Thanks to test-ok for starting this new category. Because we do low voltage, I know some of us tend to bleed over into the security and CCTV business as well.

A little about me.....I am an electronic technician by trade. I started as a bench technician for a company that did sales and installations. Because they were short handed, I started to get out more from the work bench (in the basement) and did more install work. We did low voltage work, mainly pro audio systems and communications. I loved being out on the road so the next company I worked for was a electronic security company. Their main line was DSC (made in Canada, just like Nortel, so everyone here uses them!) The company was in business for years, so I got quite a bit of experience in the older stuff as well, Contronic, Scantronic, Sureguard, Ademco, Napco, Europlex to name a few. We did any and all low voltage so I went and got Nortel, fiber optics, and satellite training as well. The company was bought out and that was my cue to go. I started my own company and the main part of it now is security, CCTV, access control, phone, and network wiring.

I have learned a great deal from this forum, many have helped me (not to mention $aved me), and I hope that I can return the favors. Hope to chat soon.

Hey, Twisted Pair, KLD here. Used to be involved with all the alarm, access, physical security stuff myself. Default, like the IT guy doing telephones!

I don't know how I've missed this but I found this forum tonight and now I have a place to show just how really dumb I am. :scratch:

Thanks, T-OK.

KLD

Hey guys...you sound like you know quite a bit about the security industry! Have any of you guys come across a DMP panel? Maybe you use them? I just started, and am curious to see what other installers think about the product.

Al

Hello alterego, welcome to the board.

I have never heard of DMP before. I did a quick google, and although I couldn't find their website, I did find a dealers site. To be honest with you it looks alot like a product that was around years ago called "Caddex." The keypads look identical. If you have a web link, please post it so I can have a closer look. I see you are from Canada, who is distributing it here, one of the big three?

Use DMP all the time for security and access control....also use Ademco,Honeywell,MDI,Lenel,and Andover controls

Twisted pair,try www.dmp.com its their website.

I've never heard of DMP either.

Thanks for the link pbresq. I thought I tried that the other day (the most obvious) and it didn't work. Worked tonight though.

Now I do recognize some of the DMP products, I have used their smokes, heats, and sirens/strobes before. They have been around for years but I don't think they have been into control panels that long. I found an "obsolete" heading on their site and those panels look identical to the Moose (Sentrol) panels I have used (and liked!) before. Some of their current panels do look like Caddx, as a matter of fact, I even saw what looked like a Caddx manual in the picture. I wonder if they are somehow affiliated with GE Security (Sentrol and Caddx are). Don't know much about their new panels (who makes them) but their new keypads certainly look kind of sexy. The 4X3 button matrix would certainly throw some people off when we are used to the 3X4 like a telephone (2580 down the centre).

We sell DMP here in Green Bay. We have only been selling security for a couple months now, but DMP has been a good and reliable product for us. A little odd in the setup, coming from the phone world where you want everything running to the MDF, but no outrageous problems installing or faults with the product I have found so far.

Although the one thing that did get me hung up once was when setting the adresses on the LX Bus, my partner set two devices the same address. Took me forever and a day to figure out what the problem was since it didnt give me any errors, just made them both stop working.

we recently started using the product just a few months ago...we went all out;security, access, schedules, auto-arming and disarming. Only to rip it out and replace it with a DSC product. Maybe it was an install doomed from the get-go, or faulty equipment. I was returning to site at least once a week to reset the system after it would freeze up and stop unlocking the doors....what a headache. It's a different product than what I am used to-DSC, Europlex...- and was looking forward to using it in the future, but I don't think we'll be using much more of it.

If you are looking at a new product line to get away from DSC (most companies are! ) check out Paradox. The old stuff was garbage but I have just used their new panels a few times. The way the access control is integrated into the system blows away the DSC/Kantech. They also have a real nice VFD keypad with a built in prox reader. Another cool feature - you can program your company name into the LCD keypad to be the screen saver so to speak.

How much is Burtek paying you? Naw, I'm sure the Paradox is OK. I remember when Tri-ed took the DSC product away from SSI they came around touting the Paradox stuff. At that time I thought it seemed a little flakey.

I used to install the Silent Knight 4820 for access control. It was an alright product, but there wasn't much in terms of end-user software for it. I liked it because you could write "scripts" to make the thing do just about whatever you wanted it to.

Yep, I agree Toner. SSI tried to stay a float after that with Paradox, and it was flakey. If it wasn't for the Burtek take over, I'm sure they would have been gone. The Tri-ed/Tyco/ADT thing really made a lot of companies drop DSC pretty quick. Why would they buy from their competition? I really like the new Paradox though, they have come a long way. The company I use to work for went to Ademco from DSC, it's sort of in the same situation now though with Honeywell/Chubb.

I went to the security show in Vegas last year and there are just so many panels now. It's hard to pick one now, especially one that has good integrated user friendly access control.

Has anyone looked at the DSX/Radiotronics combo lately? They were supposed to jump forward about 3 or 4 years ago. Been out of the loop since.

KLD

What is this KLD? Never heard of it.

For access control, try HIRSCH. It is the most stable distributed processing system out there and also DOD certified for line supervision on the alarm inputs.

Hi scot43,
Here in Canada; police, ambulance, and court houses are using a lot of the Hirsch product. The main reason is the scramble pad. For those on the board that are unfamiliar with this keypad, it is a normal 3X4 matrix keypad with a start button. You would push the start button and the buttons light up with their numbering in no particular order. Everytime you push the start button, the keys are randomly changed again. This way if someone was watching you, they would not be able to determine your code by location on the pad. Very cool concept and the unit looks good and seems pretty rugged. Unfortunately, here in Canada there are only a couple of authorized dealers (I have done some contract service for the one) so it seems to be pretty much locked on to the government stuff.