Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] I Hate Telemarketers! Bill Walters Sun, 30 Apr 2000 02:01:42 -0500

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Michael,

Yes, ECS can do all you suggest, in addition, if you set up your phone event
"properly", ECS can bypass the "press 1" portion of the event and directly
switch the ringer on your home lines (after announcing who is calling - at
least that's what I do) for folks that you want to be able to get thru to
your house easily  for family members, friends, etc....  I use Garnet
Bailey's basic phone event which keeps a file of phone numbers with
appropriate announcements as well as status values that authorize access
after hours or not....  AS you say, requires "prior" knowledge, so with your
mods to the routines, perhaps we'll get away from "unknown" soliciters while
still allowing those who need to reach us to get through.....  I can't use
the "out of area" call trap to reject the call, as my daughter and her
husband live in College Station and all I get from CID is "out of area" when
they call..... Same for my son in Abiliene at College..... Whatta pain!

Also, if you want to avoid the other "ring" type of notification, here's a
gadget that could do the trick (maybe?):

http://www.vikingelectronics.com/

They have a "ring simulator" , model PS-48-RGA that could possibly be
adapted to HA use.

Obviously, as Mark suggested, the "easiest" solution is to have ECS trip a
siren or output "rings" to your in-room speakers via sound files.......

I'd be right in there trying all of this out with you but our house is on
the market; we've bought another on a local lake and will be moving the end
of June.....

Keep us posted!

Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael David" <michael@michaeldavid.com>
To: <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2000 11:01 PM
Subject: RE: [ECS] I Hate Telemarketers!


> Oh I get it now - sorry!  :)  Yes, having ECS notify us some other way is
a
> good idea.
>
> So what if ECS did the following:
>
> 1) Call comes in
> 2) ECS silently answers
> 3) ECS plays "no solicitor" message
> 4) ECS exits without hanging up
> 5) Caller hits "1" (or whatever)
> 6) ECS "hears" the keypress (remote phone button), and then plays sound
file
> of phone ring throughout house
> 7) ECS then sets 15 second timer
> 8) If we pick up phone, ECS exits event
> 9) If timer times out, and we didn't pick up the phone, ECS takes message.
>
> Hmmm, can't I do that with ECS?  Off the top of my head, I think I can
make
> that work.  I'll have to tinker with it a bit and see....
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Cheers!
>
> Michael David
> michael@michaeldavid.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net]
> Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2000 9:50 PM
> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
> Subject: Re: [ECS] I Hate Telemarketers!
>
> The siren could be used INSTEAD of the phone-ring.
> --
> Mark Gilmore
> Omnipotence (ECS home automation software)
> http://www.usit.com/omnip
> 423-745-0026
> Hours: Mon-Sat, 9AM-8PM/EST
>

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