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Security & Fire Protection Systems/Questions Answered by Expert Steven Burman
| Subject | Date Asked |
| GEM -P800 Security System | 2/8/2012 |
| Q: Why does our Zone 6 motion detector number light up and continuously FLASH on our monitor? Usually, ... A: Bob, 2 possibilities - First one is low battery, if this is a wireless PIR. You mentioned a battery ... | |
| ADT SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERY | 1/15/2012 |
| Q: I have the ADEMCO ADT panel and the smoke alarm on the ceiling has been beeping for two weeks now. I ... A: Diane, Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine what the problem could be. The beeping might ... | |
| apex advantage problems | 1/2/2012 |
| Q: Our system is prior 1997 & had always functioned well. In 2010 we had to change the motion detector, ... A: Genevieve, Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine what the problem is with your system. My ... | |
| Smoke detectors | 12/12/2011 |
| Q: Our Kiddie smoke detectors go off randomly.. it seems to be only in the winter and only in the ... A: Carrie, You must have been doing some research. Yes, the likely cause is the humidifier. Your best ... | |
| chime beep on honeywell keypad | 11/4/2011 |
| Q: I already opened up the keypad, and there seems to be no type of replacable battery/compononet w/o ... A: Richie, Actually the beeping has nothing to do with the keypad. The "bat" display most likely means ... | |
| Dicon System Inc 330L Smoke Detector | 10/7/2011 |
| Q: Good Evening, I have 3 Dicon Smoke Detectors 330L 120V Ionization Type 0.9 microcuries. Tonight 2 ... A: Richard, I'm not sure what would cause them to alert like that. I think the Dicon 330L is a CO2 ... | |
| Chimes not working | 9/23/2011 |
| Q: After losing power for 5 1/2 days, when the power came back on the alarm does not chime when the ... A: Carl, If the Chime feature was accidently disabled, you can turn it back on by entering your 4 ... | |
| DSC GS3060 | 9/2/2011 |
| Q: We recently had a 5 day power outage due to Irene. We used a generator during that time for 5 hour ... A: Ira, According to DSC, the Status LED definition for 2 flashes is- "Radio/SIM Failure (Battery ... | |
| Gemini p800 alarm problem | 7/23/2011 |
| Q: We have a Gemini p800 installed in our home. After a power outage last night, I can't get the system ... A: Lesley, It sounds like you had a power surge which either reset the programming or possibly even ... | |
| DSC Power 832 security system after complete power failure | 7/16/2011 |
| Q: and thank you for the opportunity to pose my question and for the time you put into answering it. I ... A: Richard, When you shorted P1 and Z1, you did a hardwire reset to factory default. The only problem ... | |
| DSC Power 832 security system after complete power failure | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: and thank you for the opportunity to pose my question and for the time you put into answering it. I ... A: Richard, I'm afraid I have some bad news. The clicks you heard were most likely the panel resetting ... | |
| DSC Power 832 alarm beeps at same time everyday | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: We have a DSC Power 832 alarm, for the past week at 11:55pm every night the alarm beeps. We returned ... A: Tracy, It sounds like the alarm CPU might have started trying to "auto-arm" the system. A good way ... | |
| xl-31 | 6/29/2011 |
| Q: we lost power and when it came back on i seen where the keypad was not working and said system ready ... A: Russell, Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any answer to your question. In both the XL-31 user ... | |
| DVR alerts not seen by control system | 5/19/2011 |
| Q: We have a 64-camera system with eight 360 Vision T series DVRs. The system controller is a Trium ... A: Jimbo, Unfortunately, I don't think I can be of much help. I am very familiar with most commercial ... | |
| security cameras | 5/7/2011 |
| Q: Steven I hope you can help. I have a Sunkwang security camera and want to connect it to my ... A: Michael, Unfortunately, I think the only book you might find is the instruction manual that comes ... | |
| FBII XL-31 | 3/31/2011 |
| Q: System lost power and battery. Replaced the battery. Connected power and battery and system works ... A: Charlie, 2 possible issues - #1 - Have you tried to enter your code to silence the sirens? It is ... | |
| CO Detectors | 3/28/2011 |
| Q: Where is the best place to locate a CO Detector. I have a two story house with an oil furnace and ... A: William, Carbon monoxide is not heavier than air. The diffusion of carbon monoxide in air is ... | |
| Whole bundle wifi or similar protection | 3/13/2011 |
