Compass Software

"Frank Olson" wrote in message news:_L_0f.92145$oW2.18170@pd7tw1no...

Damn. Now what do I do? :-))

Bob

"Frank Olson" wrote in message news:uT_0f.94306$1i.14347@pd7tw2no...

I have an extensive electrical background, too. And I've done programming for industrial computer controlled equipment and PLC's. However, I was given a price of $50 to have someone else program my 15P Vista and for that price I'm not even turning the page in the programming manual. There's a time and place for a pro.

Bob

That was true.

I dunno I'm kina partial to Remote Link as you can work live with panel programming changes you don't have to upload save download save...blah blah blah.

But Compass is much better than some of the other ones I've used in the past. Compass is goofy though when you load the FBI modules. They really need to overhaul it, imo.

| | And it's designed to run in Windows 3.1, gotta love those ancient 16-bit | applications. | | Even so it's in my opinion the best overall downloading software available | |

Robertm wrote:

Oh yes it does. He's a slime bucket, contiuously disrupting this group for over eight years. Now it doesn't matter what anyone does here simply because he feels he can do anything he chooses to anyone, at his whim. His comment when chastized for doing his nasty deeds is: "you don't control this group and don't have any say in what anyone does of doesn't do here. If you don't like it you're welcome to leave" We'll if that's the attitude of even ONE participant in this group then it has to serve every one else too. Therefore, any time he does ANYTHING AT ALL. Anytime there is even the remotest oppotunity to kick him in the ass ..... to put him down, to discredit him by posting all of the nasty rotten things he's done to people here, through the years, it's going to be done. If he feels he can do anything to anyone at any time without concern or remorse, than so be it. Anyone else can, and will do the very same thing. And why not? He's destroyed this Newsgroup for YEARS with is petty picking on people while being the worst transgressor of any form of social contract, both here and in his personal life.

No, that WASN'T, my point in my reply to you. And I don't really care one way or the other whether you did or didn't do business with the fat pig. The point was, that there wasn't any indication that the OP was or wasn't an end user and since he'd stated that he'd already had a copy of the software, it was a resonable assumption to make that he was a dealer.

H O W E V E R. If he had been in contact with Fat ASS, then it would have been reasonable to assume that he WAS an end user, because Fat ASS has no reservations at all of giving the dealer software to ANYONE who asks for it. Whether he was or not, I really don't give a crap. It was simply one more taken opportunity to shove it right back up Bass' ass. ONE MORE TIME.

Not in the least. Regardless of what anyone says, revenge is sweet. It's a great pleasure to me and to the majority of participants in this Newsgroup to see this fat bag of shit get his just rewards. There isn't one soul here, who doesn't agree with the fact that he's the reason this group is in the chaos that it's in. He does what he does here, on purpose and has garnered the emnity of every one he's ever come in contact with. You tell me Bob, do you think it's merely a coincidence that there are so many people who dislike this SOB? Do you think it's a coincidence that he's been thrown out of Newsgroups before, for doing the VERY SAME THING AS HE DOES HERE? You want to take a trip down dija vue lane and look in the Aviation group that he was thrown out of so many years ago for doing EXACTLY what he does here? You want to see the posts where he's gone real life with people and says that he "enjoys" doing that to people? Would you like to see the forged derogatory posts he made on a competitors website? How about where he actually stole a report from someone, claimed it as his own and then held it for ransom, if they'd let him participate in the group again? And, how many people do you know that's a convicted felon for a gun crime and is also responsible for someones death? Is this a normal person Bob? The real question Bob ...Is this someone who should be allowed to participate in society much less a mere Newsgroup?

So, least there be any mistake, on your part, about where I stand on this matter, let me quote something that at one time I would have never considerd doing ..... but as you can see, under the circumstances it is only just.

"you don't control this group and don't have any say in what anyone does or doesn't do here. If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave"

Ya get it Bob?

