[asterisk-users] Doorphone vs. Grandstream BT101

[Jay Milk]

Doug Lytle wrote:
> Jay Milk wrote:
>> I've done all the googling I can on this, and have come to the 
>> conclusion that a Grandstream BT101 can be abused to be a door 
>> phone.  Could someone with access to one, confirm that the following 
>> is possible?
>>
>> Researched:
>> 1. When set to auto-answer, dialing the phone will result in a short 
>> beep and instant speaker-phone connection.
> I have this setup now, but don't recall the short beep.  It may be 
> configurable.
>
>> 2. When pressing the "message" button while on-hook, the phone will 
>> activate speaker-phone and dial the number configured for voice mail 
>> retrieval.
>>
>
> Correct.
>
>> Assumptions:
>> 3. Pressing the "message" button additional times will simply be 
>> ignored by the phone.
>
> I have several, I can check this weekend.
>
>> 4. Hanging up the other end of the call will deactivate the speaker 
>> phone and cause the phone to go on-hook. (This is the behavior I see 
>> on a Polycom 430).
>>
>
> I would have to say correct as well, since I'm using it as a paging 
> unit and it does hang up after playing back the audio file.
>
>
> Something to consider, the BT101's speak phone has no Echo 
> cancellation whatsoever and sounds just awful in a two way conversation.
>
> Doug
Thanks to Dave and Doug for the quick responses.  I'm looking forward to 
hearing the response on #3, but I think I'll get get one of these 
devices to play with this weekend.  At worst, it'll be a usable garage 
or basement phone.

Doug, I didn't even consider audio-quality on this, as even with the 
most rudimentary speaker phone circuits, phones seem pretty usable these 
days.  I was planning to put this in a custom door-box anyway, along 
with a water-resistant speaker (plastic membrane).  Considering our 
wide-open porch and some physical separation of the mic/speaker, the 
echo may not be as much of an issue as protection from the elements. 

And contrary to what someone asked me in private, wiring isn't an issue 
-- I do have cat5 at the door bell :)

Thanks,
JM