Spec me...an alarm system please

schnipps · 24 Aug 2007 at 09:35

Engineer booked today and its 100 quid call out so im getting my moneys worth, i want to know everything about the dam thing and i want it fully tested to within an inch of its life for 100 notes, bloody things, in 2 minds to get it taken off or not. I suppose i may aswell as i havent got that we have an alarm on the contents insurance anyway so it wont matter for burglary.

AS_Platinum · 24 Aug 2007 at 09:37

K.C. Leblanc said:
In the end we just got a local company to take over the system. Swift wouldn't give them the engineers code so they had to reset and reprogram the system.

They wern't being awkward by not giving the engineers code, its a way for them to cover their own backs bassicly. They could have admittedly come out and changed the enginner code on your behalf to something like 1234 but the expense would have to be covered by yourselves.

AS_Platinum · 24 Aug 2007 at 09:38

schnipps said:
Engineer booked today and its 100 quid call out so im getting my moneys worth, i want to know everything about the dam thing and i want it fully tested to within an inch of its life for 100 notes, bloody things, in 2 minds to get it taken off or not. I suppose i may aswell as i havent got that we have an alarm on the contents insurance anyway so it wont matter for burglary.

Make sure the engineer checks both batterys. a lot of engineers do not like taking their ladders off their van to get upto a bell box.

schnipps · 24 Aug 2007 at 09:47

AS_Platinum said:
Make sure the engineer checks both batterys. a lot of engineers do not like taking their ladders off their van to get upto a bell box.

For 100 quid mate i will order him up or he wont get paid

Dandle · 24 Aug 2007 at 12:54

I fitted my own alarm a couple of weeks ago using a Texecom premier 24 as the control panel and visonic K9-85 PIRs. I had quotes from companies to come in and fit it but they all said they wouldnt give me the engineer code so i would have to pay them to come out and disconnect pirs when i wanted to decorate(at between £80-120 A time). I can understand this if the person having it installed wants it insurance approved but I didn't.

It was pretty easy to fit, the hardest part is running the wires. In all it cost me under £500 and I even have a nice flush mounted chrome keypad instead of the standard plastic jobby, a telephone dialer to text me if it goes off and smoke alarms linked into the system. The quotes I was getting ranged between £1250-1600 and that was for a basic system with no dialer or smoke detectors.

Most of my bits came from here and the bay.

On a side note I have been told(by a friend) that if you tell your insurance you have an alarm fitted they will give you around 10% off a year but If you get broken into and the alarm wasnt set then they wont cover you for anything. Not worth declaring the alarm for just 10% off a year IMO if its true.

schnipps · 24 Aug 2007 at 13:02

Dandle said:
I fitted my own alarm a couple of weeks ago using a Texecom premier 24 as the control panel and visonic K9-85 PIRs. I had quotes from companies to come in and fit it but they all said they wouldnt give me the engineer code so i would have to pay them to come out and disconnect pirs when i wanted to decorate(at between £80-120 A time). I can understand this if the person having it installed wants it insurance approved but I didn't.

It was pretty easy to fit, the hardest part is running the wires. In all it cost me under £500 and I even have a nice flush mounted chrome keypad instead of the standard plastic jobby, a telephone dialer to text me if it goes off and smoke alarms linked into the system. The quotes I was getting ranged between £1250-1600 and that was for a basic system with no dialer or smoke detectors.

Most of my bits came from here and the bay.

On a side note I have been told(by a friend) that if you tell your insurance you have an alarm fitted they will give you around 10% off a year but If you get broken into and the alarm wasnt set then they wont cover you for anything. Not worth declaring the alarm for just 10% off a year IMO if its true.

I agree and i wouldnt declare an alarm because of exactly that, its just too risky in case you dont put it on and get robbed, not worth the worry. The problem im having is i dont want to disconnect the amram but if i keep it i then have to pay 100 quid a pop every time i get a problem which tbh is a joke so my only real option is to take it out completely, either that or pay a maintenance contract which again is something stupid like 25 quid a month, thats far too much for a residential system imo.

Dandle · 24 Aug 2007 at 13:46

schnipps said:
I agree and i wouldnt declare an alarm because of exactly that, its just too risky in case you dont put it on and get robbed, not worth the worry. The problem im having is i dont want to disconnect the amram but if i keep it i then have to pay 100 quid a pop every time i get a problem which tbh is a joke so my only real option is to take it out completely, either that or pay a maintenance contract which again is something stupid like 25 quid a month, thats far too much for a residential system imo.

Just change the control unit and possible the keypad. My texecom premier 24 was about £48 and that was the metal cased one. All pirs will work on other alarm system as will bell boxes normally. If you fit it yourself you have all the engineer codes(you will need a qualified electrician to connect the mains up officially). The other option you have is to get the manual for your alarm and if it hasnt been locked(not all companies lock them) set it back to default, which will enable default engineer codes until you change them.

SexyGreyFox · 24 Aug 2007 at 13:49

Go here - http://ttsfire.co.uk/acatalog/

and look for this - VISONIC POWERMAX CONTROL- PANEL 433MHz

We've had one for about 4 years and its superb.

Jimmy1983 · 24 Aug 2007 at 20:59

You could try opening the panel and remving the memory like, de-powering the panel, then rebooting it. But that will involve re-programming it.

Dandle · 24 Aug 2007 at 21:07

Jimmy1983 said:
You could try opening the panel and remving the memory like, de-powering the panel, then rebooting it. But that will involve re-programming it.

You can't just remove the memory its all part of the board. You can only reset the NVM if it hasnt been locked. If it has the panel needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for reset.

Jimmy1983 · 24 Aug 2007 at 21:10

Dandle said:
You can't just remove the memory its all part of the board. You can only reset the NVM if it hasnt been locked. If it has the panel needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for reset.

Yeah sorry didnt make myself clear you can on galaxy panels. Well the older 8, 18, 60's etc.

Didnt know if this is the case with other models.