Honeywell VISTA: Power Down Instructional

Here you’ll learn how to power down your Honeywell VISTA system to begin the Total Connect 2.0 upgrade process.

Honeywell VISTA 20P: http://alrm.gd/honeywell-vista-20p
Honeywell VISTA 15P: http://alrm.gd/honeywell-vista-15p
20P PROM Chip: http://alrm.gd/honeywell-vista-20p-prom-chip
15P PROM Chip: http://alrm.gd/honeywell-vista-15p-prom-chip
Get Monitored! http://alrm.gd/get-monitored

Upgrading to Total Connect 2.0 will unlock a range of new and desirable features for your Honeywell VISTA home security system. But, before you can get into the technical process of upgrading your PROM chip to allow Total Connect 2.0 to work, you’ll need to know how to power down your home security system.

The video explains that to power down your alarm control panel, you’ll need to locate the transformer that’s providing power to the system. For many people, this process is easier said than done, since that transformer isn’t necessarily located near the alarm control panel, and it could be plugged into an outlet anywhere in the home, or even the garage or attic.

For example, if you’ve recently purchased a new home with an existing alarm system and you’re unfamiliar with the system, you may have to do some serious hunting to locate where your transformer is plugged in.

The power transformer is tan in color, just like the alarm control panel, and it features either two prongs and a ground, or just two prongs. The purpose of this transformer is to step down the 120 volts of power being provided by the wall outlet to 16.5 volts, which is what the system needs to power itself.

The transformer provides that power to the first two terminals on the control panel’s circuit board. From there, the remaining terminals on the circuit board provide DC power to all of the different aspects of your alarm system, including your keypad, alarm sensors, and siren.

Once you’ve unplugged the transformer, you’ll notice that your system is still on. This is because home security systems are equipped with a battery backup which continues to power the system in the event of a power outage to ensure that your alarm is still working. As the video explains, you’ll need to disconnect your system’s battery to disconnect the system from power fully.

As you’ll see in the video, instructions are provided for how to disconnect one of your battery’s terminals to kill power to the system completely. For older batteries, removing one of the terminals can be a bit more difficult, and you’ll have to wiggle the spade connector back and forth as you pull the terminal back to detach the lead from the terminal.

As Sterling explains, you only need to disconnect one of the leads from the terminal; there is no need to disconnect both leads. You can double-check that your system is completely powered down by ensuring that your alarms keypad is no longer working. As long as you see no display on the keypad, you can rest assured that power has been completely disconnected.

It’s critically important that power is completely disconnected before you proceed with the next steps in the upgrade process. If you attempt to manipulate your system’s PROM chip while power is still provided to the system, you could irreparably damage the system.