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

Heinz

INSPIRED wrote: »

I would be grateful for some reassurance and an idiot's guide to maintaining the Heinz programme in the future.

If you forced home after Orchid's latest email (about 26-1-09 IIRC), your dialler has the latest version of the program. That is the version for which I will, in future, post recommended updates. There is no need to do anything until then. I will post precisely how to perform those using just the keypad on your phone (but others will extract that information and update their diallers using one of the Excel file systems).

However, your particular circumstances (with the frequent power cuts) are a problem. I expect the GoTalk DECT you have is similar to the Televoice version I had (which, I think, was the predecessor of the Ranger 400) and it will, unlike the Orchid V4+ (which is simultaneously powered by the telephone line), lose its time/day/date settings as soon as mains power is lost. With the ability to force home to pick up the time being lost at the end of the month, you have no choice but to get familiar with the manual method of updating the clock.

You will see that I have already changed that post ready for the GMT to BST clocks change at the end of March but it is easily changed to accommodate any time/day/date.

INSPIRED

Heinz wrote: »

There is no need to do anything until then. I will post precisely how to perform those using just the keypad on your phone (but others will extract that information and update their diallers using one of the Excel file systems).

Thank you Heinz for the reassurance and for taking on this role. Hopefully, we will find the time to come to grips with the more technical method of updating.

With the ability to force home to pick up the time being lost at the end of the month, you have no choice but to get familiar with the manual method of updating the clock.

Thank you -I have printed off the instructions.

Edinburgh_Doc

Hi Heinz,
Many thanks for your dedication to this task. I previously used the CW client to programme my V4 dialler, then tonight tried to reprogramme it manually and have lost all the automatic bypasses. I'm on Virgin cable with free weekend calls, using 1899 (cable no. 0808 1 708 708) for all other UK, mobile and international calls. Which access codes should I use on my phone? When I try to use the ones on the Orchid website, my phone call times out before I finish entering the numbers. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Heinz

Edinburgh_Doc wrote: »

Hi Heinz,
Many thanks for your dedication to this task. I previously used the CW client to programme my V4 dialler, then tonight tried to reprogramme it manually and have lost all the automatic bypasses. I'm on Virgin cable with free weekend calls, using 1899 (cable no. 0808 1 708 708) for all other UK, mobile and international calls. Which access codes should I use on my phone? When I try to use the ones on the Orchid website, my phone call times out before I finish entering the numbers. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Ignore any message/tone you hear from Virgin - just carry on entering the sequence (you are sending the sequence to the Orchid, not the telephone network).

System

Today I received my new v4+ unit. Is there any way I can tell whether the mains unit is correctly powering the device?

Cheers.

Speedee

scgf wrote: »

Today I received my new v4+ unit. Is there any way I can tell whether the mains unit is correctly powering the device?

Cheers.

Hi, the mains supply keeps the time right, so if you unplugged the V4+ from the BT socket for a while, (but leave the PSU on), the time will be reset, however I'm not sure to what time, so you will have to make a few calls when 18185 should work, to see if it does or not : daytime 01,02,03 should be via 18185.

Hopefully someone may be add to this to be more help!

Can I ask, what went wrong with your old V4+?

Thanks, Speedee

Heinz

No, the PSU on a V4+ is a second power supply for the clock - so unplugging from the BT socket OR from the mains should not affect the clock (which BTW, will need correcting this Sunday to take account of the GMT to BST time change).

Can I ask, where did you get a new one from? I was told there weren't any more available?

System

Hi Speedee. My previous unit was a V4 - there was nothing wrong with it, except that I wanted a belt and braces approach re keeping time accurately and I know these devices are no longer being actively marketed.

Heinz, I emailed Orchid and asked if they had any v4+ units left - Maggie replied and said they had a few so I rang and ordered one immediately. It cost me around 20 quid with the forum discount. I am using the Programming Tool available in this forum to program it.

Heinz

To take account of the change to British Summer Time on Sunday, the clocks in Orchid V4, V4Plus and Ranger 400 LCRs have to be corrected.

This can no longer be done using the 'Force Home' procedure because the CW Client server is no longer operational. Hence, the below manual method must now be used:

To manually reset the clock in a V4, V4Plus or Ranger 400, lift the handset (press the handset button on a Ranger DECT handset) and 'dial' the following:

** # 0 0 0 0 * hh mm DOW dd mm yy *2

N.B. The DOW (Day Of Week) entry is a single digit:

Monday = 1
Tuesday = 2
Wednesday = 3
Thursday = 4
Friday = 5
Saturday = 6
Sunday = 7

So, for example, 13:30 on Sunday 28 March 2010 would be entered as:

** # 0 0 0 0 * 1 3 3 0 7 2 8 0 3 1 0 *2 (then hang up).

N.B. When following the above manual procedure, users will probably hear an announcement like, "The number you have dialled has not been recognised. Please check and try again" but that does not mean updating has failed. Ignore the announcement and hang up after you have finished keying the sequence (or just hang up if you have already finished when you hear it).

Those using Kevin Lawry's spreadsheet and an analogue modem for programming can, of course, connect to their Orchid and then simply click on the appropriate cell to update their dialler with their computer's time. However, it may be quicker to use the manual procedure above.

Heinz

As a result of 18185 spotting their error and increasing their charge for calling 0845 numbers from ½p/minute at all times via their freephone gateway number to 3p/minute at all times, Routing Rule 15 in Kevin's spreadsheet needs to be amended.

The revised programming will route all 0845 calls via BT (Carrier Code 3, CPS override, 1280 prefix) at all times and result in charges of 2p/minute weekdays, ½p/minute weekday evenings and 0p/minute [inclusive] at weekends. Of course, BT's 'call set-up fee' ([STRIKE]9.05p from 1-October-2009, 9¼p from 1-January-2010[/STRIKE] 9.9p from 1-April-2010) will also apply weekdays and weekday evenings.

For those wishing to manually program their Orchid dialler(s) using the keys on their telephone, the keying string is:

*###0845#3333#15#

---

The closure of the Orchid server and the advent of Kevin Lawry's spreadsheet as a way of users updating their Orchid LCRs means posting suggested program updates on this thread is now an unnecessary duplication. I will, therefore, use the Orchid V4, V4+ Programing Tool Support thread to post future updates. Those subscribed to this thread may wish to replace that subscription with one to that thread instead.

The above is the only change since the closure of Orchid's server and is also detailed on the Programming Tool Support thread.