Just "Inherited" Brinks System & Want to Know Options

Hello.

I have just purchased a new-to-me home and it came with a Brinks (wired) alarm system. Don't know the age of it but it has to be 6 years old or less. I'm not interested in signing up with Brinks' service ($35/mo) but have read that I will probably have to replace several components if I want to be free from Brinks and still use it (with or without another service).

Is this true?

If my only option is to replace components (keypads (2), controller (?), etc.), what would be the process involved and where/which components do I need to replace?

I work in the computer industry so am comfortable with wiring, PCs, etc. but am just learning about alarm systems. The current alarm system consists of:

- 2 Keypads (Brinks)

- 1 Glass Break Sensor

- 4 Door Sensors

- 1 or 2 Smoke Sensors

- 2 or 3 Heat Sensors

- Controller Box (?)

- Battery Box (?)

- Relay Box (?) near 2nd Keypad

- Alarm Horn in attic

- Alarm located in HVAC return register

I would appreciate any and all suggestions for my situation. Though not required, if the expense was not too high, I would be interested in connecting the system to a PC for whatever control this would provide.

Thanks!

I appreciate your responses.

I'm speaking as a newbie but from what I've read, someone with the right equipment CAN actually re-program it, but that's not what I want to do.

Other than the keypads & controller panel (?), most or the rest of the system is from other manufacturers such as Ademco. So, I would like to know what options I have. Any other ideas out there?

Thanks.

If it's ademco then all you really will have to replace is the panel itself...and don't answer the phone if Brinks calls.

Buy an Ademco panel with the same amount of on board zones...you may want to read the install manual and the programming manual first before you buy especially if you'll be trying this yourself.

You'll also need to see what model keypads you have. Only the 6160 and the older 6139 can be used to fully program the system. So you'll need to buy one of these (well not teh 6139). If the battery is older than 3 or 4 years buy a new battery too.

You didn't say if you had any wireless points either

| > All the Brinks stuff I've run into is proprietary anyway, you can't - nor | > can any other alarmco reprogram it. | >

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Technically it's all made by Ademco

yep, crash is right...unless you have a programmer, the system is pretty much useless to you......

The old stuff was from DTI but later panels were from C&K which is now part of Honeywell/Ademco. It doesn't make it any easier since it's still proprietary and requires a programmer

My suggestion is to put in in the same place as all Moose panels should be, on the bottom of a lake holding a boat in position

Someone MIGHT be able to re-program it, though it would probably need new firmware (which is usually soldered to the mainboard) unless they had the programmer and the installer code- even then, it will only communicate with a Brinks' monitoring receiver. Change out the main control panel (box with CPU and battery in it) and the keypads. Ohm out the wiring with a digital multimeter to see if they used EOL resistors on the input zones- if so, locate them (usually at the end-of-line- ie; the device) and change them to the resistors with the value the new panel will be looking for. Rule of thumb- Red/Black= +12vdc, -12vdc- Green/Yellow= initiation circuit- IE: n/c door sensor, n/c motion sensor trip circuit, n/o 4 wire smoke detector initiation circuit, etc, though this varies. Green/Yellow also commonly used for keypad communication loop. Important to ascertain which wires go where before re-wiring a new control panel. Door sensors, Motions, Smoke detectors, Heat detectors, Sirens, etc are all re-usable. You'll also need to figure out what the stuff in the "relay box" is for, and re-wire as necessary. For an alarm novice, figure a full Saturday to replace the equipment, program, test, and troubleshoot, with a Sunday overlap if you run into trouble. For a pro it will take 2-3 hrs. tops. YMMV.

PS- need to determine whether your smoke detectors are 2-wire or 4-wire- someone here probably knows- this makes a difference in how they're wired and whether you have (or need) a power supervision relay at the end-of-line on your fire circuit(s). This relay, if installed, will be wired with a resistor that will need to be changed. Your Siren loop probably isn't supervised, but if it is properly supervised, there will be a resistor at one of the sirens that needs to be changed also.

