Vista 20p Custom Zone Type Tutorial

How to program a custom zone type on your Honeywell Ademco Vista 20p Alarm system

[@bounder97]

Absolutely outstanding !!! I have wasted two years looking at on line forums trying to figure out vent zones. 20 minutes after watching this video, I had vent zones programmed and working in my alarm system. Thanks for the superb video...

[@poohsouvannavong2944]

That was an great breakdown and training tip. Thanks!

[@DavidRoodman]

This is perfect. Just what I needed!

[@fixitwithzim]

Thanks buddy for all your videos as well. They have helped me a bunch.

[@petercarvajal1231]

great vista help! Well done.

[@MichaelStDenis63]

This is exactly what I needed and is extremely well done. Thank you so very much!

[@fixitwithzim]

You're welcome. Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching.

[@MichaelStDenis63]

The wife had been unhappy about the new alarm since she could not set the alarm with the garage door open. I watched your great video, went to teh keypad, programmed it, tested it and it worked perfectly. One question - Do I have to set anything differently in *183?

[@KaiserLyons]

Thank you, the video helped me a lot

[@marcschambers7637]

Great video. Thank you.

[@fixitwithzim]

Thank you!

[@stepharn929]

once again...very nice!

[@dennisranck1613]

Thank you.

[@HappyJigg]

This was a great video. I can't wait to try this on my system. I honestly thought that chart was for dialer reporting because I was too intimidated to read it.

[@fixitwithzim]

HappyJigg The manual does a horrible job presenting the programming information. It's actually pretty easy to program as you can see once you figure it out. Good luck with the project man!

[@HappyJigg]

Thank you!

[@Firealarmcollectorperson]

Thank you! You single handedly taught me how to do custom zone types! However, What shall I set for the alarm and trouble ID’s?

[@1jasonover]

Thank you sir!

[@fixitwithzim]

You’re welcome!!

[@Guyfromhe]

I'd use trouble for shorted so you would be made aware of wiring problems. also bypass when disarmed is generally a good idea in case you need to bypass the zone at some point...

[@marthaluciasanchezcastro4453]

Thank you! It was really helpful for me. I only have a question for you. I managed to create a custom zone for some internal doors (using 5816 RF sensors), the behavior that I am looking for is that if the system is armed in stay mode, I want the zone to be faulted and not no trigger the alarm. I got it to work, in stay mode, if the door is opened I can hear the chime on my alarm system and the alarm is not triggered, but the display does not show what zone it was. The question is: It is possible to create a zone that, in stay mode, does not trigger the alarm and show that it is faulted?

[@johnnyrizzo8057]

you expanded my imagination . I made a zone type, so that when system is in stay mode, I can go in to garage to get a beer out fridge. I even get chime saying Laundry Room Door. I used 12 7 12 1 4 5 0 113 6 6

[@smithbe4042]

Great video! Maybe I just need some more coffee - but I am trying to figure out a type 90 'recipe' for my fence gates with RF contacts. I simply want my keypads to chime, and nothing else when one is opened. No need for an alarm or fault. On my previous Elk alarm system, this was defined as a 'non alarm' zone w/chime enabled, but the partition was always ready to arm regardless...

[@fixitwithzim]

Thank you. Yes, you can do that and its fairly easy. Still done in *182. You would set most of the fields as no alarm and I believe the final entry which is chime mode on. If you need the exact entry’s for each field I can check later in the manual

[@Guyfromhe]

I had to re-read the chart 3 or 4 times to understand how it worked.. This is a great video. I did a similar thing with my garage door. I think not only is the manual poor but the entry method is quite poor as well. Is the # thing for 2 digits in the manual? I ended up guessing that when I had my programming sheet made and was having problems getting it entered.

[@fixitwithzim]

The manual's worst problem in my opinion is the way it is layed out...Very confusing but most of the info you need is in there. The # is in the manual. Page 4-11 Under *182 section on the left side (values for each of the 10 entries) I will add that a "vent zone" should be a preconfigured zone type on the system from the factory. You shouldn't need to do program from scratch. This could be a very useful zone type for many applications but isn't used as much do to the programming involved.

[@RajKedda]

Great tutorial, trying to create a similar setup for an interior motion sensor(wired and wireless) for Stay Arm - to display the zone fault, but not to trigger alarm. In away mode, it should trigger alarm. Is this is right code for 10 fields - F1=12,F2=7,F3=12,F4=11,F5=4,F6=5,F7=0,F8=8,F9=6 anf F10=6.

[@johnuhlig323]

Superior in explaining. I would like to have my system do a silent entry alarm and not sound at the keypad so I could do this for a burglary zone correct??

[@fixitwithzim]

bounder97 has recently made a video on this. I have the same setup that he does with an auto dialer. Check out his video. He does a nice job with his tutorials. Thanks for watching.

[@johnnyrizzo8057]

when using this method of programming function key D zone type. is there a way to make it report that "D" was pressed and Garaged opened? Like A is ties to zone 95, B ties to 99, C ties to 96. So for A B C function buttons I can set ALPHA VOCABULARY to each zone.

