Re: Church told to hang own fire panel

["Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms>]

> In many cases it takes experience to know
> what you are fighting. I can't tell you how
> many times I have found faulty instructions,
> parts etc that frustrate the simplest alarm
> installations and repairs...

Yep.  That is true.  I gwt calls about defective
products as often as paid installers do.  Every
so often something is bad out of the box.
That's what warranty service (typically, an
advance replacement from the distributor) is
for.

> Just today I was told that a certain keypad
> won't work with a certain panel, although the
> instructions clearly say it will. The factory is
> sending a new chip...

Huh?  Are you saying the keypad won't work
with the panel until you upgrade the panel
firmware?  If so, that brings up a neat
coincidence.  Tonight I walked a client through
upgrading the firmware on his Napco Gemini
system.  He's non-technical so it took some
coaching over the phone but he got it done ok.
This was aboout the 30th DIYer in the last
couple of months to upgrade Gemini firmware.

> They would not send one to a DIY or probably
> even speak to one...

The DIYer doesn't need to speak to the
manufacturer.  That's my job.  Napco doesn't
have the manpower to coach hundreds of DIY
customers.  Instead, they explain to us in the
trade and we teach our customers.  I've been
a Napco dealer for more than 25 years and
have never had trouble getting tech support.

> The alarm industry in too many cases is not
> a mature enough industry for the DIY, even
> the most erudite (church goers or not)...

I'm not sure to what immaturity your referring
but the fire alarm industry has been around
since 1852.  That was 155 years ago last
month.  Is that "mature" enough for you?  :^)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
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4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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