Re: Here's one for the books

["Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

Allan Waghalter wrote:
> I called Ademco Technical Friday with some help on a Vista 20P on a
> takeover.  Technicial ridiculed me for using the downloader to
program a
> Vista 20P.  Thought that was a "baby" panel and was too easy to
program by
> hand to even justify connecting compass.  When I challenged the fact
that I
> was showing a 5881M receiver in "globals" it would not allow me to
program
> 10 wireless zones.  Hardwire was already doubled to 16 zones.  Told
me to
> change the receiver in software to 5881H...which did work, and that
the
> receiver type was not communicated to the panel and only controlled
what the
> software would accept.
>
> The panel was disarmed.  The log showed being armed the night before,
but no
> disarming.  The tech said the log wasn't reliable and I shouldn't use
it to
> see when the system was turned on or off?  He did nothing to build
> confidence for his product or company.  He was told up front that I
> generally used Napco and did nothing to try and show me his product
was
> good.
>
> Another reason I install Napco!


Personally, I think they don't have inferior equipment as some people
state as the reason they don't buy Ademco. I don't use their equipment
primarily because they (in my opinion) have a large gap in their
product development. As the largest mfg you'd think they would be first
and formost in inovations across the board, but it seems to me that
their low and middle products (panels and sensors) are always lagging
behind and their innovations are all in areas like Alarm net, IP
monitoring and Symphony etc. It's like ..... since they've set a
standard with Contact ID, they're trying to set the direction of the
industry in other areas too, and sacrafice the innovations in the other
areas. The original reason I stopped using them was because their
installation instructions just became so disorganized, one had to call
for technical assistance to get information that was left out or that
was contradictory or wrong.

When I'm going to try a new product, I'll order a full set of
instructions weeks ahead of time and read and highlight the
instructions. Call tech help, and then do a set up on the bench. Maybe
have to call once or twice more to get the little things ironed out and
then install. Well it took so many calls on what ever panel I was
working on,( I forget which one it was). And I wound up telling tech
help and sales, what was wrong with the instructions. They weren't even
aware of many of the things I was finding wrong. And ....... this was
after the product had been in the field for quite a few months. I just
said to hell with it and bought a Napco panel and chip programmer and
installed it a few days later. Back then, once you bought the chip
programmer, you were committed. Been using them ever since. I'm
thinking that Ademco has probably improved since then, but ..........
too late now. You can't change horses in mid stream nor make them drink
water. Or something like that. Anyway.....

I'd really like to use their touch pad but I'll just have to wait for
someone to come out with a universal product.

Can you just see it?   Street Smart universal touch screen ...  $69.95
Just attach it to the keypad bus and turn the sucker on !   :-0