[Disabling my alarm -help.]

Hi folks,
I took a break to update myself and :-
a) I've aquired the Galaxy 2 install manual which
b) informs me that a complete power down  of the system restores the defaults such as the default engineer code ######
c)The manual also indicates that the tamper alarm can be stopped using the user code so plan is now
d)Leave mains power on, remove cover (zapping tamper noise with user code), zap 12v battery connection, remove mains power fuze, whilst holding pillow over internal sounder until my 'jobbing' electrician gets the battery out if it sounds. External is dummy.
e)remove phone line
f) hopefully this will leave a default system readily accessible by anyone with the manual.

No doubt there will be cries that it won't work but that was never my style.
I'll report on events later.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

1 hour ago, PeterJames said:

If the customer had the engineer code from the start, you move liability of the system working as it should to the customer. No insurance company will ever accept it because there is always going to be the worry that the customer deciding to meddle with the system themselves when say they want to move a detector due to decorating. They go into engineer and unwittingly they reprogram the system so that it doesnt work in the event of a burglary. What do you think they will do when they are burgled and the alarm didnt work?  I can hear my customers now saying "I have been paying all that money each year and the system didnt work when I was broken into, my insurance wont pay out so what are you going to do about it?" 

 

Then from the engineers point of veiw, I know that I would not feel happy being the last person to service an alarm system knowing full well that the customer has the ability to faff around in engineer mode after I have gone. The last engineer on site could get accused of sabotaging the alarm system (inside job) if a customer defaulted zones unwittingly then a burglary was to happen.  

 

As others have tried to point out, when you buy a security system, you are not just buying a few items that someone screws to the wall, you are buying an assurance that it will do what it was intended to do. Anyone can screw bits to the wall, programming and testing it to work correctly and understanding how the programming works is another matter.

 

If you want to know the engineer code of your alarm, fit it yourself or use a non accredited company to install it, you wont have anyone to sue if it fails to operate, but when you decide to get rid of it you wont have this problem. 

 

Anyway all of this is by the by as you have a man with a hammer coming to sort it for you.

 

Have you told your insurer that you no longer have an alarm btw? 

I have never suggested that the customer should know the engineer code from the start. My suggestion was that the customer should have a code of his own making to be used to shut down the system when he no longer required it  which would be as secure as his customer access code. I've left the handling of the system entirely to ADT when I required it but now simply want to disable it and nothing will convince me that ADT don't make it difficult so they can bag another £200. Not surprised as I feel my my mails have been scanned rather than read.

I do not have a man with a hammer coming either because I want the chips intact to amuse myself  with during this epidemic. I've noticed my electrician getting snide remarks here and don't like it.

I anticipated cancellation so insured the place with no alarm

Not had a sensible response to any of my other points as obviously you've all got vested interests in alarm systems and simply sing the lingo. My mistake coming here.

Bye

 

 

 

 

 

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

Programming..Have to say I was under the impression Honeywell supplied the bare bones and the engineer simply added the muscle etc.  I was in IT programming from the mid 70's so I'm interested in what language the engineer writes the program in and how he accesses the hardware because I'll probably have a fiddle when it's out?  Incidently, by wipe I mean't a proper one that takes a few days like the US gov standards. SSD's are lump hammer material though.

 

Peter, leaving it where it is and not using it would suit me but BT are swapping our phone to cable which it will react to as I suppose it would when the battery finally dies. Power outages set it bleeping and we have 2-3/annum.

Re the customer wipe code I suggested. Generation could be by the customer himself at installation thus the method of generation would be random as is the customers access code. As they do a lot of management online, I asked whether they could neutralise it online. NO. I have to say most of the security reasons applied to revealing the engineer's code are equally true of the customer code imho.

 

Incidently, I found and lost a Gov report suggesting that Engineer codes must be unique to the installation though whether that is the law yet I don't know.