[@benkihada]

Thanks for this, I finally figure it out but wonder why my siren sounded for a short time (1sec) everytime when I exit the house using your set up? Besides that everything is perfect.

[@fixitwithzim]

Bernardo Villanueva Check programming field *38. This field should be set to zero. This feature chirps the siren for a second to confirm the system is armed. 0 will turn it off. Hope this helps

[@benkihada]

zimsjeep thanks again!

[@armstobearllc6637]

Thank you so much! Is it possible to setup up a Zone Type for a wireless motion sensor? I am currently on Zone Type 10 but I do not like it. I want my motion to always be instant. On and instant when AWAY. Off when STAY.

[@kgould82]

Type 04 - Interior Follower will accomplish what you are wanting.

[@Notlaw47]

While I have been working on alarm system for decades, the 20P manual has me beat. Thank you for the great tutorial. When using the 6160 Remote temporarily wired at the control panel, can programming be completed there then relocate the remote to permanent location without losing programming?

[@fixitwithzim]

+Notlaw47 Thanks for the compliment. Yes, you can relocate the 6160 once programming is done without losing memory.

[@Notlaw47]

+zimsjeep Great help. Worked out great with remote in the room with the control panel; quieter there too. Thank you.

[@glenroyhanley5049]

Do you have to configure •183 zone type 90 report code after? If you do you have a video on this? I trying to create a zone for my driveway gate.. I would like to know when the gate is open or closed.

[@randyrebardo9888]

I am about to buy a ademco vista 20p. Its is hard wire and not wireless. I am going to just swap out my old system w/ the vista. do I need to custom ea zones when I install the system? All contacts are going in the same zones as the old to the new system.

[@fixitwithzim]

Depends - if you want to perform a function that isn't a predefined zone type programmed on the system, yes - then you would need a custom zone. My guess is that you will not need a custom zone since most of the common zone types used are pre programmed.

[@garymauch9528]

Hi, I am trying to use trig 18 to turn a 12v led on when door is open. Can't get it to work. any thoughts?

[@johnkosheluk1041]

Is that per zone or a map for all zones

[@glassmancarter]

We have a storage unit door I want to program as zone type 90. Also we have a keypad in the storage unit to disarm and arm the system. Your video shows you can arm the system while the door is open and then when closed the system arms. What I would like to do is have an instant alarm sounder when this particular door is opened by a burglar, but a normal opening by owner will have time to disarm the system even though the sounder is activated. Is this possible?

[@fixitwithzim]

If I'm reading this correctly that won't be possible. The system would have to know who's opening the door which is rather impossible. You could program a very short entrance delay to accomplish what you're trying to do. Or program as an instant zone with dial delay to central station. The horn will sound instantly when someone opens but the dialer won't activate as long as you disarm quickly.

[@glassmancarter]

So if I setup entry 8 as 2+4+0=6 and setup *36 at less than 30 I would have 30 seconds to turn off alarm, but still be able to arm system with door open.

[@millandotollgis2737]

is there a video about vista-128bp?

[@stepharn929]

can you make a video on self Monitoring!

[@Eugenethemooer1Wolffe]

I don't know if you've figured it out in the interim, but I am using tropo to self-monitor the phone signal for free. The communication is done with DTMF tones triggered by a special chirp from the receiver. Here's the full spec from Ademco. BTW contactID-4digit is option 7 in field 48 (Report Format). www.technoimport.com.co/Producto/pdfs/ADEMCO%20-%20DC05_Contact_ID.pdf Hope this helps. :)

[@DilliganGames]

I know this is an unrelated video, but you appear to be smart and I appear to need help. I have fire alarms working fine on zone 1 (smoke/thermal detectors), but they wont work on any other zone (for example, 2). I even tried just moving the wires from Z1 to Z2. The config on the panel is the same for both. It gives me "fault" in any other zone with alarms (other then 1). The test buttons do not work on the detectors. They are all EOL, and I have swapped them around to find that they all work on 1 (but not 2, 3, or 4). Is there something I am doing wrong?

[@fixitwithzim]

You sure you have the other zones programmed as fire zones? The only zone pre configured from the factory as a fire zone is zone 1. If you did change the config from burg to fire for zones 2-4, make sure you have eol selected in the zone configuration setup menu.

[@DilliganGames]

zimsjeep Under advanced config (to make it easy), i have 2 screens that only differ in zone number. It is as follows: ZN 01 (or 02/03/04), ZT 09, P 1, RC 10, HW EL, and RT 1. I did noticed that under simple config, I was unable to change the hardware type on Z1, but thats all that I noticed. And thank you for your help =)

[@DilliganGames]

Dylan Madigan I also noticed, that with 2 detectors on 1 and 2, zone 1 reads about 12VDC, and 2 reads about 5VDC with the alarms plugged in (even when I switched the wires to each zone).

[@fixitwithzim]

Are they 2 or 4 wire smokes? Are you using zone doubling?