[asterisk-users] Doorphone vs. Grandstream BT101

[Jay Milk]

Steve Totaro wrote:
> Jay Milk wrote:
>> 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
>>
> A few notes about your idea.
>
> Yes it will work, you can set it auto answer, you can also set it to 
> dial a number automatically when taken off-hook in addition to 
> pressing the message button.
>
> You will probably want some sort or script to reboot the phone 
> regularly (everyday) or it will just stop working (lose registration 
> with *).  The speaker phones really do stink on these but for a simple 
> doorphone application, it should be fine and may even function better 
> with the water-resistant mods you are doing.
>
>
> You actually do not even need cat5 (even though you have it) you can 
> run 10mbit over cat3.
>
> Thanks,
> Steve

Thanks again -- I know they're iffy, but for the price, they should 
function well enough.  I've read about the auto-dial feature, but a 
hook-switch isn't really an option for a door-phone application, as most 
folks will hit the call-button more than once for good measure.  If I 
connected it to the speakerphone/hook button, then the call would be 
hung-up before it rang the phones.  I needed a one-shot button, such as 
the message button.