Napco

My commercail customers who are my residential customers are great I have the Bob Vella problem up here with residential every one can do it them selves and the residential dont want to pay there bills up here either. high end homes forget them they start building the home start ading too many extras dont do good budgeting and that fancy system you are wirng gets down sized who needs the headaches.

Ill take the fork lift operator at 6:00 am who hits a smoke I have mostly small to mid size family owned commercail and industrial who like the personel service and like intergration to save money and headaches. plus they like all the cool toys i rig up in there plants. no scheduling headaches either i just show up and work. not rescheduled unless another contractor is screwing up. residential does not want you in there homes from nov to feb and then they dont have money to pay there bills etc etc. Up here many service providers have split there companys and formed a seprate residential entity to deal with the lawsuit headaches and everything els residential cause up here. must be a different culture were you guys are.

Your not being picky. My intent was to say that if you could program an MA3000 via the keypad you were pretty good! I too programmed a lot via keypad but Napco HAS had a software program for quite some time since the 1008 (LKDL) (DL=DownLoadable)

Robert L Bass wrote:

Agreed, though I'm not sure whether that ability qualified me as good or just patient. :^)

I've programmed tons of Napco systems and, like most who've worked with the brand over the years, I'd rather not have to do another by keypad. There are so many options with Napco that the very flexibility that makes them great probably scares off a lot of potential customers.

Yep. Remember using the clunky PCI-2000 interface? That thing would have made Rube Goldberg proud. I used one at my desktop PC for quite a while until someone suggested I just plug a telephone into the modem and leave it off the hook after dialing.

Probably just "good". I'd say "genius" if you'd answer one question. How do you get a 32 character keypad LCD display on a Napco system to read: "Attention Burglar" on the first line, and "Go ahead. Make my day." on the second? Inquiring minds want to know (not to mention a lot of the DIY "lurkers").

"Clunky", eh. Not hardly. Mine's about the size of my Hayes "Smartmodem" and still goin' strong.

You could be right about a different "culture". In fact, you must be right; how else can one account for the difference....

RHC

A lot of my clients give me keys to their homes, I just have to call and make sure it's ok to go in...also, they're mostly high end clients who love to pay on time (yah it's dream aint it). Seriously, I have one doctor who put us on auto pay, but instead of quarterly pays he set us up as monthly...but at the quarterly amount...so instead of 75 bucks a quarter he's paying 75 bucks a month. So I call him and say...yo!...doc...stop paying me already! He says okie dokie and I continute to get 75 bucks a month. yo! doc...quit it already! you've already prepaid a year and a half! :-)

Another client, I had forgotten to bill for almost 1k for add-ons...I just plain forgot...after a few weeks I get an annoyed message from her; WHY haven't you billed me already!!??

Old client called me thursday night...are you ready to rough my new house? Huh? Dood, you never sent me plans! We talked about it months ago, but you never called or sent me anything! Oh yeah I guess I forgot...well sparky is done so you can get in there anytime (which will be this monday). Yah, I can do it but to be honest I really don't have time to even give you a proposal. That's ok he says just keep it under 15K, I trust you. Okie dokie! Shit I'll give him a 500 buck credit for not having to write up a freekin' proposal!

In 2005 I only had 4 deadbeats I had to turn off.

yeah Robert, I still have the stupid thing!

Robert L Bass wrote:

Same thing I did a number of years ago. After years of commercial work that was laborious drudgery, without even a thank you, the residential market has more of a challange as far as installation skills and techniques. I enjoy the level of homes that I do now. Presently doing a $3.5 million 7500 sqft home, on seven acre wooded property with lakes and Grecian gardens that one of my existing clients just bought. Was a spec house, so it's all closed up already and they want a full system. Great! What a challange to have jobs like that.

Don't understand a builder who'd build a house of that caliber with only doors and two motion detectors ..... both placed in the wrong spot. Keypad wire, poking out through the wainscoat panel in a 4 inch space beteen a light switch and the end of the wall. Contact wire for garage entry door is sticking out of the wall 2 feet away from the door. Bedroom key pad wire was brought to the attic but wasn't stapled there, so it was hanging out of neat little hole in the ceiling the drywallers had made for it in the closet. The builder had paid $1200.00 to prewire 6 doors, two keypads, two motion detectors, one inside speaker. No fire. One 12 conductor between attic and basement. And all just short drops that have to be spliced to be wired back to the panel. No home runs to a designated main panel area. Told him I would do the same thing for $900.00 with home runs. And I thought that was high. No Cat5. Five TV jacks. Five telephone jacks. Duhhhhh! Unbelieveable!

But that's the challange, to take a bad job and make a diamond out of it.

He'll tell you how to do it by downloading, thats about all he knows

I think mine is in a land fill in Connecticut. The funny thing is, cleaning out the garage before moving last year I came across my old Napco 410 programmer and a much more ancient Acron programmer. In the (original) box with the Acron were several unused chips.

During the move I tossed both of them... probably should have sent them up to Jim Rojas' gara... er, I mean "Museum of Ancient Alarmistry". :^)

Stop trying to kiss up to Rojas. Rojas would break a foot off in your worthless ass if he didn't think the shoe police would arrest him for cruelty to loafers.

Robert L Bass wrote:

That's ok Robert. I now have 37 410's, 6 P4000's, and 3 DD1PC's, in my collection.

Jim Rojas

Why? Because most of them don't care, they just want to sell the house...it's the buyer's problem later. Some builders are of the mindset; oh, you can just add a wireless system later...or that a few doors and a motion detector are enough - gee where did that come from? From years of the biggies creating that illusion by advertising and give-away systems - that's how. Our industry f****ng our own industry.

