Powering the Honeywell Vista-20P
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- Small Business Security Systems
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Description
In this video, Joe shows users how to provide power to a Honeywell VISTA 20P Alarm System. Like most alarm systems, the VISTA 20P receives power from a plug-in transformer. It also uses a backup battery for power if the electricity goes out. A screwdriver is needed to complete the power connections.
The Honeywell VISTA 20P is a hardwired alarm system. This means that the main control board is housed inside a metal container. This metal enclosure is usually hidden somewhere inside the building out of sight. Popular locations include basements, attics and closets. An end user will not normally interact with the metal enclosure. Instead, their main focus will be on one of the system's keypads. This is what they will use to control the system and make programming changes.
A hardwired keypad feeds power from the control panel. In fact, the control panel is what supplies power to the rest of the system. This includes any sirens, certain hardwired sensors and more. In order for the control panel to get power, you must connect its transformer and backup battery. This is a very important step whenever you are starting out with a new alarm system. Remember, all alarm systems need electrical power to remain running and send outbound signals during emergencies.
The VISTA 20P uses a Honeywell 1321 Transformer for primary power. This AC transformer is rated at 16.5VAC 25VA. It has two (2) wire terminals for running a 2-conductor wire from the panel to the plug-in device. We recommend using an 18 gauge wire to complete the connection. However, if you have slightly thicker or thinner wire around like 22-gauge or 16-gauge, then it should still work just fine. You will also need to connect the backup battery to the panel. We recommend using an UltraTech 1240 Battery for this job.
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Transcript
Hi, DIYers, Joe from Alarm Grid. And today, we're going to talk about how to power your VISTA-20P. Now your 20-P, if you buy it new, you're going to get one of these in the box. This is the transformer that comes with it. This is the Honeywell 1321. It has a voltage rating of 16.5 AC. And as you can see, it has a power rating of 25 volt amps. Right in the back here, you can see it has the two terminals for your AC outs, which will connect to your panel's AC input. And it works great.
They're convenient, in that if you're looking to see how your 20-P is powered, just look around for one of these beige boxes, and you'll likely find the transformer for the system. Now, if you have a 21iP, or if you have an external communicator, you may see a different kind of transformer. This guy right here is the Honeywell 1361. It also provides 16.5 volts of AC for its voltage, but it has a 40 volt amp output, which is larger than the 25.
The reason that you would use this with a VISTA-20P, is that if you've purchased, let's say, an iGSMV4G, which is an external communicator that has IP and cellular, that's actually going to ship with one of these. You can use this to power your system, and this to power your transformer at the same time.
Or, if you want to save yourself a plug, if you take this off of the system's power-- so you have your panel mounted here, and you have the wires coming down to the transformer-- you're going to remove this from those wires. You would install this one on the wires. And then from your communicator, you would actually connect its AC wires to the system's AC input. So the wires would go from this transformer, up to the system AC input. And then from there, it'll go up to the external communicator's AC input.
You have to use the larger transformer, the Honeywell 1361, to achieve that, as you need the 40 volt amps that this outputs to accomplish that. It is convenient, though, as you can power both your system and your external communicator with one transformer. It saves you a plug. And as you can see, these are somewhat large. And they can be troublesome when you're plugging more than one into a power strip or to a wall outlet.
Another instance of where you would get this larger transformer is if you have a VISTA-21iP. Now, on the 21iP, you're probably not going to use a transformer setup like you would in the 20P. Because the 21iP has built-in communication options. It has an iP Jack right on the board. And you can also install a proprietary cellular communicator that works on the system. So, because of those reasons, you're probably not going to have an external communicator sitting with your 21iP. But you will get this transformer when you do purchase a VISTA-21iP.
But if you do have that 20P, you're likely going to have one of these installed. And if you do want to do the shared transformer set up with an external communicator, you will need a larger transformer like the Honeywell 1361.
If you do have any questions, though, about setting up a shared transformer setup on your VISTA-20P, about how your 20P is powered, about purchasing a replacement transformer-- anything power related with the system-- feel free to head over to our website, www.alarmgrid.com. Send us an email to support@alarmgrid.com, or give us a call at 888-818-7728.
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