How to get DSC alarm system to communicate with my PC? (hacks/mods ?)

[Alarm Guy]

I've got a DSC 4010 panel installed in a place and it's a real bear of
a unit and I'm thinking of replacing it with a 1550 spare I have.
I've set these units up in the past to call a cell phone or some other
number when they get triggered, but in this case I'd like to do
something more sophisticated.

In any case, I'm sure it's come up before (sorry) but is there any
easy way I can use a spare computer and modem to answer an alarm call
made by these panels?

I notice that their communications protocal seems to be propriatary,
therefore requiring specialized hardware on the monitoring end. Are
there any web sites with plans on how to modify DSC panels so that I
can use an ordinary modem connected to a PC to be able to act as a
monitoring station?

(please post any responses because my e-mail is bogus)

Thanks

 

[Frank Olson]

I've got a DSC 4010 panel installed in a place and it's a real bear of
a unit and I'm thinking of replacing it with a 1550 spare I have.
I've set these units up in the past to call a cell phone or some other
number when they get triggered, but in this case I'd like to do
something more sophisticated.

In any case, I'm sure it's come up before (sorry) but is there any
easy way I can use a spare computer and modem to answer an alarm call
made by these panels?

I notice that their communications protocal seems to be propriatary,
therefore requiring specialized hardware on the monitoring end. Are
there any web sites with plans on how to modify DSC panels so that I
can use an ordinary modem connected to a PC to be able to act as a
monitoring station?

Nope. You'll need to purchase an automatic dialer. Hook it to the
"program output" of the 1550. This is the cheap way. If you want to go
the more "expensive way", you can purchase a central station receiver
and the software to run it on your computer. You will, of course, need
someone sitting in front of it 24/7. Talk to Robert Bass. He had one
set up in his garage for years (his wife and kids were the "station staff").

 

[carp3dny]

Anyone talk to Robert lately? I had my dad buy a Gemin 9600 panel and
accesoriess from his site and no one is returning any calls.... APB
for Rober Bass. Great guy.... im worried about him.

Carp3dNY

(favorite X10 automation site)
Http://www.living-automated.com

 

[[email protected]]

I'm fine, friend. My phone number has changed though. It's
941-866-1100. Option 1 on the menu gets you to my desk. I'm usually
in from 10:00 am until around 6:00 pm but this morning (Dec 15, 2005) I
have to be out of the office.

You can reach customer support by selecting option 2.

Regards,
Robert L Bass
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

 

[Frank Olson]

I'm fine, friend. My phone number has changed though. It's
941-866-1100. Option 1 on the menu gets you to my desk. I'm usually
in from 10:00 am until around 6:00 pm but this morning (Dec 15, 2005) I
have to be out of the office.

You can reach customer support by selecting option 2.

List of Robert's phone options:

Press "1" for Robert - you'll be routed to his voice mail, bounced back
to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to his condo in Bahia,
bounced back to the main menu because he's not there, then routed to the
general mail box where you'll be requested to send an email because
that's full too.

Press "2" for Michael - you'll be routed to his voice mail, bounced back
to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to Robert's phone,
transferred to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu because
it's full, re-routed to his condo in Bahia,...

Presss "3" for "Sonic Duck" - you'll be routed to his voice mail,
bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to Michael's
phone, transferred to his voice mail, bounced back to the main menu
because it's full, routed to Robert's phone,...

Press "4" for Jim Rojas (the "tech-man" of last resort) - he'll actually
answer the phone. You'll gasp in surprise and have an immediate
"kaniption". Jim will recognize the sounds, pick up his Vonage line and
dial "911"... He'll be routed to "Sonic Duck's" phone, transferred to
his voice mail, bounced back to main menu because it's full, then on to
Robert's phone, transferred to voice mail because he's not there,
bounced back to the main menu because it's full, re-routed to his condo
in Bahia,...

Press "5" for RHCampbell - he'll actually answer the phone too (only you
won't get a word in edgewise). He'll immediately launch into a long
interminable diatribe on ADT and their shoddy service, the positively
criminal greed of most alarm dealers who insist on having their
customers sign long term monitoring contracts, and how he's able
(through judicious use of budgeting) to provide free service to his
clients. You'll start pushing "*" several times in an attempt to
interrupt him and invoke the call transfer feature but Bob's anticipated
this and has defaulted his phone to transfer you back to the main menu
where you'll be rerouted to Robert's phone, told his voice message box
is full, then transferred on to his Condo in Bahia,...

Press "6" for Mark Leuck - He won't be at his desk. You'll be
transferred to his cell phone where you'll be treated to the sound of
him chugging a Gatorade at the end of a "century" on his bent and
belching contentedly.

Press "7" for Jim (Alarminex) - He'll actually answer the phone too, but
I can't print what he'll say about Robert. This is, after all, a family
phone.

