DIY replacement of a DSC system with an OmniPro 2?

yes if they're hardwired

pro 2 and three consoles(or touchscreens 53a00-1 is a 4 wire screen)

ask wd

it is documented in the manual

monitoring? not many dealers would touch your work for liability reasons...self monitor

depends on how many security zones you have...not long 2-6 hours

yes, there are many support forums and WD to help you

Many HAI DIYers post regularly on the cocoontech HAI subforum , and the general Security subforum. Search there, tremendous resource. HAI developers also post there.


Elk would be another system for you to consider - they have a CT subforum as well.


What's WD? Western Digital? Worthington/ASIHome? I've had a good experience buying distributed audio and alarm equipment from automatedoutlet.com, a cocoontech sponsor/supporter/vendor.


If you paid a pro to replace the system it would be a 1 day swap. Might take longer if you do it - depends on how much you put into the effort, doing the reading and research before you start. You may not know that you might need a resistor for each zone with HAI, and you may have a different resistor already installed (I don't know about DSC).


Edit - oh, duh, sorry, just saw your thread at CT.



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Originally Posted by fgrogan /forum/post/19446643


1) Can I label my existing sensors and then reuse them for the OP2?

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An essential thing to do (labeling). And then you need to check for end of line termination requirements for the old and new gear. Compatibility regarding current requirement of sirens. Reading the manual should tell you all of this pretty easily. If it does not, then don't attempt it .

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2) What basic ewuipment do you suggest I have to perform the swap/replacement?

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Shouldn't need much if it all goes well. Otherwise, a multi-meter is useful to check voltages, termination resistance, etc. And a toner just in case you lose labels, the old panel was miswired etc but this shouldn't be needed.

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3)What HAI components do I need to buy from WD?

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There are different versions of HAI panel, with or without Ethernet. I would go with the complete package so that you can remotely manage HAI. You probably want to buy a fresh battery. From what I recall, the transformer is not included in the HAI kit either so you need to also get that.


There is also the choice of HAI with or without enclosure.

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4) Once the physical connections are made and the system is running, what code do I need to enable basic security features?

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If by code you mean programming, HAI out of box is a functioning alarm so doesn't need any programming. It is for automation that you need programming. For basic security, you can use the alarm panel itself. BTW, you need three of these also to replace your DSC.

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5)Who do you suggest I use for monitoring?

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Most companies who sell monitoring are retailers selling a wholesale service provided to them. So find someone locally and ask them who they really use and then go and research their capabilities. Be sure they have redundancy with at least one operation center well outside of your geographic area just in case a catastrophic event (e.g. big wind storm, earthquake) shuts down the primary near you. Make sure they are UL certified. See how much capacity they have for incoming calls and what they do when they max out (e.g. spill over to their other site). This is not an exhaustive list but should get you started with some key questions.

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6) How long do you think the replacement and initial install & config will take to get back to a basic security system operation?

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As was noted, an experienced person can easily do this in a day. If you have studied everything in advance you should be able to do it in a weekend.

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7) Is it reasonable for me to attempt this? I'm fairly technical, been working with computers for 30 years, wired the entire house when it was built 6 years ago and enjoy a technical challange.

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Alarm panels have their own lingo that is not quite familiar to computer people. We have gotten lazy with our computers being so plug-and-play . And the fact that nothing cooks if you do things wrong yet there is with your panel.


That said, if you enjoy learning, this is a very manageable project. If you don't have oddball sensors which HAI doesn't support out of the box, then you should be good to go.