Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - Upgrading alarm system - do I need new components?

Hello - I currently have a DSC PC2500 8 zone alarm (yes, very old!). The current systems consists of a number of window/door contacts as well as a few motion detectors. I plan to add some new zones in the future (as I get new windows installed) and glass break detectors, etc. Based on the advice of people here, I think I will go with the DSC Power Series 1832. As for a controller, I have a very old one I plan to replace, plus I would like to have 2 in the house rather than one. This should be easy with the 1832 and just about any DSC power series control. I have two questions:

1. Will all of my current sensors (magnetic switches and motion detectors) work with the new hardware? How can I figure this out?
2. Would you recommend the programmable keypad, or non-programmable. It seems to me that the major difference is readability more than anything (i.e. I can program the zone names (front door rather than just zone 1).

Thanks for your help,
Rob

The zone contacts/motions are just switches/relays. The only thing you may have to change are resistors, and the odds are good with a DSC hardware install that the original installer didn't use them.

For most DIY installers, I recommend the extra cost for at least one alphanumeric keypad. They make many programming and configuration tasks easier, and they are easier for less technically inclined end users.

The zone contacts/motions are just switches/relays. The only thing you may have to change are resistors, and the odds are good with a DSC hardware install that the original installer didn't use them.

Thanks for the fast reply. The original install does have a bunch of resistors (one on each zone). I don't know the resistance offhand and don't have an ohm meter handy to figure it out (but could easily grab one from work this week). How will I know what the resistance of each zone path should be when upgrading to the new system?

And while I'm at it, should I get a system capable of wireless? Do the wireless monitors work well, or are they not worth the trouble?

Like you suggest, I will go with one programmable keypad, and one non-programmable. I imagine it is the keypad itself that has the programmable memory and not the alarm board itself, so I don't imagine mixing and matching the keypads will be an issue.

Thanks again,
Rob

Yes, the keypads can be mixed.

If your existing system is a DSC the resistors will be 5.6k ohm (green blue red for the first 3 color bands) which is the standard value 90% of their products use, so you shouldn't have to mess with changing them.

If you want wireless capacity, the best bet is to go with one of the keypad models with an integrated wireless receiver.

I found some install manuals online last night and did a buncgh of reading and realized that I need the 5.6 kohm resistors as you suggest. It also looks like a new alarm board may come with them anyway, so even if my old ones are not the correct resistance, I should be OK. It seems the resistors are not at all necessary for normally closed loops which I believe all of mine are (unless a motion detector is normally open) but since the single EOL resistor setup works with both normally open and normally closed loops, I will just go with that. I just need to make sure I set the zone up properly :)

Thanks again!
Rob