Phone Auto Dialer

[Jerry33]

Am working on a better way for my automatic to notify me when the doors are open or the temp is below freezing in the bay. Now i get an email but that is only beneficial if i'm actively monitoring my email. decided to go with the fabled "auto dialer" i've read about on this forum for a hundred years. So went to radio shack.com and using a number i got from suncoast changers, and had no luck. Googled for various verisons of an automatic phone dialer and found zilch, except for opting for a high dollar security system. Went to radio shack and was told they haven't had it for years.

Anyone know if one is sold seperately by anyone?

thanks, jerry

 

[washnvac]

I have three from Radio Shack. They used to be $49.99. They stopped carrying them about 4 years ago because of frequent failures a salesperson told me. I have had no trouble with mine. Etowah Valley carries one for about $325 I think. I believe it has 6 or 8 alarm signals for you to use. You can hook up various trigger signals for items within the equipment room. I ordered it from them about 2 years ago; yet it is still sitting on my shelf. I like the idea of being able to hook up a lot of potential problem areas. Unfortunatley, I just have not found the time to get it hooked up yet. You know, these things take time.

 

[under pressure]

So geting your email is the only problem? If you are geting the emails when something is a miss then everything is working properly, If I were you I would just find a better way of getting the emails. I recieve instant emails on my phone, and I think that is something you should look into.

 

[crewchief97]

Am working on a better way for my automatic to notify me when the doors are open or the temp is below freezing in the bay. Now i get an email but that is only beneficial if i'm actively monitoring my email. decided to go with the fabled "auto dialer" i've read about on this forum for a hundred years. So went to radio shack.com and using a number i got from suncoast changers, and had no luck. Googled for various verisons of an automatic phone dialer and found zilch, except for opting for a high dollar security system. Went to radio shack and was told they haven't had it for years.

Anyone know if one is sold seperately by anyone?

thanks, jerry

homesecuritystore.com

 

[bigleo48]

Jerry,
Why a phone dialer...why even a phone? First have your machine email your cell via an sms (like yournumber@txt.att.net for an AT&T mobile).

I'm an 25 year Telecom veteran and I own my own wash...the reason you are having a tough time finding the dialer is that it's old school. There are many better, cheaper and more efficient ways of fault notification.

Big

 

[MEP001]

I agree; there are all sorts of free services that will forward your email to your phone as text, as well as all sorts of phones that can receive email directly even without it being sent as an SMS message.

 

[Jerry33]

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. thanks, big. i'm a bit tech challanged. wasn't aware of this capability. googled sms verison an got a lot of help from this site for addresses.

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/939/sms_email_cingular_nextel_sprint_tmobile_verizon_virgin/

also had to do some serious "ciphering" to get my phone to ring rather than give a short quite tone.

what else can my phone do? : )

 

[Flamingo]

You could use SENSAPHONE ..They are based on a dial out POTS line

 

[bigleo48]

what else can my phone do? : )

As you may have noticed, mobiles are evolving into smart phones (iPhones, Blackberry, Androids, etc). So these phones have the ability to essentially replace your notebook and also incorporate capabilities like GPS, high res cameras, blutooth, wifi, etc) into a device that is essentially connected to an IP pipe as far as the customer is concerned. So this allows much development in the vertical markets (iphone apps, widgets, etc).

From a carwash operator standpoint, I can use my phone to receive fault notifications, customer calls, turn various equipment on and off (like fan coils, bays, change machines, etc). I can view my cameras, issue free IBA or SS bay washes, manipulate my IBA, doors, open and close my petwash, check temperatures, fire off broadcast messages to people abusing the site, etc.

What you need for this is a high speed internet service (Cable, DSL, etc), a good commercial router/switch (AKA DSL router), some networking knowhow (or access to someone who does) some PLCs (I like these Siemans Logo and ControlByWeb), a little programing knowhow and some remote software like VNC or PCAnywhere.

Like I tell my customers...just cause I'm not physically on site, doesn't mean I can't help you...please call when you have a problem.

Big

 

[bigleo48]

Last night got a customer who called to complain that her truck came out of my IBA with a bunch of soap on it. Since she called my toll free number, it routed to my cell (instead of my attendant) after hours.

I discussed the problem and discovered that she had an open box (no box cover) and so it was acting like a tub and holding mostly the 3xfoam. So I got her to drive up to the entry system, gave her a free wash without the 3xfoam, then told her to drive quickly out of the dryer when it got to the box.

All taken care of, happy customer...never visited the site. Gotta like technology when it works!

Big

 

[Jerry33]

that is cool. i can also work a lot of issues when my customers call if they are using my pdq automatic. i also have cameras installed in that bay. customers are shocked and pleased when i can identify the color and type of car they are driving, and that i can control the machine remotely. my automatic has a cool option that shuts off the 3x colors and also the blowers when an open bed truck enters the bay. eliminates the blown soap and also eliminates the mess from truck beds that have trash and junk in them.