LED for "seeing" you, as well as the system recognizing you moving around.
• Smoke, CO and heat detectors should not be tested by using a match, burning paper, or other means, as that may cause damage to the units or necessitate a cleaning or maintenance. Caution should be used when doing such. In this case, I wouldn't recommend testing unless you have the unit's installation instructions or the unit has a dedicated test switch and you are extremely familiar with the units.
• Low temperature and flood units can be tested in generating a condition that they are monitoring. An ice cube or a small cup/pan of water will generally work for each respective type
• Panic buttons can be tested by pressing them. How your system reacts to them is dependent on programming and if such features were enabled.
• Once you are satisfied everything is working the way it should be, clear and reset the system to its everyday "normal" disarmed state. Call your central station and verify the proper transmission of a signal and return the system to service.

Each alarm system has three levels of access codes as follow:

• The Installer Code: Will allow access to the panel's programming. Sometimes it will allow the installer to arm and disarm the system for testing and servicing purposes.
• The Master Code: is the code most people will use on their system. This code will allow full user access that does not involve programming. It will usually allow arming, disarming, bypassing, resetting after alarm, as well as access to convenience features, such as the chime mode, Add a user, Delete a user. You cannot delete the master code.
• The User Code: this code will just allow arming and disarming. You could eliminate the ability for this code to add or delete other users. It could be used a temporary code for visitors.

If you are going to install professional grade home security system equipment, the installation and programming instructions will presuppose certain levels of knowledge and experience. The equipment is not plug-and-play and there will not be step-by-step instructions or a tutorial on how to design and install a security system. You will, no doubt, have to gain the some of the required knowledge from research and reading. Generally, some understanding of basic electricity (no more than you learned in high school) would be beneficial.

When an alarm system is locked, it means that modification cannot be done by anyone other than the installing company. Usually, locking a control panel is done to a leased or rental system to protect the installing company's equity in the system also to protect both the panel's programming integrity, as well as prevent account takeovers.
However, upon termination of a contract, the installing company should "unlock" the panel, provide the installer code, or change the installer code to a factory default, as well as enable the onsite-programming feature.

If you have a locked alarm system, it's usually best to attempt to contact the installing company to have them unlock it, possibly at a service call charge. Generally, especially for a pro installer, the cost of attempting to unlock a control panel, is greater than the cost of replacing it.

Hardwire is a wire run from a main control unit to each individual device. It is very labor intensive, however the parts are cheaper than their wireless counterparts. Over time, hardwire usually is cheaper to install and maintain. But somtimes, fishing wires could be challanging and more labor intensive, so Wireless might be a cheaper solution. Wireless devices act like a small radio station and your system will have the functional equivalent of a radio or stereo receiver installed on it. The devices will have a battery (or multiple) installed in them. A faster and less intrusive install is also a benefit. A few drawbacks of wireless are that the devices are generally more expensive, larger than a hardwired unit, require some maintenance (batteries) as well as face an eventual obsolescence when updating or upgrading a panel.

A 'Hybrid' alarm is an alarm system which has a control panel that is able to accept normal wired devices, but is also able to be expanded to include connection to wirefree (Wireless) detectors.
There are many advantages of a hybrid system such as running wired components where possible and wireless where needed, easier to expand in the future with wired or wireless devices. Cheaper then wireless alarm system.

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This is the metal "box" that holds the circuit board or "brains" of the alarm system, along with the back up battery that powers your alarm during a blackout. In a normal installation, it is installed in the basement, usually somewhere near the circuit panel and telephone demarcation point (where the telephone line first enters your home).

This is the device you use to enter your code to arm or disarm the system, and to see which device caused an alarm. Your installer will use the keypad extensively to program your alarm. It is sometimes confused with the word "panel".It is usually located near the entrance to the protected area.

This is simply a way of seperating the devices (motion sensor, door sensor, etc.) that are attached to your alarm panel. If your front door is attached to zone 1 for example, every time that door is opened the "zone 1" light on the keypad will light up. In addition, if your alarm is set off by "zone 1", the monitoring station will know it was the front door that caused the alarm. Most alarm panels start with 6-8 zones, but some can be expanded. See "expansion module" for more details.

This simply means that when you turn your alarm system "on", all perimiter devices (door contacts, window contacts, glassbreak detectors) and interior devices (motion sensors) are activated. Use away arming when you are "away", or not in the house when the system is armed.

