I've just renewed my BT Line Rental Saver contract for the line in my
holiday flat (including free evening and weekend calls) and BT now seem
to be imposing monthly - rather than quarterly - billing for customers
using this deal.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with
quarterly billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make
enough calls each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to
my answering machine at my main home!

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more
than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to
make the requisite number of calls.

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there? There isn't a computer there when I'm not there -
otherwise, if I left one running, I could probably set up a scheduled
task to use a modem to dial out at regular intervals. However, there
*is* a permanent internet connection, with a router which I can access
remotely to check that the connection's still up. Could I attach
anything to that which would do the dialling and which could be
controlled remotely? Or, is there a stand-alone bit of kit with a
built-in timer which could do it?

TIA.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Roger Mills wrote:

can anyone suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without
actually being there?

A VoIP adapter (e.g SPA3102) with an ethernet connection to the ADSL
router, and PSTN connection to the phone line, you could then make a
VoIP call "in" to the ATA which it is configured to dial "out" via the PSTN

I use 0330 1234 151 (BT residential faults service) for my mandatory two
calls, the email from BT to say the bill is ready is the reminder to
make the calls, regardless of whether I can remember making other calls
that month or not.

I have a feeling these have to be answered calls as well so one cannot just
dial any old number.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
I've just renewed my BT Line Rental Saver contract for the line in my
holiday flat (including free evening and weekend calls) and BT now seem to
be imposing monthly - rather than quarterly - billing for customers using
this deal.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with quarterly
billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make enough calls
each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to my answering
machine at my main home!

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more than
a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to make the
requisite number of calls.

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually being
there? There isn't a computer there when I'm not there - otherwise, if I
left one running, I could probably set up a scheduled task to use a modem
to dial out at regular intervals. However, there *is* a permanent internet
connection, with a router which I can access remotely to check that the
connection's still up. Could I attach anything to that which would do the
dialling and which could be controlled remotely? Or, is there a
stand-alone bit of kit with a built-in timer which could do it?

TIA.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 04/12/2012 23:00, Roger Mills wrote:
I've just renewed my BT Line Rental Saver contract for the line in my
holiday flat (including free evening and weekend calls) and BT now seem
to be imposing monthly - rather than quarterly - billing for customers
using this deal.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with
quarterly billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make
enough calls each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to
my answering machine at my main home!

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more
than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to
make the requisite number of calls.

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there? There isn't a computer there when I'm not there -
otherwise, if I left one running, I could probably set up a scheduled
task to use a modem to dial out at regular intervals. However, there
*is* a permanent internet connection, with a router which I can access
remotely to check that the connection's still up. Could I attach
anything to that which would do the dialling and which could be
controlled remotely? Or, is there a stand-alone bit of kit with a
built-in timer which could do it?

Old voice capable modem, and a cheap low power computer like a Pi?




--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In uk.telecom John Rumm wrote:
Old voice capable modem, and a cheap low power computer like a Pi?

Doesn't even need to do voice, a bog standard modem should do. Dial the
speaking clock (020 70431320 is a geographic version from a uk.telecom
regular) or whatever, the modem negotiation will try and fail, hang up after
30 seconds regardless, job done. As long as the other end answers you've
made a 'chargeable call' even if there's no content.

Depending on your router, it might have an internal serial port you can use
to do talk to the modem if you can run a basic script on it (eg if it runs
Linux and you can get a shell somehow). Or put OpenWRT on a spare router to
do the same thing. Might need some voltage shifters for the serial port (eg
a mobile phone data cable).

Theo

On 04/12/2012 23:00, Roger Mills wrote:
I've just renewed my BT Line Rental Saver contract for the line in my
holiday flat (including free evening and weekend calls) and BT now seem
to be imposing monthly - rather than quarterly - billing for customers
using this deal.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with
quarterly billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make
enough calls each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to
my answering machine at my main home!

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more
than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to
make the requisite number of calls.

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there? There isn't a computer there when I'm not there -
otherwise, if I left one running, I could probably set up a scheduled
task to use a modem to dial out at regular intervals. However, there
*is* a permanent internet connection, with a router which I can access
remotely to check that the connection's still up. Could I attach
anything to that which would do the dialling and which could be
controlled remotely? Or, is there a stand-alone bit of kit with a
built-in timer which could do it?

TIA.

Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of it?

--
Rod

In uk.d-i-y polygonum wrote:
Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of it?

