Need to disable sensor (Paradox Spectra 175x-RF)

[Cookie]

Hi all,

I am a DIY'er needing information on the Paradox Spectra 175x-RF
alarm.

I need to disable a sensor (I have a magnetic sensor on one door that
is constantly false alarming and I just want to get rid of it as the
area is adequately covered by other sensors).

The local alarm guys want an "arm and a leg" to play with these
things so I would like to have a go at it myself.

I have the panel off and can see six cables coming in and I guess there
is one for each sensor.

Can I just pull the wires out of the control board for each one until I
find the door sensor by elimination?

Do I need to do any "programming" or is it just a matter of pulling
the correct wires?

There is only one "zone" and the alarm is not connected to a
monitoring company at the moment.

Regards
Stuart,
Auckland, New Zealand

(Please reply to the group as the email address used to log on to
Google Groups is not a valid account at present).

 

[Frank Olson]

Hi all,

I am a DIY'er needing information on the Paradox Spectra 175x-RF
alarm.

I need to disable a sensor (I have a magnetic sensor on one door that
is constantly false alarming and I just want to get rid of it as the
area is adequately covered by other sensors).

The local alarm guys want an "arm and a leg" to play with these
things so I would like to have a go at it myself.

I have the panel off and can see six cables coming in and I guess there
is one for each sensor.

Can I just pull the wires out of the control board for each one until I
find the door sensor by elimination?

Do I need to do any "programming" or is it just a matter of pulling
the correct wires?

There is only one "zone" and the alarm is not connected to a
monitoring company at the moment.

That's pretty easy to do. Remove the sensor from the wall and tape a
magnet to the cover adjacent to the switch. Then, place the sensor on
the shelf in the closet where the alarm's located. You will have to
eventually change the battery. If the false alarms disappear then you
know for sure it's an alignment problem between the switch and the
magnet on the protected door/window. OTOH if you don't *need* the
sensor, putting it in the closet as I've instructed will accomplish the
same thing as unenrolling it from the control.

Frank Olson
http://www.yoursecuritysource.com

 

[Cookie]

Thanks Frank!

Yes I think it is an alignment issue.

I had a sudden rush of blood to the head just now and pulled the sensor
out of the door frame, cut the sensor off, and twisted the cable wires
together. This has made the alarm think that the door is always
closed.

I checked the alarm and it still works. No sparks or burning smells so
that is great.

Thanks again. I feel stupid that in the end it was so easy. :-|

Regards
Stuart

 

[Frank Olson]

Thanks Frank!

Yes I think it is an alignment issue.

I had a sudden rush of blood to the head just now and pulled the sensor
out of the door frame, cut the sensor off, and twisted the cable wires
together. This has made the alarm think that the door is always
closed.

I checked the alarm and it still works. No sparks or burning smells so
that is great.

Thanks again. I feel stupid that in the end it was so easy. :-|

Regards
Stuart

Not a problem. We all experience "tunnel vision" every now and then.

If this does happen to clear your problem, you might want to have
another look at the alignment between the switch and the magnet.
Sometimes doors can warp. I had one customer that called years ago to
complain that his door contact no longer worked. It turns out that he
had *replaced* the door and the contractor forgot to install the magnet
from the old one. What's really amazing is that he waited three months
to call us. He didn't want to incur the service charge either but
decided (finally) that he should have the system fully functional for
when he went on vacation.

 

[Jim]

Not a problem. We all experience "tunnel vision" every now and then.

If this does happen to clear your problem, you might want to have
another look at the alignment between the switch and the magnet.
Sometimes doors can warp. I had one customer that called years ago to
complain that his door contact no longer worked. It turns out that he
had *replaced* the door and the contractor forgot to install the magnet
from the old one. What's really amazing is that he waited three months
to call us. He didn't want to incur the service charge either but
decided (finally) that he should have the system fully functional for
when he went on vacation.

Can't ever seem to figure out why people feel that what an alarm
company gets for a service call is lots of money but when the
refrigerator or washing machine breaks down, they don't mind laying out
a couple of hundred to get it working again. And some of the appliance
repairmen get an up front fee even if they just show up and you decide
you don't want it fixed.

