Honeywell VISTA-20P Ademco Control Panel, PCB in Aluminum Enclosure

Perfect!

This is a great price for a new and up-to-date 20P. Resistors, lock/key and documentation provided were complete. However, be aware that although the image on the main page showed the unit with a battery, the unit received did NOT have a battery. Also, the image did NOT show a power transformer but the unit did come with the necessary power transformer. Neither the battery nor transformer are mentioned in description. Hopefully this will be corrected by the seller, and if not for this Id have rated this listing with 5 stars. As for the batteries: Typical Vista 20P kits that are furnished with a battery include a small (4.5ah) 12V battery. I have learned that this small capacity battery is hardly sufficient to sustain a typical system over repeated or extended power outage(s), as necessary to ensure reliability for security and emergency (i.e. panic & fire/smoke detectors). My practice has been told to use no less than a 7ah battery in a Vista 20P at a minimum. Even then, one must consider that batteries are living things and will degrade over time, even if not used. For this reason I run my Vista systems with two 7ah batteries in parallel (providing 14ah support to the Vista), and also with the power transformer connected to a UPS. Using the UPS helps protect the Vista power supply from utility/power line fluctuations and spikes, from lightening damage, and also prevents discharge/recharge cycles on the Vista batteries thereby extending their service life too. I replace my batteries in my UPS every two years and in my Vista 20Ps every three years. Failure to regularly replace batteries can also lead-to equipment failures because the battery cells can short-circuit thereby drawing higher current from the power supply. Disclaimer: I am not an authority on this subject matter. The statements made are my own opinion and may not be accurate. Use them at your own risk.

Good.

This (or maybe the 21p) may be the DIY system you want. I went DIY to get a better and more flexible system than the cheap ones installed by the big companies who also lock you into a $2000 contract. I did my system with more than theirs (4 wired doors and 6 wired sensors) for a lot less, and feel confident adding to it later as needed. Upsides: - Zone doubling - get more for your money and even put multiple sensors on the same wire, while still being their own zones. Seriously, this is a really great feature. - Alpha keypad and voice options allow for easier programming and a system that is useful even when not armed. I love the custom zone names that get announced vs. a simple chime. - Flexibility - mix and match hardwired and RF sensors. I actually went with hardwired sensors from other vendors. I wasnt planning to use RF, but then I found out about the anti-jamming features. - Save on monitoring - no need to pay $40+ a month plus Telco... get an envisalink3 or other internet monitoring for covering your back when away or extra security. Downsides: - Requires electrical background (especially for new hardwired sensors) or willingness to learn. Forums, patience, and trial and error are your friends. As good as the defaults and alpha programming are, someone should come up with turnkey PC or mobile device solution for DIY. There are many ways to do a system, but doing it right requires some research. Ultimately, it depends on your requirements and patience. - The 6162V I purchased has a backlight on the display that only comes on at odd times (only the keys remain on). What!? How can I read logs or arm the system when Im going to bed? If I had known this, it might have tipped the balance another direction. You can certainly pick from a variety of other keypads. Maybe I have a bad keypad or havent found the trick to it yet. - There is no open condition. That is called fault. There does seem to be a check wiring but, man, its confusing when you first see fault and think all your wiring is bad. It also requires a little creativity to arm if there is a motion fault when youre arming. Not a deal breaker, but seems a little lame. Also, instead of showing all open zones at once, you get a scrolling list, which isnt quite real time. Ill ding the 6162V for these in my review of that. The Envisalink page certainly helps me workaround some of the complaints. - There is no chime for closing a door / ending a fault. Just the open. I liked the two tone chime on my DSC because even though I didnt know which door was open, I knew it once the door closed. For me, the downsides are outweighed by the upsides, but I cannot give this 5 stars. But, I am not certain there is another perfect system out there. Everything seems to have minor issues.

Works as expected. I bought this control panel as a replacement of an older Vista 10 panel so that I could take advantage of my existing hardwired sensors. I also purchased the Envisalink 3 in order to have remote access capabilities.

Worked great

Used this to replace an old VISTA15P that came with the house. Came with instructions and latest firmware.

Excellent product bought to replace adt system very easy to wire and set up great product

Excellent product. Easy too install, but hard to program. very recomendable to buy. The sensitive es very well. The case its bigger

works for me just like it does for the big guys.