CAPEK%YKTVMT.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Peter G. Capek) (11/30/90)
{The New York Times} Travel section this past Sunday mentioned an
interesting device called a Telefreeze. It connects to a phone line
and makes the line go "off hook" when the ambient temperature goes
below a preset limit. The idea is that you would periodically call
home (or your ski house..) and if you get a busy, call a
neighbor/plumber/heating contractor to investigate before the pipes
freeze. Available through dealers and plumbers. The manufacturer is
Telefreeze Company at 516-288-4451; contact there is Preston Brown.
Usual disclaimers apply. Please, let's not resurrect the discussion
about whether this device is transmitting a message and thereby
depriving some corporation of revenue.
In this vein, I'd mention that there exist similar devices which can
be used to turn on a light when the temperature drops. I have one
which cost about $25, and an adjustable temperature setting.
Peter CapekBRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F. Bruce) (12/04/90)
In article <15113@accuvax.nwu.edu>, CAPEK@YKTVMT.BITNET (Peter G. Capek) writes: > interesting device called a Telefreeze. It connects to a phone line > and makes the line go "off hook" when the ambient temperature goes > below a preset limit. The idea is that you would periodically call That is an OLD trick, but a slight modification may make sense. You may prefer to NOT have your summer home line be busied out, but instead let it answer the phone and hang up very fast, probably faster than answer supervision can propagate back. Even if it does cost you for the call, when it happens, you will be glad to know there is a problem. Instead of having the low temp thermostat simply short the line, have it connect a pair of back to back zeners across the line. 68 volt ones normally work well when the CO battery is 48v. If you are on a DLL ckt with 72 or 96 volts, pick diodes a bit higher. Ringing superimposed on battery will trip when a zener fires, but the line will then go on hook instantly.
fritz@m2.ti.com (Fritz Whittington) (12/07/90)
In article <15113@accuvax.nwu.edu> CAPEK@YKTVMT.BITNET (Peter G. Capek) writes: >interesting device called a Telefreeze. It connects to a phone line >and makes the line go "off hook" when the ambient temperature goes >below a preset limit. The idea is that you would periodically call >home (or your ski house..) and if you get a busy, call a >neighbor/plumber/heating contractor to investigate before the pipes >freeze. Available through dealers and plumbers. The manufacturer is Could someone explain to a life-long Southerner why this terribly complicated system which depends on human intervention on both ends is better than simply having the thermal device in the 'Telefreeze' simply turn the heater on? Fritz Whittington [Moderator's Note: Even if for some reason the device was not able to turn the heater on, if it can go off hook it could surely dial your number and recite some sort of pre-recorded spiel. At least you would think so. What does merely going off-hook solve? What if you forget to call it for a couple days? And why should you waste several calls on it for nothing when it (or a similar device) should be able to make ONE important call to you? You are correct; this device sounds like a total piece of junk. PAT]
brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) (12/07/90)
Hook one of those $99 radio shack alarm dialers to a thermostat and water sensor. If a pipe breaks or the heat fails, you'll get called. Brian
wolfgang@uunet.uu.net (Wolfgang S. Rupprecht) (12/08/90)
BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F. Bruce) writes: >That is an OLD trick, but a slight modification may make sense. >[...] Instead of having the low temp thermostat simply short the >line, have it connect a pair of back to back zeners across the line. >68 volt ones normally work well when the CO battery is 48v. If you >are on a DLL ckt with 72 or 96 volts, pick diodes a bit higher. >Ringing superimposed on battery will trip when a zener fires, but the >line will then go on hook instantly. Ahem. Old trick is right. Didn't TAP recomend an NE-2 bulb? Isn't this blatently illegal, just because is does interfere with call progress detection in old exchanges? I thought there were tight specs on how fast you were allowed to go off-hook after the ring. Wolfgang Rupprecht wolfgang@wsrcc.com (or) uunet!wsrcc!wolfgang Snail Mail Address: Box 6524, Alexandria, VA 22306-0524
stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) (12/10/90)
fritz@m2.ti.com (Fritz Whittington) writes: > In article <15113@accuvax.nwu.edu> CAPEK@YKTVMT.BITNET (Peter G. > Capek) writes: > >interesting device called a Telefreeze. It connects to a phone line > >and makes the line go "off hook" when the ambient temperature goes > >below a preset limit. The idea is that you would periodically call > Could someone explain to a life-long Southerner why this terribly > complicated system which depends on human intervention on both ends is > better than simply having the thermal device in the 'Telefreeze' > simply turn the heater on? If the gas pipes freeze, or break, or the electricity goes off, turning the heater on will do absolutely no good. If the cold is because someone has broken in your front door, turning the heater on will do absolutely no good. And, finally, if the reason it is cold is because the heater is broken, there is nothing to turn on. > [Moderator's Note: Even if for some reason the device was not able to > turn the heater on, if it can go off hook it could surely dial your > number and recite some sort of pre-recorded spiel. At least you would > think so. What does merely going off-hook solve? What if you forget to > call it for a couple days? And why should you waste several calls on > it for nothing when it (or a similar device) should be able to make > ONE important call to you? You are correct; this device sounds like a > total piece of junk. PAT] Obviously, Pat, you have never travelled to a distant city and stayed in a hotel. Do you really know the number for the hotel before you get there? If you do, do you really trust them to give you a message from what will sound to them like a crank phone call? ("Hey, listen to this, someone's THERMOSTAT is calling them here. What was that name ... Roderick Thompson?") How about when you travel to multiple places? Now we are talking about a relatively expensive piece of hardware -- remote programming of both called number and message. As long as there is no answer, there is no cost to any of the calls to it. It simply takes some time. A simple device to go off hook would cost about $0.10 to produce, in quantity, if that much. Just a bimetallic strip. An autodialler, remotely programmable costs, what, $100? $50? Still a far cry from what this dohickey could sell for. There are still some simple solutions to problems, and some problems that don't require computer solutions. It would be better to have something that answers and hangs up right away. Like a good old NE-2 neon bulb across the line. Busy could be because someone else is calling you. Immediate answer and hangup would be a unique signal. [Moderator's Note: No, I don't always know the number where I am going to be, but if I were using such a device I'd have it call my pager, or leave a message in my voicemail which would in turn call my pager, etc. It still makes better sense than calling it every couple hours in the winter months. PAT]
William.Degnan@f39.n382.z1.fidonet.org (William Degnan) (12/10/90)
On <Dec 06 17:54> fritz@m2.ti.com writes:
U> Could someone explain to a life-long Southerner why this terribly
U> complicated system which depends on human intervention on both
U> ends is better than simply having the thermal device in the
U> 'Telefreeze' simply turn the heater on?
You are missing some important information, no doubt due to the fact
that you don't have a second home in, say ... Vermont.
The heat is left "on", likely set around 50 degrees (f). The
predominant fuel is "oil" (similar to #2 Kero and I suppose JET-A).
Normally the fuel supplier refills the tank (often 250 gal.) based on
projections involving degree/day calculations and the history of the
house.
If the heating plant should fail for whatever reason, it might not be
noticed until: a) Spring, b) when the fuel tank won't take the
estimated delivery amount or c) when the ice from the frozen pipes
pushes the walls out a little.
The heat can "go out" while commercial power is lost, if water
condenses and settles in the fuel line, if the nozzle plugs, if the
blower shaft shears, if a leak develops in the fuel system, if the
electrodes burn out, if ...
There are _lots_ of things to go wrong. Most of them have happened to
me but _I_ was around to fix them. If you are absent, you can have
your fuel dealer call your house to make sure everything is fine, on a
regular basis.