| Q: We're of the technical age I guess and wondering if you are familiar with an Internet fire and ... A: Ashland, You are correct on the fire detection stuff. As far as I know, there are no 802.11 fire ... | |
| Whole bundle wifi or similar protection | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: We're of the technical age I guess and wondering if you are familiar with an Internet fire and ... A: Ashland, I don't quite understand everything you are asking, so let me take things point-by-point. ... | |
| Surveillance System | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: There has been an issue outside my apartment with vandals and I'd like to get a surveillance system ... A: Gabriel, I'm sorry, I don't know anything about the brands you have listed. I have had some ... | |
| high pitch squeal. how to detect source | 1/30/2011 |
| Q: I can't find the source of high pitch whistle/squeal sound that keeps us up at night. be patient ... A: Michael, I'm sorry, but I have no idea what could be causing the sound. If you have completely shut ... | |
| security system monitoring | 1/30/2011 |
| Q: I have a hard wired traditional keypad security system with monitoring. Works fine but wondering if ... A: Gary, Yes there is a way to do what you want. Take a look at this product: ... | |
| Trouble with Security System | 10/11/2009 |
| Q: It was previously monitored by a company, but we reprogrammed it to call our cell phone in the event ... A: Tammy, Sorry for the delay, I was out for a minor operation, but all is well!! I'm not familiar ... | |
| PC1555MX | 9/26/2009 |
| Q: I have a PC1555MX which is randomly beeping because there is no longer power to it and battery is ... A: Manon, I have never worked with that model of DSC panel, so I am unsure of exactly how to access ... | |
| Carbon Monoxide Detectors | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: Could a dead battery set off a carbon monoxide detector even though it is also plugged into a wall? ... A: Vicki, Yes, the back-up battery going low will cause a "trouble" beep to come from the detector ... | |
| ademco security system | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Alarm would be set but the chime would start beeping at anytime . Next to the chime on the lcd ... A: Victor, There are 2 possible reasons - 1 - If you have a wireless system, it is telling you that ... | |
| Discontinue ADT Service | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: If I discontinue my ADT home alarm monitoring service, will the alarm still work and it just won't ... A: Roger, Not a simple question. There are several factors at work - Do you own or just lease the ... | |
| FireX 120-538C | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: We would like to replace one smoke alarm. Who do I contact? A: Deb, Contact a licensed electrician, make sure he is experienced with residential smoke detectors. ... | |
| dsc832 | 8/28/2009 |
| Q: I have just changed my mobile phone number and need to reset the alarm to dial the new number when ... A: Gary, Unfortunately, you need the installers manual as it gives you the memory locations that need ... | |
| firelock intercom system | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: our intercom need a new amplifier which manufactured by firelock intercom system model S-5A, been ... A: Dario, Sorry, I've never heard of it. I looked around as well, and couldn't even find a reference ... | |
| Smoke alarm | 8/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a smoke alarm which is connected to the electrical mains. It keeps beeping at certain ... A: Paul, Most likely it is telling you that it needs to be cleaned. The smoke sensing chamber is ... | |
| Radionics D2112 | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: how do I get back to the factory code so I can proceed. Any help is appreciated ANSWER: Robert, I ... A: Robert, I found something fairly amazing. On e-bay, item # 230359972057. It is a brand new in the ... | |
| Back focus | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: Please advise how do you exactly to back focus a Day/Night camera with Auto Iris Varifocal 3-8mm IR ... A: Shiraz, You have to set the back-focus at the period of lowest illumination. I would suspect that ... | |
| Very frequent video loss for this particular camera | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: In my installation site, there are 16 colour dome cameras (VCM 88) connected to a 16 Channel DVR ... A: James, Sounds like you may have a problem with the encoder that handles the incoming video. This ... | |
