Re: DCS Power 832

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

You are absolutely right on the money. Here is the case that happens SO
often and which I constantly get shit over on the newsgroup because I
complain about it. This is no way for any professional company to act,
and many people in the industry seem to not only turn a blind eye to
it, but insist these things don't happen very often. Or they'll come
back implying you are not being straight about this. This is the sort
of self serving industry crap that the buying public so often have to
put up with. No damn wonder so many people take a jaundiced view of
those selling monitoring services !!

All the previous company needs to do is dial in and change the
installer code back to factory - nothing more. They don't need to give
you their installer code (nor would I either for that matter). While
they are at it, they can disable the dialers and remove all their
"proprietary information"at the same time PLUS remove the lockout
feature to ensure you or your next company can easily reprogram it.

 I suggest you talk to them again, and let them know that this is YOUR
private property, and they are keeping you from legitimate use of YOUR
property (which may be illegal in your jurisdiction), and that you will
take it to not only the authorities, but the local newspaper, and the
the Better Business Bureau in your area. Be firm but polite. Once they
know you are not the usual customer who will take this sort of abuse,
they likely will relent, but at some sort of service charge no doubt.
If this is a modern panel, they don't (or damn well shouldn't) have to
send a tech out on site either to do it, since all modern panels can be
uploaded / downloaded with software available to all dealers from the
manufacturers.

I wish you luck. If this doesn't work, contact me privately, and I
guarantee we can put your panel back to usable shape.

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

Casual Observer wrote:
> "Sarcasm" ??? No offense taken at all - I really appreciate it when people
> try and help me, or explain something that I'm not familiar with.
>
> I did a bit more research as to how to get it into Installer Programming
> Mode, and it turns out that the company "configured" the system when I
> bought the house about three years ago (existing home - the system was
> already installed in the house) - somehow programmed in their own installer
> code or whatever it's called when they set up the system, and they've
> refused to give me the code that they programmed in so I could change the
> programing on the unit on my own ! ! !  I read on one site how I could reset
> the installer code by jumpering some connections and such, but I had visions
> of the system going off with no way to shut it off besides clipping the
> wires.
>
> This just doesn't seem right - it's my system - I own the system along with
> the house - I only contracted with them for monitoring services - I decided
> not to renew the monitoring service contract after a year or two - now I
> find that I'm locked in to them if I want to use the system - doesn't seem
> right to me - I may give them a call tomorrow and help them see it my way.
>
> Like buying a car - and finding out you can only go to the dealer for gas.
>
> Thanks again!
>
> "tourman" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1167861967.032700.29540@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Glad to help ! Please excuse the sarcasm in my past reply. I'm becoming
> > pretty jaded over the years with people cutting the legs off their
> > alarm system by not having it properly monitored.
> >
> > But with the rates and contractual commitments that some of the larger
> > firms charge, I guess I can't really blame you too much. If you want to
> > service and warranty it yourself, and you're really being honest about
> > your abilities to do so and believe you can, you may want to talk to
> > www.themonitoringcentre.ca. They are as inexpensive as it gets and are
> > still able to give you professional quality monitoring. But do yourself
> > a favour and do get it monitored.
> >
> > Cheers !
> >
> > RHC
> >
> > Casual Observer wrote:
> >> I appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me.
> >>
> >> "tourman" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> >> news:1167857828.742248.190730@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> > Doug answered your question. Go into installer programming mode and
> >> > turn the dialers off (section 380, 1 light "off").Then the panel won't
> >> > try to dial out. You may have to power down / power up to clear the
> >> > trouble, and then re-enter the clock time (as he also said)
> >> >
> >> > You can program it to dial your cell phone, but it will give you no
> >> > useful information (other than a heart attack when a wrong number /
> >> > quick disconnect makes you think your alarm has triggered.....:))
> >> >
> >> > And yes, disabling communications will still allow it to work in "local
> >> > / useless mode".....
> >> >
> >> > RHC
> >> >
> >> > Casual Observer wrote:
> >> >> The trouble light that's lit on the panel indicates that the issue is
> >> >> "The
> >> >> panel has failed to communicate with the central station."
> >> >>
> >> >> In
> >> >> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.security.alarms/browse_thread/thread/a93603c60f7d3297/9dd52362ae7c1e4d?lnk=st&q=%22failed+to+communicate+with+the+central+station%22&rnum=3&hl=en#9dd52362ae7c1e4d,
> >> >> poster "Doug L" who seems to know EVERYTHING about EVERY security
> >> >> system
> >> >> suggested "Program it as local and then power it down and back up
> >> >> again,
> >> >> reset the clock and the trouble light should go out".
> >> >>
> >> >> My system isn't connected to a central monitoring station - how do I
> >> >> "program it as a local" so it doesn't continue to try and connect?
> >> >>
> >> >> I assume that making it a local will still generate alarms inside the
> >> >> house,
> >> >> there just won't be any call to the monitoring facility to alert them
> >> >> of
> >> >> trouble.  Any way I could program it to call my cell phone instead?
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks!
> >> >
> >