Guide to Fobs for Property Managers

What is a fob?

A fob is actually a remote transmitter that sends a signal to a remote receiver to activate a gate.
They are often called other names such as blipper; doofer; clicker etc

What fobs do Pearly Gate Maintenance recommend?

We recommend the NICE fob as we can securely pre-programme them at our offices and send them directly to the user ready to use.

All our fobs are posted via UK Royal Mail and signed for delivery so that we have proof that the correct person has received the fob for added site security.

Also, as each fob box is numbered, we can delete this fob from operation as long as you provide us with the number from its box.

This will not affect any other fobs, and it ensures that a lost or stolen fob will be redundant and stop working so that if a resident loses a fob or it is stolen, the site will remain secure.

What do we have to do to make the NICE fobs work?

Any fob has to ‘talk’ to a receiver, which will then activate the gate. We have to complete a one-off visit to install a NICE receiver on the gate so that the pre-programmed fobs we supply can talk to it.

Access to this receiver is locked to prevent unauthorised programming of blank fobs by others on site.

Once fitted, we do not need to return to the site to programme fobs, saving on the cost of future visits and speeding up the time between a fob request and supply.

Also, occasionally any make of fob receiver can break and need to be replaced. The NICE system means we can add all the fobs on our system to a new fob receiver, fit it to the gate and all the fobs will work as before.

Do we supply other makes of fobs?

Yes, we do, as long as we know which fobs the gate uses. For sites we have visited, we keep comprehensive fob information to help us identify the fobs we can supply.

A chargeable site visit may be required to programme the blank fob.

If we fit a NICE receiver, will all the old fobs still work?

Yes. When we fit a NICE receiver, it is wired independently of all the other existing receivers already fitted. If you can imagine each fob receiver having a plug, when you fit a receiver, you are effectively plugging it into a socket, such as into an extension lead.

If the other fob receivers are plugged in, they will continue to work as before.

Why do we sometimes have to visit the site to programme fobs?

Some fobs need to be programmed directly onto either the control board (which is the brain) or onto a fob receiver.

Why do residents sometimes have to have all the fobs handed in for programming?

Certain types of fobs must be programmed individually to the fob receiver. If the fob receiver fails and is replaced, all the residents’ fobs must be programmed onto the new fob receiver. This can be very time-consuming and costly.

Also, if the gate is used by lots of fobs, getting every fob added is difficult as some residents may be absent.
Plus, sometimes we are presented with a fob that does not work although we are assured it worked before.

On occasions when the control board’s internal memory is used to store residents’ information if the control board fails and has to be replaced, then all the resident’s fobs have to be programmed onto the replacement control board.

Finally, in our experience, gates suffer damage caused by residents whose fobs no longer work because they did not present them for programming.

Luckily, some makes of fobs only require the programming of an original working fob back onto the system and all the other fobs will start working again.

Why do we seek authorisation from the management company to supply fobs?

As we have no idea who is authorised to have access to the site via any gate, we must confirm that the person making the request is allowed to have a fob.

This ensures that only those people entitled to access the site can do so.

Do we supply or programme non-original equipment fobs?

The simple answer is no. We refer to these types of fobs as internet specials, which are often inferior copies.

However, they are often unreliable, and they can delete all the other fobs from the system, which can lead to operational issues at the site.

We have experienced residents purchasing and programming fobs of this type themselves and deleting all their neighbours’ fobs.

Also, when we supply genuine fobs from the original manufacturer, we know we can get technical support and warranty cover if there is an issue.

Why do fobs get wiped out of the system?

Some systems rely on a ‘master’ fob to programme future ‘slave’ fobs. If the ‘master’ fob is lost or fails, a new ‘master’ is required to add any additional fobs, which can be expensive and timely.

Also, some systems will allow additional fobs to be added but if they are not programmed in a set sequence, the system will overwrite all the existing fobs, effectively deleting them.

Gate engineers are very careful when programming fobs as deleting the existing fobs is something they fear.

Why do ask for a photo of the front and back of a fob?

As gate nerds, we have years of experience with fobs. Having a photo of the front and back of a fob allows us to potentially identify its make and model. If a replacement fob is required, we can confirm the next steps.

Why do we ask if the batteries have been checked?

When a resident says that a fob does not work, we will ask if the battery has been checked as often, they are sometimes surprised that a fob has a battery fitted.

Even if the light on the fob illuminates, sometimes the battery does not have enough voltage to power a signal to the gate. A replacement battery can often resolve a fob issue, which is a relatively cheap and quick fix.