Honeywell VISTA: Arm Stay Instant, Arm Away Max

Learn how to add additional night and long-term security features with the Arm Stay Instant and Arm Away Max in this video guide.
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The Honeywell VISTA alarm system has a few different options to keep your home secure. While the standard arming options are fine for daily use, you’ll want to use different settings at night or when you’re away from home for an extended period of time. This video tutorial explains how and when you’ll want to use the Arm Stay Instant and Arm Away Max settings.
Most alarm system sensors are based around the opening and closing of entry points. A sensor is placed on a door or window frame while a magnetic device is placed on the door or window itself. When opened, the connection between the sensor and magnet is broken, causing the alarm system to react accordingly.
Typically, a delay is set on the alarm. So if the connection is broken, the system will wait a designated period of time before making noise and/or contacting the monitoring service. The delay lets you cross the room to the control panel, enter the Master Code into the keypad and stop the system from taking action.
Depending on the system, the delay can be set anywhere between 30 seconds up to four minutes. While you want enough time to comfortably enter or leave the house, too much extra time can pose a security risk.
But you don’t always want a delay on the alarm. There are several situations where anyone who attempts to enter the house will only be an intruder. Two of the most common situations are nighttime and vacation periods.
A delay period is often unnecessary for most of the night. After all, the entire household is asleep at home. No one should be entering the house. The Arm Stay Instant setting removes the delay from all exterior sensors. Any breach of an exterior door or window results in an immediate notification to the monitoring company and an audible alarm.
To activate Arm Stay Instant mode you first need to enter your Master Code. The default Master Code for the VISTA is 1234 although yours might be different. If you’d like to change your Master Code, check out our separate video guide for more instructions.
After entering your Master Code, you’ll then push button number seven. As the video guide shows, this button also displays the word “Instant.” Your system will remain in Stay mode, but alarms will now be instant.
A delay period is also unnecessary if your family will be out of the house for a full day or longer. The Arm Away Max setting is ideal for protecting an empty house. To activate, enter your Master Code and then press button four, which displays the word “Max.”
Both Arm Stay Instant and Arm Away Max monitor the entryways. Arm Stay Instant doesn’t activate interior sensors such as motion detectors, which means the family can move freely throughout the house. Arm Away Max activates every sensor, even interior motion.
The Honeywell VISTA has a variety of easy-to-implement options which add an extra layer of security at night and other potentially vulnerable times.

[@princev.9059]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing!

[@mayagantt8843]

Armed Instant & Armed Maximum means that it will be no entry delays.

[@freddaniels8259]

That is correct. Instant = Stay without an entry delay and Max = Away without entry delay. You will still get an Exit delay, though.

[@mayagantt8843]

​​@@freddaniels8259If anyone pretends that if there's entry delay while the system is on Instant or Maximum mode, it will cause the alarm and you have no chance to disarm the system.

[@mayagantt8843]

​@@freddaniels8259 If anyone pretends that if there's entry delay while the system is on Instant or Maximum, It would cause alarm immediately.

[@richkramer9977]

Great info!

[@SterlingDonnelly]

+Rich Kramer We're glad to hear it was helpful! Please subscribe to our channel to be updated with all of our new videos.

[@tigersue51]

Love Ur channel! Question-how can I lower the volume when pushing the keypad? Ours is so loud. Thanks, Pam

[@AlarmGrid]

Thank you! I hope you're a subscriber. Unfortunately, there is no volume control on most of the Honeywell/Resideo keypads. You can suppress certain sounds on some keypads, based on address, but it will all depend on what panel and what keypad/address is in use. On the voice keypads, you can control the voice volume, but not the beep volume. This is because the voice comes through a speaker, while the beep sounds come through a Piezo.

[@pilot_ddl]

Do you know how to arm stay/away instant on ADT Pulse Quick Connect Keypad?

[@abc123puck]

With Max mode, how are you expected to reenter the house without an entry delay?

[@SterlingDonnelly]

You would need to disarm from a key fob or from Total Connect 2.0 service (a mobile device) before entering the home to avoid having the alarm go off when you open the door. The mode is designed to be used only when you know that no one should be entering (vacation for instance) so you are giving up some convenience (the entry delay) for more security (instant alarm).

[@GIJew]

You still have 15 seconds to disarm before the panel reports it to the central station. I think it's better than Away in any case unless your keypad is far inside the home and would take you a while to get to it. Why give a burglar a 45 second headstart into taking your stuff?

[@not_jake3658]

@@GIJewwith mine, when you open the door while max, it set of straight towards the siren. Also, if you don’t turn it of my 10 sec, the alarm company will call.

[@wdennis8]

How do I display the countdown on the keypad once I enter my code followed by 2. I don’t want it to just say you may exit now. I want to see a physical countdown.

[@Alarmo05221]

I have a 20P so this may help, you want to first enter programming by entering your installer code (Default 4112) then 8 0 0, after that you want to go into *197 and then press 1. After that you should hear 3 beeps, after that you can hit *99 to exit programming. After, test to see if the countdown works.

[@Computergk91Gaming]

what happened to sterling is still work with you all

[@SterlingDonnelly]

+Computergk91 Gaming Yes, I still work here we just have Frank doing videos now too. Is there something we can help you with?

[@Daddysports79]

Question, when I set my system to Arm Stay and open my front door the system is not activated. I don’t even get the normal chime I get when a zone is opened. Why is that?

[@Daddysports79]

@Gary that actually worked! I guess the countdown was on silent since there was no beeping I assumed the delay didn’t apply to “Stay” mode. Just bought the house and trying to take advantage of this wired system, sensors everywhere but no siren aside from the keypad alerts. Going to try and add one based on the other videos from these guys Thanks again

[@nelsonocasio2462]

So instant & Max are the same? I know stay & away is different since your motions detector do shut off when you stay.

[@nelsonocasio2462]

Thank you Frank, I was confused.

[@aaronconnect8490]

I have a security system collection in my lab.

[@FreddyTroche]

How i can arm away instant

[@alarmgrid8771]

Arm Max (Code + 4) is Arm Away Instant. Basically, it takes away the Entry Delay (there's still an exit delay) and all zones will be armed unless manually bypassed.

[@princev.9059]

My vista 20 has a bug. When I connect the alarm in away mode, the alarm sounds. How can I remove the problem? because when I come back neighbors tell me that the alarm sounded. I appreciate it!

[@princev.9059]

@Ciara Hibbert Thanks for your prompt reply. Yes it only happens in away mode. I armed it, pretended to leave and I hear the alarm sounded. I am not in the USA. I though that maybe you guy can walk me thru to fix the bug. I appreciate it!

[@AlarmGrid]

That sounds like the Confirmation of Arming Ding. This is in programming location *38 on a Vista-20P. If you disable this option, by placing a 0 in this programming field the siren should no longer sound upon arming. Again, this assumes your panel is a Vista-20P.