One dealer told me that a product similar to the telefreeze was yanked
from the market since it went off-hook when the temperature was below
the preset limit. This was viewed as harmful to the network and, the
unit was not FCC registered as it did not meet requirements (as I
recall) for isolation and since "make busy" is a "no no". There were
many SxS offices in Vermont and sometimes not enough dialtone to go
around.
One of the toys with which I have played is the Sensaphone. When I
worked for an interconnect company, we sold some for vacation homes.
The homeowner could select four (I believe) telephone numbers, which
are called in sequence until somebody calls the unit back to
acknowledge the voice message.
We also had one hooked up to the alarm contacts on a PBX. It would
call and report the alarm condition of the switch and the switch room
environment.
It alerts based on dry-contact input, variance from temperature preset
limits, high sound-level, loss of power, and with external sensors a
variety of conditions.
Paraphrasing the synthisized voice: "Attention. Atttention. This is
telephone number 8 0 2 5 5 5 8 1 1 1. Alert condition two exists. The
electricity is off. Sound level OK. The temperature is 92. Listen to
the sound level for fifteen seconds ... indicate you have heard this
message within two minutes by dialing 8 0 2 5 5 5 8 1 1 1. Have a nice
day. <click>"
It has been a while so I don't remember exactly. You get the idea.
I had also been know to program one in the office with four extension
numbers and set the temperature limit around 60 degrees. Around 03:00,
when the temperature in the office was at it's lowest, it would start
calling around looking for help. Call-forward no answer would make it
ring at other stations and finally the boss, who lived upstairs would
come downstairs and rip it out by the wires. Some people just don't
appreciate technology.
Disclaimer: Contents do not constitute "advice" unless we are on the clock.
William Degnan | wdegnan@mcimail.com
Communications Network Solutions | !wdegnan@at&tmail.com
-Independent Consultants | William.Degnan@telemail.com
in Telecommunications | UUCP: ...!natinst!tqc!39!William.Degnan
P.O. Drawer 9530 | ARPA: William.Degnan@f39.n382.z1.FidoNet.Org
Austin, TX 78766-9530 | Voice +1 512 323 9383king@uunet.uu.net (Steven King) (12/12/90)
>[Moderator's Note: Even if for some reason the device was not able to >turn the heater on, if it can go off hook it could surely dial your >number and recite some sort of pre-recorded spiel. At least you would >think so. What does merely going off-hook solve? What if you forget to >call it for a couple days? And why should you waste several calls on >it for nothing when it (or a similar device) should be able to make >ONE important call to you? You are correct; this device sounds like a >total piece of junk. PAT] I think I understand the rationale behind the Telefreeze device and why *IT* doesn't call *YOU* if something's wrong. Say you lived in the Northlands, anyplace where it regularly gets cold enough for your pipes to freeze if your heater craps out. And say you travel a lot in the winter. If you move around (not at any one location very long, you're a travelling salesman maybe) you can't really give it a number to call you at. And it can't just turn on the furnace either; the only reason for the ambient temperature to drop below the preset level is because the furnace is broken! I don't know if I'd spend my money on one of these devices, but I can see where it could be useful. (No, I don't have anything to do with this company, disclaim disclaim.) Steven King, Motorola Cellular (...uunet!motcid!king)
carroll@cs.washington.edu (Jeff Carroll) (12/19/90)
In article <15307@accuvax.nwu.edu> brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) writes: >Hook one of those $99 radio shack alarm dialers to a thermostat and >water sensor. If a pipe breaks or the heat fails, you'll get called. For not much more than $99 you can get the guts of a complete burglar alarm system that will provide the functionality you describe. I paid $140 for an Arrowhead Spartan alarm controller that is capable of running six alarm "zones", one of which could easily be connected to pipe freeze sensors. Of course, you can't get them at Radio Shack, and they aren't meant to be installed by consumers (though anyone who graduated from the fifth grade has the requisite technical skills). Jeff Carroll carroll@atc.boeing.com