Re: Have you heard about the "Unlocker"

["tourman" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Roland, I am a bit reticent to comment on this approach to unlocking
boards, because I (and several others on the newsgroup) unlock boards
as well. So anything I say will be (and likely should be) treated as
biased. However, having said that, I will  offer a couple of thoughts
on the matter.

Let me make it perfectly clear, I don't know all the inner workings of
this device, but I DO know how it achieves it's stated goal. In my
personal opinion ONLY, this approach applies too much brute force to be
universally safe for the board. Those who stand to gain by doing it
this way will surely disagree of course. But whatever the truth may be,
and for anyone choosing to do it this way, I would STRONGLY suggest you
check the dialers after doing it, to make sure the board will still
communicate. Any "active" defaulting method always poses risks. This
device, if it proves to work, will only work with selected models and
board versions, and will not work universally (I think they say that
somewhere on their site). Plus it is expensive given that sending
boards away in bulk only costs $15 a board (in my case only, not sure
what Jim charges for bulk orders). And with the huge supply of
defaulted boards I keep in stock (speaking for myself only), I will
often give the client another board free of charge, if his board comes
in defective to start with. But it does mean no changing of boards for
the installer, and makes the service immediately available. This could
be quite valuable for any small company who only comes upon a locked
board on rare occasion. But if it does prove successful, it could
encourage those who lock boards unjustly (as opposed to those who use
the feature properly), to do so with more enthusiasm.

I am very surprised that anyone would spend the R&D on such a device
with such little anticipated payback. I don't know what it cost them to
develop this product, but I suspect they may have fooled themselves and
their financial backers with an overly optomistic business plan and
forecast. Board unlocking has never been a big moneymaker, and likely
never will be. Even doing it in bulk, and considering all the time and
monies spent, my profit levels are marginal at best. Speaking again
only for myself, I get my satisfaction out of doing it by knowing I am
helping some poor slob save HIS board, and preventing an unethical
company from extorting a client !!  Profit is a distant second - so far
it's just covered my costs !!

I have the email addresses of the 2500 alarm companies across Canada
(inluding a separate list of companies in Eastern Ontario which are the
only ones I service), but decided that to send them an email message
would likely be regarded as spam, so I and my Western based friend
decided up front not to do so. I only got into learning to do it
because of local abuse of the locking feature, and because I like a
personal challenge. I am hoping to expand this service into boards by
GE, Caddx and the Concord line -  time,  demand and inclination
dependant of course. However, once I am out of the alarm business and
my son takes over, this service (at least through me) will no longer be
available. At that point, I will bulk ship my equipment to either Jim
Rojas or my western based friend free of charge for them to add to
their equipment resources as they see fit. And since I will be spending
winters in Florida from now on, I may just deliver it to Jim....but
it'll cost him a days fishing !!!..))  But that eventuality is still
several years away.....

I did have one semi serious offer to sell this capability several years
ago, but refused and always will. I gave my word early on I wouldn't
divulge what I know, and I will never  break that trust. If this makes
me a sort of sanctimonious sounding "judge, jury and executioner" by
default, then so be it.!! If anyone takes offence to my maintaining
that relative exclusivity, tough shit !!!

I genuinely hope the company selling the product IS successful. I
admire anyone who takes an entrepreneurial approach to business, even
when the driving motive is purely financial. I doubt that it will ever
affect mine, Action Jackson's, or Jim Rojas's business in unlocking
boards, such as things are. But I  hope these folks have done their
forecasting homework !!

BTW, to comment on your questions, I doubt that the alarm manufacturers
could or would bother with objections other than perhaps taking a cheap
shot at it by scaring them with a lawyer's letter !!  And you'll have
to take my word for this, there is NOTHING they can do to prevent
unlocking their panels, although they might be able to block this
specific device on the short term.

The world is changing through the wide reach of the internet. Where
there is a will, someone will step in to fill the void. Such is life
today. I'm sure the manufacturers are smart enough to see that. Besids,
any efforts to stop this sort of thing would be like "plugging a dike
with your finger"...:))

Manufacturers, being the big companies they are by nature, unless it
starts to impact on their sales, the whole thing would be looked at
like "a fart in a windstorm...a tiny noise but no smell !!"

R.H.Campbell
Home Security Metal Products
www.homemetal.com




Roland Moore wrote:
> Do you think that manufacturers will begin to make the lock out feature more
> robust and harder to unlock in the future?
> Have you received any feedback from any manufacturers? Or their lawyers?
>
> Do you live in Carlsbad Norm?
> I am very familiar with that area, or I used to be at least
> .
> "Norm Mugford" <1alarm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:gjNmh.39438$3v6.35157@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Received this email this morning about this product.
> > Anyone heard about it?
> >
> > The TAKE-OVER Solution You've Been Waiting For
> >
> >
> >
> > Reduce Your Labor Costs
> >
> > Acquire new accounts for as little as $19.95
> >
> > No more pulling panels off the wall
> >
> > Reset locked codes in less than 30 seconds
> >
> >
> >
> > The "Instant Unlocker" is scheduled to arrive from our factory on January
> > 15. For details, please go to
> >
> > www.instantunlocker.com or call 888-869-4737.
> >
> >
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> >
> >
> > Dave Castle
> >
> > ABT, Inc.
> >
> > 5817 Dryden Place, Suite 104
> >
> > Carlsbad, CA 92008
> >
> > Toll: 760-438-4693
> >
> > Toll Free: 888-869-4737
> >
> > Fax: 760-438-8790
> >
> > Mobile: 619-504-7793
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Norm Mugford
> >
> >
> >
> > I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
> > http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html
> >