Anyone Using GSM Modems?

I just stopped by Entertron's website, and noticed several new things, there. What caught my eye on this visit was there new(?) GSM Modem. I am not a fan of GSM phones, but I am kinda intriqued by the idea. As a long time user of radio modems I like to find better ways to do the same thing, specially over long distances. Since cost can be a factor with communicating over longer distances, or the dreaded TELCO LATA boundries, GSM may fill the needs of some of my applications.

GSM has been touched on in some threads before. So here are my basic questions...

Have you had any problems with GSM?

What is the downside of GSM?

Do you prefer GSM or conventional radio/RF over moderate distances?

Have you had any interconnectability problems with GSM?

"Entertron GSM Modem link"

All comments appreciated.

regards.....casey

Me too

We are going to make a system, whit more than 25 country side, sun powered stations who will be asked by gsm (preferently) or an other system.
I hope to hear many coments too.

Best Regards

what gsm mean?

guest 123 said:

what gsm mean?

Click to expand...

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communications.

It is the international digital radio standard created by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.

That's about as much as I know about GSM.

Paul

GSM is the most popular cell phone standard in the world.
It also the system with the most application.
In the industry the modems and the SMS are the most popular.
The SMS replace the pagers for alarms.
If you have system and you need to know if you have a fault and what the fault you can get it on your cell screen.
GSM is not so popular in the States as in the Europ and the East.
For more information see
http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/index.shtml

I have been using these for some time with great success.

Falcom

Is there a html-based software to send out SMS to GSM cell-phones? I like to lobby our place to get rid of ugly pagers and just use GSM phone for that purpose. The problem is, there is already a fairly easy to use web-based flash-page program we are using to make pages so unless I can find a similiar program for GSM phone...

I normally use these straight out of a PLC.

For SMS, my phone/internet provider has an HTML page. Dial in and send the message.

How are the Entertron units?

Entertron plcs are fine, have not used the GSM modem.

Cellphone coverage around here is spotty, at best. GSM does not work at all in some areas. No plans to upgrade the cellular system. We had to go back to two way radios for our service trucks.

paul

I've set up a GD-01 for SMS alarm messaging. I used a Mitsubishi Alpha-2 controller, which is dead easy as it has a GSM block built in. You can turn whatever is on the screen into the SMS message, so you can embed real data etc.

The SMS system allows a message of up to 160 characters. You can turn it into an email by sending to a different number on your network (same as a GSM phone). The Alpha-2 allows you to set that up as well, so you can email by GSM. Typically the email will have a default address based on your phone number and the network name, depending on your network.

harryting said:

Is there a html-based software to send out SMS to GSM cell-phones? I like to lobby our place to get rid of ugly pagers and just use GSM phone for that purpose.

Click to expand...

Harry
you could try asking from your local service provider. Some companies apply a network service that can send send messages to cell phones via a server (html based or others). Those companies have a seperate cell phones to their employees, to be used only within their personal network.

Or maybe this information that I had kept during my final years project in school last yr. Read especially the second page, I think.

regards
Sherine T.

As mentioned previously, GSM is the most popular cellular protocol throughout Europe and the rest of the world. The US standardized on CDMA several years ago...so GSM is fairly new on this side of the pond. Does it remind anyone of Metric vs. Imperial standards...lol

What will make or break this product is the service. If you were to obtain service from T-Mobile or Cingular you would receive the basic service, however, you would receive a random IP address, rather than a fixed IP address. The service we will be providing will incorporate a Fixed IP address. This allows for easier access and two way communications between the PLC and PC. What this means is that each modem will have its own dedicated IP address (identity), that will allow you to access any time from anywhere in the world.

The time will be unlimited...what you are paying for is data transfer.
The base amount is 1 MB / month. The contract is based on 12 months That would include, as part of the total data transfer, any SMS strings that would be sent out. We will be offering a 2 MB service as well, but for the life of me can't see, at this point in time our PLCs sending out that much data over a 30 day period.

As of this writing, we have seen the GSM work over here, (in Gasport, NY) but are waiting on modems and finalizing details of the service. For us and the rest of North America, this is a totally new concept.

Members that are from Europe, should be able to speak as to the reliability of the product and service. We have identified many possible applications that are remotely located where a dial up line or lease line are not practical, finanacially or physically.

Harry:

What would the modem be attached to that would require you to send out SMS? You can send directly to your cell phone, a SMS. I am not certain as to what you are doing, that would require an HTML interface.

God Bless,

GSM based alarm system

In the past our plant used pagers to send alarms to maintenance.
At the begining of 2004 we changed to a system comprising of Unitronics PLCs and GSM modems. It was a great improvment on the pager system.In the middle of 2004 we had to change to CDMA modems .(company politics )They are not as reliable. In the next few weeks we will change back to GSM.

The great thing is that the system allows 2 way communications.
For example:If the system sends an alarm message to the duty technician and he does not send a reply within a specified time period,the alarm will be sent to the next person on the list in the PLC.

Steve

It is interesting that in Ozz, GSM is the basis of most mobile systems. Orange have come in with CDMA and our main carrier Telstra now also has CDMA.

I hear nothing but complaints from people who have gone the CDMA route about drop outs, lack of coverage etc.

AND WE ALL THOUGHT GSM WAS BAD.