 

 

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

7 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

The problem is in order to wipe it, or do anything to it they have to send someone to site, and they dont have engineers that work for nothing, nor vehicles that do not require any fuel or maintenance to get the engineer to your property, or any admin staff that work for free to organise it, and so on. To have engineer codes per customer would be a real ball ache, we have all thought about this over the years a code based on postcode or customer number. The thing here is, if this was the case and ADT gave out engineer codes to customers when they canceled their contracts it would not be long before the method of how the codes are generated is worked out, leaving all ADT customer vulnerable. ADT have a responsibility for all their customer, and less so for the ones that leave (they are no longer a customer) 

Later panels can be programmed remotely and panels can be defaulted remotely, but this is a fairly new development, and probably not available when your panel was installed.

 

ADT are not try to scam you, they are protecting their customers, and you are welcome to pay someone else to disable it, or try to disable it yourself, or just leave it where it is and not use it

 

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

No more crackable than the present used a lot user and engineer codes (which are probably all the same for all this model).  Nobody's managed to crack Apple's Iphone access codes yet despite putting the FBI onto it.

My issue is entirely about being left with a system still controlled by ADT after I cancelled my contract and being asked to pay for release. If they were concerned about software rights they would have a system in place to wipe it as one does with a hard disk if you're selling it.  I was under the impression that Honeywell designed the software and ADT simply used it so it's odd that they can claim intellectual property rights.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

Thank you all for your opinions. Maybe all customers should be given a use once 'engineering' code that they can use when they terminate;  which disables the system after informing ADT of it's  use. Meanwhile, the service engineers code protects the system from being taken over by another outfit but this wouldn't ensure the £198 +vat to extract you from the situation they put you in I suppose.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

3 hours ago, al-yeti said:

Haven't u done it yet?

 

Doooooooooo itttttttttt man

Decided that as an 80+ year old with a clumsy left hand due to a stroke that it would be simpler to get our friendly electrician to do it while I held a pillow over the noise box. He's coming next week and says it will only take about 15 mins and will be vastly cheapear than the £198+vat that ADT threatened to charge.

ADT  claim the alarm sold to me is now mine but refuse to give me the required info to remove it unless I pay out to get an engineer out to fix it so it's not mine at all! No doubt there is a crafty clause in the paperwork to cover this little scam but I threw it out when I cancelled the contract so can't check. I've asked trading standards their opinion. Very much like buying a car and the seller refusing to give you the info on how to stop it.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

38 minutes ago, norman said:

Why not still use it and move to another provider?

Because I no longer require it.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

 

 

"f you didn't think my previous post was constructive enough then just give it a go with some ear plugs and whack anything that makes a noise with a lump hammer...

You don't mention what system you have and even so they are all different depending on the system design.

May need ladders to reach the outside box, you may not if SAB is inside. Either way you will not do it silently if the system works properly."

 

System is Honeywell Galaxy 2-12 Co12 and I was informed by the fitter that the outside box is a dummy.

I expected ADT would permanently disarm it remotely when I cancelled the contract but they didn't.

Thanks

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

19 minutes ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Systems in working order are not designed to be disabled by just snipping this and that, they are tampered and will usually result in lots of noise if you try. It would be completely pointless to fit them if they where easily disabled.

 

Which is exactly why I am asking for advice. I do have the advantage of knowing my systems user code so please could you advise on the points that I will probably have to enter it to shut the damn thing up, Some constructive advice would be a bonus.

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

1. Rethe sab type. Am I correct in assuming this means that cutting the wire will allow the internal alarm bell to sound despite being cut off from the main box's 12v supply? Box outside is fake btw.

2. Do I need a lump hammer too?

 

[Disabling my alarm -help.]

Hi, hope this is the correct forum for this.

 

I recently cancelled my ADT monitored alarm as I no longer required it. I expected ADT would collect the alarm stuff but they want me to pay an undisclosed amount for an engineer. I turned that one down and decommission  it myself. I thought I'd check here to see if what I intended would work OK :-

1. cut the power.

2. cut the phone lead.

3. be ready to enter my code if it goes off.

4. snip the lead to the speaker before

5. whipping the cover off and snipping the battery leads.

 

Anything I've missed? I'm hoping this will be a relatively silent process. I am assuming the alarm speaker does not have a backup battery?

Thanks