Hello Everyone,
I have come across this twice since I have developed the Dial2Start Cellular Switch. It is the case of the missing funds on your Pay As You Go (PAYG) account.
I had a customer call me last week indicating that his unit wouldn't work because all of the funds had been sucked out of his PAYG account. Initially I thought that there might be a problem with the unit and had him send it back to me for repair or replacement.
It turned out that all of the extra text activity was incoming to the unit and not outgoing as I had thought. This means that someone or some other device was constantly trying to contact the PAYG number assigned to the SIM chip in the device.
It is unfortunate that in many instances you will receive a SIM and phone number that is recycled. Someone or some other device had that number assigned to them/it and they have given up the phone, didn't pay the bill etc.
It is important that when you go in to get your SIM and phone number you ask the people behind the counter for a number that hasn't yet been assigned. This will help to avoid this type of problem where some other party some how access the number or one of their friends or otehr devices keeps trying to send texts to the unit.
Thanks,
Dave
Monday, 30 January 2012
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Dial2Start Programming Issue
Hi Everyone,
An issue arose when I tried to program the Administrator list so that he would get a confirmation text when either of the relays were activated. The unit will send a confirmation text only to the first two positions on the Administrator list.
I was programming it like this #PWD123456#TEL01=1234567890
This is how the command code was written in the literature I received with the control boards. It has since been updated and there was a difference in the way the position code is depicted.
Above it is shown as TEL01 whereas it should be TEL1.
I hope this helps you if you have had an issue getting the unit to acknowledge your attempt to populate the Administrator List.
Dave
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Custom Gate Controls
Hi Everyone,
I keep my airplane at a local airport and I have to enter a gate to access the hangar. In the past this has been a very insecure affair where there was a chain on the end of a gate that simply looped over the post that stopped it when it swung shut.
Needless to say there have been a number of improvements over the years and we now have a swing up automated arm that bars any vehicular traffic from entering the air-side of the airport. The airport management has installed a keypad to activate the arm which has its moments of forgetfulness usually attributable to battery fatigue.
The Dial2Start unit is well suited to control this type of gate and it has the ability to make it much more secure. It can also make it more convenient for a wider clientele to use the gate. A good example of the convenience of the Dial2Start is the ability of someone working in his hangar to open the gate for a visitor or non-pilot passenger/guest to be able to drive into the hangar area without the pilot/owner of the hangar having to go out to the gate to activate it. Pass codes tend to get around and eventually everyone has it and the security is lost.
I have run into this a number of times when I visit the Kitchener/Waterloo regional airport. There is an engine builder there by the name of Ron Polestra who runs Reliable Horsepower. He has to leave his shop and drive to the gate to let in and let out every customer that comes to see him. What a pain this must be for him.
It would be much more convenient for him to be able to activate the gate using his cell phone. We are going to work on a unit in the future that has an integrated video camera that will allow the person activating the unit to see who is at the gate. I imagine this will be necessary for the security conscious airport authority.
This is another application of the core technology within our products.
Thanks,
Dave
I keep my airplane at a local airport and I have to enter a gate to access the hangar. In the past this has been a very insecure affair where there was a chain on the end of a gate that simply looped over the post that stopped it when it swung shut.
Needless to say there have been a number of improvements over the years and we now have a swing up automated arm that bars any vehicular traffic from entering the air-side of the airport. The airport management has installed a keypad to activate the arm which has its moments of forgetfulness usually attributable to battery fatigue.
The Dial2Start unit is well suited to control this type of gate and it has the ability to make it much more secure. It can also make it more convenient for a wider clientele to use the gate. A good example of the convenience of the Dial2Start is the ability of someone working in his hangar to open the gate for a visitor or non-pilot passenger/guest to be able to drive into the hangar area without the pilot/owner of the hangar having to go out to the gate to activate it. Pass codes tend to get around and eventually everyone has it and the security is lost.
I have run into this a number of times when I visit the Kitchener/Waterloo regional airport. There is an engine builder there by the name of Ron Polestra who runs Reliable Horsepower. He has to leave his shop and drive to the gate to let in and let out every customer that comes to see him. What a pain this must be for him.
It would be much more convenient for him to be able to activate the gate using his cell phone. We are going to work on a unit in the future that has an integrated video camera that will allow the person activating the unit to see who is at the gate. I imagine this will be necessary for the security conscious airport authority.
This is another application of the core technology within our products.
Thanks,
Dave
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
The Rising Waters
Good Afternoon,
I was talking about the applications of our Dial2Start unit with a plumber the other day and he felt that our next model the D2S-2-120 would work perfectly as a sump pump guardian. Sump pumps are one of those devices that most people just forget about. It's there. It works. Until it doesn't!
I have a house that sits in a bowl of heavy clay. When it rains a lot or we get a big snow melt my sump pump will cycle on about every 5 minutes. I know people who's pumps run continuously when it is wet outside. It is NO FUN when one of these pumps fail and I don't know if you have ever seen the crap pumps that they install in homes these days but their quality has been steadily decreasing to keep the prices the same. I have a cast iron unit in my house as the first bit of insurance against a flood.
