Re: Blank PROM's for old Napco Magnum panels

[Jim Davis <Madno@xxxxxxx>]

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:00:11=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote=
:
> On 5/16/2023 8:12 PM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> > Yep, I still have a few of those old Napco Magnum panels out there.=20
> > Old customer moved out, New business moved in. The Napco 850 is still w=
orking. Installed it in 1988. It's a new start up woman owned company and d=
oesn't want spend to upgrade the panel if it's still working. I want to upd=
ate communication path to cellular but I need to program a new account numb=
er in the PROM.=20
> > I've got the 410 programmer that still works but shy on PROM's.=20
> > I had one Blank chip which I programmed but I'm not sure I did it right=
 and I won't know till I plug it in tomorrow or next day.=20
> > Just in case, I started looking for some chips and they price range on =
line anywhere from ( Get this now) $58.00 each down to $3.00. And some say =
they'll send you a few free samples. But I figure I'd probably have to make=
 them believe that I'm going to use thousands of them in my newly developed=
 product, etc, etc. But, I don't want to go down that rabbit hole unless I =
have to.=20
> >=20
> > SOOOOOoooo Does anyone out there have a few of these blank PROM's stash=
ed someplace they'd be willing to part with?
> If its a hard wired panel the upgrade shouldn't be all that expensive.=20
> If you can't program it then the upgrade is justified.=20
>=20
> The Napco Starlink communicators used to be able to be used in "takeover=
=20
> mode" if the format is compatible. I never did it so I can't give=20
> personalized help, but it was somebody at Napco who pointed it out to=20
> me. Might have been Dave before he got booted upstairs.=20
>=20
> Is the Magnum the same as Magnum Alert? I had a couple small Magnum=20
> Alert panels installed before I switched to Gemini, and while they=20
> almost made me choose not use Napco, they were keypad programmable.=20
>=20
> --=20
> Bob La Londe=20

Kinda all moot now. I was able to program my last PROM chip with the new ce=
llular account number. So panel is setup and (STILL ! ) working at this poi=
nt. Gave her the obvious warning that there was no guarantee how long it wo=
uld last. But I'd like to have a few chips just in case I run into another =
problem with these old panels.
.
I didn't use the Starlink although I could have as you suggested.=20
Don't know if you are interested or not but anyway - - - -  the reason I di=
dn't is, that when I'm upgrading to cellular communicators I try to only in=
stall the Starlink "Connect" which allows for remote use with cell phone an=
d text alerts of all events ... but that requires a Gemini series panel. Th=
e combination of central station and Napco server charge brings my cost up.=
=20
.
There is a less expensive "M2" radio with only  just straight communication=
 capabilities to central with half the monitoring cost of the Starlink. it'=
s just a simple cellular radio with no frills. And they work fantastically =
well. From what I understand, unlike the Starlink they have the capability =
of searching for and connecting to either Verison, ATT or T-Mobile all in o=
ne unit. Where with the Starlink you only have two choices and they are dif=
ferent radios that you have to try if one doesn't work on an install. I've =
never had an M2 NOT connect to a service provider unlike the Starlink. One =
install had to install a $150.00 remote antenna just to get one tower. And =
on one install I couldn't get any  Starlink to connect to anything even wit=
h a remote directional antenna but the M2 got right through with a high sig=
nal strength reading. Go Figure.
.
For your interest >             https://m2mservices.com/#product-carousel