| Radionics D2112 | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: how do I get back to the factory code so I can proceed. Any help is appreciated A: Robert, I have done quite a search, and I am unable to find an installation manual for your panel. ... | |
| program phone number PC5010 | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: What are the sets to program a phone number in the pc5010? I helped a friend put this system in and ... A: Phillip, I am not sure how you would set up a panel to communicatre as you wish. I don't think the ... | |
| program phone number PC5010 | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: What are the sets to program a phone number in the pc5010? I helped a friend put this system in and ... A: Phillip, The commands you mention are "user" commands. The programming for central station ... | |
| hard wired & battery smoke detectors in a large condo building | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: My smoke detectors are hard wired & have batteries. One "chirped" for an hour on and off this ... A: Rick, Probably not. I would say absolutely not, but those words have bitten me a few times in the ... | |
| CCTV installation | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I am considering DIY CCTV installation and want it wired not PC or Wireless based. I have DirecTV ... A: Jocelyn, Very easily. Look up a company called Multiplex Technologies. They have a product line ... | |
| House Fire | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: If your house is on fire, what is the first thing besides family/pets you would grab A: Denise, NOTHING!!!! There is nothing you own that could be worth even a single seconds delay in ... | |
| dsc power 832 | 6/6/2009 |
| Q: i can't arm the system. in the trouble mode it says general system supervisory. can i bypass this ... A: James, General system supervisory usually means that a zone is either shorted, or has lost the end ... | |
| dcs 832 | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a DSC 832 and I do not have a a monitor service but when I have a phone line failure the ... A: The problem isn't a TLM, if it were, the siren would sound whenever the phone line dropped. I ... | |
| CCTV camera sharp in the day but blur at night | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: In my installation, i uses samsung SDC415 camera and auto Iris Varifocal motorised zoom lens. In the ... A: James, Fortunately for you, this is a very easily solved problem that is fairly common. Your ... | |
| FBI XL4C panel | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: We were testing this panel and some smokes acted like verification but only went into trouble and we ... A: Ira, All of the smokes? If all of them go into the "alarm verification" status, I would think that ... | |
| CCTV Cameras losing video signal | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: I've got a camera system that I installed myself. It consists of a PC, 8ch dvr card (240fps), and 8 ... A: Tim, With a "do-it-yourself" type system such as you have, it is very difficult to try to pinpoint ... | |
| kiddie smoke alarms | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: Can a humidifier set off these smoke detectors? A: Cynthia, Not typically, as humidifiers don't put that much moisture into the air. However, it would ... | |
| CCTV | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Please what spec of cameras see through vehicle wind-screen shield both during the day and night. ... A: Mike, Sorry for the delay, I was traveling. No, WDR is not the same as wide-angle. Wide Dynamic ... | |
| CCTV | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: Please what spec of cameras see through vehicle wind-screen shield both during the day and night. A: Mike, There is actually no specific camera that will guarantee a clear view through a windshield. ... | |
| Smoke detectors | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: Ok my question is there any problem if you install in the same building smoke detector battery ... A: Bekim, No, I am not a fireman. I am a design engineer with about 25 years exerience designing ... | |
| Local monitoring | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: Hey Steve, I just bought my home a few months ago and it came equiped with a Protect One Alarm ... A: Matthew, You actually have a couple of different questions - As far as a "local only" system, you ... | |
| Wiring Hardwire 120v smokes into 12v panel | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: We moved into a house that has hardwired interconnected smoke detectors (including one in the ... A: Brian, Unfortunately, this will not be possible, unless the existing smoke detectors have an ... | |
| smoke alarm | 2/4/2009 |
