Celular Switch for Pre-Heater
 

I have wanted a Switchbox or Regal Pro for some time, but cant stomach the $350- $400 price tag. Then I discovered that the Switchbox is a re-branded version of this device that sells for $135:

https://www.amazon.com/Solenoid-Cont.../dp/B07Q7PKW5Z

I asked for it for Christmas and LOVE it ! It has two 30 Amp relays on their own channels, so I wired it into two different outlets in my hanger. I can control two different plane pre-heater, or a plane and a hanger hater.

You can call it or text it to turn it on and off. You can also set-up a timer to shut it off after a pre-determined amount of time.

The only difficult part was finding a reasonably priced cellular plan. I found https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/plan/minute has a $10/3 month pay as you go that was easy to sign-up for and activate. It runs on the AT&T 4G network. That works out to about $3.30/month and then you recharge it for another $10. The plan includes a free SIM card.

The Switchbox comes pre-wired and with an activated SIM card, but I don't think it is worth $200 more to save an hour of time, and this way I was able to hard-wire it into my outlets VS using plugs. You could just as easily wire in your own plugs.

It looks like Amazon is out of stock right now, but there are other vendors selling it for the same price. Just don't buy the 7 channel one. It has only 10 Amp relays.

I did similar. I bought a 4G cell phone switch on eBay for $149. Vendor is Relay-Supply in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Delivery is three days. Unit has two independent output relays so it can control two airplanes if needed. My regular cell phone service is ATT but for this application I have a $3/month T-Mobile SIM card that allows 30 text messages/month. The switch has ability to monitor quality of connection to the cell tower. At the hanger, with external antenna, the cell connection is 24/30. Cell phone switch rejects all robo-calls and only responds to my cell phone with my code.

I use an extension cord with LED lights built into the plug-ends so I can see at a glance if power is on. I also run an old motor-driven analog electric alarm clock in parallel with the engine heater. I set the alarm clock for noon and when I arrive at the hanger I can “see” how long the heater has been on. Good visual confirmation that everything is hunky-dory.

I sit in my living room, send text message to turn on the engine pre-heater, and the cell phone switch reports back that the relay is on for 150 minutes. When I get to the hanger I flip on the EMS and usually read 80F oil temp when OAT is below freezing. The analog alarm clock in the circuit verifies engine heater has been on for 2-1/2 hours. Text message can be copy/paste on the cell phone so you don't have to type each time. Easy-peasy like my triplet granddaughters say...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4G-GSM-High....c100903.m5276

I did exactly the same thing with the Amazon 4G switch and a $3/month T-mobile account. It has worked well so far.

As a comment, it was a struggle to find an outlet that would sign me up for the $3/month cell plan. I had to visit a T-Mobile Corporately owned store (not a franchise store) to get "the deal". The franchise stores don't offer that plan, which is called "Ultramobile".

It took a call to T-mobile's help line to identify the local T-mobile "corporate" storefront. Once I was at the right T-mobile store, setting up the new account was easy.

Did you activate the plan and get it to work? Only asking because some cell plans (US Mobile) won?t work with devices like this. Ask me how I know😏. I already ordered the SIM card from Phil at switchbox or I would try this H2O plan. I tryed the T Mobil/Ultra Plan but no corporate stores near me so gave up on them.

Activation was very easy - I just called the 1-800 number that came with the SIM card and used the prompts to request a new number. It took maybe 45 seconds and was done. I didn't have to install it into a cell phone. I think the T-Mobile system requires a cell phone to activate their SIM cards and then you move the SIM card into the switch.

Its been a couple of years since I did it, but I didn't have to install in a cell phone to activate. Pretty sure I just called T-Mobile and they talked me through over the phone.

Just got done setting up a $135 remote GSM relay switch for myself. I went with a Kiao Time Model KT-G3-AU (which I can't find a link to a good online photo). The switch has two separate controllable relays each rated for 30 amps. The switch will work on T-Mobile or AT&T cell networks by purchasing an appropriate SIM card. There is also an external antenna supplied ... but the internal antenna works just fine inside the hangar.