Because BT make most of their profit on calls, therefore they want you to
make some. They want to discourage you from having a line you only use to
receive calls, or just for ADSL, and so if you don't use the line you pay
more to make up for what revenue they didn't get from call charges.

This is why telcos love talking about how many pennies you save on line
rental (eg Virgin's 'free' phone line) but fail to mention how expensive
their calls are... (32p/min to Three mobiles on Virgin).

Theo

polygonum wrote:


Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of it?

As well as eliminating incoming only lines, it ensures that the average
user (who won't automate the process) knows how to make outgoing calls,
via BT, on the line.

On 05/12/2012 13:10, Theo Markettos wrote:
In uk.d-i-y polygonum wrote:
Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of it?

Because BT make most of their profit on calls, therefore they want you to
make some. They want to discourage you from having a line you only use to
receive calls, or just for ADSL, and so if you don't use the line you pay
more to make up for what revenue they didn't get from call charges.

This is why telcos love talking about how many pennies you save on line
rental (eg Virgin's 'free' phone line) but fail to mention how expensive
their calls are... (32p/min to Three mobiles on Virgin).

Theo


Can see what you mean if it is a vanilla line. But if the tariff is one
where the calls are not charged... ?

--
Rod

On 05/12/2012 12:41, Theo Markettos wrote:
In uk.telecom John Rumm wrote:
Old voice capable modem, and a cheap low power computer like a Pi?

Doesn't even need to do voice, a bog standard modem should do. Dial the

Yup true....

speaking clock (020 70431320 is a geographic version from a uk.telecom
regular) or whatever, the modem negotiation will try and fail, hang up after
30 seconds regardless, job done. As long as the other end answers you've
made a 'chargeable call' even if there's no content.

Depending on your router, it might have an internal serial port you can use
to do talk to the modem if you can run a basic script on it (eg if it runs
Linux and you can get a shell somehow). Or put OpenWRT on a spare router to
do the same thing. Might need some voltage shifters for the serial port (eg
a mobile phone data cable).

Or, possibly see if one could found an old dial in router that had
secure phone back capability - used to be popular in corporate circles -
you would phone it, it would then phone back on a preprogrammed number.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:37:04 +0000, Brian Gaff wrote:

I have a feeling these have to be answered calls as well so one cannot
just dial any old number.

Before I moved away from BT Retail, I used to call my doctor's surgery
once every Sunday morning in order to make the required number of calls
to keep Caller ID free. Weekend calls to 01/02/03 numbers were free, and
the surgery (being closed) answered the call with a recorded message.

"polygonum" wrote in message
...
On 05/12/2012 13:10, Theo Markettos wrote:
In uk.d-i-y polygonum wrote:
Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of
it?

Because BT make most of their profit on calls, therefore they want you to
make some. They want to discourage you from having a line you only use
to
receive calls, or just for ADSL, and so if you don't use the line you pay
more to make up for what revenue they didn't get from call charges.

This is why telcos love talking about how many pennies you save on line
rental (eg Virgin's 'free' phone line) but fail to mention how expensive
their calls are... (32p/min to Three mobiles on Virgin).

Theo


Can see what you mean if it is a vanilla line. But if the tariff is one
where the calls are not charged... ?

--
Rod

IIRC, Rod, BT were challenged over their original scheme - where the calls
must be chargeable, as in you actually render some money to BT. Their fudge
was to hold onto the word chargeable but accept that if the call was within
the bundle definition of an exempted call then whilst it would be free to
you it would be classified as chargeable. I guess that it is similar to
HMRC having two classes of VAT - one called VAT-exempt and the other called
zero-rated ;-}}

I'm on the basic, weekend bundle and just pay the Annual Line Saver rental.
Like the OP, I've noted the change to monthly and just have to remember to
make a connecting call to an 0845 Bank or a Building Society twice a month
rather than six times a quarter - on Saturday or Sunday.

Pathetic - init!

PA

On 05/12/2012 18:46, Peter Able wrote:
"polygonum" wrote in message
...
On 05/12/2012 13:10, Theo Markettos wrote:
In uk.d-i-y polygonum wrote:
Can someone explain to me why BT think it necessary to impose such silly
requirements? Especially if they can be fulfilled by all sorts of
workarounds. Don't we usually expect to pay more if we use something
more - rather than (as it appears) pay more if we don't use enough of
it?

Because BT make most of their profit on calls, therefore they want you to
make some. They want to discourage you from having a line you only use
to
receive calls, or just for ADSL, and so if you don't use the line you pay
more to make up for what revenue they didn't get from call charges.

