Re: Dear Non Paying Customer,

[Karl Magnus <magnus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

robertlbass@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>> This is to acknowledge receipt of your scrawled note across your PAST DUE
>>statement.  We gladly terminate your service effective immediately.  We do
>>however need to point out a couple things...
>
>
> One alarm company had another method which worked rather effectively.
> They used to program every system to send nightly self-test signals.
> Attached to their primary receiver's incoming lines was a Rochelle
> 6-line caller ID device.  The device sent caller ID (ICLID data) via
> serial port to one of their computers.  That PC ran a program which a
> certain person wrote that would compare every incoming call to a list
> of "deadbeat" phone numbers.  Anyone who failed to pay AND refused to
> allow them to deprogram the C-station information from their system had
> their number added to the list.
>
> The list never had more than a few numbers on it at any given time.
> Here's why.  Also connected to that PC was an RS-232 controlled
> 8-position relay board.  The relays were wired in series with the
> receiver's phone lines.  Any time a "deadbeat" sent a signal the line
> would be interrupted for 5 seconds -- long enough to cause the dialer
> to hang up and initiate a retry.  They programmed most systems for 5 to
> 8 tries.  After that they would go into a trouble mode.  Most systems
> were programmed to send test signals in the middle of the night.  Most
> residential clients had a keypad in the master bedroom.  Upon a
> "failure to communicate" trouble condition the keypads would make a
> racket.
>
> This caused the client to call for service.  That in turn gave the
> alarm company an opportunity to remove their phone numbers from the
> deadbeat's alarm panel and (sometimes) caused said deadbeat to pay the
> bill.
>
> I'm not saying who did this, but if you've got a modicum of programming
> skills and a bit of patience I can teach you how to do it.  :^)
>
> Of course, since the whole affair isn't UL you couldn't really use it
> unless you had a small, non-listed central station.  Then again, most
> of the people who participate here have never touched a UL-listed
> system anyway so that might not be an issue.
>
> Regards,
> Robert L Bass
> www.BassBurglarAlarms.com
>

Har! , the ITI stuff had a 12 hour delay before trouble beeps were
audible on the later systems.