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That $600 Honeywell panel in Seattle that everyone loves is a headache

I just finished a job at a 4-story apartment building downtown where the property manager insisted on a Honeywell Vista 250. Everyone here swears by them, but it took me 3 extra hours to program the zones because of the older firmware. The wiring was fine, but the panel kept freezing on the setup menu. I get that they have a loyal following, but for a new install this year, why not go with something that has a modern interface? The tech support from the supplier here in Seattle took 45 minutes just to pick up. Am I the only one who thinks these panels are overrated for the price?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth5595d ago

Forty five minutes on hold for tech support on a brand new panel? That's insane. I'd have lost my mind after ten minutes. And the freezing issue on the setup menu? That sounds like a total nightmare for a paid install. I've heard people rave about Honeywell for years but that kind of buggy firmware on a $600 panel is just not acceptable in 2024. Sounds like you got a lemon straight out of the box, which is extra frustrating when everyone else acts like they're bulletproof.

rowan8495d ago

Yeah that's a fair take but Honeywell panels aren't actually $600. They're more like $250-300 for the basic ones. Still too much money for a frozen screen though.