Vista 20P not allowing program re-entry

[Airdorn <a-i-r-d-o-r-n@xxxxxxxxxx-m>]

Hiya=20all=20fellow=20alarm=20geeks=20:)

Consider=20the=20following=20scenario:


1.=20You=20install=20a=20Honeywell=20Vista=2020P=20system,=20inclu=
ding=20finishing=20all=20programming.

2.=20Months=20later,=20you=20return=20for=20whatever=20reason=20an=
d=20attempt=20to=20access=20programming=20using=20the=20installer=
=20code=20+=20800.=20Instead=20of=20entering=20program,=20you=20ge=
t=20the=20long=20high-pitched=20error=20beep=20disallowing=20progr=
amming=20mode=20entry.=20The=20only=20solution=20is=20to=20cuss=20=
the=20original=20installer=20for=20exiting=20with=20*98,=20cycle=
=20power,=20and=20re-entering=20program=20with=20*=20&=20#.

Only,=20it=20turns=20out=20that=20the=20installer,=20in=20fact,=20=
used=20*99=20as=20normal,=20and=20it=20turns=20out=20that=20a=20ra=
ndom=20fair=20amount=20of=20Vista=2020P's=20since=20firmware=20ver=
sion=209.12=20display=20this=20(errant=20?)=20behavior.

I=20have=20run=20into=20this=20randomly=20over=20the=20past=20year=
s.=20Each=20time=20it=20happens,=20I=20want=20to=20cuss=20the=20in=
stallers.=20But,=20really,=20they=20don't=20even=20know=20about=20=
exiting=20program=20with=20*98...=20they=20are=20hardwired=20to=20=
use=20*99=20as=20normal,=20for=20decades,=20because=20they=20are=
=20sheep-like.

The=20more=20reasonable=20explanation=20is=20that=20there=20is=20s=
ome=20kind=20of=20bug=20in=20the=20Vista=20firmware=20that=20is=20=
disallowing=20re-entry=20into=20program,=20as=20if=20last=20exit=
=20from=20programming=20was=20with=20*98.=20(It=20wasn't=20--=20th=
ey=20used=20*99)

I=20am=20forced=20to=20wonder,=20what=20are=20the=20situations=20t=
hat=20would=20disallow=20entry=20into=20the=20program=20using=20in=
staller=20code=20+=20800.=20I=20can=20think=20of=20two=20situation=
s:

1.=20Previous=20use=20of=20programming=20mode=20was=20exited=20wit=
h=20*98.

2.=20Auto-arm=20is=20used,=20and=20a=20schedule=20is=20programmed=
=20to=20use=20it.


Are=20there=20other=20configurations=20where=20installer=20code=20=
+=20800=20is=20specifically=20disabled=20forgood=20reason,=20or=20=
is=20this=20a=20bug=20I=20have=20run=20into=20for=20quite=20a=20wh=
ile=20now?

This=20is=20a=20potential=20problem=20beecause=20certain=20devices=
,=20like=20the=20Alarm.com=20SEM,=20cannot=20function=20properly=
=20if=20they=20can't=20readily=20access=20the=20Vista=2020P=20syst=
em=20programming.

Thanks!