Comfort  Automation/ Security System Forums Home

 Moderated by: admin  
AuthorPost
mikegriff
Member
 

Joined: Saturday Aug 19th, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 101
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Hi Chiu


In the UK if you don't use your Pay As You Go sim card for about 3 Months the card is cancelled by the operator.

So if your Comfort system is working well, there is a distinct possibility of the card being cancelled.

If Like myself I only use the GSM module to inform me of fault or actual Alarms there is a likely chance that I would forget the 3 month limit, and then No GSM dial out.

Would it be possible for a text message every first of the month (selectable in set up) 


Thanks in advance
Mike

slychiu
Administrator


Joined: Saturday Apr 29th, 2006
Location: Singapore
Posts: 5493
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Yes you can use Time Programs
Create a new Time Program

select a Day of week eg Monday and a time to send your sms eg 12 PM
Remember to Enable the time program

Click on Response Name, select New and create a new Response for the time program



If Day = 1 Then
    AlarmUser CMSTest
End If


This means If Day of month = 1 then do alarm CMS Test

Go to Security Types > Alarm Types > CMS test to select which phone to send the sms to

I prefer to send an SMS every day or when the system is armed and disarmed

mikegriff
Member
 

Joined: Saturday Aug 19th, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 101
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Thanks you again Chiu :-)

Swiss-Toni
UCM Pi Users


Joined: Thursday Sep 15th, 2011
Location: Greater London, United Kingdom
Posts: 349
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

You dont seem to have this problem with GiffGaff payg sim cards and they do keep you infomed by email of the status of your account. Also to send a text it cost only 5p as of 10/04/2016
I always recomend them on any installations that I have done and use it on my own system (admittedly a message is sent frequently for side gate being openend when alarm is on Armed/Night mode without activating alarm)

Last edited on Sunday Apr 10th, 2016 09:19 am by Swiss-Toni

juwi_uk
Member


Joined: Friday May 25th, 2007
Location: Newbury, United Kingdom
Posts: 1255
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

I had a Vodafone PAYG and that definitely pulled the plug after a while of non-use.  Thing with this is then the number is disabled and you cant get it reactivated.

In the end I'm now on a £5 a month contract with Virgin Media for this now though who knows maybe I should go to GiffGaff if that doesn't disable and save myself £60 a year!

Ju

 

 

Last edited on Sunday Apr 10th, 2016 04:56 pm by juwi_uk

tman
Comfort Distributors
 

Joined: Wednesday Sep 22nd, 2010
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 22
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Swiss-Toni wrote: You dont seem to have this problem with GiffGaff payg sim cardsGiffGaff inactivity period is 6 months without topping up, making a call or sending a SMS. As you mentioned, they're good about emailing you anyway so you get ample warning. It might be easier to just do a time program to send a SMS every 6 months though.

ptdoyle
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Hi, I have a system I purchased some time ago, but just installing now and I wondered if there was an update on this topic since 2016.
I have a UCM/GSM2, I live in a rural area with patchy 3G/4G connection but a decent Vodafone signal. GiffGaff not a great option as they use O2 and in general monthly plans for Vodafone SIMs seem to be based on 4G/5G. I see its possible to have Comfort send regular texts to avoid cut-off, but how do you manage a pay as you go SIM - i.e. how do you know when it needs to be topped up?

slychiu
Administrator


Joined: Saturday Apr 29th, 2006
Location: Singapore
Posts: 5493
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Unfortunately for PAYG, there is no standard way to know that the simcard is running out of money. ie the module cannot interrogate the network or the card. Normally there is a voice message after evenry call which tells you the balance, which is not helpful. So you will have to top up regularly. Are you sire there is still a 2G network? as the UM/GS,2 will not work with 3G

ptdoyle
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Ok, thanks Chiu. I better check if there is still a 2G network, though ultimately it sounds like I'll need to upgrade the UCM/GSM and go to a monthly plan, if that's the only way to see what balance is on the SIM card.

Dils
Member
 

Joined: Wednesday Jan 13th, 2010
Location: London, United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Use one of these

https://www.quicksafe.co.uk/sim-for-alarm-systems-c32/pay-as-you-go-security-sim-p303

slychiu
Administrator


Joined: Saturday Apr 29th, 2006
Location: Singapore
Posts: 5493
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Interesting. I wonder of the main difference is the low balance alert motification to mobile and email.  ow do they ensure coverage in all areas?

ptdoyle
Guest
 

Joined: 
Location:  
Posts: 
Status: 
Offline

  back to top

Thanks a lot Dils - it looks perfect if it has (to Chiu's point) coverage in all areas. But they offer a 100% refund if there is no coverage so it seems worth a try.


UltraBB 1.172 Copyright © 2007-2014 Data 1 Systems