DSC 3060 ..... garbage!

I don't use DSC equipment. Only if it's a takeover and most times, even the= n, I'll replace it. I only have a few of them out there. The reasons I don= 't use them are important to me but something just happened with one of the= ir radios that really pissed me off.

About 2 years ago, I did a job for a client who only wanted cellular connec= tion to central ... no land line. So I asked around about a good product. T= he DSC 3060 was recommended by a couple of people so, even though I don't l= ike DSC, I got one and installed it. It went in pretty easy, just sending C= ID. It's worked reliably for the past two years.=20

HOWEVER!!!! after the recent storm here on the east coast, I get a call fro= m the customer that the panel is showing fail to communicate. The customer = had lost power long enough so that both the panel battery and the 3060's ba= ttery had died. The 3060 idiot light is blinking twice which indicates ( ge= t this ) either a non existant battery or an unregistered SIM card. (Uhhh W= HAT!) Well, anyway, The power has been back up for a couple of days. So I r= ead close to 13vdc at the disconnected battery leads and 12.5vdc at the dic= onnected battery terminals even with a brief 10 ohm load on it. So I call D= SC technical support. He asks me what version the 3060 is I tell him (G24 ?= ) Anyway he says=20 " OH yeah that's the one that that had that problem."=20 " What problem?" I ask.=20 "When it loses all power and comes back up, the unit fails ..... but we fix= ed that in the latest revision."=20 "So now I have to buy a new one? =20 "Yep"=20 "So your telling me that you have a product out in the field that has this = known flaw in it and you're just leting them sit out there until their warr= antee is up and when dealers call in with the problem they've got to buy a = new unit?"=20 "Well I think we put out a notice about it."=20

The rest of the conversation took just a few minutes, all of which I hope t= hey really do have a recording of. Obviously he hung up before I ran out of= breath.

All in all, it simply confirms my convictions about why I don't use DSC equ= ipment.=20

I might also say that when they first came out with the earlier 3055, I ins= talled one as a favor to someone who wanted an evaluation to see if it had = any problems so he could decide if he wanted to distribute them. This was m= y first attempt at using the "new" type of radio. What I mean by that is, u= p until then, I always used backup radios, sending both landline and radio = simultaniously. When I discovered that the 3055 only trasmitted an alarm if= the land line failed, I questioned DSC tech support about how to send both= signals at the same time. They said that it couldn't be done. I asked abou= t not having some way to make sure the unit could transmit an alarm signal = and they said that the supervisory signal was the test. I said that a super= visory signal is not an alarm signal. Anyway, without their help, I found o= ut that I could set it up to send simultanious signals .... just not full d= ata.=20

The hook to this story is .... that sometime after I installed this unit, I= received notice (by word of mouth from another dealer) that the 3055's had= a problem and where "on hold" and were not going to be available for awhi= le. As it turns out it was because it was discovered that even though they = could send supervisory signals ... the units were not sending alarm signal = when the land line failed. Soupprise! Soupprise!

I don't know what you all think about it but I'd like my "backup" communica= tors to send a signal every time a land line signal is sent. Not have it si= t there for years, if the phone line never goes down, just sending supervis= ory signals and never once sending in an alarm signal.

Reply to
Jim
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I told them I would never buy a DSC product again after they refused to give me a new password to the tech's site. I already have one of course, but I wanted a new one for my company. I got a "on-script" response, twice. My last email to them told them to suck my balls.

Reply to
G. Morgan

hen, I'll replace it. I only have a few of them out there. The reasons I d= on't use them are important to me but something just happened with one of t= heir radios that really pissed me off.

ection to central ... no land line. So I asked around about a good product.= The DSC 3060 was recommended by a couple of people so, even though I don't= like DSC, I got one and installed it. It went in pretty easy, just sending= CID. It's worked reliably for the past two years.=20

rom the customer that the panel is showing fail to communicate. The custome= r had lost power long enough so that both the panel battery and the 3060's = battery had died. The 3060 idiot light is blinking twice which indicates ( = get this ) either a non existant battery or an unregistered SIM card. (Uhhh= WHAT!) Well, anyway, The power has been back up for a couple of days. So I= read close to 13vdc at the disconnected battery leads and 12.5vdc at the d= iconnected battery terminals even with a brief 10 ohm load on it. So I call= DSC technical support. He asks me what version the 3060 is I tell him (G24= ?) Anyway he says=20

ixed that in the latest revision."=20

s known flaw in it and you're just leting them sit out there until their wa= rrantee is up and when dealers call in with the problem they've got to buy = a new unit?"=20

they really do have a recording of. Obviously he hung up before I ran out = of breath.

