How to get DSC alarm system to communicate with my PC? (hacks/mods ?)

I've got a DSC 4010 panel installed in a place and it's a real bear of a unit and I'm thinking of replacing it with a 1550 spare I have. I've set these units up in the past to call a cell phone or some other number when they get triggered, but in this case I'd like to do something more sophisticated.

In any case, I'm sure it's come up before (sorry) but is there any easy way I can use a spare computer and modem to answer an alarm call made by these panels?

I notice that their communications protocal seems to be propriatary, therefore requiring specialized hardware on the monitoring end. Are there any web sites with plans on how to modify DSC panels so that I can use an ordinary modem connected to a PC to be able to act as a monitoring station?

(please post any responses because my e-mail is bogus)

Thanks

Reply to
Alarm Guy
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Nope. You'll need to purchase an automatic dialer. Hook it to the "program output" of the 1550. This is the cheap way. If you want to go the more "expensive way", you can purchase a central station receiver and the software to run it on your computer. You will, of course, need someone sitting in front of it 24/7. Talk to Robert Bass. He had one set up in his garage for years (his wife and kids were the "station staff").

Reply to
Frank Olson

Anyone talk to Robert lately? I had my dad buy a Gemin 9600 panel and accesoriess from his site and no one is returning any calls.... APB for Rober Bass. Great guy.... im worried about him.

Carp3dNY

(favorite X10 automation site)

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Reply to
carp3dny

I'm fine, friend. My phone number has changed though. It's

941-866-1100. Option 1 on the menu gets you to my desk. I'm usually in from 10:00 am until around 6:00 pm but this morning (Dec 15, 2005) I have to be out of the office.

You can reach customer support by selecting option 2.

Regards, Robert L Bass

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Reply to
robertlbass

List of Robert's phone options:

Press "1" for Robert - you'll be routed to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to his condo in Bahia, bounced back to the main menu because he's not there, then routed to the general mail box where you'll be requested to send an email because that's full too.

Press "2" for Michael - you'll be routed to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to Robert's phone, transferred to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to his condo in Bahia,...

Presss "3" for "Sonic Duck" - you'll be routed to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to Michael's phone, transferred to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, routed to Robert's phone,...

Press "4" for Jim Rojas (the "tech-man" of last resort) - he'll actually answer the phone. You'll gasp in surprise and have an immediate "kaniption". Jim will recognize the sounds, pick up his Vonage line and dial "911"... He'll be routed to "Sonic Duck's" phone, transferred to his voice mail, bounced back to main menu because it's full, then on to Robert's phone, transferred to voice mail because he's not there, bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to his condo in Bahia,...

Press "5" for RHCampbell - he'll actually answer the phone too (only you won't get a word in edgewise). He'll immediately launch into a long interminable diatribe on ADT and their shoddy service, the positively criminal greed of most alarm dealers who insist on having their customers sign long term monitoring contracts, and how he's able (through judicious use of budgeting) to provide free service to his clients. You'll start pushing "*" several times in an attempt to interrupt him and invoke the call transfer feature but Bob's anticipated this and has defaulted his phone to transfer you back to the main menu where you'll be rerouted to Robert's phone, told his voice message box is full, then transferred on to his Condo in Bahia,...

Press "6" for Mark Leuck - He won't be at his desk. You'll be transferred to his cell phone where you'll be treated to the sound of him chugging a Gatorade at the end of a "century" on his bent and belching contentedly.

Press "7" for Jim (Alarminex) - He'll actually answer the phone too, but I can't print what he'll say about Robert. This is, after all, a family phone.

Press "8" for Frank Olson - You'll be put on hold while I search Robert's FAQ for an answer (since I'm only a "counter clerk" and know nothing about installing). This will take some time as the search will involve using the "wayback" machine and I'll have to correct some minor spelling errors because Robert can spell but just can't type. The on-hold music for the month is:

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:-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

Great to hear your ok Robert... I'll be sure to give you a call soon. Thanks for the Reply,

Sincerely, Chris (Carp3d)

Reply to
carp3dny

Typical cheap shot...

Reply to
robertlbass

What's "cheap" about it?? That you subborned your wife and kids into doing the work (at little or no pay), that you were too "cheap" to get UL listed or that you were too "cheap" to move your "modestly successful central station" into something other than your garage??

Reply to
Frank Olson

The truth is never a "shot", Robert. It's also not a flame. If you want to talk "cheap", how about telling us why you think employing a "free" hit counter like kounter.com with it's many pop-up/pop-under ads is better than paying your hosting provider the extra "two bits" it's going to cost you to have them to provide your stats. Exposing your valued customers to a known internet security threat like "Winfixer" isn't going to win you a whole lot of friends (or customers)...

Reply to
Frank Olson

How exactly do you know if all this is true?

It's funny that RLB slams you for being a "counter clerk" yet you come back with almost identical baseless accusations

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Are you suggesting we move ASA from the fiction to the non-fiction section?, its a bold idea but I don't think its time has come yet.

Doug L

Reply to
Doug L

Robert told me. He told me a lot of things... Some of which I was specifically requested not to reveal. He knows exactly what those things are (and also knows - by now - I'll never tell or post the information regardless of what he says about me).

I don't make "baseless accusations" (aka "flames").

Reply to
Frank Olson

Point well taken, on an entirely different subject I noticed while in Lexington Kentucky last week a running 1982 Chevette with NO rust, They just don't make em like that anymore!

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Did you make an offer on it?

Doug L

Reply to
Doug L

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That is stupid in so many ways.

Reply to
G. Morgan

Couldn't catch him in the Mercury Grand Marquis rental

Reply to
Mark Leuck

You can do what you are asking for here for free with Asterisk. Asterisk is a free open source PBX which runs on Linux. However, one of the applications that was written for Asterisk is an alarm receiver which is compatable with Contact-ID.

All that you need to get this to work is an old pc and a Digum analog card which you can pick up on ebay for approx $25.

To download Asterisk see:

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For more information on the alarm receiver see:

http://www.voip-> I've got a DSC 4010 panel installed in a place and it's a real bear of

Reply to
Veloman

You have got to be kidding.

All that rigamarole just to recognize some bizzare out-dated/proprietary DTMF com protocal?

I'd rather slide down the sharp side of a razor blade than configure an old PC for Linux.

And oh - I've ripped out that friggen 4010 panel and replaced it with a 1550. It will dial my home phone number if there's trouble. I really don't need a monitoring station setup for that - I thought it might be "cute", but not if it's that complicated.

Would be nice if there was an RS-232 port (or even some TTL signals) on the 1550 that could talk to a PC so that I could have the PC do stuff based on what the panel is detecting from the various sensors (like start a video capture, play a recorded message over speakers, send an e-mail, etc).

Reply to
Security Guy

Like trading in a Cadillac for a Chevette, eh? js

Reply to
alarman

You ripped out a 4010 and replaced it with a 1550?

Ohhhkayyyyyyyyyyy

Reply to
Mark Leuck

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