Orchid V4, V4+ and Ranger 400 phone users - UPDATES

newbuilder

Don't worry csj.

Although you will have no option but to program it manually, you will start with the Heinz code and I am sure Heinz or a.n.other will keep you right by telling you what codes to press.

I am a current academic and am hoping for this

Heinz

csj wrote: »

One other question relating to my confusion and ignorance regarding this whole business of my Orchid dialler: when Orchid discontinue sales of the dialler at the end of February 2009 will we still be able to "call home" as usual" to update the dialler or will we then have to manually set the dialler using the instructions provided, and the Excel spreadsheet data posted, on this site.

No, the 'call home' facility will cease as well as, for those who use it, access to the CW Client server.

Manually programming diallers will still be possible (it really isn't that difficult) and, as you may have already read, another poster has already come up with an Excel file which, via a PC's dial-up modem, can update individual dialing rules (there are 28 in the Heinz program) with a simple double click of the mouse.

I'll post further on this next month.

LadFromWales85

looks like I'll have to get a dial up modem then! Have never thought of doing it that way

Heinz

I have been giving some thought on how to proceed with regard to ’the Heinz program’ now that the final (23-1-09) update has been made available to the 150 or so Orchid users who opted to use it by registering with Orchid for ‘the semi-automatic update service’ (i.e. by merely forcing their diallers home when Orchid emailed them after I had made an alteration) rather than using CW Client to do their own programming.

There will undoubtedly be some who decide to ditch their Orchids. I regard that as a bit of a ‘cut off the nose to spite the face’ approach but may well be an understandable reaction from those who have no experience of using CW Client, have never programmed their own Orchid or are now in a “What the heck do I do now?” frame of mind.

On 26-1-09, Orchid sent an Excel file to all registered users showing their current Carriers and Routing Rules tables (i.e. a visual record of the 23-1-09 version of the Heinz program).

That (23-1-09) program – which took account of the 16-1-09 changes BT made to its Unlimted Weekend Plan with regard to free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers - should, by now, have been downloaded to all registered users’ Orchids as a result of a force home.

That program is currently working and, provided diallers are not disconnected, will remain working, unaltered, until the end of March – when, at least, a GMT to BST time update will be necessary (in a couple of months, I will, as usual, post exactly how that can be done).

So, rhetoric aside, where do we go from here?

As you may have read, there are at least 2 Orchid users offering Excel files with associated programs which allow a double mouse click to send DTMF (telephone keypad) tones from a dial-up modem to an Orchid V4 dialler to update individual Carriers or Routing Rules. Let’s call them ‘Excel programs’. But, is that the ‘solution? No, because not all users will have Microsoft Excel, not all will (still) have a dial-up modem (one of my computers does not), not all Orchid users will have sufficient computer knowledge to enable them to use such a system and such programs cannot accommodate Ranger 400 DECT systems.

So, what I intend to do is simply post details and explanations of any change(s) to the program I consider would be worthwhile and, in the same post, detail how any Orchid user can use their telephone keypad to make the necessary change(s). Those who wish to use one of the ‘Excel programs’ to implement the change(s) can extract the required details from the post – but most will just key the programming string(s) manually to achieve the change(s) and keep a hard copy record of the change(s) they make.

csj_2

Thanks Heinz. I look forward to receiving your updates on this site. Since I use a couple of PCs, both with dial-up modems, I'm hoping that I'll be able to set them up to simplify the entry of these updates.

Sun-Is-Fun

I would just like to say thanks Heinz for all the time and effort you put into this and for personally contacting me via pm. Myself and others will look forward to your future updates.

David_Mee

As I have stated elsewhere - I am an orchid user of some years and have heard nothing of this from Orchid themselves :-( I would say Orchid need to scour their records and send emails to everyone who has ever bought from them. If it wasn't for this forum I would have been oblivious and left high and dry :-(

gsc

Can someone pls PM me a copy of the excel file as I'm not on the Heinz program and so didn't receive a mail from Orchid. Thanks in advance.

Are Orchid still supporting the dialler at all? I sent a mail several weeks ago reporting an issue with incoming SMS messages not being received properly when the dialler is on. The phone rings rather than my SMS enabled phone receiving the msg in its inbox. Anyone know how to fix this?

Heinz

gsc wrote: »

Can someone pls PM me a copy of the excel file as I'm not on the Heinz program and so didn't receive a mail from Orchid. Thanks in advance.

Are Orchid still supporting the dialler at all? I sent a mail several weeks ago reporting an issue with incoming SMS messages not being received properly when the dialler is on. The phone rings rather than my SMS enabled phone receiving the msg in its inbox. Anyone know how to fix this?

The SMS thing is, I think, unresolveable (is that a word?).

See http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.html?searchid=50204225

thecojones

Hi ,Have just purchased this phone from Orchid, it contains a dialler similar to the V4 and the instructions were to dial STORE<REDIAL<REDIAL<00000000<STORE<3 <hangup to force a dial home which it did followed by a ring of the phone.I have since tested by ringing a mobile and I get the "6p per minute announcement" so assume is all well.The idea of purchasing it was as backup for the V4 + I currently use for when I attempt to program it locally when CW Client goes.I had assumed that the program sequence would be the same as the V4 but it is obviously not.Orchid have said they would send me instructions by email to cover manually changing hour of day for when CW Client is no more, they have yet to arrive.So the question is does anyone here use this BIIIIG Button phone and are they aware of the programming method used.It looks as if I could remove the handset and plug a modem in instead to download the program if I knew the programming sequence.Does anyone know what the protocol is for the V4 ie. can you query the information held in its buffers?Incidentally well done for your work on the spreadshheet Kevin and to Heinz for his continued support.
theco