With stay arming, only the perimeter devices (door and window contacts, glassbreak detectors) are activated, and not the interior devices (motion sensors). This allows you to arm your system while you are in your home, without tripping the motion sensors.

Each device (motion sensors, door sensors, etc) is physically attached, or "hard wired" to the panel in the basement. It is always best to have a hard wired system if at all possible. Obviously, a device that is physically attached to the panel will be more reliable than a wireless device that is not.

Many new home builders will offer to run wiring for any future alarm system you may install. Many alarm companies offer a small discount if your house is prewired, as the cost of hard wiring and paying the installers are included in the price of the alarm. Many of the "free" alarm system companies will insist on using wireless equipment whether your home is pre-wired or not, as it costs them much less in labour to install a hard wired system. Also see "Rent or Lease".

The wireless receiver is a device attached to the "panel" which communicates with any of the wireless devices (motion sensors, door sensors, etc) that you may have installed. Wireless devices require batteries to operate, which obviously grow weaker with time, which can sometimes have a negative affect on the performance of your alarm.

A system that uses both hard wired and wireless devices. This is sometimes used in a home with two stories, where the first floor devices can be hardwired, but the second floor devices cannot. Or, a home is hardwired, and a detached garage needs a door contact, motion sensor, etc.

Usually used as a backup to regular phone monitoring. In the event of an alarm, your alarm system will attempt to send the signal through your regular phone line. If it does not detect a dial tone, it automatically switches to the cellular transmitter, and makes a "cell phone call" to the monitoring station.

VOIP is an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It simply uses your broadband internet connection to place voice calls digitally over IP based networks. VOIP monitoring is not very reliable nor recommanded for these reasons:

• An alarm system is designed to send its signals over an analog phone line. To transmit emergency signals properly using VOIP, the signal must be converted to digital, then converted again to analog. It is during this conversion that problems may develop.
  
• The alarm panel comes equipped with a back up power supply in the event of a power failure. Because traditional phone lines will still work even if your power is out, your monitoring station will still receive the proper signals. With VOIP, your phone service (specifically your IP router and/or modem) will not operate during a power failure, preventing any kind of signal transmission from your alarm to the monitoring station. You can prevent this with the purchase of a UPS (Un-interruptable Power Supply) for your PC.
  
• VOIP services tend to be more prone to "mysterious" technical issues and dropped calls. Your alarm panel may be communicating vital data to your monitoring station, and a dropped call will obviously interfere with this. Or, your alarm's signal may go through without a problem on one attempt, but will fail on another for no apparent reason.
  
• Similar to a land line, your VOIP line (specifically your cable connection) can be cut or disabled by a potential intruder, severing your link to the monitoring station.

An arrangement where you pay for the alarm and installation, and own the equipment outright, allowing you to choose who services and monitors the system for you. Owning the system will add value to your home, as whoever purchases your residence can have the freedom to choose who monitors and/or services it.

An arrangement where you pay a monthly fee just for the monitoring of the alarm. However, you do not own the system, nor do you have the freedom to choose who monitors or services it. You would own the system after the contract termination (usually 3 years).

This is the process of splitting your alarm system in two or more "partitions", arming and disarming each area separately while using only one phone line, and paying only one monitoring fee. Each partition can have its own keypad, or one keypad can be used to access each partition. The monitoring company will know which partition is sending the alarm, and will send the authorities to the appropriate area of the house/business.

An expandable alarm system is one that starts out with a fixed number of "zones", but can be easily expanded to a system with many more "zones" by adding an "expansion module" to the panel. In this way, you can instantly give your alarm system the capability of holding more devices (motion sensors, doors, etc) at a relatively low cost. Most systems start out as 6 or 8 zones, and can be expanded in increments of 8.

When your system goes into alarm, it seizes your phone line and automatically dials your monitoring station (aka central station receiver). Upon answering, the receiver sends out a special tone, or "handshake". The "handshake" lets your alarm know that the central station is ready to receive data regarding the alarm.

When the central station receives the information it needs, it sends a similar tone called the "kiss off" that instructs your alarm to end the call. This allows your central station to call you and confirm the alarm. The entire process (from handshake to kiss off) usually takes from 10 to 30 seconds.