My VERY stong suggestion to you is. Stay out of it! You will be long gone from this Newsgroup and this will continue until the fat slob dies of a heart attack, which will be sooner, rather than later.

Guys, if they really cared about the security of the software they would assign personal logins, the fact that they have 1 user login for everyone, means its not that big a deal, at least not to them. Besides like I said before, you dont need a login to get to that download page, its so so amateur.

As for the software, i program also, and did PC work back then when i first used it, its very basic software and simple to use (once you have some basic understanding of their panel language), like some one else said, designed for windows 3.1 probably. Getting the right modem to work with it was another task but figured that out easy enough, ofcourse now you can just buy a modem with the Compass name on it . To get compass back then we had to download it from "another" distributors javascript "secured" login page .. LOL ...

But it does the job, and thats what counts.

IMO for a major manufacturer like, well even when it was Ademco, but now Honeywell, it can be 100 times better.

Software is not always a priority of manufacturers though, so unless they start subbing the programming out, which I doubt they will as their code will then be comprimised, we are stuck with what we gets.

Anwyay, I dont see a problem with certain clients having the software, if they bought an Alarm panel, and want to make changes themselves - eg

- self monitored - then they buy the software and a modem, and figure it out, heck ill show them how to use it for a charge :-) But i have alot of better things to do. ..

I have even set up mini central stations at security guard booths here for gated communities, using Surguard and the same CMS software our CMS uses, ofcourse its not cheap and takes a while to teach them how to use it. It is used as the second CMS number, the first goes to the main CMS.

Navigator supports only a few panels tho, Vista-128 and above if I recall from my copy, not the entire line

And it's designed to run in Windows 3.1, gotta love those ancient 16-bit applications.

Even so it's in my opinion the best overall downloading software available

proving that you just don't know if they don't say.

Yah, I figured Homeywell would probably update it. Lemme know what you hear.

| > But Compass is much better than some of the other ones I've used in the | > past. Compass is goofy though when you load the FBI modules. They really | > need to overhaul it, imo. | | Only problem I've seen with FBI modules is it sometimes give a strange error | box that doesn't appear to do any harm but stays in memory, I also forgot | about Compass sometimes GPF's (Windows error) and won't work normally until | you reboot the computer although thats pretty rare. | | The overhaul is coming soon...very soon | |

Cripes Mark, what does that say about all the other downloading software. It can't all be bad....

RHC

Even so it's in my opinion the best overall downloading software available

Yeah, and when you get disconnected, loose the whole panel and have to redownload .. Arghhh. They still can do a whole lot better on the design, not to mention the database, seeing as alot of of users will have tons of accounts. Text files can be kind of slow also .. Id think MySql or even SQL server can do the job. But you need a decent PC and rock solid software.

Mark Leuck, thats a great review btw :-)

This is the way I look at it

Compass = Old 16-bit program developed for Windows 3.1, incredible database as far as finding panels by type, revision of that type, phone etc and the database itself is not that big, mine had over 200,000 accounts that took up maybe 300 megs. It also covers every panel Ademco/FBI/Apex made in the last

15 years. The unattended upload capability is incredible

DSC = 32-bit Windows program, very nice interface, easy to create an account, templates are awsome, the ability to download only parts of programming that were changed in incredible and I do like the way it handles modules however the database is a bloated mess, I have I guess 30,000 accounts (its a guess because unlike Compass you have no way of finding out the total number of accounts) and the frigging database is 6 GIG's! Get over

100 or so accounts in a folder and it CRAWLS, the only way around that is to create more folders, can't search the database for shit. No support for other modems unless you get the beta patch and even then most of the modems in that don't work. I also find that for some reason under XP half my computers can't call the older 1550/2550/3000 panels because it can't properly initialize the modem, works fine for 1555/5010/4020 family tho). DSC needs to include all the old modems from DLS-1 by default and make one nice big database instead of saving each panel in 4 individual files which is why it's so slow

DSC = The old DOS software worked fine in Windows 95/98 but on most of my computers is slow updating the screen under XP and half the time can't initialize the modem

Napco = Big piece of shit interface, looks like someone from the 70's on acid designed it although it is getting better, still can't do MA1008LKDL/1010LKDL/2600 panels which to me is kinda stupid. At least they added the 1000e/1008e in the last update which helps. Doesn't look like you can search the database very well.

