Who Are the Best DIY Suppliers for Tech Support?

There are a number of online stores that will cater to you (and that I've heard good things about).

These are all mentioned frequently in many of the Usenet Groups that are specifically set up with the DIY'er in mind. Comp.home.automation is a forum I'd suggest you visit as well although the discussion around security issues isn't it's primary focus.

has some good tips and additional listings for DIY stores whose owners frequently post here.

They are:

The last one doesn't actually have a formal DIY store site anymore, but Bob is an excellent person to talk to and used to maintain an extensive FAQ which I'm almost positive he'll still be willing to share with anyone that asks politely. :-)

As for answering specific questions you might have, feel free to email me anytime (or simply post them into the Group). Please ensure you RTFM (Read The Freekin' Manual) first though. I (and a number of others here) will be only to happy to help you understand "alarm-glish" or some of the more esoteric programming instructions. :-)

Please note that these services are *free* and come with no strings attached or "buy now" buttons. You'll also notice that any of the online dealers and stores I've referenced here don't spam the group with "PR" or "HTML" posts.

Good luck!!!

Frank Olson

That would be me. :^)

So humble, isn't he?

That would be the biggest lie of all that you've ever told here.

You are a convicted felon and responsible for someones death. You lie cheat and steal information from people and tell end users that it's your ideas. Your only goal here is to sell equipment to unsuspecting end users by using the knowledge of all the other participants in this group. You lie and tell end users that you're in the installation business and yet you haven't installed a thing in over 6 years. You're behind on technology and run a one man show from out of the country. You're a crook a thief and one of the most unsavory people that I've ever come across. There is not a person in this newsgroup that would recommend you to anyone. And that speaks nothing of the BBB complaints against you and the people who can never get ahold of you once you've made the sale.

Jim, you brought up a couple of issues that might seem cause for concern such as being behind on technology and not responding to others who sought support, but you included a host of other issues in a rant that make it seem as if you have an ax to grind and makes me wonder if you are giving a fair assessment.

For example, what does having a prior felony or being responsible for someone's death have to do with current tech support?

There are US Presidents who have committed felonies and the current one is responsible for thousands of innocent persons deaths. Should I be considering that too? I don't think so.

I just care about tech support availability, timeliness and completeness. I don't care how many people are in the tech support department or where they're based unless it has some effect on the performance of it.

FWIW, the poster tried to confuse the issue by combining two unrelated incidents. The felony was an assault (not "battery", mind you. In Florida "assault" means to threaten someone). The death he mentions was an auto accident -- no crime involved.

The assault was nearly 30 years ago. It cost me dearly at the time. I rebuilt my life and spent many years helping others do the same.

As to email support, I often get swamped with new messages. The best way to reach me is to call. If I'm unavailable leave a message with customer support. They always know how to reach me.

My offices are in Sarasota, Florida and Salvador, Brazil. My US telephone numbers ring in both countries, thanks to VoIP. If you need help with planning a system, feel free to contact me.

Thats a darn good question, would it bother you if the guy on the other end of the phone could be someone who can't get a security license in most states? What if he was say a pedophile? Bank robber? Murder? Rapist? Where's your limit?

Sounds like all you care about is getting a programming answer

Leaving the utter stupidity of that paragraph behind no presidents have been convicted in a court of law, RLB has...

You forgot the gun part....

Jim is right.....

Experience on this newsgroup will prove that. He also doesn't have an axe to grind....... Mr. BAss is all that and more. (BAss without the B is still an Ass.

Norm Mugford

I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?

Interesting how you've "zeroed in" on Robert Bass. I'd actually suggest purchasing from Robert despite the numerous complaits at the BBB and the fact that he runs four online stores all selling the same thing. He

*is* apparently available for tech support 24/7 in this forum. Posting your questions here will ensure they're answered both in a timely fashion and correctly. Don't try reaching him on the phone or by email though (and I'd vet any advice you receive from him off the forum through the Group before you implement it).

Frank Olson

People with felonies cannot get a license to legally work in the security industry. RLB likes to remind unsuspecting newbies that he doesn't need a license to be a reseller of equipment, which is true if that is all he is doing. What he doesn't tell them is that he, BassBurglarAlarms.com, or what ever his other websites call themselves, must warranty the equipment due to the fact that the manufacturers have stopped warranting his sales, and have issued cease and desists orders on him for using their names. As far as dealing with a felon who operates an online store, would you knowingly just give them your credit card number? As far as your last question on "current tech support", that is where he needs a license and that is also funny, because in a rapidly changing business, he has not installed or serviced anything in years. How current can he be? His only exposure is what he learns.....er........steals here. But on the other hand, it is free info and you get what you pay for.

