Help with adding two window sensors to ADT alarm.
swarthmoredoc
Honeywell wireless magnetic sensors to my existing system without
having ADT come out and charge me. I have an ADT Safewatch panel
which is an adapted Vista 20P panel. Apparently the ADT installer
code is a commonly available four digit number. How would I add these
two sensors?
Thanks!
Bill
Jim Rojas
Adding these sensors to your system without first letting ADT know about
it is a violation of their monitoring agreement. Get a manager to ok it
in writing, then I'd be happy to talk you through it.
Jim Rojas
Technical Manuals Online!
http://www.tech-man.com
8002 Cornwall Lane
Tampa, FL 33615-4604
813-884-6335
mleuck
tourman
RHC: Yeah, doubtful they'd ever agree to that. To the original
poster.... you bought into one of the most expensive companies around;
suck it up and pay the piper, but next time around do a little more
shopping.....
Frank Kurz
I would advise against programming the panel yourself while you're still
under contract.
This having been said, I recently took over an ADT Vista 20. Without a
full alpha keypad I wouldn't attempt to add wireless devices. The Vista
20 manual is readily available online. If the installer exited
programming with *99 command you should be able to get "in" by powering
the system down (remove battery and AC) and then powering back up. Go
to any keypad in the house within 60 seconds and press "*" and "#"
together. If the keypad displays "20", you're "in" and can proceed to
program the system.
You NEED a full alpha keypad. You NEED the programming manual and some
basic understanding of alarm terminology.
If you screw up the programming sequence, the installer that ADT
dispatches is liable to charge you double to fix it.
nick markowitz
You have a different problem besides the programming the ADT
automation software at central will not recognize the zones either
and will not be dispatched.
Have a neighbor who thought he could outslick adt ended up with a big
bill
Russell Brill
"Jim Rojas" <jro...@tech-man.com> wrote in message
news:RILxo.1734$8l4....@newsfe02.iad...
Jim,
ADT okay a DIY add on??????????? HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING????????????????????
Don't hold your breath :-))
mleuck
Its not a very good idea to tell someone how to get into programming
without knowing if the guy has the proper keypad or not, do you
honestly think he's going to know what an alpha keypad is? Now it's
likely he'll put it in programming anyway thanks to you and not have a
clue how to get out
I've seen this crap happen before, someone with no experience totally
hoses their system and will they admit it? of course not then it's
ADT's fault and of course everyone here piles on
mleuck
Not true, the automation software shows any signal that comes in and
the monitoring station will react the same with the new signals just
like any other zone, If anything they'll think the installation
company forgot to enter them on the paperwork.
It WOULD have been an issue back in the 4x2 days but with CID/SIA
they'll know what type of zone it is assuming it's programmed properly
mleuck
No company would
tourman
RHC: You're absolutely right Mark. Why would any company help a
customer mess with his professionally installed system. I can think of
a few reasons...liability, decrease in service revenues, possibility
of mistakes. Besides, he' d be lucky to find anyone in authority to
talk to in ADT if he did call in.
Even ADT aren't that stupid.....
Frank Kurz
From what I've been given to understand of the US market, the "dealers"
ADT sends out on some of their installs employ people that are as far
from being "professional installers" as certain agencies in Vancouver
are from being "professional Verifiers". I do agree that a system under
contract must only be altered by the company that installed it (or its
designated agent). It protects both the end user and the integrity of
the system.
--
Frank Kurz
www.firetechs.net
Frank Kurz
>>
>> I would advise against programming the panel yourself while you're still
>> under contract.
>>
>> This having been said, I recently took over an ADT Vista 20. Without a
>> full alpha keypad I wouldn't attempt to add wireless devices. The Vista
>> 20 manual is readily available online. If the installer exited
>> programming with *99 command you should be able to get "in" by powering
>> the system down (remove battery and AC) and then powering back up. Go
>> to any keypad in the house within 60 seconds and press "*" and "#"
>> together. If the keypad displays "20", you're "in" and can proceed to
>> program the system.
>>
>> You NEED a full alpha keypad. You NEED the programming manual and some
>> basic understanding of alarm terminology.
>>
>> If you screw up the programming sequence, the installer that ADT
>> dispatches is liable to charge you double to fix it.
>
> Its not a very good idea to tell someone how to get into programming
> without knowing if the guy has the proper keypad or not, do you
> honestly think he's going to know what an alpha keypad is? Now it's
> likely he'll put it in programming anyway thanks to you and not have a
> clue how to get out
>
> I've seen this crap happen before, someone with no experience totally
> hoses their system and will they admit it? of course not then it's
> ADT's fault and of course everyone here piles on
I agree with you Mark. A search of this group will reveal many
instances where individuals have provided the information necessary to
access installer level programming on a number of different setups (heck
you can even find the manuals online). I thought it important to
mention the importance of doing it right and having the right tools. A
number of other respondents (including yourself) have provided
sufficient warning for any end-user to think twice before attempting to
make an alteration to a system that is under contract.