Just doesn't compute.

 

[Frank Olson]

Jim wrote:

Can't ever seem to figure out why people feel that what an alarm
company gets for a service call is lots of money but when the
refrigerator or washing machine breaks down, they don't mind laying out
a couple of hundred to get it working again. And some of the appliance
repairmen get an up front fee even if they just show up and you decide
you don't want it fixed.

Just doesn't compute.

Heck, Jim, you *need* your refrigerator.

 

[Allan Waghalter]

It's easy to see why they think they are entitled to free service. They pay
a monthly monitoring fee and feel it is your responsibility to keep the
equipment operating to earn your monitoring fee. I do charge for my service
and my rates are reasonable. If I think the customer can't afford the
service or is upset with the charge, I absorb it for the good will.
Allan

 

[Doug L]

By that logic they should expect the cable company to repair their TV when
it conks out or the phone company to fix the phone, but they don't, I think
the reason they expect so much from an alarm company is because as an
industry we are too willing to give away our services in pursuit of
recurring revenue. Someone only has to think about changing services and
half the industry is ready to give away hundreds of dollars in time and
materials that may take several years to recoup from the recurring revenue
in order to keep the customer, the other half is ready to do the same in
order to take the customer away, it doesn't make any sense to me, that said
I'm not immune from occasionally falling into that trap.

Doug L

 

[Robert L Bass]

It's easy to see why they think they are entitled

to free service. They pay a monthly monitoring
fee and feel it is your responsibility to keep the
equipment operating to earn your monitoring
fee...

This is probably due in large part to the so-called "free" system deals that
prevail in the trade today have devalued the systems themselves in the eyes of
consumers. If the system is "free" and the only thing they have to buy is
monitoring, it's a reasonable assumption for them that repairing the free system
should also be free.

I do charge for my service and my rates are
reasonable. If I think the customer can't afford
the service or is upset with the charge, I absorb
it for the good will.

Good will can sometimes be worth more than the fee. A number of years ago when
the country went through a major recession a lot of my customers lost their
jobs. We got a number of monitoring service cancellations because families
could not afford the fee (at the time we were charging less than $20 a month but
when you have no job anything is expensive).

I responded to each one who cancelled that year by telling them that their
service would be free for one year. "When you find work and can resume paying,
let us know." I didn't ask to be paid up later -- just resumed billing.

We lost very few customers that year though some of our competitors lost as much
as 20% of their RMR. When the economy turned around all but one or two resumed
paying for service. A few insisted on paying for the service we had already
given them. More importantly, word of what we had done got around and we got
lots of new customers, most of them referrals from people we helped when they
were hurting.

When you think about it, this sort of thing costs the alarm company very little.
We had our own small central station so overhead remained the same whether we
monitored 400 or 500 accounts. The value of the goodwill we received in return
was far more than what we could have gotten if there never had been a recession
in the first place.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

 

[Frank Olson]

This is probably due in large part to the so-called "free" system deals that
prevail in the trade today have devalued the systems themselves in the eyes of
consumers.

"So called free systems" aren't all that prevalent in the trade today.

If the system is "free" and the only thing they have to buy is
monitoring, it's a reasonable assumption for them that repairing the free system
should also be free.

Good point.

 

[Everywhere Man]

So much for that modicum of skills crapola. Someone like you mailed him
an alarm system, and when he got into dutch he called a pro, but he
decided the pro isn't entitled to earn a profit so he's back here
looking for FREE advice. Where is the customer support for these
half-assed Handy Dans?...... Non-existant as usual. Take the money and
run but refer to those who answer these queries as monkeys.

 

[Jim]

So much for that modicum of skills crapola. Someone like you mailed him
an alarm system, and when he got into dutch he called a pro, but he
decided the pro isn't entitled to earn a profit so he's back here
looking for FREE advice. Where is the customer support for these
half-assed Handy Dans?...... Non-existant as usual. Take the money and
run but refer to those who answer these queries as monkeys.

Good point.

