Shop security alarm dialer

[JRP]

Here is some information for those wishing to secure their very remote shop, or at least know the alarm it activated. My shop is so remote there is no phone lines.


I installed a honeywell alarm system, but there is no phone lines in the area. The neighbor calls with his cell if the alarm goes off.

Now it gets better. Looking on ebay I found a "Fixed Terminal Cellular Gateway" for about $40. This Chinese box has a SIM card slot for a cell phone SIM and a phone jack for your old type home telephone. Once you add the SIM for a prepaid phone and plug in your phone, or alarm system, you have the equal of hard wired or landline phone jacks, but that use the cell system. The calls cost 10 cents per minute plus $8 a month for keeping the prepaid cell account open. This is cheaper than replacing tools.

By entering my personal cell phone number into my Honeywell alarm panel, this box will allow the alarm to call my phone.

The added bonus is you have a phone number for your shop.

Would getting a phone call if your shop is burgulared be worth the $100 per year cost?

 

[Blade Breaker]

Great info. Got any links for the hardware?

 

[jenkinsph]

Here is some information for those wishing to secure their very remote shop, or at least know the alarm it activated. My shop is so remote there is no phone lines.


I installed a honeywell alarm system, but there is no phone lines in the area. The neighbor calls with his cell if the alarm goes off.

Now it gets better. Looking on ebay I found a "Fixed Terminal Cellular Gateway" for about $40. This Chinese box has a SIM card slot for a cell phone SIM and a phone jack for your old type home telephone. Once you add the SIM for a prepaid phone and plug in your phone, or alarm system, you have the equal of hard wired or landline phone jacks, but that use the cell system. The calls cost 10 cents per minute plus $8 a month for keeping the prepaid cell account open. This is cheaper than replacing tools.

By entering my personal cell phone number into my Honeywell alarm panel, this box will allow the alarm to call my phone.

The added bonus is you have a phone number for your shop.

Would getting a phone call if your shop is burgulared be worth the $100 per year cost?

Most of my customers with alarm systems use these cellular links today. In most cases you or a system provider have to get the notification and then call the police if needed. Hidden cameras are a good option too, most small town or rural thugs are known by the local authorities, so pictures can go along way in recovering the loot.

 

[Pixguy]

Most of my customers with alarm systems use these cellular links today. In most cases you or a system provider have to get the notification and then call the police if needed. Hidden cameras are a good option too, most small town or rural thugs are known by the local authorities, so pictures can go along way in recovering the loot.

I'd love to suspend my landline phone and do what you guys are doing, are there any videos explaining the process?

 

[ace10]

We use these guys for our backup cell phone.

https://ting.com/rates

Never any billing issues.

$6 for the phone number. If you don't use it, that's all you pay. Everything else is purchased in blocks, as you use it. $3 for the first hundred minutes of voice.

And this is post billed.

No affiliation, etc...

 

[sparc]

Ting looks interesting, and I have a couple recently retired sprint phones that will work.
I like the landline phone to cellular link. I'd love to have my home phones linked to cell and dump POTS and Verizon.

This would also be a good solution for me since my equipment is not at my home and I can't watch it every day and night. I will have to rig up some means of powering the system by solar since I don't have AC power there. A solar panel, charger, and a deep cycle battery should keep it going for a couple days.

 

[ctgoodman]

The ting thing looks interesting... $6 I assume is per month.. Any idea what the surcharges run? care to share how many lines you are using and what your actual bill totals? $6 would be great but if all that regulated crap adds another $20 to the bill then that probably would have me looking for another solution.

 

[ace10]

For a phone that I have for my parents use:

Monthly fee, voice charge, Misc tax crap, Total Bill, Minutes used

July $6.00 $3.00 $1.79 $10.79 64 mins
June $6.00 $3.00 $1.82 $10.82 52 mins
May $6.00 $3.00 $1.82 $10.82 30 mins

I don't have the bills for the phone that has zero usage (emergency backup), but I think it's ~$7.50 per month.

If you exceed 100 voice minutes, the next sized block is larger and costs double. So the use case for this wireless provider is a bit narrow. But I haven't found a better deal for a post-paid cellphone for instances with low or no monthly usage.

 

[ctgoodman]

That does sound really good. I'm looking into switching to cellular for my alarm system. I can't recall, and I'm waiting for him to call me back, but I think my installer shot me a number of like $68/year for cellular service for the alarm panel.

 

[newbury]

As far as "cheap cell phone coverage" I bought a pay up front simple Samsung under Verizon, the only provider with decent coverage in NE Mississippi. I paid $15 for the phone and the first $15 worth of minutes. I bought it back in 2011. I've been paying $30 every 3 months for "minutes" and am running a $60 balance. I'm probably going to go for the $100 plan next time and that's good for a year at $0.25/minute.

I don't talk much on the phone

Ting looks interesting, but not much savings for me.