Church told to hang own fire panel

I really can't top your post about programming a Napco LCD keypad to read "Attention Burglar!. Go Ahead Make My Day." In fact, I doubt anyone here can.

Then there's the one where you insisted the correct spelling of "aileron" was really "aeleron"... "angle of attack of the wind" and "negative lift" are also classic "Bassisms".

It doesn't? There is ectoplasm floating across my screen, my chair is lifting off of the floor, and I hear chains dragging.

think that what you say here is what every one think...

long as it's anti-DIY.

Mike has risen again!!!!

All I know is that my previous husband and I, we are both engineers, installed our own with advice from a DIY alarm shop. Consequently we knew every wire, every switch, and all the details of the system. It worked great. The only time we had a problem was when we were struck by lightning and it fried the panel. But we had it up and going again with a new panel within 24 hours because we knew exactly what to do.

When I had a professional installation done at my condo after my divorce, we had numerous problems, and it always took time and money to get them fixed. I have sinced moved into a house with a system that was already installed. The installer was kind enough to give me his code so that I could make some needed changes. I really enjoyed reading the manuals and getting to know the system. Of course when this dies, I will call Jack. ;-)

It's not a matter of "smart" it's a matter of experiece and knowing "what" questions to ask. There's "always" a learning curve that DIY'ers and Dead ass Bass, will never admit exists and what the comparitive cost for it are. The cost of labor and the extended amount of time to do the job is never/EVER, mentioned by anyone involved with a DIY project. It's always compaing the cost of equipment to the cost of equipment AND labor and always ignores the time, labor, expense and cost of mistakes of the DIY'er. When you add it all up at the going rates for a professional to do the job, it's pretty damn close and when done by a professional, subsequent problems are his. A DIY'er has the burden of responsibility of maintaining the system forever. The initial project might be a challange but most times, they eventually opt to have a professional come in. That's where most of the alarm installers come in contact with the ..... shall we say ..... "unorthodox" methods, that are typical to DIY installations. In other words, ..... the systems done by DIY'ers may work, but, at the end, without inspections by someone familiar with the standard and traditional way of doing things, when a professional finally DOES get involved, trying to figure out how things were done in order to test, repair or maintain a system, gets to be ..... if not difficult, just simply a PITA.

The example I often give is the DIR'er who called me in because he couldn't locate an open on his burglar alarm system. He'd seen the drawing on the panel door instructions, that shows a wire coming from one zone terminal with contacts in series and the other end of the wire going back to the box to the other zone terminal. Sure enough, he ran one single wire out from the box to every door and window with all the wires buried in the wall. No test points, no drops to the basement or attic. Nothing exposed.

Oh, and not going to church is no problem as long as you spent the previous night at a Holiday Inn.

Call me what? js

Which all sort of confirms what I said.

It's not a matter of smart because you can do it. As a matter of fact, I think that the "smart" come into play when you finally figure out that it's better to let someone who knows what they're doing ..... do it. There's a learning curve that DIY'ers never consider or include in their "stories" about the installation. If you took the amount of time it took you to learn about and install the system and figured it at your hourly salary, and figured what you could have earned during that same period of time, you'd likely come to a figure worth twice as much as you could have paid, if you'd have had someone else do it.

I can repair any household appliance. I can repair oil furnaces. I can repair small engines and inboard and out board marine engines, I can repair automobiles. I can shingle a house and their roofs. I can paint houses inside and out. I can install chain link and vinyl fencing. I can lay lawn sod, and plant shrubs. I can install lawn sprinkler systems. I can do houshold electrical wiring and plumbing. I can't lay brick but I can work with cement. I'm a woodworker and can stain and finish any kind of cabinetry. And I'm sure there's a few other things, I just can't remember. How did I learn all these things? Because of the various jobs I've held and because when I was young, I didn't have enough money to hire anyone.

Would I do any of that anymore? Not on your life. Early in life, doing things yourself is usually a matter of economics. You don't make enough money so your time is worth the investment to do things yourself. Upon reaching a certain income level, one should get a little bit "smarter" and figure out that they can make more money and have some left over, by hiring someone who does it professionally. As you can plainly see from your own experience .......until they reach that level ( economically or intellectually) , DIY'ers will brag about how much money they "saved" and how much "fun" it was.

Are you busy this weekend? ;-)

I just do it 'cause it's fun to me. I love electronics and computers and cameras and the like. Beats housework.

Which all sort of confirms what I said.

It's not a matter of smart because you can do it. As a matter of fact, I think that the "smart" come into play when you finally figure out that it's better to let someone who knows what they're doing ..... do it. There's a learning curve that DIY'ers never consider or include in their "stories" about the installation. If you took the amount of time it took you to learn about and install the system and figured it at your hourly salary, and figured what you could have earned during that same period of time, you'd likely come to a figure worth twice as much as you could have paid, if you'd have had someone else do it.

I can repair any household appliance. I can repair oil furnaces. I can repair small engines and inboard and out board marine engines, I can repair automobiles. I can shingle a house and their roofs. I can paint houses inside and out. I can install chain link and vinyl fencing. I can lay lawn sod, and plant shrubs. I can install lawn sprinkler systems. I can do houshold electrical wiring and plumbing. I can't lay brick but I can work with cement. I'm a woodworker and can stain and finish any kind of cabinetry. And I'm sure there's a few other things, I just can't remember. How did I learn all these things? Because of the various jobs I've held and because when I was young, I didn't have enough money to hire anyone.

Would I do any of that anymore? Not on your life. Early in life, doing things yourself is usually a matter of economics. You don't make enough money so your time is worth the investment to do things yourself. Upon reaching a certain income level, one should get a little bit "smarter" and figure out that they can make more money and have some left over, by hiring someone who does it professionally. As you can plainly see from your own experience .......until they reach that level ( economically or intellectually) , DIY'ers will brag about how much money they "saved" and how much "fun" it was.

My Mom told me I could be whatever I wanted. So I thought I'd try being a black cartoon character for a while. js

It's Jack Stevens' nom de plume.

That explains a lot. :^)

that is shocking, im head of the fire division for a company and dont know of any company that would do that. mark

ifes chuch is getting a fire system which i refused to bid on do to this > churchs members politics but company they hired which is one of the big one s > in my area today had 2 installer show up to start job and they told chu rch > janitor that he had to hang the panel for them they did not do that p art of > the job. they left wire and tools everywhere for people to trip ov er and > then were asked to lock doors when they left and did not. > > once again the fire alarm experts strike.

that is shocking, im head of the fire division for a company and dont know of any company that would do that. mark

I wouldn't worry about it now, Mark.

They likely didn't care then and certainly don't care now, six years later in 2013, that you're shocked.

But .... thanks anyway for your concern.