Need Help with getting a Vista 10 SE Back Online


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Old 07-04-10, 05:18 PM
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Need Help with getting a Vista 10 SE Back Online

I recently purchased a 20 year home out of forclosure. I opened the security panel and the wire diagram stickers indicates Vista 10SE. One of the components on the board as a VS10E sticker. The wireless modual indicates it is a SA 5881. There where no keypads remaining in the house. It appears that all the doors are hard wired and the windows have older wireless contacts. I would like to get the alarm functional again, but do not want to sign a monitoring contract or pay $80 an hour to a tech to do so.

I would like to add two key pads if possible. One by the back door and one in the master bed. What would be the best approach to do so? Do they have to be wired in series? Which compatable key pad would be the best bet and hopefully least expensive. I dont want a lot of bells and whistles. I just want an operable alarm.

Thanks

Thans\ks
 
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Old 07-05-10, 12:15 AM
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You're smart to take on doing this yourself. Getting a negleted system back up and running often takes a lot of hours, and can be very expensive to do through a company. Don't know where you live, but $80/hour is dirt cheap in the Washington DC area.

The first obvious step would be to get the keypads so you can see what's going on with the rest of the system. For instance, any possible problems in the hardwired zone loops, and locating what's on which zone to begin with.

You will need at least one 6139 (less expensive) or 6160 Alphanumeric keypad for programming. The other keypad can be a 6128 fixed-English, which is considerably less expensive. The 6128 will give you all the basic functions of a keypad: Arming and disarming, chime feature, displays what zones are faulted, panic, etc.

As for which keypads are compatible, this is Ademco: Pretty much all of them in the price range you're looking for are compatible, up to and including the 6160. I buy what keypads I need from a wholesaler, but I understand you can get pretty good prices on the Net.

Keypads are wired in parallel, not series.
Do you know where any former keypads were located in your home? Chances are there is still wire run to the location(s). Most common places for keypads are by the most-used entry/exit door(s), which around her is often a front door and side door. Sometimes the side door to the house is inside a garage, and just inside that door is where a lot of keypads get installed.

The Vista-10SE has six hardwire zones, which is pretty minimal for wiring even a small house these days. It makes me suspect there was/is some wireless coverage there. Have you found any wireless sensor/transmitters? If you haven't, you may have some missing, along with the keypads. Is there anything more to the model number on your 5881 receiver than "5881"? I'm looking for a letter "L" or "M" (Low or Medium) to know if it supports 8 or 16 wireless zones. If you use your two keyfobs for arming, disarming, and a panic button, they'll use up three wireless zones each.

Is that enough information to get you started?
 
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Old 07-06-10, 10:54 AM
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Thanks for the help ChosunOne.
That does help.

All the windows have wireless sensors.
The transmitter next to the panel has 5881-MED on it. I suppose this might mean medium.

The existing keypad was in a bad location. It was hanging on the wall when we bought the house, but was not wired. I want to put a keypad next to the back door and in the master bedroom. I guess I need to figure out if I can run wires to these locations or if I will have to pay for a more expensive wireless key pad.
Is there a particular keypad that makes programming the system easier?

I recently replaces the back doors and they had hard wired connectors. Is it possible to put the contacts in the side jamb instead of the top jamb of the door?
 
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Old 07-06-10, 12:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Apexx
All the windows have wireless sensors.
The transmitter next to the panel has 5881-MED on it. I suppose this might mean medium.
Yes, you have the capacity for 16 RF (wireless) zones. That and the 6 HW zones are the maximum zone capacity of the Vista-10SE. How many windows have RF sensors on them?

Originally Posted by Apexx
The existing keypad was in a bad location. It was hanging on the wall when we bought the house, but was not wired. I want to put a keypad next to the back door and in the master bedroom.
What's the model number of that keypad, and are you panning to use it? If it's a 6139 (it won't be a 6160 if it's 20 years old), and if it works, then you already have a programming keypad. Even if it looks too worn to install in sight, it can be useful as a "utility" keypad at the control panel.

Originally Posted by Apexx
I guess I need to figure out if I can run wires to these locations or if I will have to pay for a more expensive wireless key pad.
You will have to have at least one hardwired keypad to program with. Even aside from the programming you should have one HW keypad in the system so any trouble with the RF receiver doesn't knock out your control capability.

Without knowing how your home is laid out and where the CP is in relationship to the front door and MBR, I'm afraid I can't help you with the wiring. It obviously helps if you have an unfinished basement and/or unfinished attic, typical here in the Washington DC area. And if you're limber and hardy enough to go crawling in the attic, if that's what it takes.


Originally Posted by Apexx
Is there a particular keypad that makes programming the system easier?
The 6139 and 6160 Alpha(numeric) keypads (and their bells-and-whistles variants) are the only keypads for programming everything. All keypads can be used for programming simple changes like time delay and changing/adding user codes, but to do *56 zone programming you have to have a 2-line Alpha like the 6139 or 6160. Also, you need to go into *56 zone programming to add or replace an RF zone device.
There is no advantage of one of those over the other except for looks and slightly different tone sounds.

But then, that's my opinion. I still have my cell phone ring instead of playing Pachelbel's Canon in D.

Originally Posted by Apexx
I recently replaces the back doors and they had hard wired connectors. Is it possible to put the contacts in the side jamb instead of the top jamb of the door?
Uh, oh! The time to ask that question was when the door was apart. Do you still have access to the wires? Were just the doors replaced or did they replace the frames as well? Door people typically carry off the contacts/magnets along with the old wood and all too often bury the wire if you don't specifically tell them not to. And they don't seem to own a 3/4" drill bit between the lot of them. But maybe that's just in the Washington DC area.

You may have your hands full just getting the contact reinstalled where it was. But to answer your question, if you can get the wire there, contacts can be installed on the side. I strongly recommend the latch side, not the hinge side: Plunger-type contacts are a source of recurring maintanence problems.
 
 

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