I always thought the Brinks stuff was a proprietary offshoot of the old DTI

665. If it IS Ademco based, that makes things much simpler.

You serious?

| > >> I always thought the Brinks stuff was a proprietary offshoot of the old | > > DTI | > >> 665. If it IS Ademco based, that makes things much simpler. | > >

| > > The old stuff was from DTI but later panels were from C&K which is now | > > part | > > of Honeywell/Ademco. It doesn't make it any easier since it's still | > > proprietary and requires a programmer | > >

| > > My suggestion is to put in in the same place as all Moose panels should | > > be, | > > on the bottom of a lake holding a boat in position | > >

| > >

| > Ha ha ha ha........... What was/is your biggest complaint about the Moose | > line, the Z1250 & Z2000 seemed to work well.......... Regards, Russ | | Years ago a man was driving home from a long day at work when a cargo truck | ran a stop sign and broadsided him, it put him in the hospital where he died | 12 hours later, that truck was carrying shipments of Moose Z1100 System | II's, Z911's and a few MPI-775's. | | That man was my father, my quest since then was convert all of those panels | into boat anchors | | Oh sure some blame the driver for falling asleep at the wheel or the | trucking company for having bad brakes and worn out tires or the state of | Indiana for not fixing a dangerous intersection but I think deep down we all | know it was those panels in the back....sitting there on that pallet.... | under the shrink-wrap.....waiting to strike.. | |

Years ago a man was driving home from a long day at work when a cargo truck ran a stop sign and broadsided him, it put him in the hospital where he died

12 hours later, that truck was carrying shipments of Moose Z1100 System II's, Z911's and a few MPI-775's.

That man was my father, my quest since then was convert all of those panels into boat anchors

Oh sure some blame the driver for falling asleep at the wheel or the trucking company for having bad brakes and worn out tires or the state of Indiana for not fixing a dangerous intersection but I think deep down we all know it was those panels in the back....sitting there on that pallet.... under the shrink-wrap.....waiting to strike..

Mark is at the forefront of a grassroots campaign in Texas for a new "Use a Moose, go to Prison" law. js

Jack and Doug know my pain

wow, sorry.

| >

| >

| > | > >> I always thought the Brinks stuff was a proprietary offshoot of the | > old | > | > > DTI | > | > >> 665. If it IS Ademco based, that makes things much simpler. | > | > >

| > | > > The old stuff was from DTI but later panels were from C&K which is | now | > | > > part | > | > > of Honeywell/Ademco. It doesn't make it any easier since it's still | > | > > proprietary and requires a programmer | > | > >

| > | > > My suggestion is to put in in the same place as all Moose panels | > should | > | > > be, | > | > > on the bottom of a lake holding a boat in position | > | > >

| > | > >

| > | > Ha ha ha ha........... What was/is your biggest complaint about the | > Moose | > | > line, the Z1250 & Z2000 seemed to work well.......... Regards, Russ | > | | > | Years ago a man was driving home from a long day at work when a cargo | > truck | > | ran a stop sign and broadsided him, it put him in the hospital where he | > died | > | 12 hours later, that truck was carrying shipments of Moose Z1100 System | > | II's, Z911's and a few MPI-775's. | > | | > | That man was my father, my quest since then was convert all of those | > panels | > | into boat anchors | > | | > | Oh sure some blame the driver for falling asleep at the wheel or the | > | trucking company for having bad brakes and worn out tires or the state | of | > | Indiana for not fixing a dangerous intersection but I think deep down we | > all | > | know it was those panels in the back....sitting there on that pallet.... | > | under the shrink-wrap.....waiting to strike.. | > | | > | | >

| >

| | |

Ha ha ha ha........... What was/is your biggest complaint about the Moose line, the Z1250 & Z2000 seemed to work well.......... Regards, Russ

send it to: robosama at gmail dot com

brinks never uses eol, except for smokes and heats

.. Change out the main control panel (box with

all smokes are 4-wire, all heats are 2-wire..but if they are ran in series, and you plan on replacing them, PAY ATTENTION to how they are wired!!!!!!

the eol is at/on the smokes/heats themselves

the sireen IS supervised, but at the panel, not at the siren itself.

Crash, I've tried a couple of times to send you the rest of that post privately; however, all have failed to go through...

RHC

And it would have worked if it hadn't have been for those darn pesky kids!

Hell, I'd even support a law like that! Of course there isn't much to worry about Moose anymore. Sorry about your dad Mark. I didn't realize there were Moose in Indiana...something to look out for when driving through...