The RFC-1 is designed to be connected to an ordinary (POTS) telephone line. In some cases a telephone line is either not available or is prohibitively expensive. There are several alternatives to a regular telephone line that can be used with the RFC-1.
While most of these devices work as advertised, they are typically designed for voice traffic in a relatively clean home office environment. There may be issues getting clean usable signal with transmitter(s) in close proximity. There are workarounds for some of the known issues.
Sine Systems does not manufacture or sell the devices described on this page except for the RFC-1/B Remote Facilities Controller. The manufacturers of all other devices may change the specifications of their device(s) at any time without warning. This page is provided as a guide and is based on data provided by users and manufacturers. The information is believed to be accurate however, your results may vary.
Wireless Telephone with an RJ-11 Adapter or Docking Station
It is possible to connect a wireless telephone to the RFC-1 in place of a telephone line. Adapters are available for wireless phones that emulate a standard telephone line--including dial tone, ring voltage and battery--for use with fax machines and card verification terminals. Depending on the site and the adapter, the wireless phone may need to be outfitted with an external antenna and a constant power supply. Wireless telephone product lines change rapidly so it is difficult to recommend a specific model. The best approach is to discuss your needs with your supplier to find a solution that will work.
Resellers such as (alphabetically) Anything4wireless.com, BoatAntenna.com, Canyon River Cellular Company, CellAntenna.com, CellularAccessory.com and PhoneLabs.com have a wide variety of adapter devices, signal boosters, external antennae and cellular base stations. Most of the items below are available from at least one of these vendors.
(The items shown below are listed alphabetically--order does not denote preference.)
CellDock 1000 is described by the manufacturer as a "cell phone to land line interface". This device appears to be a docking station that makes a modern digital wireless handset function like a land line similar to the Dock-N-Talk listed below. It works with a variety of handsets from the major manufacturers via a cradle adapter. The CellDock 1000 is distributed in the US exclusively by CellAntenna.com. A User's Guide is also available from their site. We have not yet tested operation of the RFC-1/B with the CellDock 1000. We will try to evaluate the device when we have access to a known compatible handset.
Charles Industries Marine Group markets a device called CellSocket that is a docking station for several models of Motorola wireless phones. A list of compatible models is available from their web site. One possibly appealing feature of the CellSocket is that it appears to provide an external antenna connection. We have not yet tested operation of the RFC-1/B with the CellSocket. We will try to evaluate the device when we have access to a known compatible handset.
Kyocera sells the TXDOC00A11 docking station for their QCP-3035 cellular phone only. This is an interesting multifunction device. It is available from the Kyocera Accessory Store and others. Recent information suggests that this device provides only a D type connector for data communications and does not provide the necessary RJ-11 connection. We have seen NO documentation on this device and have performed NO testing with this device.
Motorola has historically offered RJ-11 adapters for many of their product lines including MicroTAC, TeleTAC and StarTAC. The 'Soft-PAK Tote Phone' more commonly referred to as a 'bag phone' is the legacy product in this category. By cellular standards this is a fairly powerful 3 watt cellular telephone that can be attached to an external directional antenna. There have been a few models of their RJ-11 adapter that connects between the handset and the phone base. The most recent model number we know of is Cellular Connection Interface model S1936. See the note below regarding a firmware adjustment when using this device. This device has been supported for years and is the preferred device by users however it is nearly extinct. Service providers may be hesitant to activate new analog service required by the bag phone.
PhoneLabs makes the Dock-N-Talk which is described as a "universal cell phone docking station". It appears that this device uses a cable adapter to mate different models of wireless phones to the docking device. This setup allows PhoneLabs to support an unprecedented 650 phones from the major manufacturers operating with all the major wireless carriers. This looks like a promising replacement for the tried and true Mototola bag phone device.
We have successfully tested the Dock-N-Talk with the RFC-1/B on a local carrier with both incoming and outgoing calls. This device supports so many handsets from so many carriers that we cannot possibly perform exhaustive testing or guarantee performance with any given handset/carrier combination.
Feedback from users of the Dock-N-Talk is generally positive. Be aware that the handset volume also controls the volume of the audio through the Dock-N-Talk to the wired device. It may be necessary to adjust the handset volume up or down to get DTMF tones to the RFC-1/B at an appropriate level.
Fixed Location Cellular Telephones
An alternative to using a mobile cell phone with an RJ-11 adapter is to use a cell phone designed specifically for fixed locations. These phones usually include an RJ-11 connector for outboard equipment and provide a cleaner solution than the adapter approach. They also tend to be more expensive but they include some items that are extra in the mobile cell phone approach. Telular, Inc. is a manufacturer of fixed location cell phones. They can be reached at (800) 229-2326.
Rural Radiotelephones or Ranch Telephones
Rural radiotelephone systems, or "ranch phones”, are systems that use a full duplex VHF or UHF radio circuit to extend a telephone line. Two small transceivers are used in this system. One end is connected to a regular telephone line, the other end has an RJ-11 jack that emulates a regular telephone line. Rural telephones have a range of roughly 1 to 10 miles depending on terrain. The transmitter power levels are usually in the range of 1 to 10 watts. Because they contain transmitters, rural telephones must be licensed. Channels are scarce in the more populated areas of the country but are usually available in the areas where rural telephones are most often needed.
Rural radiotelephones can cost several thousand dollars for a typical system but there is no recurring cost for service once installed. DX Radio Systems, Inc. is a provider of radiotelephones. They can be reached at (877) 439-7234
Dedicated Control Port
The RFC-1 may be operated through a non-dial-up communications link such as a dedicated line, a two way radio, a pager, an STL/SCA link, etc. This additional control method may be used in place of a dial-up line or in addition to a dial-up line. The dedicated communications link is available as a secondary function through the RJ-11 jack labeled "Phone" on the RFC-1. The Dedicated Control Port is activated by firmware settings. The Advanced Programming section of the RFC-1 documentation provides details on making this adjustment.
Known Issues with Wireless Devices
These devices emulate a POTS line so, as with any type of emulation, there will be issues. Most issues can be overcome with minor programming adjustments. Programming changes can be made in the field and typically need to be made only one time.
Non-standard Ring Signal
Many devices produce a ring signal that is not exactly like that of a POTS line. With its default setting the RFC-1 may fail to recognize it as a ringing telephone line and will not answer as a result. There is a ring sensitivity setting in the RFC-1 firmware that will accommodate the non-standard ring signal.
Delayed DTMF Tones
Digital wireless communication systems are not good at transmitting DTMF tones (Touch Tones) required by the RFC-1, voice mail systems, etc. One workaround used by some systems is to intercept the DTMF tone, eliminate it from the voice band and then regenerate later in the system. This is reportedly the way fixed point wireless systems using CDMA technology work. While the approach is effective, the DTMF tones are delayed noticeably in the process. Additionally, key presses must be made deliberately with a brief pause in between keys.
These delays can cause a problem when the RFC-1 is waiting for the main security code. There is a relatively short window in which to enter an 8 digit code. The solution is to use fewer digits in the main security code.