Paradox = Windows software that only works full screen which is annoying, confusing interface, stupid arrow to select uploading or downloading, doesn't support Esprit panels, I have no idea how well it does with a lot of accounts since I almost never deal with the brand.

GE/ITI = Toolbox which works okay until you get a hundred or so accounts in the database then it crawls, Why they haven't figured out how to arm/disarm/check status with it is beyond me.

GE/ITI = Enterprise which is the new stuff and at the moment only supports Allegro/Simon 2/Simon 3/Concord Express panels is awsome once its up and running but still buggy as hell and far too complex for someone to setup on a local machine Excellent search capability and the database is tiny compared to everything else, mostly because it uses Microsoft's SQL server software.

GE/Caddx = I like this software, search capability is very good, database is small, seems simple to use. Painfully slow uploading alpha keypads but thats caused by the panel not the software, has never crashed on me however it doesn't support older Caddx panels like the 8000/9000 series.

HAI Home Automation = Simple and really only designed for a few accounts, I haven't played with it much

Radionics = RAM IV Windows based, works well but slightly crappy search

Radionics = Ram II DOS based that doesn't work at all in XP, didn't work all that well in 95/98

Now the fun ones

AT&T 8300 = DOS based yet works well under XP, no database just individual files for each account

AT&T 8000 = DOS based, works under 95/98 but locks up after a minute under XP, no idea why

Linear DVS = Windows based, works okay, no searching the database at all since it uses individual files for each account. Entire program locks up for over a minute if you try aborting a call, they just added the ability to upload an event buffer (?)

Linear CP-90 = Dos based, worked like shit in Windows 95, doesn't work in XP, can't even save an account...good thing they finally killed off that panel, runs full screen and don't even try switching to a different screen or it locks up the display

C&K = ....uhhh the less said the better

Moose = The disks make a nice buffer between panels in a boat anchor chain, keeps em from banging into each other as they settle on the bottom of the lake

I could go on and on but the problem as always is less than 5% of alarm installers upload their panels and the industry isn't going to invest millions in software development for that tiny number and thats why compared to other Windows programs the stuff we use is crap

Only problem I've seen with FBI modules is it sometimes give a strange error box that doesn't appear to do any harm but stays in memory, I also forgot about Compass sometimes GPF's (Windows error) and won't work normally until you reboot the computer although thats pretty rare.

The overhaul is coming soon...very soon

I thank you for the info. As for am I a pro or a DIY, I am a Do It Yourself. I usually work with DSC systems, so I have some programming experience. I do agree that it should be left to a pro but I am alas house poor. 1st year owning the house so I have found out lost of things that need repair / replacement /or just torn out. Most people wanted 100 bucks to program it for me and that kind of money I don not have right now but would like to have some house protection installed. My back ground is a Journeyman Electrician with extensive work with Edwards fire alarm systems so I feel pretty confidant that I can program this.

Again, thank you James and Robert L Bass. This will be a great help. Now I don't have to use the 2 line alphanumeric keypad to do the programming.

Dave.

Sadly, Robert sold his garage based central station... ;-))

It's been done before. Honeywell doesn't appear to care one way or the other.

Heh... Bass is an *unlicensed* retailer that also happens to be one of ADI's biggest customers (according to him). I sincerely doubt they're going to close his account at this stage... Besides... He can always get product "through the back door".

The software won't do you any good without a compatible modem.

Ademco/honeywell has now come out with a chopped version of Compass, for end users to pull reports change users etc called Navigator so obviously they want it kept in professional hands.