Ademco wireless system

Call all the dealers in your area.

You may find a less than 3 year contract but if you find a dealer that's willing to monitor your account and not lock it, you'd better figure that you're not dealing with anyone with more than half a brain.

In case you haven't thought about it, the reason for locking it is ..... since the alarm company is responsible for the integrity of the communication with the central station, with no lock on the panel, changes to the programing can be made, that would jeopardize that communication . If your system isn't monitored, you should be able to find someone who wouldn't lock it. What you MAY be looking for, is something in the contract that insures that the alarm company will unlock the panel when the contract expires with notification from you.

Call around? js

Denver. Not my favorite area of the country. The snow, altitude, and driving conditions are bad enough. However, anyplace that would prevent someone from killing a rodent, excuse me, prairie dog, inside the city limits (not actually Denver of course) makes me worry. Ticks, fleas, hanta virus, and the plague, not to mention a broken leg, certainly aren't worth risking to save some vermin critter. I can still remember being in class at Verint and seeing those guys scampering through the snow; seemingly without a care in the world. In real life out, meaning on the range somewhere, they wouldn't be so cavalier, or they would end up as so much scat. That said, if you need to find someone call the local ADI branch (the place where alarm dealers of all sorts purchase the formerly Ademco -now Honeywell- product line) in Denver at 303-777-1660 and ask for a recommendation. If you still need an actual dealer name then post again, someone will give you a specific name to call. All I ask is you run over a pestiferous prairie dog or two whenever you find the chance.

I sell alarms directly to DIYers. Since you're interested in having a professionally installed system I can't help you directly.

One of my brothers lives in Denver. He had United Security Systems at his previous home. I called and he gave me the following: The company is located at 7808 Cherry Creek South Drive, Unit 408, Denver. Their phone number is 303-778-7000. Ask for Dirk Herman.

I'm not sure what their contract terms are but I do know that my brother felt he was treated fairly. He's a great salesman but definitely *not* a do-it-yourselfer. I gave him a system which he plans to have USS install and monitor.

Why is it you always say the easy stuff like that?

Anything more complicated confuses him. :^)

Some say it's because I possess exceptional insight, incredible wisdom, and a refreshing gift of brevity. js

I used to go with a girl named Brevity.

She was short and sweet and got right to the point. In fact, I would describe her as a succinctress.

To be clear on your definition of "lock down", changing the installer code to their own is more than sufficient to protect the integrity of the panel and it's communication data. This is always done by every company and any company that doesn't would be very foolish. Nothing more should ever be acceptable to you as a consumer. This allows only them in to make low level changes which affect the panel's ability to call the station.

However, there is another additional lockout feature which prevents the panel from EVER being returned to factory default, and which makes the panel useless to any other company after the first company has left. No company has the right to use this feature on a panel which is fully paid for, and which belongs fully to you, and on which there are no contractual obligations outstanding. THAT is the lockout you have to avoid. Although not a perfect analogy, it's a bit like putting a padlock on the hood of a car so you MUST come back to the original dealer. That padlock is ok as long as you and your dealer have a contractual agreement for that service, and as long as you still owe monies on the alarm system, but if or when the dealer leaves at the end of the contract, and you fully own the system, so should the "padlock" be removed.

Unfortunately, there are many companies that don't adhere to ethical guidelines on this issue due to competitive pressures.The "padlock" is often left there for malicious reasons, to force the new company to replace the board, thereby ensuring less likelihood that the consumer will leave the original company. THAT situation amounts to no less than a form of theft !!

RHC

Careful there, Bob. Your bud Bass has very strong views on this abhorrent practice. For shame!! :-)

what panel has that? not most I know of.

then why is it there?

and if it is so bad why do you even use those panels? seems to me you are promoting this 'extra lockout code' by using equipment sold by those companies..... and at the same time critisizing them. what's that all aboot?

RHC: Both DSC and Paradox have that board lock feature. Ademco has it but only by download software. Other makes I am less clear about, but I believe Napco and Caddyx both have it. Perhaps you could enlighten us on which panel DON'T have this feature...

RHC: It is there for quite legitimate reasons. If an alarmco puts in a leased system, the equipment belongs to the alarmco. They have every right to lock THEIR board to protect themselves against clients who default and simply leave the premises, against clients who go price shopping for a lower monthly rate, and against other unethical alarm companies who raid the accounts of others to steal business away. Until the contract is finished, they have not been fully paid for the system. This is the realm of the phony "free system" , where the client is sold a minimalistic system at a high monthly, contractual rate. Very common in this industry, since not everyone can afford the price of an alarm system upfront (not much different than paying for an automobile over time...). In those cases, I would expect the alarmco to lock the board for their protection.

Frankly, I wouldn't use a panel that DIDN'T have this feature built in. But at the same time, it should be used properly, and often the arguments on this newsgroup about locking boards revolve around the definition of what is proper use of the feature.

RHC: If you don't know of existenc of this feature then clearly you are not actually in the industry. My response above is the answer to your question.

DSC 1616,1832, 1864 Power Series has that feature. DSC [990][InstallerCode] - Installer Lockout Enabled You can't default the panel with that future turned on.

The Bosch G series has data lock. It's very tough to get around that one too.

There are many other panel brands having similar features.

RHC: You inadvertently bring up another point. I wonder if indeed there are actually any newer version panels that don't have this "installer lockout" feature built in. I don't know of any personally....

RHC: I sometimes wonder when we are discussing locking a panel, whether some are mixing up simply changing the installer code rather than enabling the hardware lock. In effect, changing the installer code IS locking someone out of installer level programming mode, but this is only as long as that company is monitoring it. If the actual hardware lockout is not enabled, the next company simply defaults the panel, which is probably the best idea anyway, since it's often easy to overlook that the previous company had enabled other features you may not want (such as callback for example, in which case you wouldn't be able to dial in to the panel). To my knowledge, every company changes the installer code, and with good reason.

There are a few companies up here that install the wiring and the alarm for builders. They change the installer code too, although it's probably not necessary since the unit is being sold to a private buyer of the home who will then decide what he wants to do ie: put it on line, or leave it local. It's just normal practice in this industry to protect against tampering of the information in the panel. Actual hardware lockout is something QUITE different....

When Bosch was Radionics they would unlock the board if you sent the panel in. Dunno if they still do or not.

Yes they do. It cost 40 bucks though. The G series has a way to automatically lock you out. If the AC and battery power go, and then the lithium battery fails (for about 30 minutes - until the caps drain), the panel locks you out. You get charged $40.00 for that too. Yes I know there is a way around that, but according to Bosch OFFICIALLY it doesn't exist.

I know another panel that does the same thing if the lithium goes down...which actually scrambles the panel (which locks you out unintentionally). If in warranty it doesn't cost to fix, but I've not seen a lithium go down within warranty ever.

And Robert makes no distinction between locking a panel through use of the installer code or other method. He figures his customers should have 100$ access to their systems and has frequently stated so. The ONLY reason he won't disagree with you here is the simple fact that he considers you a "friend".