[asterisk-users] Doorphone vs. Grandstream BT101

[Steve Totaro]

Jay Milk wrote:
> 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.
>
Just get a Grandstream ATA and a handset with no buttons.  So simple.

Thanks,
Steve