Thanks -- you guys have all been real gentlemen and I really respect the service you provide. Unlike some of the other "pro" USENET newsgroups, you all seem to be genuinely interested in doing what is right even if some of you vary in your opinons of diy.
I also never hesitate to recommend the installer and monitoring company that we use. However, as I have mentioned several times, personally, I tend to need less hand holding than the average while getting pleasure from pushing the limits of my system myself.
I also try to "give back" to the installer and their techs. For example, I showed them how they could speed up their annual testing by using the ICOM interface to print out the event history rather than trying to read things sequentially from the keyboard or having to go back to the CO for the event log.
My next step is to install some environmental sensors (water, temperature) and potentially to "experiment" with the output capabilities of the XR200-485. Of course, I will be "careful" and know that I bear the risk of any accidental damage, etc...