--
Frank Kurz
www.firetechs.net
Jim
And, you'll tell him how to do it ..... because ......... ?
Frank Kurz
Because my instructions came with a proviso, which he may not see if
he's searching for an online answer (or even if he searches this Group).
I don't like to do it, Jim, but anyone that's determined enough to
ignore the warnings and does it anyway deserves what he gets.
--
Frank Kurz
www.firetechs.net
Jim
It would seem to me that rather than be party to the event, it would
be preferable to not give him the means to do it in the first place.
If he wants to do it let him figure out how on his own.
That brings to mind a very old simple story about the guy who finds
his friend hiding in a closet during a lightning storm. He says to his
friend, don't you know if lightning is going to strike you that
there's no way you can stop it? His friend says well if it's going to
strike me ..... let it look for me.
Let the guy look for his own means to destruction, rather than
providing it.
Frank Kurz
Very wise. But in times like this (where the answer to most peoples
questions are readily available "online"), wouldn't it be nice if
someone took the time to actually list the "riot act" along with the
appropriate answer? It seems to me that the Internet is "clogged" with
"easy fixes". You simply enter a few simple search terms and "voila!".
Hopefully when push comes to shove, the next individual looking for a
"quick fix" to his home security system problem will actually stumble on
this thread. Call me "naive" if you want, but I was thinking about the
OP having enough intelligence to recognize he was in "over his head".
--
Frank Kurz
www.firetechs.net
Jim
Well, I don't know what playing a stringed instrument and being in the
navy has to do with this but .... it's not all that important a
subject anyway.
mleuck
And yet you have no problems walking someone into programming
Who ADT or anyone else hires and what's their skill level is
irrelevant here
mleuck
Telling them about manuals is almost as bad, now you've got someone
with no skill in alarm panel programming looking at a manual poking
around their monitored and under contract system
If you really wanted to do it right you should have stopped at "Call
ADT"
mleuck
He won't have a problem, ADT will when his system malfunctions and he
sues them for something he did
mleuck
Again irrelevant, like Jim says let the guy look for himself without
helping
> Hopefully when push comes to shove, the next individual looking for a
> "quick fix" to his home security system problem will actually stumble on
> this thread. Call me "naive" if you want, but I was thinking about the
> OP having enough intelligence to recognize he was in "over his head".
How exactly he going to know that? He see's he has a keypad, he thinks
it's an alphanumeric keypad...hey why not!
Except you've gotten him into programming and without any other "help"
he'll look at a display showing "20" until the tech comes out to fix
it, better hope he doesn't punch any other keys until then.
G. Morgan
>Telling them about manuals is almost as bad, now you've got someone
>with no skill in alarm panel programming looking at a manual poking
>around their monitored and under contract system
>
>If you really wanted to do it right you should have stopped at "Call
>ADT"
He didn't post anything that hasn't been posted here at least 100 times.
"Telling them about manuals"???? I'm pretty sure it's no surprise to the OP
that alarm panels come with an installer's manual.
If the OP wants to fuck his system up, at least he'll do so under Frank's
tutelage (and warning no/ .
Jim
Don't worry about it.
This is a disease that all liberals suffer from.
mleuck
> mleuck <m.le...@tx.rr.com> wrote:
> >Telling them about manuals is almost as bad, now you've got someone
> >with no skill in alarm panel programming looking at a manual poking
> >around their monitored and under contract system
>
> >If you really wanted to do it right you should have stopped at "Call
> >ADT"
>
> He didn't post anything that hasn't been posted here at least 100 times.
Irrelevant, bad information is bad information no matter how often
it's posted
> "Telling them about manuals"???? I'm pretty sure it's no surprise to the OP
> that alarm panels come with an installer's manual.
> If the OP wants to fuck his system up, at least he'll do so under Frank's
> tutelage (and warning no/ .
Feel free to act professionally and help the guy out, I'm sure he'll
mention you when ADT wonders who did it
Frank Kurz
G. Morgan
>Feel free to act professionally and help the guy out, I'm sure he'll
>mention you when ADT wonders who did it
I'm not touching it.
Tom
> Just added two new windows in my basement and would like to add my two
> Honeywell wireless magnetic sensors to my existing system without
> having ADT come out and charge me. I have an ADT Safewatch panel
> which is an adapted Vista 20P panel. Apparently the ADT installer
> code is a commonly available four digit number. How would I add these
> two sensors?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bill <
Horrible idea fiddling with your system. Either pay ADT or wait until
your contract concludes.
Tom
http://www.onlinealarmquotes.com
http://www.alarmquotesonline.com
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