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replace or augment First Alert home security system

M

Mathew Mills

Jan 1, 1970
0
I just purchased a home with an installed First Alert FA162C security
system. I would like a basic system that sounds an audible alert and
pages me and my wife. I have no intention of signing up with a
monitoring service. Looking around on the net I see almost no trace
of First Alert's security systems. Have they gone off the market
(purchased by Honeywell?)

The system is currently without any programming and I don't have the
FA450KP or the FA550KP keypad required to program the system
(according to the docs). Is ther someplace I can buy one of these
keypads, or should I just consider replacing the entire system?

Thanks
 
B

Bob La Londe

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mathew Mills said:
I just purchased a home with an installed First Alert FA162C security
system. I would like a basic system that sounds an audible alert and
pages me and my wife. I have no intention of signing up with a
monitoring service. Looking around on the net I see almost no trace
of First Alert's security systems. Have they gone off the market
(purchased by Honeywell?)

The system is currently without any programming and I don't have the
FA450KP or the FA550KP keypad required to program the system
(according to the docs). Is ther someplace I can buy one of these
keypads, or should I just consider replacing the entire system?

Thanks


Many of the First Alert panels have semi proprietary programming for
specific companies. If you want pager notification I would suggest a new
control and keypads.

How much of your system is wireless? Wireless components are typically not
cross compatible with other brands so you will be looking at the cost of
replacing those as well.

Another alternative would be to see if the original installing company will
be willing to reprogram the system as a local only alarm panel. You would
then be able to add a USP or Visonic voice/pager dialer and trigger them
from the siren outputs on the control panel.

Expect to pay the full cost of a service call if you have an installing
company come out. They have no obligation to you. You purchased the house
with alarm from the old home owner, not the installing company who
originally installed it.

Why don't you want monitoring service? Its not unaffordable, and they have
the ability to monitor a lot more than just, "the alarm is going off." They
also can directly contact you and fire, law enforcement, or service
personnel with specific information about why the alarm is triggered.

Alarm panels are also designed to get confirmation of data received from
central station receivers. If they do not receive verification they try
again. Pager notification with most alarm panels does not do this, and it
has been my experience that quite often signals are missed. I have two
control panels in my office that are CS monitored and also notify company
pagers directly. I have noticed a discrepancy on enough occassions to
concern me.

The voice dialers as a piggyback are slightly better than built in panel
pager dialing, but they do not have the ability to send as much information.
They do just keep going until the alarm trigger is removed.

Also, FCC regulations which have the force of law prohibit any automated
dialing device from calling an emergency dispatch number without prior
written permission from the ultimate authority for that agency on an
individual case by case basis.

Bob La Londe
The Security Consultant
Yuma, Az
 
J

Jakes452

Jan 1, 1970
0
My God man! If your familys saftey is a concern...DO NOT USE THIS GROUP FOR
ADVISE OR GIVE OUT ANY INFORMATION. If you deal with someone from this
newsgroup you better keep one eye
open while your sleep at night! this is the worse place to look for info
for your home security. They can even start with the simple information in
the heading of your posting to gain knowledge about you. This group is a
hive of activity to get your
confidence then rip your off. Get "help" from here and next think your
house is
cleaned out and inexplicably your alarm didnt work......or worse.....
Be very very careful using this group.
Be sure to closely investigate (primarily if you
buy online) any of the online alarm seller, especially if they claim a ASA
certification, a totally false and misleading certification (see that
later). You wouldn't want to buy from someone whose sideline is
understanding your alarm system for the purpose of exploiting it later
byknowing your codes or maintenance access numbers. Be wary of those who do
not have a brick and mortar store.

When I was shopping and using this newsgroup some online dealers advertised
a ASA certification with a picture of a ASA emblem shown on their website.
It gives a good first impression but when you look into it you find out that
it was nothing more then some....guy.... creating a website to supposedly
post complaints, with no entries of complaints or follow-through. It was
analogous to someone flashing a police badge that turns out to be fake. The
ASA moniker is a badge without any accreditation and surely this is
misleading and a scam.

Some of the free advice you get is not because of someone's unselfish need
to make the world a better place to live. Most are giving you advice on the
hope of getting a sale or...."other" information. Listen but don't act on
the advice until you can confirm or gain some trust in the source by
researching them.

Sometimes you can learn a lot about sellers by plugging in email address or
screenname into a Google search of past news postings. You will be
surprised, .....no..MAKE THAT SHOCKED....AND I MEAN SHOCKED!!!!..... at what
you find out about those offering to outfit your alarm. How can our legal
system let these type of people sell home security!!!!!

This is a very unregulated online business, and especially risky for
something as important as YOUR HOME security.

good luck....and go talk to someone reputible.
 
F

Frank Olson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Many of the First Alert panels have semi proprietary programming for
specific companies. If you want pager notification I would suggest a new
control and keypads.

How much of your system is wireless? Wireless components are typically not
cross compatible with other brands so you will be looking at the cost of
replacing those as well.

Another alternative would be to see if the original installing company will
be willing to reprogram the system as a local only alarm panel. You would
then be able to add a USP or Visonic voice/pager dialer and trigger them
from the siren outputs on the control panel.

Expect to pay the full cost of a service call if you have an installing
company come out. They have no obligation to you. You purchased the house
with alarm from the old home owner, not the installing company who
originally installed it.

Why don't you want monitoring service? Its not unaffordable, and they have
the ability to monitor a lot more than just, "the alarm is going off." They
also can directly contact you and fire, law enforcement, or service
personnel with specific information about why the alarm is triggered.

Alarm panels are also designed to get confirmation of data received from
central station receivers. If they do not receive verification they try
again. Pager notification with most alarm panels does not do this, and it
has been my experience that quite often signals are missed. I have two
control panels in my office that are CS monitored and also notify company
pagers directly. I have noticed a discrepancy on enough occassions to
concern me.

The voice dialers as a piggyback are slightly better than built in panel
pager dialing, but they do not have the ability to send as much information.
They do just keep going until the alarm trigger is removed.

Also, FCC regulations which have the force of law prohibit any automated
dialing device from calling an emergency dispatch number without prior
written permission from the ultimate authority for that agency on an
individual case by case basis.

Bob La Londe
The Security Consultant
Yuma, Az


Excellent response, Bob!!
 
M

Mark Leuck

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bob La Londe said:
Many of the First Alert panels have semi proprietary programming for
specific companies. If you want pager notification I would suggest a new
control and keypads.

How much of your system is wireless? Wireless components are typically not
cross compatible with other brands so you will be looking at the cost of
replacing those as well.

Another alternative would be to see if the original installing company will
be willing to reprogram the system as a local only alarm panel. You would
then be able to add a USP or Visonic voice/pager dialer and trigger them
from the siren outputs on the control panel.

Bob the 162C is fully capable of paging
 
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