| Q: My 1989 home has the original Lifesaver model 1225 smoke alarms. I tested one for the first time and ... A: Steve, As far as the alarm tone, I have heard pulsed, but I have also heard steady as well. It ... | |
| Alabama License | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: Do you need a low voltage or specialty license to do CCTV and access control in Alabama and ... A: Mark, Alabama and Mississippi are similiar in that they will require a contractors license for any ... | |
| trouble dsc pc1555 | 1/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a dsc classic pc 1555. I don't know much about it as it was here when I bought the house. It ... A: Scott, I believe the system is telling you that there is a problem with your smoke detector circuit ... | |
| fire alarm | 1/16/2009 |
| Q: I have 9 fire alarms all hardwired. This morning the power went out and after some time passed, all ... A: Warren, My guess would be that the relays inside one of the smoke detectors triggered from the power ... | |
| cctv license | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: Is there and do I need to have a cctv or low voltage license to install cctv in the state of texas ... A: Joe, Texas is a fairly restrictive state regarding professions of this type. Not only will you need ... | |
| security | 1/13/2009 |
| Q: history of homeland security A: Desed, I'm not really any kind of historian, but this is my understanding - After the events of ... | |
| security | 1/13/2009 |
| Q: what are the different types off security and what do they do. A: gfdesedf There are many different things which might be considered "security". In my field, ... | |
| Smoke Detector | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: Hey Stevens, I have a relatively new home, 3 years old. The smoke detectors in the house are ... A: Doug, First, smoke detectors are not really my specialty, and you should consult a properly ... | |
| Alarm Power 832 Security System PC 5010 | 1/1/2009 |
| Q: Alarm Power 832 Security System PC 5010 Question Since we switched our phone service to VOIP the ... A: R, DSC equipment has a built in Telephone Line Monitor (TLM). This device causes the siren to ... | |
| Alarms Arming | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: I recently installed a PC 1616 DSCSystem, following the next steps: 0.-Installer Code : 5555 ... A: Mario, On these types of dialers, you will need a constant 12 volts DC to power it. Then, it ... | |
| Alarms Arming | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: I recently installed a PC 1616 DSCSystem, following the next steps: 0.-Installer Code : 5555 ... A: Mario, I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Do you want to know how to program the alarm to call ... | |
| firex 120-10728 troubleshooting | 12/23/2008 |
| Q: I have 7 firex smokes and they are installed. They are randomly signaling, a single beep and I ... A: Gary, Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with Firex system equipment. The only thing I could think of ... | |
| Discontinued ADT service but alarm went off | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: The previous owner of the house had an ADT service. We moved in to the house and did not sign up ... A: Bob, I do not think there is anyway to disable the panel and keep the smoke detectors working. You ... | |
| DSC Power 608 installation problem | 12/8/2008 |
| Q: Im installing a DSC 608 alarm system in my home. When i try to arm the system it only keeps beeping ... A: You are correct, there was most likely a bad value entered into one of the programming locations. ... | |
| CH problem | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: I have a Brinks home system that is no longer monitored and recently I have been getting a "CH" ... A: Wayne, On most systems, simply arming and disarming the panel will clear it. On some systems, ... | |
| CH problem | 11/28/2008 |
| Q: I have a Brinks home system that is no longer monitored and recently I have been getting a "CH" ... A: Wayne, The only thing I could find is a reference to a "check history" message. This would indicate ... | |
| Prewired Smoke Detector | 11/22/2008 |
| Q: I have 5 prewired smoke detectors in my home. One smoke detector intermittently beeps. Resetting the ... A: Norris, Even thouh hardwired, many residential smoke detectos also have a back-up 9 volt battery. ... | |
| DSC 832 tone goes off at same time after I corrected time on a panel | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: I was correcting the time in my DSC 832 for fall back and somehow I set it up to a alarm that buzzes ... A: Braden, With most electronics that are run by an on board processor, you get an instruction manual ... | |
| Wiring a security camera system | 11/18/2008 |