Press "8" for Frank Olson - You'll be put on hold while I search
Robert's FAQ for an answer (since I'm only a "counter clerk" and know
nothing about installing). This will take some time as the search will
involve using the "wayback" machine and I'll have to correct some minor
spelling errors because Robert can spell but just can't type. The
on-hold music for the month is: http://load.pquinn.com/binaries/fries/

 

[carp3dny]

Great to hear your ok Robert... I'll be sure to give you a call soon.
Thanks for the Reply,

Sincerely,
Chris (Carp3d)

 

[[email protected]]

Typical cheap shot...

 

[Frank Olson]

Typical cheap shot...

What's "cheap" about it?? That you subborned your wife and kids into
doing the work (at little or no pay), that you were too "cheap" to get
UL listed or that you were too "cheap" to move your "modestly successful
central station" into something other than your garage??

 

[Frank Olson]

Typical cheap shot...

The truth is never a "shot", Robert. It's also not a flame. If you
want to talk "cheap", how about telling us why you think employing a
"free" hit counter like kounter.com with it's many pop-up/pop-under ads
is better than paying your hosting provider the extra "two bits" it's
going to cost you to have them to provide your stats. Exposing your
valued customers to a known internet security threat like "Winfixer"
isn't going to win you a whole lot of friends (or customers)...

 

[Mark Leuck]

What's "cheap" about it?? That you subborned your wife and kids into
doing the work (at little or no pay), that you were too "cheap" to get
UL listed or that you were too "cheap" to move your "modestly successful
central station" into something other than your garage??

How exactly do you know if all this is true?

It's funny that RLB slams you for being a "counter clerk" yet you come back
with almost identical baseless accusations

 

[Doug L]

Are you suggesting we move ASA from the fiction to the non-fiction section?,
its a bold idea but I don't think its time has come yet.

Doug L

--

 

[Frank Olson]

How exactly do you know if all this is true?

Robert told me. He told me a lot of things... Some of which I was
specifically requested not to reveal. He knows exactly what those
things are (and also knows - by now - I'll never tell or post the
information regardless of what he says about me).

It's funny that RLB slams you for being a "counter clerk" yet you come back
with almost identical baseless accusations

I don't make "baseless accusations" (aka "flames").

 

[Mark Leuck]

Are you suggesting we move ASA from the fiction to the non-fiction section?,
its a bold idea but I don't think its time has come yet.

Doug L

--

Point well taken, on an entirely different subject I noticed while in
Lexington Kentucky last week a running 1982 Chevette with NO rust, They just
don't make em like that anymore!

 

[Doug L]

Did you make an offer on it?

Doug L

--

Point well taken, on an entirely different subject I noticed while in
Lexington Kentucky last week a running 1982 Chevette with NO rust, They
just
don't make em like that anymore!

 

[G. Morgan]

I'm fine, friend. My phone number has changed though. It's
941-866-1100. Option 1 on the menu gets you to my desk. I'm usually
in from 10:00 am until around 6:00 pm but this morning (Dec 15, 2005) I
have to be out of the office.

You can reach customer support by selecting option 2.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That is stupid in so many ways.

 

[Mark Leuck]

Did you make an offer on it?

Doug L

--

Couldn't catch him in the Mercury Grand Marquis rental

 

[Veloman]

You can do what you are asking for here for free with Asterisk.
Asterisk is a free open source PBX which runs on Linux. However, one
of the applications that was written for Asterisk is an alarm receiver
which is compatable with Contact-ID.

All that you need to get this to work is an old pc and a Digum analog
card which you can pick up on ebay for approx $25.

To download Asterisk see:

http://www.asterisk.org

For more information on the alarm receiver see:

http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/index.php?page=Asterisk+cmd+AlarmReceiver


http://ww.voi

 

[Security Guy]

You can do what you are asking for here for free with Asterisk.

You have got to be kidding.

All that rigamarole just to recognize some bizzare
out-dated/proprietary DTMF com protocal?

I'd rather slide down the sharp side of a razor blade than configure
an old PC for Linux.

And oh - I've ripped out that friggen 4010 panel and replaced it with
a 1550. It will dial my home phone number if there's trouble. I
really don't need a monitoring station setup for that - I thought it
might be "cute", but not if it's that complicated.

Would be nice if there was an RS-232 port (or even some TTL signals)
on the 1550 that could talk to a PC so that I could have the PC do
stuff based on what the panel is detecting from the various sensors
(like start a video capture, play a recorded message over speakers,
send an e-mail, etc).

 

[alarman]

You ripped out a 4010 and replaced it with a 1550?

Ohhhkayyyyyyyyyyy

Like trading in a Cadillac for a Chevette, eh?
js

 

[Mark Leuck]

You have got to be kidding.

All that rigamarole just to recognize some bizzare
out-dated/proprietary DTMF com protocal?

I'd rather slide down the sharp side of a razor blade than configure
an old PC for Linux.

And oh - I've ripped out that friggen 4010 panel and replaced it with
a 1550. It will dial my home phone number if there's trouble. I
really don't need a monitoring station setup for that - I thought it
might be "cute", but not if it's that complicated.

You ripped out a 4010 and replaced it with a 1550?

Ohhhkayyyyyyyyyyy