No confusion, just a warning

(with a gun) not "battery", mind you.

Oh, then that is different. You can go now.

With a gun?

Tell that to her survivors since you were driving irresponsibly.

Got your voting priviledges back yet, bASS face.

From the BBB and the DBPR

That way caller ID lets me know it is not someone who is after my bASS.

Local Sarasota answering service.

Home and rental hut

There we go, needing a license again. Click, file, save RLB: DBP

more information, Google Robert L Bass

Oh, so there were two incidents, how comforting , only assault mind you, not battery, that makes it so much better, but aren't you missing out the firearm part?.

Doug L

I think what Bass is saying is, it's okay to threaten someone with a gun, as long as you don't actually shoot them. ;-)

- badenov

Interesting comments, Bob. I'd decided to separate the terms "Dealer" and "Store" when I conceptualized

An online Dealer runs an installation company as a separate entity from their Internet presence, and will usually focus on the products and services they're comfortable with providing. The Dealer's also "up" on the latest equipment issues and has refined his wiring technique to an "art" rather than a "scientist". On-line stores may not always have the knowledge "in depth" of the equipment they sell. I'm sure Robert has never installed a Paradox or DSC system, let alone their motion sensors. Still and all, he does have some installation acumen and whether-or-not it's borrowed or "stolen", he's willing to share it. I don't think his attacks on the industry, posting spam in this Group, and his overly aggressive responses towards anyone that posts messages the least bit critical, is going to win him any friends or influence someone to purchase from him.

To the OP. Do your "due diligence". Post this same message in CHA (comp.home.automation) and investigate each recommended supplier.

Frank Olson

These folks have good prices and excellent customer service. I have no affiliation ... just a happy customer. Their email tech support is above average.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from Robert L. Bass!

I don't think it's up to us to *tell* someone to "stay away" from a particular product or company. In fact, there's a good deal of turmoil generated from posts like this and I, for one, am getting pretty tired of the whole thing. Suggesting an alternative product backed by reasonable argument is infinitely preferable to what's been happening here. These days you can do a lot of in depth research on the Internet from the comfort of your own home. Granted a good deal of it is marketing "hype", but there's also helpful resources like the BBB, Consumer Reports, and the like. I think directing an individual like this to some of these so they can make their own informed decision is a far better way to go.

I'd encourage anyone contemplating the "DIY" route to read some helpful tips here:

Frank Olson

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Well I'll tell you what. Take a look around this Newsgroup. ie. do a Google search and find out for yourself who's the biggest trouble maker here. Take a look at the past conduct of this piece of garbage you seem to be defending with out even knowing what the nasty SOB has done to people in this Newsgroup and in Usenet.

Oh really?? So you feel comfortable with someone who's a criminial but is in the security industry ..... do you? Would it make you more comfortable to know that he's gone real life with people that object to his snotty attitude and his constant berating of people in the installation business? Comfortable, that he's tried to get people fired from their jobs by telling lies about them? Comfortable that he's gone to competitors websites and written false nasty claims as if he were a disatisfied customer? That he can't get a license to install alarms, exactly because he IS a felon? That he has numerous Better business claims againts him, unanswered? That he's been investigated by the state of Florida ..... for the second time for skirting the laws governing people in the alarm business? That he's not in the US but in Brazil? That he's conducted himself in this manner in Usenet for years and years, once being literally thrown out of an aviation newgroup for stealing published information from someone, denying it and then trying to use the return of that information as ransome to be accepted back into the Newsgroup?

I don't think so ether. But with a comment like that, and if you truly believe it then I WILL have to consider that your an asshole.

If you take into consideration all that I've imparted to you today and you still want to even CONSIDER using Fat Ass Bass to obtain your parts or information ..... you're welcome to it. Oh ..... by the way, his moniker of Fat Ass is because he once humiliated a member of this Newsgroup, who happened to be a competitor of his. Bass discovered that Andy had a weight problem and called him all sorts of humiliating names. THEN ...... it was discovered that Bass himself is a 300 pound porker. So you go right ahead ..... little brain ..... you go right ahead and see if you get what your asking for.

By the way, you'll notice in all of the above ...... that not one person in this Newsgroup including Fat Ass , will contradict a word of it. And that's only SOME of the nasty and dispicable things this jerk has done to destroy this group over a period of years.

Be my guest. At least you can thank me for saving you the time of searching this nasty pricks background.

Your opinion is a reasoned one and you presented it very well, but I disagree. I often seek advice and welcome negative information as well as positive information. This is particularly important when one is seeking something expensive or life critical (such as surgery).

To each his own.