How Do I Setup a 6160RF on a Honeywell VISTA Alarm System?

You can setup a 6160RF on a Honeywell VISTA Alarm System by wiring it to the system and then addressing the keypad. The system has a set of four terminals designated for keypad wiring. Addresses can be set from 00 to 31, and the set address must be enabled from within programming.

Please note that if you are using a Honeywell VISTA P-Series Panel, then only addresses 16 thru 23 can be used. In older panel versions, only address 16 is enabled by default. The other addresses are enabled using programming fields [*190] thru [*196]. The newest version of each panel (10+ for Vista-15P/20P, 4+ for the Vista-21iP) has all keypad addresses enabled by default. We recommend checking the VISTA 15P, 20P Programming Guide for more information.

Complete the following steps to setup a 6160RF on a Honeywell VISTA Alarm System:

1. Power down the system. Start by powering down the VISTA System. Disconnect the backup battery and unplug the transformer. The system should power down completely.

2. Wire to panel. The 6160RF uses a four-wire connection with the system. Two wires are for data, and the other two are for power. An 18-gauge, 4-conductor wire is recommended. But it's okay if the wire is a slightly higher or lower gauge. The important thing is that the connections are made successfully.

If you are using a VISTA P-Series System (e.g. 15P, 20P, 21iP), you will use terminals 4, 5, 6 and 7. The negative power wire (black) will go to terminal 4. The positive power wire (red) will go to terminal 5. The data in wire (green) will go to terminal 6. The data out wire (yellow or white) will go to terminal 7. Make sure all connections are nice and secure.

If you are wiring to a VISTA Turbo Series Panel (e.g. 128BPT or 250BPT), then you will use terminals 6, 7, 8 and 9. The positive power wire (red) will go to terminal 6. The negative power wire (black) will go to terminal 7. The data in wire (green) will go to terminal 8. The data out wire (yellow or white) will go to terminal 9. Make sure all connections are nice and secure.

3, Wire to keypad. Take the other end of the 4-conductor wire, and connect it with the keypad. You will want to open up the keypad and run the wire through the back plate. The keypad will have terminals labeled G, - , +, and Y. The Green wire goes to G. The Black wire goes to -. The Red wire goes to +. The Yellow or White wire goes to Y. Make sure the connections are nice and secure. You can close the keypad when finished. Remember to run the wire through the keypad back plate before making the connections. Otherwise, you won't be able to close the keypad!

4. Power on the system. Reconnect the plug-in transformer to power the system back on. Then get ready to immediately perform Step 5. You can reconnect the backup battery later after you have addressed the keypad.

5. Address the keypad. If the keypad was wired correctly, it should power on with the system. Within 50 seconds of power up, press and hold the [1] and [3] keys on the 6160RF Keypad. After a brief moment, the keypad should enter addressing mode. This is where you can address the keypad. If you fail to do this within 50 seconds of powering the system on, you will have to power the system back down and try again. That is why we suggest waiting until after you have addressed the keypad to reconnect the system's backup battery.

After pressing and holding [1] and [3] for several seconds, the current keypad address should appear. This is [31] by default. Enter [0] [0] to clear the current address. Then enter the desired two-digit address. Remember, a 6160RF Keypad used with a Honeywell VISTA P-Series System can only use addresses 16 thru 23. On a VISTA Turbo Series Panel, addresses 00 thru 30 are valid. Address 00 and 01 are enabled by default on the Vista Turbo panels. Press [*] after entering in the two-digit address to confirm your selection. Keep pressing [*] until you're taken out of keypad programming. You should then see the current panel status.

If you are enrolling the first keypad for a VISTA P-Series System, we recommend using address 16 since it will already be enabled. Keep in mind that there can only be one keypad per address. If you already have a keypad using address 16, then your new keypad will need to use a different available address.

Remember, the associated address will also need to be enabled for the keypad to work. You should do this using your primary Alphanumeric keypad prior to Step 1. Please see programming fields [*190] thru [*196] in the VISTA 15P, 20P Programming Guide for more information. The link for the Programming Guide is included in the 2nd paragraph of this FAQ.

6. Enable the receiver. The Honeywell 6160RF has a built-in wireless transceiver module for supporting compatible 345 MHz wireless devices. If you have a VISTA P-Series System, the keypad transceiver should already be enabled, and you can usually skip this step. But if you have a VISTA Turbo Series Panel, then you must enable the module and change the default receiver address. We recommend using this helpful FAQ to complete the process.

7. Test the keypad. You should test the keypad to make sure it works properly. Try entering the command [Master Code] + [3] to see if you can Arm Stay. Then disarm by entering [Master Code] + [1]. If you can arm and disarm using the keypad, then it is working correctly. Remember that the default Master Code is 1234, but the code is usually changed for security purposes.