 

[Crash Gordon]

Hopefully, he didn't disable an alarm zone on a monitored system without
notifying the alarmco that he did so. If I were the alarmco I'd be concerned
abt potential liability issue on this one.


|
| Frank Olson wrote:
| > Cookie wrote:
| > > Thanks Frank!
| > >
| > > Yes I think it is an alignment issue.
| > >
| > > I had a sudden rush of blood to the head just now and pulled the
sensor
| > > out of the door frame, cut the sensor off, and twisted the cable wires
| > > together. This has made the alarm think that the door is always
| > > closed.
| > >
| > > I checked the alarm and it still works. No sparks or burning smells
so
| > > that is great.
| > >
| > > Thanks again. I feel stupid that in the end it was so easy. :-|
| > >
| > > Regards
| > > Stuart
| > >
| >
| >
| > Not a problem. We all experience "tunnel vision" every now and then.
| >
| > If this does happen to clear your problem, you might want to have
| > another look at the alignment between the switch and the magnet.
| > Sometimes doors can warp. I had one customer that called years ago to
| > complain that his door contact no longer worked. It turns out that he
| > had *replaced* the door and the contractor forgot to install the magnet
| > from the old one. What's really amazing is that he waited three months
| > to call us. He didn't want to incur the service charge either but
| > decided (finally) that he should have the system fully functional for
| > when he went on vacation.
|
|
| Can't ever seem to figure out why people feel that what an alarm
| company gets for a service call is lots of money but when the
| refrigerator or washing machine breaks down, they don't mind laying out
| a couple of hundred to get it working again. And some of the appliance
| repairmen get an up front fee even if they just show up and you decide
| you don't want it fixed.
|
| Just doesn't compute.
|

 

[Crash Gordon]

I have two service rates one for monitored clients, one for locals...the
local rate is MUCH higher. However, I frequently make generous allowances
for folks on fixed income, disabled clients, retired and current service
persons (cops, fire, etc).

I try not to give anything away though! I figure if I make a little here..a
little there it adds up ...but losing a little here and a little there
does NOT - actually it does add up but its RED.


| By that logic they should expect the cable company to repair their TV when
| it conks out or the phone company to fix the phone, but they don't, I
think
| the reason they expect so much from an alarm company is because as an
| industry we are too willing to give away our services in pursuit of
| recurring revenue. Someone only has to think about changing services and
| half the industry is ready to give away hundreds of dollars in time and
| materials that may take several years to recoup from the recurring revenue
| in order to keep the customer, the other half is ready to do the same in
| order to take the customer away, it doesn't make any sense to me, that
said
| I'm not immune from occasionally falling into that trap.
|
| Doug L
|
|
| | > It's easy to see why they think they are entitled to free service. They
| > pay a monthly monitoring fee and feel it is your responsibility to keep
| > the equipment operating to earn your monitoring fee. I do charge for my
| > service and my rates are reasonable. If I think the customer can't
afford
| > the service or is upset with the charge, I absorb it for the good will.
| > Allan
| >
| > | >>
| >> Frank Olson wrote:
| >>> Cookie wrote:
| >>> > Thanks Frank!
| >>> >
| >>> > Yes I think it is an alignment issue.
| >>> >
| >>> > I had a sudden rush of blood to the head just now and pulled the
| >>> > sensor
| >>> > out of the door frame, cut the sensor off, and twisted the cable
wires
| >>> > together. This has made the alarm think that the door is always
| >>> > closed.
| >>> >
| >>> > I checked the alarm and it still works. No sparks or burning smells
| >>> > so
| >>> > that is great.
| >>> >
| >>> > Thanks again. I feel stupid that in the end it was so easy. :-|
| >>> >
| >>> > Regards
| >>> > Stuart
| >>> >
| >>>
| >>>
| >>> Not a problem. We all experience "tunnel vision" every now and then.
| >>>
| >>> If this does happen to clear your problem, you might want to have
| >>> another look at the alignment between the switch and the magnet.
| >>> Sometimes doors can warp. I had one customer that called years ago to
| >>> complain that his door contact no longer worked. It turns out that he
| >>> had *replaced* the door and the contractor forgot to install the
magnet
| >>> from the old one. What's really amazing is that he waited three
months
| >>> to call us. He didn't want to incur the service charge either but
| >>> decided (finally) that he should have the system fully functional for
| >>> when he went on vacation.
| >>
| >>
| >> Can't ever seem to figure out why people feel that what an alarm
| >> company gets for a service call is lots of money but when the
| >> refrigerator or washing machine breaks down, they don't mind laying out
| >> a couple of hundred to get it working again. And some of the appliance
| >> repairmen get an up front fee even if they just show up and you decide
| >> you don't want it fixed.
| >>
| >> Just doesn't compute.
| >>
| >
| >
|
|

