Re: Old Brinks equipment

[napinc7@xxxxxxxxx]

Hi Ian,

Yes, Monitronics did use a vista panel with a chip that locks you out of be=
ing able to program the central station number. That was their way of keepi=
ng it only to themselves, and perhaps they will still keep on that route...=
my best guess.

Their problem is that it is actually an infantile solution to try to secure=
 their monopoly.=20

   "The chip is the door to the central station telephone number that is st=
ored on the mainboard."

So picture it, and you will see that if you change out their door with a br=
and new door to the room that has the central station number, you will sudd=
enly have access to it. After you change the central station number in the =
room, just put the old door back in so that you are not out the cost of a n=
ew door. Though, those new doors can be bought on the open market anyway.

If you remember that most brands of boards actually store the information t=
hat is inputted onto the mainboard, and not on the chip itself, then you wi=
ll begin to see a fatal flaw with most systems.=20

The same thing can be done to Concord, Concord Express, etc.

I decided a while ago to freely give it out to anyone who needs it. It is n=
ot that any customers will be lost because of it, since customers more or l=
ess stay because of the quality of their systems and the service of the com=
pany that they are with.

So now, your ton of vista panels can now be used or sold. It's up to you. E=
njoy your new found treasure.

As to actually wanting those Monitronics boards, they are not really appeal=
ing since we would need to change out the chip anyway for modern day commun=
icators. Perhaps for some 'tight' customer who does not want to dish out mu=
ch at the onset, it might be good. But usually those types end up being a p=
ain in the long run anyway. 'Happy Type Customers' are good customers, the =
others we leave to the competition...There are a lot of houses and business=
es out there anyway.

Hogan