This is why telcos love talking about how many pennies you save on line
rental (eg Virgin's 'free' phone line) but fail to mention how expensive
their calls are... (32p/min to Three mobiles on Virgin).

Theo


Can see what you mean if it is a vanilla line. But if the tariff is one
where the calls are not charged... ?

--
Rod

IIRC, Rod, BT were challenged over their original scheme - where the calls
must be chargeable, as in you actually render some money to BT. Their fudge
was to hold onto the word chargeable but accept that if the call was within
the bundle definition of an exempted call then whilst it would be free to
you it would be classified as chargeable. I guess that it is similar to
HMRC having two classes of VAT - one called VAT-exempt and the other called
zero-rated ;-}}

I'm on the basic, weekend bundle and just pay the Annual Line Saver rental.
Like the OP, I've noted the change to monthly and just have to remember to
make a connecting call to an 0845 Bank or a Building Society twice a month
rather than six times a quarter - on Saturday or Sunday.

Pathetic - init!

PA


I can see what you mean about how they got there - but still it's madness!

--
Rod

On 05/12/2012 08:37, Brian Gaff wrote:
I have a feeling these have to be answered calls as well so one cannot just
dial any old number.
Brian


That's not a problem. If it calls my main home, either I will answer it,
or the answering machine will!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On Wed, 5 Dec 2012 08:37:04 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I have a feeling these have to be answered calls as well so one cannot just
dial any old number.
Brian

This is true, That's why you would use a number that is answered
automatically by an auto-attendant such as the example Andy gave

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On 05/12/2012 16:23, John Rumm wrote:


Or, possibly see if one could find an old dial in router that had
secure phone back capability - used to be popular in corporate circles -
you would phone it, it would then phone back on a preprogrammed number.


The only problem with that is that it would respond to *all* incoming
calls and potentially make outgoing calls at times when they are
chargeable. Also, it would have to answer before the answering machine
cut in, so no-one would be able to leave a message.

Ideally, I would like something which I could initiate by talking to the
router over the internet.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 04/12/2012 23:09, Andy Burns wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:

can anyone suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without
actually being there?

A VoIP adapter (e.g SPA3102) with an ethernet connection to the ADSL
router, and PSTN connection to the phone line, you could then make a
VoIP call "in" to the ATA which it is configured to dial "out" via the PSTN


Sounds interesting, but I don't quite understand. Is there any chance
that you could spell it out in a bit more detail?
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 04/12/12 23:00, Roger Mills wrote:

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there?

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system. The
cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing around
£30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will it save
you that much?


--
Bernard Peek

Bernard Peek wrote:

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system.

The VoIP adapter I suggested has all the intelligence required.

The cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing
around £30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will
it save you that much?

If you happen not to make the required two chargeable calls per month,
they charge you £1.50/month for not making the calls and £2.70/month for
the otherwise-free caller-id.

On 05/12/2012 21:48, Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/12/2012 16:23, John Rumm wrote:


Or, possibly see if one could find an old dial in router that had
secure phone back capability - used to be popular in corporate circles -
you would phone it, it would then phone back on a preprogrammed number.


The only problem with that is that it would respond to *all* incoming
calls and potentially make outgoing calls at times when they are
chargeable. Also, it would have to answer before the answering machine
cut in, so no-one would be able to leave a message.

Ideally, I would like something which I could initiate by talking to the
router over the internet.

Well if you want to get posh, a Draytek Vigor 2830 has triple wan
capability, VPN termination and the ability to fall back to POTS modem
dialup if required. Also various VoIP capabilities with POTS
passthrough. (quite a decent router, and 802.11n wifi box as well)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

polygonum wrote

Because BT make most of their profit on calls, therefore they want
you to
make some. They want to discourage you from having a line you only
use to

Can see what you mean if it is a vanilla line. But if the tariff is
one
where the calls are not charged... ?

If no calls are charged, true. But there are still mobile, special 08xx
and international calls not included in such add-ons.

--
Mike D

Roger Mills wrote

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more

than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to

make the requisite number of calls.

Last time this came up somebody suggested use of a BT telephone charge
card the charges from which counted as chargable calls.

Has this now vanished ?

Suppose you have Call Minder with a text message, chargable to your
bill, every time a message is left. That should work but Call Minder is
charged at £3.15/ month.

Some answering machine phones may have an equivalent feature.

