Need Help with odd Ademco Vista 20P problem

Hi.

I have an Ademco Vista 20P, using ADT monitoring. I have had the system a couple of years with no changes made to it.

For the past week, on about half of incoming phone calls, after one ring the alarm board is answering the incoming call, giving the caller about 2 seconds of a data squeal, then hangs up on them. Again, this happens only in about half of calls that are made to me, and it just started about a week ago. I know it is the alarm board doing this, because I can hear the relay click when it answers the call and hangs up.

My Vista 20P is very simple - nothing fancy...

-8 zones (all wired, no wireless) just doors and a few motion

-No X-10, no phone modules, no PC downloading setups, no wireless.

-Made no recent changes to phones or phone lines in house.

I rechecked lines on the RJ31X and everything appears OK, and wired properly. Line seizing capability works fine in testing alarm system. No line work was been done on the phones or the alarm.

On a whim, even though I do not use pc downloading with my alarm, I viewed the settings for *95 and *94 and it is set to 15 rings, with no download phone number (which I believe is correct.)

Except for having the entire control board replaced, I am stuck for a solution as to why the alarm would answer half of my phone calls (after 1 ring) and give a squeal then hang up. Frustrating. Looking for a solution or a way to bypass please. Thanks!

Reply to
safechecker
Loading thread data ...

Set *95 to '14'. This will disable the answering machine defeat - which is why the panel is picking up (someone must be calling and hanging-up, then calling back).

Reply to
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

Have you tried calling ADT? js

Reply to
alarman

THANK YOU APU - That did it. I set *95 to 14 and it worked. P.S., just curious - any idea why it just recently started to answer incoming calls - possible change in Telco's ring voltage??

Reply to
Katerina

Got the fix - thanks to Apu. But I am curious why the board would only recently start trying to answer my incoming calls.

Reply to
Katerina

I dunno. Maybe ADT was trying to contact your panel, did you request a download or perhaps forget to pay the bill?

To be honest, I regret posting advice on changing programming on a monitored system. It was only after I hit -send- then re-read your post that I noticed you were still being monitored. You should call ADT monitoring an put the system on *test*, then thoroughly test your alarm to make sure the signals are still coming in.

Reply to
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

The fix could end up costing you.

If the panel suddenly started answering the phone at random times (and not simply after someone called and hung up like it is supposed to do) then there is something wrong with it and ADT would likely have replaced it at no charge (assuming the board just went kaflooie all by itself).

If you call them now, having messed around with it they are more than likely going to charge you for it.

Since you have altered the way that they can get in touch with your panel they won't be able to contact it in the normal way and will have to send a tech out and that will be a billable call.

Why on earth didn't you just contact ADT in the first place?

Reply to
JoeRaisin

Cuz it's not rocket science.... Right? js

Reply to
alarman

I have been with ADT for 9+ years, but ADT doesn't own the equipment - I do. I did NOT contact ADT because although they perform the monitor service, I own every component of hardware (NOT a leased system.) Experience has taught me that any call to them is met with the same response... "we need to take a look at it, and there is a base tech charge of $100+ just for someone to come over, blah, blah." Three years ago a lightning strike fried the panel, and I called them - paid $200 labor plus $125 for the board. That was before I learned that I could buy a board from a 3rd party and have it programmed for a lot less.

ADT is great for monitoring, but I never made a simple inquiry call to them without either a sales pitch or the sinking feeling that "this is gonna cost me."

Reply to
Katerina

bzzzt. wrong. ADT is not great for monitoring. what is your monthly ?

25-30$ per month? Will they call more than 1 # before they dispatch? like cell or work number? probably not. you can do better for less if you own the equipment. find a local company that will monitor for less $ and service for a reasonable fee.
Reply to
GROUP MODERATOR

Pardon me if this has already been covered. I wasn't following this thread carefully but it sounds as though the panel is programmed for answering machine over ride. If so, have you tried turning that function off?

Reply to
Robert L Bass

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D>

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D>

Thanks Robert, but the issue was solved earlier in this thread.

Reply to
Katerina

That's good. What was it?

Reply to
Robert L Bass

No reputable alarmco will do business with a diddler, and I suspect this person caused this by, well, diddling. js

Reply to
alarman

didn't know that could be done with an alarm system! :0

Reply to
GROUP MODERATOR

Only in VERY dark closets.

Reply to
Roland

Read the thread, asshole.

Reply to
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

So that's what I heard going on in there!

Reply to
GROUP MODERATOR

thank you ;)

Reply to
GROUP MODERATOR

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.