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🛡Home Security => Problems and Troubleshooting => Topic started by: wirelessinga on May 04, 2007, 12:20:57 AM

Title: DS7000 Dialing Out Over a Cell Phone
Post by: wirelessinga on May 04, 2007, 12:20:57 AM
Wishing to cut off my land-line phone service and go completely wireless with my X10 alarm system, several months ago, I proceeded to a now defunct segment of X10's website that promoted the compatibility of the DS7000 alarm console with several different manufacturer's of cell phone docks.  I didn't know about these products until finding out about them on X10's website, but I was excited to learn that I could buy some third party equipment and have my X10 console dial out over a dedicated cell phone for which the extra Verizon line would only cost me about $10 a month (versus $40/mo for land-line service plus the additional security benefits of not being wired).  The cell dock unit that X10 promoted with their seal of approval was the Cidco MERGE unit.  After buying the MERGE base and personality modules and a used cell phone (all on eBay) that was both compatible with Verizon and the MERGE unit, I cancelled my land-line account with BellSouth and attempted to trigger my alarm to send notifications to the cell phone I carry every day using the dedicated cell phone that was connected to the DS7000 console through the MERGE unit.  IT DIDN'T WORK because the MERGE unit requires a # key command to follow the number being dialed to serve as the "SEND" key for the connected cell phone.  The DS7000 console does not have a # key!!!  I contacted X10 and explained all of the trouble that I went through and asked whether or not they could work on building a new console to include a # key.  X10 was apologetic and responsibly removed the segment of their website that was promoting the compatibility of the DS7000 console with these cell dock units (others included were dock-n-talk, phonelabs, a Motorola unit and an RCA unit).  I exchanged several e-mail messages with Eric Boyd at X10 and he said that the customer service team would be willing to compensate me for my trouble and financial loss.  That was over a month ago, and ever since, I cannot get anyone at X10 to respond to me.  I am posting this message in hopes of generating a good faith response from X10 to make good on the previous offer, and/or to appeal to some really smart people out there who might know of an alternative way of using the equipment I've already acquired in conjunction with the X10 console to have it dial out cellularly.  Thank you in advance for anyone that has a response to this post.
Title: Re: DS7000 Dialing Out Over a Cell Phone
Post by: Walt2 on May 04, 2007, 07:22:32 AM
IT DIDN'T WORK because the MERGE unit requires a # key command to follow the number being dialed to serve as the "SEND" key for the connected cell phone.  The DS7000 console does not have a # key!!!  I contacted X10 and explained all of the trouble that I went through and asked whether or not they could work on building a new console to include a # key.  X10 was apologetic and responsibly removed the segment of their website that was promoting the compatibility of the DS7000 console with these cell dock units (others included were dock-n-talk, phonelabs, a Motorola unit and an RCA unit). 

Just to mention, I have Phonelabs' Dock-n-Talk, and it doesn't require the "#" key, or any other key, to be pressed as the SEND key.