Where the Dial2Start would shine would be as a monitor and possibly a doer. Primarily, you could have the D2S-2-120 monitor the level of the sump pit. Contacts within a float switch would complete a circuit in the unit and it would then send you a text message that the water level is too high and you better get home quick.
In a more elaborate system the unit could monitor the household power and contact you if it is interrupted. It could also monitor the water level, alerting you if it gets too high. Lastly it might turn on an auxiliary pump to keep the basement from flooding.
The unit can be backed up electrically by plugging it into an auxiliary power unit. This would ensure that the warning text message would be sent out to you.
These units are inexpensive insurance against what can be catastrophic damage caused by water rising in your basement.
Thanks for Reading This Post,
Dave
I was talking about the applications of our Dial2Start unit with a plumber the other day and he felt that our next model the D2S-2-120 would work perfectly as a sump pump guardian. Sump pumps are one of those devices that most people just forget about. It's there. It works. Until it doesn't!
I have a house that sits in a bowl of heavy clay. When it rains a lot or we get a big snow melt my sump pump will cycle on about every 5 minutes. I know people who's pumps run continuously when it is wet outside. It is NO FUN when one of these pumps fail and I don't know if you have ever seen the crap pumps that they install in homes these days but their quality has been steadily decreasing to keep the prices the same. I have a cast iron unit in my house as the first bit of insurance against a flood.
Where the Dial2Start would shine would be as a monitor and possibly a doer. Primarily, you could have the D2S-2-120 monitor the level of the sump pit. Contacts within a float switch would complete a circuit in the unit and it would then send you a text message that the water level is too high and you better get home quick.
In a more elaborate system the unit could monitor the household power and contact you if it is interrupted. It could also monitor the water level, alerting you if it gets too high. Lastly it might turn on an auxiliary pump to keep the basement from flooding.
The unit can be backed up electrically by plugging it into an auxiliary power unit. This would ensure that the warning text message would be sent out to you.
These units are inexpensive insurance against what can be catastrophic damage caused by water rising in your basement.
Thanks for Reading This Post,
Dave
New Buzz on Cellular Control Products
Hi there.
I was just talking with one of my suppliers and they are going to be offering new remote control products for the construction equipment rental industry.
These control units will enable the renter to control when the piece of equipment becomes available and can disable the unit if it is not returned on time or is being used outside of its contract.
There would have to be some thought put into when the unit is disabled as there could be some safety aspects to having a large piece of equipment being shut down remotely.
Thanks for Tuning in!
Dave
I was just talking with one of my suppliers and they are going to be offering new remote control products for the construction equipment rental industry.
These control units will enable the renter to control when the piece of equipment becomes available and can disable the unit if it is not returned on time or is being used outside of its contract.
There would have to be some thought put into when the unit is disabled as there could be some safety aspects to having a large piece of equipment being shut down remotely.
Thanks for Tuning in!
Dave
Monday, 2 January 2012
Dial2Start Cellular Switches are Available!!
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the Dial2Start Cellular Switch Blog. I have developed this product to solve a specific problem. Pilots who fly their aircraft in colder climates either have to waste time, money or both to pre-heat their aircraft engines before flight. They often have to travel to the hangar the night before an intended flight to plug in the engine pre-heater costing them an extra trip. Others will start the engine cold and have to wait with the engine running, burning fuel until the oil temperature gets to 100 degrees.
The development of the Dial2Start Cellular Switching unit allows you to remotely activate your pre-heater from the comfort of your home well before you leave for the airport. You arrive to a warm engine that will allow you to depart straight away. You save the cost of the extra trip to the airport or the extra cost in fuel used to warm your engine and the time wasted on the ramp while it warms up.
We have developed a safe product that has been put through vigorous product safety testing. The Dial2Start has proven itself in the field for over 2 years and our customers are very pleased with its performance.
The applications for this type of switch are numerous. We have units controlling runway lighting, remote cabin heaters, aircraft engine pre-heaters and even a Jackpot sign for a casino. I see a wealth of applications for this technology and invite you to visit our website to learn more about this exciting product.
You can find us at: www.dial2start.com
Thanks for your interest.
Dave Hertner
Welcome to the Dial2Start Cellular Switch Blog. I have developed this product to solve a specific problem. Pilots who fly their aircraft in colder climates either have to waste time, money or both to pre-heat their aircraft engines before flight. They often have to travel to the hangar the night before an intended flight to plug in the engine pre-heater costing them an extra trip. Others will start the engine cold and have to wait with the engine running, burning fuel until the oil temperature gets to 100 degrees.
The development of the Dial2Start Cellular Switching unit allows you to remotely activate your pre-heater from the comfort of your home well before you leave for the airport. You arrive to a warm engine that will allow you to depart straight away. You save the cost of the extra trip to the airport or the extra cost in fuel used to warm your engine and the time wasted on the ramp while it warms up.
We have developed a safe product that has been put through vigorous product safety testing. The Dial2Start has proven itself in the field for over 2 years and our customers are very pleased with its performance.
The applications for this type of switch are numerous. We have units controlling runway lighting, remote cabin heaters, aircraft engine pre-heaters and even a Jackpot sign for a casino. I see a wealth of applications for this technology and invite you to visit our website to learn more about this exciting product.
You can find us at: www.dial2start.com
Thanks for your interest.
Dave Hertner
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