nstalled one as a favor to someone who wanted an evaluation to see if it ha= d any problems so he could decide if he wanted to distribute them. This was= my first attempt at using the "new" type of radio. What I mean by that is,= up until then, I always used backup radios, sending both landline and radi= o simultaniously. When I discovered that the 3055 only trasmitted an alarm = if the land line failed, I questioned DSC tech support about how to send bo= th signals at the same time. They said that it couldn't be done. I asked ab= out not having some way to make sure the unit could transmit an alarm signa= l and they said that the supervisory signal was the test. I said that a sup= ervisory signal is not an alarm signal. Anyway, without their help, I found= out that I could set it up to send simultanious signals .... just not full= data.=20

I received notice (by word of mouth from another dealer) that the 3055's h= ad a problem and where "on hold" and were not going to be available for aw= hile. As it turns out it was because it was discovered that even though the= y could send supervisory signals ... the units were not sending alarm signa= l when the land line failed. Soupprise! Soupprise!

cators to send a signal every time a land line signal is sent. Not have it = sit there for years, if the phone line never goes down, just sending superv= isory signals and never once sending in an alarm signal.

I stopped using DSC back in 80;s when they started the shit with keypads wh= ich where not interchangeable when i had a pc 3000 die and went to replace = it with a newer one I was not going to replace 4 keypads also.

Reply to
NickMark

I'll replace it. I only have a few of them out there. The reasons I don't use them are important to me but something just happened with one of their radios that really pissed me off.

connection to central ... no land line. So I asked around about a good product. The DSC 3060 was recommended by a couple of people so, even though I don't like DSC, I got one and installed it. It went in pretty easy, just sending CID. It's worked reliably for the past two years.

the customer that the panel is showing fail to communicate. The customer had lost power long enough so that both the panel battery and the 3060's battery had died. The 3060 idiot light is blinking twice which indicates ( get this ) either a non existant battery or an unregistered SIM card. (Uhhh WHAT!) Well, anyway, The power has been back up for a couple of days. So I read close to 13vdc at the disconnected battery leads and 12.5vdc at the diconnected battery terminals even with a brief 10 ohm load on it. So I call DSC technical support. He asks me what version the 3060 is I tell him (G24 ?) Anyway he says

that in the latest revision."

known flaw in it and you're just leting them sit out there until their warrantee is up and when dealers call in with the problem they've got to buy a new unit?"

they really do have a recording of. Obviously he hung up before I ran out of breath.

installed one as a favor to someone who wanted an evaluation to see if it had any problems so he could decide if he wanted to distribute them. This was my first attempt at using the "new" type of radio. What I mean by that is, up until then, I always used backup radios, sending both landline and radio simultaniously. When I discovered that the 3055 only trasmitted an alarm if the land line failed, I questioned DSC tech support about how to send both signals at the same time. They said that it couldn't be done. I asked about not having some way to make sure the unit could transmit an alarm signal and they said that the supervisory signal was the test. I said that a supervisory signal is not an alarm signal. Anyway, without their help, I found out that I could set it up to send simultanious signals .... just not full data.

received notice (by word of mouth from another dealer) that the 3055's had a problem and where "on hold" and were not going to be available for awhile. As it turns out it was because it was discovered that even though they could send supervisory signals ... the units were not sending alarm signal when the land line failed. Soupprise! Soupprise!

communicators to send a signal every time a land line signal is sent. Not have it sit there for years, if the phone line never goes down, just sending supervisory signals and never once sending in an alarm signal.

where not interchangeable when i had a pc 3000 die and went to replace it with a newer one I was not going to replace 4 keypads also.

Many manufacturers had non-interchangeable keypads back when the PC-3000 was made. While not a huge fan of DSC, (following the version 6 chip disaster with the same panel), they've got a really strong current product line. The easy programming is appealing as well, although they should break out the automation timing from installer programming.

Reply to
Frank Kurz

What was the v6 disaster?

Reply to
mleuck

Not sure I agree with some of that, while the panels are good they are way behind in the current industry trend with remote access and online services. They showed us what they have which should have been introduced about 5 years ago.

Love the panels, not a big fan of everything else

Reply to
mleuck

Panel would randomly "arm" and often behave like it was partitioned (even though it wasn't programmed that way). DSC provided you with free replacement chips but it still meant you had to go out to the customer's premises, swap the chips and reprogram the panel. Pain in the back-side. Happened in the early 90's. Notorious failure. Huge hit to DSC's reputation.

Reply to
Frank Kurz

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012 9:08:31 AM UTC-5, Frank Kurz wrote: Many manufacturers had non-interchangeable keypads back when the PC-3000 w= as made. While not a huge fan of DSC, (following the version 6 chip disaste= r with the same panel), they've got a really strong current product line. T= he easy programming is appealing as well, although they should break out th= e automation timing from installer programming.

I don't recall any manufacturers that produced keypads that were not backwa= rd compatable for older versions of the same panel.

Reply to
Jim

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