The poster's insurance company would probably be happier if there was a
monthly visitor and they could make the phone calls to confirm their
visits.

Any other ideas ?

--
Mike D

On 05/12/2012 21:51, Roger Mills wrote:
On 04/12/2012 23:09, Andy Burns wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:

can anyone suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without
actually being there?

A VoIP adapter (e.g SPA3102) with an ethernet connection to the ADSL
router, and PSTN connection to the phone line, you could then make a
VoIP call "in" to the ATA which it is configured to dial "out" via the
PSTN


Sounds interesting, but I don't quite understand. Is there any chance
that you could spell it out in a bit more detail?

If I were doing this with my router (2830 mentioned elsewhere), I would
have it register with a SIP account that allocates a real phone number.
This will allow one to dial into the router via a PSTN call to the VoIP
number. The router could then be configured to relay incoming calls to
a POTS number of your choice. So in effect you place a phone call that
originates on the PSTN (or mobile networks), gets shifted onto VoIP by
the SIP provider of choice, the router then received that "call" and is
programmed to relay to another POTS line - routing your call back via
the PSTN land line its connected to.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Roger Mills wrote:
On 04/12/2012 23:09, Andy Burns wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:

can anyone suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without
actually being there?

A VoIP adapter (e.g SPA3102) with an ethernet connection to the ADSL
router, and PSTN connection to the phone line, you could then make a
VoIP call "in" to the ATA which it is configured to dial "out" via the PSTN


Sounds interesting, but I don't quite understand. Is there any chance
that you could spell it out in a bit more detail?

The ATA (analogue telephone adapter) connects to

1) your phone line
2) your phone
3) your ethernet

e.g. second hand Sipura SPA3000 or Linksys SPA3102 from eBay

Normally you would use your phone to make free VoIP calls via the ATA
(and a VoIP account e.g. sipgate) over the internet, or cheap VoIP-PSTN
calls.

But you can also use them in other ways, e.g. make a voip call direct to
the IP address** of the ATA, and get it to "bounce" the call out onto
your PSTN line

e.g you know your 2nd home's router has IP address 12.34.56.78
you wish to use 03301234151 for the monthly calls, UDP port 5060 is the
usual SIP port

you'd make a VoIP call (e.g. from X-Lite software on your PC, or from an
Asterisk server) to :5060"

There's a few more ins and outs to consider, it's been a while since I
dabbled with my ATA in that way, but here's some more hints

http://forum.voxilla.com/threads/how-can-i-call-spa3102-without-using-a-vsp.19304




** you might need to use dyndns if you don't have a static IP address,
and you'd probably need to use port forwarding in the router's firewall,
you also want to only allow VoIP traffic from IP addresses you trust,
such as your own static IP address at home, or a VoIP provider, and be
careful with password protecting the ATA, you don't want random people
discovering your ATA and making calls via your line ... there are plenty
of rogues out there trying to make their international calls at someone
else's expense!

John Rumm wrote:

The router could then be configured to relay incoming calls to
a POTS number of your choice. So in effect you place a phone call that
originates on the PSTN (or mobile networks), gets shifted onto VoIP by
the SIP provider of choice, the router then received that "call" and is
programmed to relay to another POTS line

I like it, so you could make your chargeable calls from home to your 2nd
home, which would in turn force the 2nd home to make its chargeable
calls to some fixed number, killing two birds with one stone ...

Roger Mills wrote:

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with quarterly
billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make enough calls
each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to my answering
machine at my main home!

What's the cost of not getting free Caller Display etc?

What's the cost of visiting the flat?

(As someone else hinted) how come the insurer of your flat is happy that it
(may be) unlived-in for long periods?

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more
than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to
make the requisite number of calls.

I presume you don't have all services turned off in this flat in your
absence (because you say there's a permanent internet connection) so how do
you check that there's been no floods, power-cuts etc?

If you can't visit the place often enough, shouldn't someone-else be doing
so... and if they are why can't they ring you?


--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".

On Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:58:17 +0000, Bernard Peek wrote:

On 04/12/12 23:00, Roger Mills wrote:

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there?

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system. The
cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing around
£30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will it save
you that much?

The cost of Caller Display is what he's trying to save. That's a
quarterly charge; it's not about calls.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:48:02 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

John Rumm wrote:

The router could then be configured to relay incoming calls to a POTS
number of your choice. So in effect you place a phone call that
originates on the PSTN (or mobile networks), gets shifted onto VoIP by
the SIP provider of choice, the router then received that "call" and is
programmed to relay to another POTS line

I like it, so you could make your chargeable calls from home to your 2nd
home, which would in turn force the 2nd home to make its chargeable
calls to some fixed number, killing two birds with one stone ...

