Security Sales & Integration January 2022 - 18

SMARTS & PARTS
Tech Talk by Bob Dolph
Celebrating 20
Years of Tech Talk
TOOL OF THE MONTH
Actually, the digital dialer
was one of the early users of
M2M (machine to machine)
communications technology.
It was the new gateway for
dealers to create RMR. The
devices were fast and reliable
in reporting alarm messages
to the central stations.
Bob Dolph has served
in various technical
management and advisory
positions in the security
industry for 30+ years. To
share tips and installation
questions, email Bob at
bdolph.ssi@gmail.com. Access
content from his 20 years as
Tech Talk columnist by going
online at securitysales.com/
author/bdolph.
18
▶ YES, IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE
my fi rst writing of the SSI Tech Talk column.
And yes, it seems just like yesterday. Because of
the occasion, this month I am going to refl ect on
my writings and, as a whole, how I have seen the
industry progress and change over the years. You
will get to know a little more about your author
and what motivated him personally to continue
this column for such a long time. I also look forward
to continuing this endeavor and welcome
you along for the ride.
I started my technology career learning basic
electronics in the Navy during the Vietnam
War era. I then received my formal electronics
training at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
From there I then received my fi rst security
training in the 1970s from, you guessed it, ADT.
With that training, I struck out on my own and
formed a small security dealership, Homestead
Electronics. At that point there was no turning
back, I was hooked on security electronics. You
can learn a little more at bobdolph.com.
What initially fascinated me about security
systems was that I could use technology to protect
and save lives. As a dealer, I came into the industry
in the beginning of 1980s. As I often say,
it was the Wild West years of alarm security. Th e
introduction of the alarm digital dialer (see Tool
of the Month) allowed small dealers to generate
recurring monthly revenue (RMR) with services
from independent central station monitoring.
Public police and fi re provided alarm response
services. What better business model could one
ask for? Back then, phone systems were considered
sacred ground by the phone companies. Any
device connected to their system was considered
dangerous, and a threat to the system's integrity,
unless you leased an expensive interface device.
Th is was proven to be a farce and many dealers
covertly connected digital dialer devices directly
to the phone system without any problems.
Early systems back then had mostly perimeter
sensors such as door/window contacts and,
commercially, foil. Floormats, tripwires, window
screens and lacing were common interior techSecurity
Sales & Integration JANUARY 2022
bdolph.ssi@gmail.com
niques. Microwave and ultrasonic motion were
available, though often a luxury, and often prone
to false alarms. Passive infrared (PIR) and glassbreak
was coming on the scene but also often
unstable. Control panels were just starting to
use delayed entrance and exit controls, and door
shunt switches were common system controls.
Smoke detectors were being introduced by
professional companies like ADT. However, they
were just starting to be discovered by the consumer
market and often too expensive for everyday
consumption.
For the next 20 years the security products and
service industry thrived as the public had a constant
battle with crime. Access control became
more common in commercial applications. PIR
motion started to become the standard for interior
motion detection, pushing out ultrasonic
and microwave systems. Microwave technology
is still used with PIR in false alarm reduction
dual technology motions. Wireless systems
started becoming popular in the 1980s, though
lacking in performance such as range and transmission
quality. Th is improved as wireless systems
started using military-grade features such as
frequency hopping.
After selling my alarm company, my security
career emerged with companies such as National
Guardian, Sonitrol, Lockheed Martin and
Ingersoll Rand. Along the way I have had the
opportunity to work for small entrepreneurial
companies such as American Alarm Supply, Ness
Security and Security Information Systems. Th e
reason l point this out is that this highly diversifi
ed set of acquired skills and experiences is what
I bring to the table each month with Tech Talk.
Sharing this with my readers is what I fi nd the
most rewarding.
So, when did Tech Talk come on the scene?
My fi rst column was published January 2002.
As it was stated in my introductory article, " It is
the goal of this column, and my personal goal, to
provide the systems professional with independent
ideas and information that can immediately
be used on the job. " For 20 years I have held
fi rmly to this philosophy.
What have I seen over the 45 years of my career?
Security electronics has matured, but still
lacks in many areas to make products and services
user-friendly. What are those areas? Read
the full version of this column at securitysales.
com/techtalkhistory to fi nd out!
securitysales.com
COURTESY OF BOB DOLPH
http://www.bobdolph.com http://www.securitysales.com/ http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration January 2022

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