"Jim" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com... | | Crash Gordon wrote: | > Really. I'm just the opposite!...I'd much rather deal with loyal friendly | > (and pay on time) homeowners...one on one...mostly custom homes. Dumped most | > of my big commercial stuff, kept only the ones that are also homeowners of | > mine. | >

| >

| Same thing I did a number of years ago. After years of commercial work | that was laborious drudgery, without even a thank you, the residential | market has more of a challange as far as installation skills and | techniques. I enjoy the level of homes that I do now. Presently doing a | $3.5 million 7500 sqft home, on seven acre wooded property with lakes | and Grecian gardens that one of my existing clients just bought. Was a | spec house, so it's all closed up already and they want a full system. | Great! What a challange to have jobs like that. | | Don't understand a builder who'd build a house of that caliber with | only doors and two motion detectors ..... both placed in the wrong | spot. Keypad wire, poking out through the wainscoat panel in a 4 inch | space beteen a light switch and the end of the wall. Contact wire for | garage entry door is sticking out of the wall 2 feet away from the | door. Bedroom key pad wire was brought to the attic but wasn't stapled | there, so it was hanging out of neat little hole in the ceiling the | drywallers had made for it in the closet. The builder had paid $1200.00 | to prewire 6 doors, two keypads, two motion detectors, one inside | speaker. No fire. One 12 conductor between attic and basement. And all | just short drops that have to be spliced to be wired back to the panel. | No home runs to a designated main panel area. Told him I would do the | same thing for $900.00 with home runs. And I thought that was high. No | Cat5. Five TV jacks. Five telephone jacks. Duhhhhh! Unbelieveable! | | But that's the challange, to take a bad job and make a diamond out of | it. | |

I took it one step further, although my solution likely wouldn't work for a lot of people or companies. Automatic billing (Pre Authorized Payment Plan) or they go elsewhere ! Sure solves a lot of problems, with none of the major expenses for billing. Additional work or add ons that are billable are paid for usually with a customers personal cheque, so little extra works for me.

Being over my forecast, and with ADT takeovers coming in like a house on fire, I can well afford to be that "picky". Works for me....

RHC

WOW! You must write SOME proposal. js

It's the Bankers and CEO's, not the independents & regional companies... Lots of people live check-to-check, so financing looks good to them. I take the time to explain to potential customers the pit falls of the "Low Down" systems, $99 Down + $32.99 X 36 = $1286.64... What do they get for $1200, two or three doors and a motion with a control made by Mattel...

You saw the one for Ernie. My proposals are a werk of d'arte.. :-)

I sold one the other day for 1600 bucks. The guy wanted to call ADT, so I told him don't bother I also worked up a proposal using ADT's pricing, it was 1900 +/- and 35-45 bucks a month. It was pretty funny...I kinda knew it was coming the way he was talking on the phone so I was prepared. My buddy couldn't stop laughing.

Did you know they charge 175 bucks to show up for service if you don't buy the service plan? Holy Comolly Batman!

"Russell Brill" wrote in message news:hPYQf.2762$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net... | | "Crash Gordon" wrote in message | news:LBWQf.3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.uswest.net... | > Why? Because most of them don't care, they just want to sell the | > house...it's the buyer's problem later. Some builders are of the mindset; | > oh, you can just add a wireless system later...or that a few doors and a | > motion detector are enough - gee where did that come from? From years of | > the | > biggies creating that illusion by advertising and give-away systems - | > that's | > how. Our industry f****ng our own industry. | | It's the Bankers and CEO's, not the independents & regional companies... | Lots of people live check-to-check, so financing looks good to them. I take | the time to explain to potential customers the pit falls of the "Low Down" | systems, $99 Down + $32.99 X 36 = $1286.64... What do they get for $1200, | two or three doors and a motion with a control made by Mattel... | >

| >

| >

| > "Jim" wrote in message | > news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com... | > | | > | Crash Gordon wrote: | > | > Really. I'm just the opposite!...I'd much rather deal with loyal | > friendly | > | > (and pay on time) homeowners...one on one...mostly custom homes. | > Dumped | > most | > | > of my big commercial stuff, kept only the ones that are also | > homeowners | > of | > | > mine. | > | >

| > | >

| > | Same thing I did a number of years ago. After years of commercial work | > | that was laborious drudgery, without even a thank you, the residential | > | market has more of a challange as far as installation skills and | > | techniques. I enjoy the level of homes that I do now. Presently doing a | > | $3.5 million 7500 sqft home, on seven acre wooded property with lakes | > | and Grecian gardens that one of my existing clients just bought. Was a | > | spec house, so it's all closed up already and they want a full system. | > | Great! What a challange to have jobs like that. | > | | > | Don't understand a builder who'd build a house of that caliber with | > | only doors and two motion detectors ..... both placed in the wrong | > | spot. Keypad wire, poking out through the wainscoat panel in a 4 inch | > | space beteen a light switch and the end of the wall. Contact wire for | > | garage entry door is sticking out of the wall 2 feet away from the | > | door. Bedroom key pad wire was brought to the attic but wasn't stapled | > | there, so it was hanging out of neat little hole in the ceiling the | > | drywallers had made for it in the closet. The builder had paid $1200.00 | > | to prewire 6 doors, two keypads, two motion detectors, one inside | > | speaker. No fire. One 12 conductor between attic and basement. And all | > | just short drops that have to be spliced to be wired back to the panel. | > | No home runs to a designated main panel area. Told him I would do the | > | same thing for $900.00 with home runs. And I thought that was high. No | > | Cat5. Five TV jacks. Five telephone jacks. Duhhhhh! Unbelieveable! | > | | > | But that's the challange, to take a bad job and make a diamond out of | > | it. | > | | > | | >

| >

| | |

Only? You must have been slacking off, Jim. :^)