Better still, from your mobile (using inclusive minutes), bouncing the
calls to the landline in the 1st home at a time when they aren't charged.
No other fixed number needed then.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

In uk.telecom John Rumm wrote:
Well if you want to get posh, a Draytek Vigor 2830 has triple wan
capability, VPN termination and the ability to fall back to POTS modem
dialup if required. Also various VoIP capabilities with POTS
passthrough. (quite a decent router, and 802.11n wifi box as well)

Oooh... I just had an evil idea. Drive a relay from a GPIO pin on your
favourite lump of hardware. Use that relay to do loop-disconnect on the
phone line. Write some software to generate pulses with appropriate timing.
Take the phone off-hook (close the relay), click the relay to pulse dial
your way to an appropriate number, wait for a bit, put the phone on-hook
again.

All you need is a relay and a power transistor to drive it, plus a few
resistors and capacitors to imitate a phone.

Theo

On Tuesday, 4 December 2012 23:00:30 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
I've just renewed my BT Line Rental Saver contract for the line in my

holiday flat (including free evening and weekend calls) and BT now seem

to be imposing monthly - rather than quarterly - billing for customers

using this deal.



I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller

Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially

chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with

quarterly billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make

enough calls each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to

my answering machine at my main home!

Yes, you do have to make 2 calls a month. I made the mistake of getting caller-ID switched on just before my monthly bill was due. As I didn't know about the change to monthly and hadn't made my 2 calls, they charged me for the whole month, even though I'd never had a chance to use it.

In addition to the charge for caller-ID, there's the same 2 calls requirement for 1571 service, and maybe other things, so it adds up.

However, there may be some times when I don't visit the flat for more

than a month - so, with monthly billing, I may sometimes be unable to

make the requisite number of calls.



So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone

suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually

being there?

Could you rig something on a timer to press the button on a speed-dial 'phone? If you don't want to get inside it, use a motorised cam or pulsed solenoid as a mechanical finger.

More expensive unless you can get one secondhand, there are units for the elderly/infirm which make an emergency call to a carer on the press of a button. Their button is more easily replaced by a pulsed relay, and also they send a recorded message, so you know it's happened.

Chris

Andrew Benham wrote:

Before I moved away from BT Retail, I used to call my doctor's surgery
once every Sunday morning in order to make the required number of calls
to keep Caller ID free. Weekend calls to 01/02/03 numbers were free, and
the surgery (being closed) answered the call with a recorded message.

Not just me then ;-)

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

Theo Markettos wrote:

All you need is a relay and a power transistor to drive it

And a fake green triangle sticker?

On 06 Dec 2012 01:41:40 +0000 (GMT), Theo Markettos wrote:

Oooh... I just had an evil idea. Drive a relay from a GPIO pin on your
favourite lump of hardware. Use that relay to do loop-disconnect on
the phone line.
snip
All you need is a relay and a power transistor to drive it, plus a few
resistors and capacitors to imitate a phone.

For this just a resistor would do and you don't really need that just
shorting the line will work. Of course this doesn't detect dialtone so if
the line has gone faulty you won't know unless it's calling you.

Basic dialtone detection should be fairly easy, if it doesn't detect it
it could email you. Mind you if there isn't any dialtone the ADSL may
well have gone kaput as well...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 05/12/2012 21:58, Bernard Peek wrote:
On 04/12/12 23:00, Roger Mills wrote:

So - eventually getting to the point after a long preamble - can anyone
suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without actually
being there?

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system. The
cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing around
£30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will it save
you that much?



It's not phone calls it would be saving, it's charges for services such
as caller display - which are only free if you make enough qualifying
calls (which, themselves, can be free!)

I begrudge paying BT *anything* that I don't have to - even if it costs
me a bit more in other ways!
--
Cheers,
Roger
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checked.

On 05/12/2012 22:48, Andy Burns wrote:
John Rumm wrote:

The router could then be configured to relay incoming calls to
a POTS number of your choice. So in effect you place a phone call that
originates on the PSTN (or mobile networks), gets shifted onto VoIP by
the SIP provider of choice, the router then received that "call" and is
programmed to relay to another POTS line

I like it, so you could make your chargeable calls from home to your 2nd
home, which would in turn force the 2nd home to make its chargeable
calls to some fixed number, killing two birds with one stone ...


