Re: Can I do this, will it help my friend

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

mm wrote:
> From a friend who runs a ministorage, I got a bunch of old burglar
> alarm hardware, and I want to put in a burglar alarm for my home and
> also save a little money for another friend, who has a burglar alarm
> company.
>
> As a general rule, will I usually be able to use any 4-wire keypad
> with any control panel that has a 4-wire keypad input?

Nope.  You can only use the keypads designed for the particular system.
  There aren't (to my knowledge) any universal keypads out there unless
you want to go for an IEI type keypad and program your system for
keyswitch arming.  You'll lose all the benefits of having the system
keypad though (trouble, alarm, and miscellaneous functions like
bypassing, etc.)


>
> If not most combinations, what about a Moose Z1100 keypad with a Moose
> Z900 control panel.   The stuff I got includes new ones of these, at
> least they are perfectly clean and still in the box, complete with
> installation and operator's manuals.**

Moose was an excellent panel in its day.  I'd suggest upgrading to
something a little newer (particularly if you want the panel to page you
for specific events or if you want to have it monitored over the internet).


>
> Although my burglar alarm friend said he could install it in an hour,
> I didn't want him to come in to my incredibly messy home, so he gave
> me the standard panel he uses, new in the box, for me to install,
> because he knows I can do it if I take enough time, and maybe because
> he plans to give me at least 5 dollars a month off on the monitoring,
> maybe more, and figures it's ok if I do some of the work.

Sounds good.  Is your home pre-wired??  If your installer friend can
install a whole system in a home in about an hour, I definitely want to
talk to him.  :-)


>
> He generally uses the same panel for all his customers so he only has
> to use one brand of software at his end to make changes, but I"m never
> going to ask him to make changes***.  He and his family do favors for
> me all the time, and I try to find things to do for them, but afaic,
> they're still way ahead.  He's overloaded at work (remember my
> previous thread about his having a hard time finding employees.) so my
> question is, even though the best panel I have now is the Moose Z900,
> and the panels he installs are from DSC since he's not going anything
> online, will they cause him any MORE work?

Use the DSC stuff.  He'll be more comfortable dealing with it (even if
he has to program it from the keypad if you don't opt to have it
connected to your telephone line.


>
> Since I won't be using one of the panels he buys, will that save him
> any money, or are they so cheap it doesn't matter?

A favor's a favor.  Don't ask "how much it costs" if you're getting
something for "free".  Most friends would consider that an insult.


>
> If you offerred to put a burglar alarm in your friend's home, and were
> going to charge him less than others for monitoring, would you be
> annoyed if he didn't want to use your panel, because he found another
> "in the trash"?   I get a kick, a lot of satisfaction, out of using
> things I've found in the trash or at yard sales, etc.

No.  If the panel works and you have all the manuals, there shouldn't be
a problem.  I think if you were to compare them "side by side" though,
the DSC stuff will blow the doors off the Moose.