DSC 1550 calling a Pager
#1
11-26-02, 10:26 PM
Alarm System Communicators
I recently installed a DSC 1550. Like many alarm systems, it features a communicator that can contact a monitoring station through telephone lines. Can this communicator be configured to alert my numeric pager? What about a cell phone? What is "SMS" messaging?
#2
11-27-02, 09:08 AM
I've had several people ask this question lately. In short, No, the DSC 1500/1550 will not report to a pager or cell phone through SMS (quickly, SMS is simply a message relay protocol for Cell phones, instant messaging for cell phones.)
First, the reason 1500/1550 will not work with pagers. Very simply, they do not have a communication format that till support pagers - like Contact ID. The formats used will only communicate with the receivers they are made for (ie: radionics, silent knight, and then the 4-2 format/3-2 format, etc.) The 1555 and Power series alarms from DSC do support CID and pager formats.
Now, you could use a voice dialer to call a pager or cell phone. You could also add an aftermarket dialer (ie: Eagle, Sentrol, etc.) that supports Pager or CID reporting.
Of course, you're best option is to pay $10-15 a month to have the system professionally monitored. A central station could page you, call your cell phone, or any other device you may have. Many even have internet access so you can check signals for yourself.
I've had people say that they just want to program their cell phone into the system and use Caller ID to know when the system calls. There's a few major problems to this though:
1. You won't know what zone went off, only that something went off - what if it's just a trouble?
2. DSC 1500/1550 call the programmed number 8 times - if they don't get the computer on the first try, they try 7 more times - this ties up not only the house phone, but the phone being called.
3. If the system calls a phone number and doesn't get the computer it's looking for, it's considered a trouble (Failure to Communicate), troubles mean trouble beeps - that's pretty annoying. You have to view troubles and disarm the system to clear this.
4. There is no sleep time on the system. In other words, if you get a trouble in the middle of the night, the system will call your phone (8 times, btw), then it will start beeping. I don't know about you, but I'd be ready to rip it off the wall at 4am.
Just some things to consider.
Hope this helps.
First, the reason 1500/1550 will not work with pagers. Very simply, they do not have a communication format that till support pagers - like Contact ID. The formats used will only communicate with the receivers they are made for (ie: radionics, silent knight, and then the 4-2 format/3-2 format, etc.) The 1555 and Power series alarms from DSC do support CID and pager formats.
Now, you could use a voice dialer to call a pager or cell phone. You could also add an aftermarket dialer (ie: Eagle, Sentrol, etc.) that supports Pager or CID reporting.
Of course, you're best option is to pay $10-15 a month to have the system professionally monitored. A central station could page you, call your cell phone, or any other device you may have. Many even have internet access so you can check signals for yourself.
I've had people say that they just want to program their cell phone into the system and use Caller ID to know when the system calls. There's a few major problems to this though:
1. You won't know what zone went off, only that something went off - what if it's just a trouble?
2. DSC 1500/1550 call the programmed number 8 times - if they don't get the computer on the first try, they try 7 more times - this ties up not only the house phone, but the phone being called.
3. If the system calls a phone number and doesn't get the computer it's looking for, it's considered a trouble (Failure to Communicate), troubles mean trouble beeps - that's pretty annoying. You have to view troubles and disarm the system to clear this.
4. There is no sleep time on the system. In other words, if you get a trouble in the middle of the night, the system will call your phone (8 times, btw), then it will start beeping. I don't know about you, but I'd be ready to rip it off the wall at 4am.
Just some things to consider.
Hope this helps.
