Marauder Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 For those of you with a Switchbox, was hoping one of you can give me some advice. I bought a Switchbox in 2013, had the original SIM card expire over the summer before I got to use it. I bought another SIM from Phillip, used that one up and let it expire. I then bought a card directly from T-Mobile in November 2014 (Phillip suggested I could get one directly from them). That card worked through the winter and I went to buy another one for this winter. T-Mobile told me that they now have a 1 year expiration on their SIMs and that I could just add money to the account, which I did. Unfortunately that card reactivation did not work in the Switchbox - although I could dial the number and get it to go to voicemail, something it didn't do when the card was expired. I contacted Phillip and he told me that my account was set up incorrectly and because the card was not bought from him, he couldn't help me. He told me that I needed to set up a T-Mobile account and he would check it. This is impossible to do because T-Mobile requires the online account be set up with a confirmation code sent via a text message. Unfortunately the Switchbox has no way to show a text message. I asked Phillip (multiple times) to tell me specifically what settings needed to be checked because T-Mobile has been great to work with over the phone and even when I went back to the store, they gave me another SIM card to swap out with my original one. He just keeps telling me that it is set up incorrectly but won't tell me what is set up incorrectly. I also asked him 3 times via email if a Verizon SIM would work. I have a personal account with them and it would be easier for me to manage the account. He finally answered on the last email that Verizon SIMs won't work. Has anyone tried a Verizon SIM? I'm about done with this situation. Has anyone encountered the "set up" problem and if so, what was done to correct it? On a related topic, my airport has WiFi that reaches out to our hangars. Any of you use an internet based switch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerocosm Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I built my own "switchbox," and then promptly forgot just about everything related to how it works, so I have to go through the whole thing mentally every time something goes awry; but as I recall, the account setup issue is that voicemail needs to be turned off entirely, which means the SIM card needs to be installed in a cell phone long enough to get at the account with a device that has keys. As I recall, I did this at the T-Mobile store, with the help of some of their personnel, who were able to load my shiny new SIM into a phone they had at the store and call up the mother ship and turn off the voice-mail-rollover function for that number. Then everything worked fine. The biggest hassle for me is reactivating a dead account (because I have to revisit all the details I've forgotten), so I have a reminder set to reload the account with $10 worth of calls (way more than I actually use) a few days before the three-month life of the card expires. Carrying the account through the months I don't use the device at all is way less expensive than going through all this stuff every autumn. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerocosm Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 For the record, any SIM should work just fine, Verizon, AT&T, whatever, but T-Mobile has the virtue of being very inexpensive for a paid-ahead (but must be renewed every three months) card. The same setup would still be required, though. A wi-fi switch would be a very different box. mws out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 For the record, any SIM should work just fine, Verizon, AT&T, whatever, but T-Mobile has the virtue of being very inexpensive for a paid-ahead (but must be renewed every three months) card. The same setup would still be required, though. A wi-fi switch would be a very different box. mws out Mike - thanks for the suggestions. I will have T-Mobile turn off the voicemail to see if that works. I was also perplexed by Phillip's comments only a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM would work. I will report back once I try this. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryb Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Verizon and sprint use CDMA technology. ATT and Tmobile use GSM. The Cellswitch uses GSM. That is why you need to use ATT or Tmobile. I would get your sim working in a phone and then move it to the switch. You may need a SIM card adapter for this because most phones now days use a small SIM card and the switch uses a full size sim. The phone also has to be unlocked or match the carrier you are using. And of course the phone will need to be GSM. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Verizon and sprint use CDMA technology. ATT and Tmobile use GSM. The Cellswitch uses GSM. That is why you need to use ATT or Tmobile. I would get your sim working in a phone and then move it to the switch. You may need a SIM card adapter for this because most phones now days use a small SIM card and the switch uses a full size sim. The phone also has to be unlocked or match the carrier you are using. And of course the phone will need to be GSM. Thanks Larry for the additional information. My old Verizon Casio phone has the larger SIM but I could not get it to work. Your explanation fits the reason why it didn't. I will probably need to go to T-Mobile and see if they can stick it in a phone. This is Verizon & AT&T's home turf and I have yet to meet anyone with a T-Mobile service. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryb Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Marauder: I've also been using Ptel for my cellswitch. $10 every 2 months keeps it alive. $0.02 per txt message. They are a reseller on the Tmobile network. https://www.ptel.com/plans?gclid=CjwKEAiAhPCyBRCtwMDS5tzT03gSJADZ8VjRd7pldQI5rnL3863S6Rkf8BZ4pYJ_paX1HUsOoLJd2hoChUPw_wcB Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTK Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I built a remote controlled box as well and used a Tmobile sim card. It's best to call tmobile and tell them you're not using it in a phone so they deactivate voice mail on it. The bigger issue here is, based on your description of what transpired, that Phill is not being helpful. He should stand behind what he sold you and his suggestions he made to you. What kind of customer service is that to leave you, a customer, hanging! Not cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerocosm Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I'll echo what Peter is saying, and go a bit further . . . It's no big trick to make one of these things from a device readily available on eBay, with a little bit of wire added to jump a couple of connections (I thank Peter for his help to me in getting this right the first time.). For a little while, I was tempted to go with Phil's pre-wired unit just because I figured he'd support it, but apparently the self-reliance I eventually fell back on (as a confirmed CB) served me better than Phil would have. mws out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Phil seems to be erased from MS... i went back over his usual posts. He is listed as 'visitor' and his avatar is blank. Something quirky has happened. best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I built a remote controlled box as well and used a Tmobile sim card. It's best to call tmobile and tell them you're not using it in a phone so they deactivate voice mail on it. The bigger issue here is, based on your description of what transpired, that Phill is not being helpful. He should stand behind what he sold you and his suggestions he made to you. What kind of customer service is that to leave you, a customer, hanging! Not cool! Working with him was really frustrating and it all came down to the fact I didn't buy the SIM from him. He never answered my question about what features need to be turned on and off with T-Mobile. I lost count of the number of emails that went back and forth but it was more than 10. And he finally told me the Verizon SIM wouldn't work when I told him I was going to buy one and try it. Thanks to Larry, I know now it won't work. Peter -- can you give me details on what you bought? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Something quirky has happened. best regards, -a- Sort of like my Switchbox? BTW -- just so all of you don't think I'm a whiner about this Switchbox, not only did I buy a Switchbox from him, I also bought an IceBox from him. Shame on me... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Quirky, as in.... From: lots of posts in our commercial section. (The proper spot for products that are good for Mooney pilots) To: no posts here. support@switchboxcontrol.com For lots of technical background on the cell chip and phone service. (From the switch box website) http://static1.squarespace.com/static/50ce9559e4b0c301a8247589/t/56396b4ee4b02d388bb55499/1446603598395/switchboxmanual.pdf Hoping that somehow helps, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbridges Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I hope that gets you up and running. I'm sure you'll need it for the Delaware winters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWinter Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 My Switchbox worked spotty all of last year. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I sent it back for him to take a look. He said nothing was wrong with it. Even after I got it back it got to the point where I didn't trust and ended up pulling it off line. May have been a cell reception issue, but I felt he could have been more helpful regarding trouble shooting. It's in my hanger cabinet right now. I may give it another try this year. I also bought the cooler and switchbox. -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 My Switchbox worked spotty all of last year. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I sent it back for him to take a look. He said nothing was wrong with it. Even after I got it back it got to the point where I didn't trust and ended up pulling it off line. May have been a cell reception issue, but I felt he could have been more helpful regarding trouble shooting. It's in my hanger cabinet right now. I may give it another try this year. I also bought the cooler and switchbox. -Tom Tom -- thanks for sharing this. I was worried about it being a reception problem as well, hence the reason I took it with me to the T-Mobile store. And also for the comments on his troubleshooting help. It has been a really frustrating exchange with him. In my line of work we have a saying; "Sales can make the first sale, it is support that keeps them buying more". I don't know what the final solution of this box will be, but based on the "support" he offered, I'm not buying anything more. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I hope that gets you up and running. I'm sure you'll need it for the Delaware winters. I am already working on the line boys approach. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryb Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I have the Reiff switchbox, and also a custom one I built myself. I expect Phillip's box is very similar to the Reiff box. If the switchbox is flaky, the first thing to check is the signal strength. There is a command for that. If the signal is low, there are two things that can be tried to improve it. One is an external antenna, and the other is a different provider. If you are on Tmobile, try ATT. If ATT, try Tmobile. For the external antenna, higher is better, and outside is better. Also, the shorter the antenna cable, the better. You are better off extending the AC cord rather than extending the antenna coax. Best case install would be to mount the switchbox high in the hanger with a short length of cable running outside to a magnetic mount antenna stuck on the roof. Larry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTK Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 12 hours ago, Marauder said: Working with him was really frustrating and it all came down to the fact I didn't buy the SIM from him. He never answered my question about what features need to be turned on and off with T-Mobile. I lost count of the number of emails that went back and forth but it was more than 10. And he finally told me the Verizon SIM wouldn't work when I told him I was going to buy one and try it. Thanks to Larry, I know now it won't work. Peter -- can you give me details on what you bought? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Chris, it's a GSM remote box with two 30 amp relays. I did all the wiring so I can control both relays independently. I use it to control my batteryminder and preheater from my iphone. I bought the box online a couple of years ago for around 75$ iirc. I paid 10$ for the sim card from tmobile. It works like a charm! I can show you how to wire it if you'd like...but it'll cost you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWinter Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 4 hours ago, larryb said: I have the Reiff switchbox, and also a custom one I built myself. I expect Phillip's box is very similar to the Reiff box. If the switchbox is flaky, the first thing to check is the signal strength. There is a command for that. If the signal is low, there are two things that can be tried to improve it. One is an external antenna, and the other is a different provider. If you are on Tmobile, try ATT. If ATT, try Tmobile. For the external antenna, higher is better, and outside is better. Also, the shorter the antenna cable, the better. You are better off extending the AC cord rather than extending the antenna coax. Best case install would be to mount the switchbox high in the hanger with a short length of cable running outside to a magnetic mount antenna stuck on the roof. Larry Larry, After Phillip sent it back to me and he told me nothing was wrong ( I really hoped he would swap it out for a replacement) I took it back to the hanger and actually zip tied the box to the top beam in the hanger and using the external antenna (I bought from switchbox), I stuck the magnetic external antenna on the roof of the hanger hoping for the best possible reception. It worked okay a few days then became inconsistent again. I had extension cords running all over the place trying to figure out the problem...Finally got frustrated and took it down. I'll try it again this year, maybe the stars will be in line and I'll have better luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryb Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Tom: Sounds like you did everything right. The only thing I would ask is what the signal strength measurements are? I will say I have had a few issues with Tmobile and Ptel. Sometimes my data connection won't work even with good signal. But txt works those times data does not. This is in my custom switch that uses internet data for communications. ATT seems more reliable to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 12 hours ago, Marauder said: Working with him was really frustrating and it all came down to the fact I didn't buy the SIM from him. He never answered my question about what features need to be turned on and off with T-Mobile. I lost count of the number of emails that went back and forth but it was more than 10. And he finally told me the Verizon SIM wouldn't work when I told him I was going to buy one and try it. Thanks to Larry, I know now it won't work. Peter -- can you give me details on what you bought? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Chris, it's a GSM remote box with two 30 amp relays. I did all the wiring so I can control both relays independently. I use it to control my batteryminder and preheater from my iphone. I bought the box online a couple of years ago for around 75$ iirc. I paid 10$ for the sim card from tmobile. It works like a charm! I can show you how to wire it if you'd like...but it'll cost you!! I'll take you up on that offer! What's it going to cost me? Me chanting 100 times that Garmin makes the best avionics in the world? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Ok, I have decided to troubleshoot this myself. I will give you a blow by blow description of what I find. I haven't turned a wrench on instrumentation for 20 years, but there was the distinctive odor of a superheated or fried component. Haven't seen anything cooked yet. Does anyone know the function of each component? More importantly does anyone know who manufactures these. If they are commonly available and cheap, I may troubleshoot this and see if I can get it working. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Any guess what the button on the board does? Reset? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 It has been awhile since my company used through hole boards. It looks like these components and traces were altered. I can't imagine a company doesn't clean the flux up after they solder. No distinguishable markings to identify the manufacturer. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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