 

[Crash Gordon]

You're right there!...check out ADT's pricing on the web....Service call (if
you don't opt for the maintence agreement) is 175 bucks plus parts.


| Robert L Bass wrote:
|
| > This is probably due in large part to the so-called "free" system deals
that
| > prevail in the trade today have devalued the systems themselves in the
eyes of
| > consumers.
|
| "So called free systems" aren't all that prevalent in the trade today.
|
|
| > If the system is "free" and the only thing they have to buy is
| > monitoring, it's a reasonable assumption for them that repairing the
free system
| > should also be free.
|
| Good point.
|

 

[Frank Olson]

I have two service rates one for monitored clients, one for locals...the
local rate is MUCH higher. However, I frequently make generous allowances
for folks on fixed income, disabled clients, retired and current service
persons (cops, fire, etc).

I try to keep things simple. We have one service rate and everyone we
deal with (both local and monitored clients) are happy with that (and
our service). Seniors get a 10% discount on all service (except the
monitoring fees which are already pretty darn low in comparison to
everyone else). I do offer people a nice incentive for referrals. They
get 3 months of free monitoring and so does the new client. If they pay
annually (instead of quarterly), I give 'em two months off.

 

[Robert L Bass]

Hopefully, he didn't disable an alarm zone on a monitored

system without notifying the alarmco that he did so. If I
were the alarmco I'd be concerned abt potential liability
issue on this one.

I don't think you'd need to worry too much. First of all, if you test every
point and document everything, including all service calls, it's not too
difficult to substantiate that you weren't responsible for a failure.

Second, carefully worded installation, maintenance and monitoring agreements
make it really difficult for a customer to sue his alarm company -- even if the
alarm company actually was at fault. From the things you've said over the years
(is it already years?) that you've been posting here, I must assume you've got a
solid contract.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

 

[Robert L Bass]

I have two service rates one for monitored clients,

one for locals...the local rate is MUCH higher...

I always charged the same for monitored customers as non-monitored. However,
when we reached the point that RMR became a more important revenue source than
sales and service I made the decision not to accept new sales of non-monitored
burglar alarms. We still did a few commercial fire alarms, monitored or local,
but most of them went with monitoring service. At that point I decided not to
accept service calls for non-monitored systems unless we had done the
installation or if we had previously serviced the system.

We also would decline all service to a system if the customer had previously
defaulted on their monitoring contract with us or with certain other local
dealers who agreed to do the same for us. Since there were only three companies
in our immediate vicinity who worked with Napco that helped avoid dealing with
deadbeats. :^)

I've since sold the alarm installation company and built a modestly successful
online alarm and home automation store. The situation is now completely
reversed. The vast majority of my new customers are non-monitored. Those who
request monitoring I refer to NextAlarm for the service and I provide the
hardware. Occasionally I refer a client to one of the dealers I know online if
they want a local monitoring company and there's someone near them who I believe
will treat them well.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

 

[Everywhere Man]

So now you had an F1 license (commercial fire) in CT?

 

[Nomen Nescio]

Everywhere Man said:

So much for that modicum of skills crapola. Someone like you mailed him
an alarm system, and when he got into dutch he called a pro, but he
decided the pro isn't entitled to earn a profit so he's back here
looking for FREE advice. Where is the customer support for these
half-assed Handy Dans?...... Non-existant as usual. Take the money and
run but refer to those who answer these queries as monkeys

In this case, I guess "lick and stick" refers to the postage stamp on the
box the parts came in.