So far this evening I have discovered that...
... if you buy a new house that the builder installed an alarm that you didn't want, don't assume you don't have to bother with the maintenance contract, because:

a) If you press the Panic button to see what happens *

b) all hell breaks loose

c) you discover you do not have the code you need to turn the damm thing off

d) your fancy electronic tag doofer thing also doesn't work no matter how many ways you wave it around in front of the panel

e) you cannot find the instructions

f) when you call the number on the control panel - you can't make out what they're saying on the phone beause it's too damm loud

g) it eventually (after 30 long, long minutes) stops

h) the control panel starts flashing weird messages that you don't know how to turn off

i) you're placed in a state of paranoia as to when / if it will start up again

j) you can't hear anything even after the alarms (one front, one rear, one upstairs) have stopped because you've now got tinitus

k) due to (j) you still can't hear what they're saying on the phone when you try to cancel the engineer call-out

l) you decide to call them tomorrow to take up the contract after all and get someone out to show you how the damm thing is supposed to work.


In short - don't press the big red "I'm being robbed" button by the front door because things very quickly get very noisy and very expensive.

:(

What?? I really can't hear anything!


* hey, I was dusting and it. was. just. there.
(dxg, Mon 28 Jul 2008, 18:29, 7 replies)

I can understand this
my friend, working at a "Stately Home" one summer, was warned not to touch a particular vase. But not told why. So one day, she picked it up, then put it down again. Shortly thereafter, she found herself explaining to the local constabulary why she'd done it. They were slightly less than impressed. It appears that "I wanted to see what would happen" isn't a valid excuse for triggering a silent alarm in their opinion.
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Mon 28 Jul 2008, 19:16, closed)

And now it's dark, the strobe light's flashing away on the outside of my house showing my neighbours that I'm a dork who doesn't know how to turn it off.
So I will have to get the engineers out now. This is going to be v. expensive, I can feel it in my bones.

No maintenance contract, Sir? Please bend over and apply the Vaseline. I'll add £10 for the Vaseline to your bill.
(dxg, Mon 28 Jul 2008, 23:38, closed)

It's usually possible to sort yourself...
Pretty much the same thing happened to me yesterday.

Download the engineer's manual for your alarm system (I found mine at www.dvisystems.co.uk/support_download.html). Try the default engineer's code. If that doesn't work, follow the instructions to reset the codes (mine involved cutting the power, removing the backup battery, then using a key combination on the panel when the power was restored).

Once you're in engineering mode, you can reconfigure the system never to 'phone home' to the alarm company and never to need an engineer reset again.

Once I had the instructions, the whole job took about 10 mins. I was quoted £185+VAT by the alarm company for the same job.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 8:07, closed)

Nice idea but
Access to Honeywell Security & Communications' International's technical data site is for professional security systems dealers only. If you already have a valid user name and password you'll have access to the following material: Manuals, Installation Instructions, Programming Instructions, DOCs, Data Sheets, Technical Specs, Downloader Software.

fucksocks.
(dxg, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 9:39, closed)

Ahh yes...
For fairly obvious reasons, the installation / engineers manauals for alarm systems can be a bit of a bitch to find. You won't find them available to Joe Public on the manufacturer's websites, but I'm sure they'll be around somewhere on the interweb. What model is it? I came across quite a few manual sources when I loked yesterday.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 10:06, closed)

It has "Honeywell" on the control panel - that's about all I know.
The engineer's coming out on Friday now anyway. £81 + "parts" + VAT

Hmmm.

Lesson - don't press the big red button to see what it does...
(dxg, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 11:33, closed)

I am that engineer
Gaz me, or give me a call. Honeywell stuff is a piece of piss to reset, just need a description of the keypad. Or a picture is better.
( Duke Of Belmsford has got 99 records, but Jay-Z ain't one, Wed 30 Jul 2008, 10:40, closed)