How Do I Edit the Default Screen On an Alpha Keypad For a VISTA-15P?

You can edit the default screen on an Alpha Keypad for a VISTA-15P by accessing the [*82] programming field, entering [1,1,11], then entering one character at a time through entries of [#] plus a two-digit number, and finally pressing the [8] key to save your complete entry when finished.

The steps below cover the process of getting a custom word or phrase to appear on the default screen, sometimes referred to as the "Ready Screen" of the Alphanumeric Keypad for your VISTA-15P Security System. Remember that any custom word or phrase you enter is restricted to a maximum of 16 characters. The word or phrase you provide will greet you whenever you use or operate your VISTA-15P System. The default message that is displayed on this screen is shown in the image above.

Complete the following steps to change the default screen on an Alphanumeric Keypad for a VISTA-15P:

1. Access Programming. The first thing you will want to do is get into Programming mode. You can do this by entering the system's [Installer Code] + [8] + [00]. Since the default Installer Code is 4112, the command you will probably enter is [4112800]. You will know that you have entered programming because the keypad screen will display "Installer Code 20".

2. Enter Alpha Programming. Next you must enter the Alpha Programming subsection of System Programming. Do this by entering [*82]. The screen will say "Program Alpha? 0=No, 1=Yes", indicating that you are in the right place.

3. Access Custom Words. First you are asked if you want to Program Alpha. Enter [1] for Yes. Then you are asked "Custom Word ?", and you should again enter [1]. This will take you to the Custom Words subsection.

4. Choose Partition 1. The next command you enter is telling the system which Custom Word you intend to edit. The prompt you see will be "Custom? 00" referring to which Custom Word you wish to create or edit. In this case, you want to edit the Custom Word associated with the partition for the keypad. The VISTA-15P is a single-partition system, and any keypad you have set up with the system will be on Partition 1. The command to enter at this screen to tell the system that you want to edit the Custom Word for System Partition 1 is [11]. Make the entry, and continue onward.

5. Enter Custom Word. We have reached the meat of this FAQ, where you will actually provide the custom word or phrase that you want to show up on the top line of the main screen of your keypad. You must enter one character at a time until the desired entry is displayed, and then save your entry. Up to sixteen (16) characters can be entered. Remember that a blank SPACE will also count toward this limit. You may want to stop and make sure your desired entry will fit before you go and try to enter it.

Each entry is made one character at a time until you are finished. To make an entry, press the [#] key, plus the two-digit number associated with the character you want to add. Valid entries run from [32] thru [90], with letters beginning at [65] for A, and running until the very end at [90] for Z. To enter an A, you would press [#65]. To enter a B, you would press [#66]. Once you enter a letter, you can then press [6] to move to the next character location. To backtrack to the previous character if you make a mistake, press [4]. If you want to clear an entry, you can press [#32], because [32] is the two-digit number for SPACE. Just keep going through until your desired entry is displayed. After entering the final character, press [8] rather than [6]. This will save the entire entry.

Refer to the chart below for the complete list of characters based upon their associated two-digit numbers.

For reference, our entry above of "ALARM GRID" required us to enter [#65 + 6 + #76 + 6 + #65 + 6 + #82 + 6 + #77 + 6 + #32 + 6 + #71 + 6 + #82 + 6 + #73 + 6 + #68], and then [8] to save the entire entry. Remember that the [#32] entry is just a blank space, and we technically didn't have to enter it. We could have just pressed [6] to move past that character and leave it as a blank space, which is what each character is set to by default. But we wanted to show the SPACE counting as a character, so we chose to include it.

6. Exit programming. After you have saved your entry by pressing [8], you will then reach the "Custom?" screen again. Press [00] at this screen to back out to the previous prompt. This will take you to the "Program Alpha?" screen. Press [0] for No, this will take you to the "Enter * or #" prompt. Lastly, enter [*99] to exit programming completely. You will return to the main screen and if the system is ready, you will see your new entry.