Honeywell VISTA-20P Ademco Control Panel, PCB in Aluminum Enclosure

I absolutely love these panels. Been using them for years. They will still be going strong even after 20 years. I say get one.

Exactly what I wanted. Good savings, as expected even came with the power transformer. Great deal no brainer for an alarm system.

If you are not familiar w/ programming alarm systems this may not be for you.

Used this as a replacement for an existing failed Moose system originally installed in 1986. I am very happy with its functions so far. It has some nice features when used with key pads #6150rf & 6160. If this system lasts as long as the Moose system did I will be very happy. This system should be installed by a professional. Its a bit technical for the do it yourselfer.

This unit was 1/4 the cost of the replacement my professional installer quoted for the part. This was so cheap I had doubts that it was legitimate. Well, I received the enclosure, lock, 20p card, and power supply. I wired everything up, had the installer reprogram the new card, and was back in business. No issues, and I saved hundreds by doing part of the work myself. There is no known way to transfer the programming from a bad board to a new one, so be prepared to have the system reprogrammed.

I bought this to replace a VISTA-15P that was locked to a security monitor service provider. This VISTA-20P is 100% compatible and the switch over went without a hitch. Now I switch service providers any time.

This is a really good do it yourself panel!(ps you will need to buy he keypad separately) It might be a little bit hard to understand how to wire it but once you get it it’s really easy! It’s also really easy to program the panel with a Honeywell 6160 keypad! I really recommend to get a 6160 keypad to program this panel because it is really hard to program with the 6150. Please! Save the money and save up for the 6160 it will help you in the longe run with programming! Also if you don’t want to run wires to sensors you can always get the Honeywell 6160rf keypad for wireless devices!

This (or maybe the 21p) may be the DIY system you want. I went DIY to get a better and more flexible system than the cheap ones installed by the big companies who also lock you into a $2000 contract. I did my system with more than theirs (4 wired doors and 6 wired sensors) for a lot less, and feel confident adding to it later as needed. Upsides: - Zone doubling - get more for your money and even put multiple sensors on the same wire, while still being their own zones. Seriously, this is a really great feature. - Alpha keypad and voice options allow for easier programming and a system that is useful even when not armed. I love the custom zone names that get announced vs. a simple chime. - Flexibility - mix and match hardwired and RF sensors. I actually went with hardwired sensors from other vendors. I wasnt planning to use RF, but then I found out about the anti-jamming features. - Save on monitoring - no need to pay $40+ a month plus Telco... get an envisalink3 or other internet monitoring for covering your back when away or extra security. Downsides: - Requires electrical background (especially for new hardwired sensors) or willingness to learn. Forums, patience, and trial and error are your friends. As good as the defaults and alpha programming are, someone should come up with turnkey PC or mobile device solution for DIY. There are many ways to do a system, but doing it right requires some research. Ultimately, it depends on your requirements and patience. - The 6162V I purchased has a backlight on the display that only comes on at odd times (only the keys remain on). What!? How can I read logs or arm the system when Im going to bed? If I had known this, it might have tipped the balance another direction. You can certainly pick from a variety of other keypads. Maybe I have a bad keypad or havent found the trick to it yet. - There is no open condition. That is called fault. There does seem to be a check wiring but, man, its confusing when you first see fault and think all your wiring is bad. It also requires a little creativity to arm if there is a motion fault when youre arming. Not a deal breaker, but seems a little lame. Also, instead of showing all open zones at once, you get a scrolling list, which isnt quite real time. Ill ding the 6162V for these in my review of that. The Envisalink page certainly helps me workaround some of the complaints. - There is no chime for closing a door / ending a fault. Just the open. I liked the two tone chime on my DSC because even though I didnt know which door was open, I knew it once the door closed. For me, the downsides are outweighed by the upsides, but I cannot give this 5 stars. But, I am not certain there is another perfect system out there. Everything seems to have minor issues.

Works

Residential security