Thanks, I shall have to study that in a bit more detail. Incidentally,
making the requisite number of calls from my main home isn't a problem
because all our (free) evening and weekend calls go out via BT -
courtesy of the Orchid Dialler.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 06/12/2012 00:39, Jeremy Nicoll - news posts wrote:
Roger wrote:

I'm pretty sure that, in order to continue to qualify for free Caller
Display, etc., I still need to make a specified number of potentially
chargeable calls each billing period. That wasn't a problem with quarterly
billing because I was always at the flat often enough to make enough calls
each quarter - most of which would be free evening calls to my answering
machine at my main home!

What's the cost of not getting free Caller Display etc?


A few pounds per month - or I could do without it.

What's the cost of visiting the flat?

250 mile round trip. Under normal circumstances, we try to spend about a
week at the flat every month - but these visits are not entirely
uniformly spaced so, with monthly billing, we may occasionally not visit
it during a billing period.


(As someone else hinted) how come the insurer of your flat is happy that it
(may be) unlived-in for long periods?

It's a policy for holiday homes which recognises that it's not lived in
permanently.


I presume you don't have all services turned off in this flat in your
absence (because you say there's a permanent internet connection) so how do
you check that there's been no floods, power-cuts etc?

The electricity is left on. The water is turned off. The gas has, until
recently, been turned off - but the insurer is now requiring a minimun
temperature to be maintained during the winter months, so the gas has to
be left on for that.

The flat is part of a large house which has been converted into flats -
some of which *are* lived in permanently - so the neighbours will alert
me of any major problems, but don't enter my actual flat routinely.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 05/12/12 22:09, Andy Burns wrote:
Bernard Peek wrote:

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system.

The VoIP adapter I suggested has all the intelligence required.

The cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing
around £30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will
it save you that much?

If you happen not to make the required two chargeable calls per month,
they charge you £1.50/month for not making the calls and £2.70/month for
the otherwise-free caller-id.

OK. If OP is going to be there to make the necessary calls every other
month then the savings will be about £25 per year. How much effort is
that worth?


--
Bernard Peek

On 06/12/2012 13:13, Bernard Peek wrote:
On 05/12/12 22:09, Andy Burns wrote:
Bernard Peek wrote:

What you want to do really needs some sort of computer system.

The VoIP adapter I suggested has all the intelligence required.

The cheapest way of doing it would be to use a Raspberry Pi costing
around £30 but you can get an awful lot of phone calls for £30. Will
it save you that much?

If you happen not to make the required two chargeable calls per month,
they charge you £1.50/month for not making the calls and £2.70/month for
the otherwise-free caller-id.

OK. If OP is going to be there to make the necessary calls every other
month then the savings will be about £25 per year. How much effort is
that worth?


It's difficult to justify more than a few quid on purely financial
grounds. I guess I need to assess the value of the satisfaction of
depriving BT of a few bob!
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 06/12/2012 01:08, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:48:02 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

John Rumm wrote:

The router could then be configured to relay incoming calls to a POTS
number of your choice. So in effect you place a phone call that
originates on the PSTN (or mobile networks), gets shifted onto VoIP by
the SIP provider of choice, the router then received that "call" and is
programmed to relay to another POTS line

I like it, so you could make your chargeable calls from home to your 2nd
home, which would in turn force the 2nd home to make its chargeable
calls to some fixed number, killing two birds with one stone ...

Better still, from your mobile (using inclusive minutes), bouncing the
calls to the landline in the 1st home at a time when they aren't charged.
No other fixed number needed then.



This is all getting a bit complicated! It seems to me that what I want
is the sort of thing that old people use for dialling out automatically
when they press a panic button. Then, as long as I could pre-define the
destination of the call, all I would need would be some way of remotely
"pressing the button". Could probably even use a timer to do it (say) at
midnight every Saturday night.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On Tue, 4 Dec 2012 23:09:25 UTC, Andy Burns
wrote:

Roger Mills wrote:

can anyone suggest the best way of making calls from the flat without
actually being there?

A VoIP adapter (e.g SPA3102) with an ethernet connection to the ADSL
router, and PSTN connection to the phone line, you could then make a
VoIP call "in" to the ATA which it is configured to dial "out" via the PSTN

Would you care to enlarge on *how* you get it to do that please?

And yes Brian, they do need to be answered.
--
Regards
Dave Saville