Re: EOL's

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 20 Feb 2006 04:27:57 -0800, "Al Colombo"
<securitymission@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Thanks, Frank.
>
> I can assure you that Bass is not telling the truth on the issue.

I can assure you that Al is lying on this matter.  He made up the
conversation to suit his own weak ego.

> He has no idea about my background...

Your foreground being what it is, it's difficult even to see your
background.

> I think it's not that hard to tell a "reporter" who writes
> about security from someone who's worked in the
> field.

I never said you hadn't worked in the field many years ago.  I
said that most of the stuff you "write" is just quotes from what
others have written for you.

> I've never elaborated much in the news group or in
> any of the mags concerning my past.  Perhaps it's
> time to do that...

Yes, tell us about your "degree" as an engineer's assistant.
Which university was that?

> This will be one of the longer posts I've made on the
> news group, so please forgive.

All is forgiven (and most snipped)

>
> I had my own company from 1974 through 1986.  When I sold it, the name
> of the firm was Alarm & Communications Co.  I specialized in apartment
> security as I was a Nutone Independent Installing Dealer as well as a
> Nutone Service Center...

Ah, yes.  Nutone Intercoms.  They were junk even by the standards
at the time.  I've ripped out more Nutone intercoms than I care
to recall.  We'd bring sheet rock and lots of spackle every time
we replaced one since the old Nutones were huge, recessed boxes.

I've yet to see a 5-year old Nutone intercom that was still
working.  I sell replacement parts for them only because most
people don't want to fix the huge holes that would be left in
their walls if they replaced them with better quality hardware.

If you were pushing Nutone I can understand why you had to get
out of the business.  After a while it would take three service
techs for every installer just to keep up with the constantly
failing hardware.

> I also held a distributorship with tekTone and Faraday.

That's nice.  I have relationships with almost every major
manufacturer and distributor in the industry.

> I worked primarily with Napco burglar alarm systems in
> those early days...

Thank goodness you got that part right.

> In 1980 I studied and became a locksmith ...
>
> My forte ended up within the industrial fire suppression...

You were a plumber, too.  What an interesting resume.  When I get
back to Florida I'll give you a call.  We have a drain that keeps
getting clogged and... :^)

> and detection sectors as I worked for about 7 of those
> 12 years for a large fire suppression company who worked
> three states.  I ended up selling my company in 1986 to
> that firm and working for them for 3 1/2 years until I took
> the full time position with SDM.

Knowing how little SDM pays vs the potential income from
operating an alarm company, one wonders what problems led to your
dismissal.

> While I worked for that firm...
> --- snip ---
> You can't help but pick up a thing or two with that kind
> of experience...

Perhaps if you had learned a thing or two about resistor
tolerance I'd believe you.

> I re-entered the field in 2001 when I resigned from SDM.

Why did they fire you?  SDM is a pretty tolerant outfit.  They
must have been really upset with you over something.

> I ended up working at a large electrical firm where I
> establshed a low-voltage company.  We were in the
> black in about 2 years and three months. I resigned
> from there in the fall of 2004 when I signed on full
> time with SSI.

So here you were, running a successful alarm company again and
yet you took a major pay cut to become a reporter for a third
rate trade mag?  What's wrong with this picture, Al?  Why is it
that every time you work for someone else you end up "resigning"
as soon as they are on their feet?  Could it be that there's an
underlying personality disorder or are you just making this stuff
up?

> To address the alarm problem/resistor issue itself, I don't even think
> the original poster's problem was directly related to the EOL changing
> it's resistance since he was referring to a burglar alarm system that
> uses a closed loop.  I posted my thoughts on that as well.

Yes, and you were wrong.  You tried to explain resistor tolerance
as the issue, stating that the rated tolerance has to do with how
much the resistor will drift over time.  Of course, that doesn't
explain anything at all since there are no resistors made with a
57% tolerance rating.  Could it just possibly be that you were
simply wrong and that all the rest of this crap is an attempt to
avoid admitting the simple truth.  You spoke "through your hat"
as the saying goes.

> As far as tolerance goes, there's not a lot to discuss, really.
> If you have a 1,000 ohm resistor and it has a 10% tolerance
> band, out of the box it could be a anywhere from 900 to
> 1100 ohms in resistance.

Very good.  That is what I tried to explain to you.  You're
learning.

> Really, what else is there to say about tolerance?

Not much at all.

> But my point was this, if you are dealing with a 20% tolerance
> resistor, and given time with heat and humidity, or an induced
> high current from a nearby lightning strike, the variance from
> the required ohmage can vary even wider.

Uh, no.  That is not what you originally said, Al.  You said that
the marked tolerance is an indication of how much the resistor
will drift over time.  That is of course incorrect.

> If you use a resistor with a tighter tolerance, say 10%
> or even 5%, you're to begin with closer to the ohmage
> you want so that a little drift won't matter as much.

There was nothing in the OP's post indicating a 20% tolerant
resistor was used.  In fact, it was likely a 5% resistor since
that's what almost everyone uses.

> This was my point I was trying to get across in the begin
> with.

No, Al.  That is not what you originally said.  If you had put it
that way I'd have almost agreed except that I seriously doubt the
resistor changed by 57%.

> Thanks for letting me ramble on.

Feel free to ramble at any time.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

--

Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large
groups.