| Q: I'm trying to figure out the best way to get the wiring from the cameras (outside), to my DVR ... A: Jason, The best way, if the construction of the house and placement of the cameras allow, would be ... | |
| Sprinkler Pipe Codes | 11/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in a condo and this past weekend while installing new moulding, I punctured a sprinkler pipe ... A: Brian, What a bummer!! Unfortunately, all of the codes dealing with sprinkler systems have to do ... | |
| power 832 | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: My alarm system trouble light is on. Viewing trouble conditions shows General System Supervisory. I ... A: Jim, Let me figure this out - When you say modules, you do mean individual devices which have the ... | |
| power 832 | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: My alarm system trouble light is on. Viewing trouble conditions shows General System Supervisory. I ... A: Jim, A supervisory trouble means that the panel can no longer "see" the resistor that should be at ... | |
| Ademco 4110XM | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: I just bought this system and plan to install a motion sensor in each of the six zones - that's it - ... A: Rob, You can just hook one wire to low, and the other to high. It really does not matter which. You ... | |
| Keypad won't stop beeping | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a Protection One fire/alarm system and about a month ago it started beeping every few hours. ... A: Anton, The beeping indicates that your system has a "trouble" condition. Manufacturers do not build ... | |
| Camera Security | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I have couple of vacant house which on the market right now. I want record all the activities about ... A: David, There are plenty of systems that will do what you want. Do an internet search on "Nuvico". ... | |
| Alarm | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: My security alarm goes off at midnight 3 times and at 7 am another time. All 4 times the alarm was ... A: Liz, I don't know what else it could be besides auto-arm. Perhaps the panel programming has gone ... | |
| Alarm | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: My security alarm goes off at midnight 3 times and at 7 am another time. All 4 times the alarm was ... A: Liz, I'm not sure what you mean by "goes off 3 times," etc. Do you mean the siren sounds and you ... | |
| keypad indicates that motion detector needs battery | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: My question is similar to one I noticed that has been asked. You told the person to let you know ... A: There are at least 2 possible solutions - #1 - The LED light on the motiion detector is not ... | |
| Hardwiring outdoor garden lights | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: I have about 8 outdoor 'malibu' garden lights in my yard and would like to hard wire them to the ... A: Fred, It should not be too difficult. The Malibu lights I am familiar with operate on 24 Volts DC. ... | |
| Smoke Detectors | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: I have 3 hard wired smoke detectors, one on each floor and the one closest to the kitchen will go ... A: Andy, Absolutely. Some of that smoke that was in the air is now comfortably resting on the ... | |
| Security system error. | 10/2/2008 |
| Q: How can I clear a system trouble error code E41-08. On a Gemini RP1CAe2 computerized security ... A: Donald, I found the following information at the Napco website: "SYSTEM TROUBLE/E41-NN SERVICE. ... | |
| DSC 1555 LED panel set clock | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I have a DSC 1555 panel. after a few days of loss of power, the trouble light turned on. I changed ... A: Josh, I don't think that a DSC panel has any trouble condition related to time. On your keypad, you ... | |
| Smoke Detectors | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: Please advise on the following problem: I have a seven fireex smoke detectors, model 120-1182 that ... A: Gary, Only other thing I can think of is to replace the chirping smoke. If that does not work, call ... | |
| Smoke detector Chirp | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: All smoke detectors have new batteries. One at the top of steps kept chirpping so I went to fix it ... A: Alan, Don't really know what the problem could be, maybe it is another smoke that is still mounted ... | |
| trouble light | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: We have had our DSC PC1500 since buying our house 7 years ago. We do not use a monitoring company. ... A: Jule, Sounds like the system never tried to communicate as the zones are programmed for "local ... | |
