DSC Opinions Please

I prefer Fire-Lite or Silent Knight FACP's.

I've never used a DSC Maxsys, but if it's anything like thier burg. panels I would run.

Would you care to expand your comments on "run" Towards or away from???

BTW the Maxsys is a Fire/Burg/Access capable panel.

Thanks,

Les

I do not not use DSC I do mostly heavy commercail industrial. but friend of mine who uses the DSC fire panel you mention said he likes it and has had no trouble with it.

The burg panels are first class, but I wouldn't use their "fire panel" again.

I have used the 4020CF in applications where a burg system existed, and they wanted to add fire. In addition to the 4020CF panel, you will need to purchase a PC4702 power supply/bell output panel, which comes in another big can. DSC locks out downloading on this panel unless someone is on site. (Yeah, I know the rules, blah, blah, blah. Save it.) After doing this a couple of times, I can see that the best way is to keep the burg and fire systems separate. I would look at a Silent Knight fire panel, and use DSC for the burg side.

Les, I have also used the DSC 4020 in an access system, with burg. It works great. Programming the MaxSys can be a daunting task the first time you do it though.

I was talking with a rep from a competing manufacturer yesterday, and if I recall (we only touched on it) the DSC combo commercial panels will not meet the latest UL revision. Napco's old MA3000 which was their work horse in that department won't either, but they have a new panel going to UL for listing that should be ready to market in about 6-12 months.

Run away. I don't like those combo panels at all, I did a few Vista128FB's with fire & burg. and it turned out to be a service nightmare. I'd split them up, but you may have a pressing need to use a combo panel.

Thanks for the input guys. Very helpful. I don't have to make a decision just yet. This will help when I have my discussion with the DSC Sales Rep.

Thanks again.

Les

What problems did you have with the Vistas?

We use a lot of the FA1600CB's and I haven't seen too many problems.

Don't listen to a "sales rep". He'll lure you in with a bright shiny multi-purpose screwdriver/barbeque lighter/beer opener widget and a power point presentation extolling the virtues of DSC. What he won't tell you is that he was only just hired away from ADI last week where he made similar presentations about Ademco/Honeywell. ADI's promo "widget" is way better though. It has a little level in it and a handy magnet to test smokes.

Well, it was lack of knowledge and understanding of the other techs mostly.

I put a Vista-128FB in a large veterinary hospital. It had about 12 smokes, 3 pulls, plus the burg. devices. One night they had a (false) fire alarm and the on-call tech went to investigate. He didn't know anything about the panel so he triggered the silent tamper when he opened the can door.

Then he goes about troubleshooting, to his dismay only finding 1k resistance on the fire loop. All hard-wired panels must have a 4.7k EOLR he thought. So he spends all night out there, gets a visit from the police, and finally sometime early the next morning notices the smoke above the panel is in alarm (dog hair in chamber). He didn't know how to reset it either, he was used to a big-ass 'reset' button present on 'real' panels.

Granted, the story itself is not reason to dismiss using one... but I'll bet those tech's in Waco still dread servicing the 'bastard' panel I put in for them.

Well, we use mostly First Alert panels so all our tech's are well versed in them.

We also use a super-secret code symbol cleverly placed on the can to warn any service tech that the can is tampered.

What is it, a sticker that reads "Tamper switch here -->"? ;-)

I just put a label on there, it keeps the fat-fingered employees out. Usually.

You don't mention the evaluation metric you are using to help anyone here understand why you're picking this panel. If you're going to talk to the rep you might want to mention that the 4020 is not a CP-01 compliant panel and what that means for you and the future of this panel for DSC. It is scheduled for a replacement as others have mentioned so you'll have an orphan soon enough. Since it is a fire panel you shouldn't be doing a lot of remote uploading or downloading in the first place with out a tech on site to test, but it is good to know that the 4020 is a "rocket" in that department. It takes a FULL 45 minutes to do a complete upload of the panel and the same to download it. This thing is a dinosaur - almost as old as the Napco MA 3000. We had about 30 of these things we pulled from a chain account- the red panel CF version- (version 3.3 without the T-Link connection) and they bypassed Rojas and eBay and all went to the dumpster.

If the rep is shouting you straight he'll suggest you use something else I bet.

And for picking a DSC product you might want to consider their sales year over year. With new houses came the new trunk slammers to install DSC panels by the thousands. Cheap, keypad programmable, and available at the local parts houses where trunk slammers gather like zebras at the watering hole.

In case you missed it, no new houses means no new panels. DSC panel business is "not what it used to be". Result? Ask about the "for sale" sign that may be lurking around the DSC brand. And when it says "Honeywell' or some other name you can bet the choice for a 4020 is one you have a lot of second thoughts about.

Sharpie a 'T' just above the lock

That panel is going to be around for about another year and then it is going away and that have been confirmed.

That would be the big red "T" next to the lock right?!