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rv007, Technician
Category: Home Security Systems
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Experience: 20 years experience in the Alarm Industry
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Where can I purchase a commercial device to convert the security

Resolved Question:

Where can I purchase a commercial device to convert the security system pulse dialer signal to a tone signal ATT-Uverse can accept. My system was built by Rollins in the late 80's and I have just subscribed to Uverse. The alarm company installer says I have to buy a new radio system. I have not been able to find a vendor that can make the A to D conversion. Price is an issue.

Submitted: 12 months ago.
Category: Home Security Systems
Expert:  rv007 replied 12 months ago.

Hi

Is the alarm monitored? If so is the alarm company talking about you needing to switch to a cell phone based connection to them? If so then this shouldn't be that expensive...

As for IP interfaces to allow your alarm to communicate via the Uverse connection... Unfortunately no manufacturer I know of has designed a unit to interface old pulse type format via IT... But you can use outputs out of the alarm panel to connect to a standalone unit and depending on the number of ports on the alarm it can report opens, closes and activations... You will not get User or Zone numbers sent though...

If you would like any additional information or have more questions please don’t hesitate to ask!

Please remember to only rate my answer when you are 100% satisfied. IF you feel the need to click either "Helped a little" or "I expected more", please stop and reply to me via the REPLY or CONTINUE CONVERSATION button with the issue you have. I will be happy to continue further and do everything I can to provide you with the service you seek.

Thank you

Customer: replied 12 months ago.

First thank you for taking time to answer.

The alarm system has been monitored successfully in the past. Each of my window screens and doors are attached to a radio device. Our central control/receiver picks up a break in the circuit from the radio device. When the contoller picks up a signal, it includes an identifier to report which window/door is sending the signal. This in turn was called into the central monitoring center. The center could then determine whether it was a window screen break, smoke detector, or what.

Recently ATT upgraded all the phone service in our area to allow fiber to their neighborhood distribution boxes. After this upgrade, my alarm system could send a signal that an alarm was triggered, but the monitoring center could not decipher which address was sending the signal. Our alarm system technician told me the signal could not be deciphered because the speed of transmission was too fast. The monitoring center was not able to identify which street address was sending the signal. ( I thought that a little odd, as the phone number from which the signal was sent should have been recognizable as attached to a specific location--my residence.)

I have now switched my communications services to ATT U-verse bundle of internet, phone, and TV. Because U-verse is a VoIP system it cannot translate the pulse signals from my old system. So now, no signal can be sent from the existing security system controller in a form that the Ackerman monitoring center can receive. The signal being sent by the dialer in my controller is definitely pulse. I could hear the click-click-click when it dialed.

According to the alarm technician, each window and door radio unit must be replaced as well as the key pads, controller and receiver. Zounds! Batman! Parts are estimated at $3700 + a day of labor.

I was hoping a analog to digital converter could pick up the pulse dial and change it to the digital system required.

Your response seems to confirm that I must do a full replacement of all equipment between the screens/doors/smoke detectors and the monitoring station. Please confirm this is your conclusion.

Again, I appreciate your help with this question.

Expert:  rv007 replied 12 months ago.

Ok

That is a little clearer...

There are pulse to dtmf converters that can solve the dialling problem, a lot of antique phone companies have them... this is an example but there are many more, expect to pay $40 to $50 for one of these

http://www.dialgizmo.com/

Once connected the old pulse format should still report through the VoIP circuit but only as long as they have allocated enough bandwidth on the VoIP circuit... Ideally they should be giving you 64kB for the voice circuit.

Once you have the dialling sorted, and if the alarm is not reliabily communicating go back to your VoIP supplier and ask them to increase the bandwidth...

If you would like any additional information or have more questions please don’t hesitate to ask!

Please remember to only rate my answer when you are 100% satisfied. IF you feel the need to click either "Helped a little" or "I expected more", please stop and reply to me via the REPLY or CONTINUE CONVERSATION button with the issue you have. I will be happy to continue further and do everything I can to provide you with the service you seek.

Thank you

Customer: replied 12 months ago.

DialGizmo looks worth pursuing. Certainly better than $3700. Thank you.

Expert:  rv007 replied 12 months ago.

The dialing part of the issue is the least of the problem...

Getting your VoIP supplier to acknowledge that they are short changing on you bandwidth is another... It might be easier to explain you have a fax machine, in my experience they can relate to that better and generally have a plan to accommodate these...

Another option is to slow the pulse rate on the alarm, however this may not be an option available on your panel...

Your positive feedback will see me paid for assisting you today...

rv007, Technician
Positive Feedback: 94.7 %
Satisfied Customers: 2926
Experience: 20 years experience in the Alarm Industry
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