| ADEMCO keypad | 9/12/2008 |
| Q: Sorry to be so silly......I have an ADT Security system with an ADEMCO keypad. I have had the ... A: Vicki, You are not silly, just not educated on alarms. I know alarms, but I bet I would ask some ... | |
| Hard wired detector | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Of late our detector has been sounding periodically during sleeping hours and the day, about every ... A: Bill, Typically even hard-wired smoke detectors have a 9 volt battery backup in case of power ... | |
| FBII Legend Alarm System | 9/4/2008 |
| Q: Have a Fbii legend alarm system, when the power goes off (frequently here in fl) and comes back on, ... A: Rick, Yes, the back-up battery for your system is in the main control box, which is most likely ... | |
| Ademco 4110 System in Not Ready & Can't Bypass | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: I have an Ademco 4110/4110DL/4110XM via 16 system per the manual. The system has only motion ... A: Mike, If I remember the via 16, it has 2 hardwired zones, I think 10 and 11, which your motion ... | |
| Ademco 4110 System in Not Ready & Can't Bypass | 9/2/2008 |
| Q: I have an Ademco 4110/4110DL/4110XM via 16 system per the manual. The system has only motion ... A: Michael, If you have a Via 16, that is a wireless system. I think that the system is telling you ... | |
| a good fire alarm book | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: Can you recommend a good fire alarm system book that covers everything from installing to ... A: There are several sources for information on fire alarms. On your internet browser, enter "NFPA", ... | |
| CCTV over Cat 5 cabling | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: Found your response to similar question. We are working with our community schools to install a CCTV ... A: Joe, There are 2 different ways you can use the Cat V cabling - #1 - IP Video. You can get ... | |
| Maybe you know... | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: The adapter for my hand vac (Black and Decker) burnt out. The Mfg. hasn't been helpful. I need 16V ... A: Shlomo, Radio Shack should have a variable step down transformer, switch selectable for 6v, 12v, ... | |
| Reset Ranger American security panel | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: We just moved into a home that has a PC1500 RK security alarm system, but I don't know how to reset ... A: A PC1500 RK is a basic alarm manufactured by DSC (Digital Security Corporation). The panel's ... | |
| Neighbor's security alarm | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: We had a storm blow through at 2:00am and made the neighbor's security alarm go off. They aren't ... A: I am very sorry for the headache you must have now. There are 2 things you can do - #1 - This will ... | |
| security systems | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: I am working as an Electrician. I do not have any experience in low voltage like audio and video, ... A: Amarjeet, Hello. Unfortunately, there are not many books dealing specifically with low voltage ... | |
| CCTV | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: HEY BUDY GOOD MORNING \TELL ME DO I NEED A LINCES TO DO ONLY CCTV IN NY.NJ.CA. please help me A: I am not sure about NY or NJ, but here in CA you will need either a C-7 Low Voltage, or a C-10 ... | |
| CCTV/Security License | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: I have a security license in the state of Texas and I am being asked to install a cctv system and ... A: Ron, States vary in licensing requirements. Having recently completed the Texas application, I know ... | |
| re: Windows not alarmed anymore | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: WE have a PC2550 DSC which has worked beautifully for the last 16 years. Just recently we opened a ... A: Terrie, There are several different things that could be wrong. After this amount of time, the ... | |
Security & Fire Protection Systems
Answers by Expert:
Steven Burman
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Any question related to Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA), Access Control Systems (ACS), Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS), and "Single Platform" Systems Integration Technical Writing and Documentation
Experience
25 years in the design and installation of security systems. 9 years experience in port and maritime security systems.
Publications
Government Security News
Education/Credentials
Various Factory Certifications
Past/Present Clients
Moffatt & Nichol, Engineers (Port of Long Beach, Port of San Diego, Alabama State Docks), Disney Studios, McDonnell Douglas, Various Celebrities
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