Re: Lightning Strikes Again...

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Crash wrote:
> I stopped using recessed contacts in aluminum or steel frames for just
> this reason. Seems they are more likely to weld closed than using
> surface mount contacts. I discover this years ago when doing 3
> interconnected model homes. 2 days after installing probably 60
> contacts there was a close lightning hit...every freekin one of the
> Sentrol recessed contacts in the aluminum windows welded closed, but
> not the ones in the wood frame doors though. Pissed me off.


We had a lightning strike on a fence between two warehouses.  One had an
ADT Focus system and the other had one of ours.  Seems the ADT contacts
(private labelled Sentrols) all welded closed but the GRI's we used were
completely unaffected.  One lightning hit isn't what you'ld call
sufficient proof of "quality" of one contact over another (at least in
my book), but it was enough for the owner of both the warehouses.  We
replaced the ADT panel and contacts.

Another "beef" I have on the ADT "Focus" panels with the multi line
alpha keypads...  When the phone line to the panel goes down, it's
displayed quite prominently on the keypad "Telephone Line Trouble".  In
a commercial environment where you have a lot of employees and
subcontractors coming and going, this kind of information shouldn't be
made so readily accessible, don't you think?  I mean, isn't a security
system supposed to provide some sort of "security"??  Duhhh!