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

I purchased this to replace a proprietary system,installed by a prior homeowner, that had been inactive for several years. With a little bit of Google research of of the model number it was clear that the old unit had been manufactured by Honeywell. I was interested in self monitoring and did not want to commit to an expensive, multi-year contract to re-activate the old system. The Vista system seemed well recommended as a neutral platform.On the physical side, I was able to re-use the existing wiring and Honeywell branded wireless sensors, but the speaker, keypad, and wireless receiver all had to be replaced. I paired this with a 6162 keypad, a WAVE-2 siren, and a 5881 wireless receiver. If I could do it again I would have probably went with the 6162rf keypad, since it has a RF receiver built in and my sensors are all relatively close to the unit. On the wiring side, you need to be comfortable stripping wire and using screw terminals, and for new installs there is the issue of routing wires through the wall for the power, keypad, and siren -- everything else can be wireless if desired.A keypad that supports Vista Intelligent Programming, such as one of the 616X series keypads, is essential. The control unit shipped to me had a v10.x firmware, so I was set under the requirement to have version 9.18 or higher to use the menu programming. In line with other comments, the programming menu is more oriented towards installers and requires navigating through several menus, but I was able to complete basic programming and enable ~5 wired and wireless zones over an afternoon by following along with online guides and YouTube videos. There are some great YouTube videos that basically walk from initial start up to configuring and naming a few zones.I'm not sure if you need the software engineer background others mention to program it, but comfort with technology and a willingness to treat it as an adventure helped. So far the system is working great, and I've added an Envisalink 3 for web based monitoring and control, which I was able to get up and running in about 30 minutes.The end result is that I have a system with plenty of capacity to grow that does everything I need -- I am very happy with the system. Day to day operation is very smooth, with the full text display again helping (as you can name zones and be notified of issues).The added features (web monitoring/control and text/e-mail alerts) from the EnvisaLink are great as well. While there are an increasing number of all wireless or "home automation" oriented systems out there, I am more comfortable with the idea of having a solid, stand alone, reliable system like the 20p for security, with home automation on its own platform until there is a little more standards convergence.Next steps include adding a sensor for the garage door and possibly wireless smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. I will eventually look into the Honeywell Connect and/or Tuxedo Touch add-ons as they continue to mature.

I got this to replace an old 1980's Radio Shack security system in our new home. Talk about a huge upgrade! Pairing this with an RF enabled keypad such as the 6162 RF makes it easy to add additional RF security sensors, without the hassle of running wires through existing construction. The gauge of the sheet metal is a little on the flimsy side, but I suppose it's thick enough. The door pivots on metal tabs in slots, a real hinge would have been nice. The firmware version I got was the newer 9.18, which seems to have the new VIP menu driven programming interface that work with the 6162.As an embedded engineer, it was still a bit tedious to figure out how to program it. I'm sure an alarm technician could navigate the menus much faster than I. Still learning the conceptual details of zones, modes, partitions, etc. But that gives me assurances that it will be very configurable for future plans. As others have said, these products are meant for installation by professionals bearing expensive monitoring contracts. The panel came with a good wiring diagram, but the programming guide assumes a little prior knowledge specific to Ademco control panels. It is not written for the DIY'er, but you can figure it out. It seems from searching the Internet that there are additional programming features and options not described in the included manual. I intend to keep the system hooked up to a little chime siren for a few months while we ensure we don't have false alarms. Next phase will be adding networked control with AD2USB or Envisalink 3. Overall a great value for the price.

Compared to my old alarm system, the Vista 20P has proven to be much more reliable. I'm using it with a 6160RF keypad / transceiver, which is centrally located within the house. For entry detection, I use four door-mounted wireless 5816's and six 5800PIR wireless motion detectors, which have operated flawlessly thus far. No missed transmitted signals and no false alarms. I was having to put up with those occasional problems on my old system, but no more. The Vista 20P control panel and associated accessories seem to be well designed and reasonably priced. Mine did come with a 4AH battery, but I had already ordered a Yuasa NP7-12 7AH battery, so I used it instead. I added a 4204 relay board inside the 20P cabinet so that I could disable two garage door openers and light up an alarm status LED when the system is armed. Everything works well.I agree with the previous reviewer's comment about 'not for the amateur' because of the steep learning curve when programming the 20P system. I am a previous hardware engineer with some software experience. I did a lot of Honeywell document reading and some internet searching to learn how to program the system, but once the proper commands were entered, everything works as it should. Not all of the programming info is located in a single document, so one must search. After finishing the programming, including authenticating ten detectors and four wireless key fob's, I have a high level of confidence in this Honeywell system. It is interesting to watch the 6160RF alphanumeric display while others are tripping the motion detectors and opening doors. It displays the customized zone name in addition to the zone number, which is a nice touch. My main suggestion for improvement would be to offer a simple step-by-step guide for programming, contained within a single document.