Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - Vista 20P arming issue

Hello,

I just finished installing a Vista 20P with the following zones:

Zone 1 - Fire - wired 2 wire smokes
Zone 2 - Wired Front Door - Type: Exit entry 1
Zone 3 - Wired Living room windows - Type: Perimeter
Zone 4 - Wired Kitchen windows & door - Type: Perimeter
Zone 5 - Wired 1st Floor Motion - Type: Inter Follower
Zone 6 - Wired 2nd Floor Motion - Type: Inter Follower
Zone 7 - Wired basement windows - Type: Perimeter
Zone 8 - Not used yet - EOLR installed
Zone 10 - Wireless window via 5816 - Type: Perimeter (just couldn't get a wire to that window.

I have two keypads: 6160 and a 6160RF.

All seems well with all zones and commuicates great with the central station.

I just can't seem to arm the system in the "AWAY" mode. When I do so (code + 2) or (# + 2) via quick arm, it counts down normally (saying away) but finally arms in Stay Mode.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!

Assuming that you have set your zones correctly:

You have to open and close an entry/exit door or the system will automatically default to stay mode.

That was my problem. Everytime I attempted to arm the system "away", I was doing so without leaving. (just started testing as the system is brand new)

Thanks for the help! In just replacing my Z1100E with this new Vista 20P, I would have never thought that to be the case. My Z1100E armed with "Away" if that's what you told it to do regardless of having to open and close an entry/exit door.

Thanks again!

In *84 you need to enter a '0' and that will correct your
problem.

Yes, you _can_ turn off the auto stay feature, but it's the default for very good reasons. People arming systems with the interior motions live, then tripping them when they get up to get a drink of water, etc. is one of the more common sources of false alarm trips.

How much it matters depends on your location. I, for example, am in a county that requires permits for any alarm that is audible outside of the building shell, whether monitored or not, and they do fine for nuisence alarm complaints from neighbors, as well as false dispatches.

I was guessing that since he posted the issue that he
wanted to arm the system in away but it was changing
to stay, that he wanted to find the solution how to make
the system stay in away mode. I didn't think he wanted
to hear about our local area permits and police regulations.
I would assume that he knows he cannot walk around
the motions when armed in away, but you know what
they say when you assume!

The caution is to remind the original poster that default settings often have a practical purpose, and that when you change them, you have to think through the ramifications.

Remember, posts are not _just_ for the original poster, they are also for people who search on the same basic question. If you read the archived posts, you can see that there are a lot of "common sense" things that people don't seem to grasp about their security systems.

The information about auto-stay is in the end-user manual, and most modern systems have the feature, in some form (as I'm sure you know), but this same question still pops up at least once a week.