Comment on Reuse old security system
seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 10 hours ago
That looks like an old Ademco system. There will be a main panel somewhere, probably in a closet in a metal box that may or may not be locked. Typically near an outlet with a wall wart power supply.
Get the model numbers from the main panel and the keypad and you should be able to find manuals that will do into detail about all the possible features. These old units required a wired land line to work, so you might have to get creative for that.
Most of those units, at least in the US, have been converted to cellular data now.
To anwer ops question, without the manual in the panel box, you may have to see if there is a newer but compatible keypad but you would not likely be able to use the old equipment on the modern panels easily.
neomachino@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 hours ago
Ah it it! There’s a metal box in the basement labeled Ademco that I hadn’t gotten around to checking out. I took a quick look inside and did see a plug for a landline. Is the landline just for having a company monitor stuff? Should it still work locally just to like set off an alarm if the door open or motion is detected when the system is active?
When the kids are down I’m going to have to do a deeper dive. Thank you very much
cannedtuna@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
So yeah you can rewire Ademco. I’ve got no experience with those panels however, but all alarm panels basically just use a motion sensor or contact in either normally open or normally closed (look at circuits, for alarms it’s usually NC), plus a specified resistor for supervision (ie: don’t cut the wire and twist it together to trick it). The panel will be monitored either over a landline or via Ethernet if you buy an upgrade kit. Pretty simple machines, software is sorta hidden meant for only dealers, and a pain, but it’s actually pretty simple once you get it. You just sign up with a monitoring service and give them a zone list and they give you an account number.
If you replace it, or want to expand I’d probably do a NAPCO system since they are basic as fuck and they have a super simple wireless system that’s like stick contacts on doors or windows and your running in 30 minutes (mostly).
seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 8 hours ago
Yeah, it’s just for remote monitoring. But if it’s not connected, it will probably always show communication errors on the panel above. Sometimes you can get away with using a telephone line emulator like a Magic Jack (sometimes not, it’s hit or miss).
I rented a place that had a slightly newer honeywell/ademco system (that was no longer in use) and was able to get it running locally with a Magic Jack. I programmed my cell as the monitoring company. So if it went off, I would get a call from that # and know it was an alarm. The downside to that was it keep calling over, and over, and over. Making it difficult for you to call the police (found that out the hard way).
TRBoom@lemmy.zip 9 hours ago
Yours looks very similar to the one I have at work and I have to set it into alarm mode when I close up for the night and then clear the alarm in the morning.
It’ll set off a loud siren if it gets tripped.