The SIM card I purchased cost $13 and comes with the first 30 minutes (good for 30 texts) ... it is a GoPay SIM card that gives the user 30 minutes or 30 texts per month for $3. Go pay uses the T-Mobile network. I have my switch set up to ONLY respond to my cell phone ... so there is no charge to call the switch. My switch is optioned so when I call the switch it will trip the #1 relay, if the relay was off it goes on ... and vice versa. I optioned the switch to send me a conformation text showing the current state after the unit is called (which uses 1 minute of call time).

The only down side was the SIM card needs to be first placed in a cell phone to get it activated and a phone number assigned ... and the switch required purchasing a couple of extension cords that got cut up to wire AC power into the relays and provide receptacle ends for the AC output from the relays ... now I can just plug in an extension cord, run to the airplane heater and trip the heater on or off from home. Nice!

I added an addition data line to my AT&T phone plan (similar to adding a iPad) and coupled that with a Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 creating a WIFI Hotspot at the hangar.
The Hotspot links to a BN-LINK Heavy Duty Smart Plug Outlet controlling a 200 watt Reiff heater. The BN Link app has real time data showing the current drain in Watts, the Voltage, and KWH for the month. An additional WIFI thermostat and app indicates the temperature in the hangar.

Testing has shown a 15 degree temperature rise per hour over ambient on the oil temp gauge but with the sensor located near the upper case it is much more because the oil temp climbs to 100+ degrees as soon as the engine is started. (Three hour heater period with engine cover / blanket)

The monthly cost is more than a text only plan but the system offers flexibility allowing all the WIFI accessories . In the non heating season I plan to use the Netgear device for camping. Last year I was camped near a guy that pulled a Hotspot up about 30 feet in a tree and had great WIFI coverage at his camping site.

I have a Switchbox I paid a lot of money for.

It failed and I sent it back in to have it repaired.

They WOULD NOT give me a phone number to talk to them. Everytime they wanted information or confirm something they would send an email even if it was a yes/no answer. I asked them for a number every time but they would never give me one. I don't know about you but I don't have access to hourly email, what a pain.

You would think that a component that cost so much from a company based in NY would have a support phone number. :confused:

My guess is the company is a guy doing business out of his basement. He builds 20 boxes on a Saturday, sells from inventory, and makes another batch when inventory gets low.

M-F, 9-5, he's sitting in an office somewhere earning his regular paycheck and can't take calls.

Just a guess.

I've thought about a similar business model for building electric tugs. A big concern is frustrated customers who can't wait a day for an answer to an e-mail.

It's even worse than that, but I moved on from trying to work with Phillip, you should too.

-Marc

Steve, I just send you a PM...

verizon?
 

I live in an area where only Verizon is the phone carrier. Is it possible to get a remote switch to work with them.

For years I've been using a Verizon Hotspot (added to my Verizon cell phone account) and this WEMO smart plug. It's worked well.

just curious..........do all of these devices work no matter how cold the temp they are sitting in?

What hotspot are you using? The ones on their website don?t have very good reviews.

They should. They are 120V powered, so you aren't depending on a battery.

I tried one some years ago, and it most definitely did not like the cold. Ymmv

I have the Verizon Jetpack® 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot - AC791L, but it appears to be discontinued. Looks like its made by NETGEAR. I've had no problems with it in the 3 years it's been in my hangar and continuously plugged in.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/inte...otspot-ac791l/

Phillip, where are you (how cold) and which device were you using?

I believe this will work on Verizon. The relays are only rated for 10 amps, but that may be enough for an engine heater. Take your heater wattage and divide it by the voltage and that will tell you how many amps it draws.

https://www.gsm-auto.com/

Here's something that may work on Verizon:

https://www.amazon.com/King-Pigeon-R...7466&s=hi&th=1

i think i would take one of these, no matter what they are rated for , and use them to turn on a contactor made by a vendor that had been making contactors for years. seems like that's where the smoke would start. anyway, i did.

Yes - you could most certainty use the 12V output from the RTU 5024 and use that to close a 30 amp 230 Volt contact. The recent issue of one of the magazines (maybe Sport Pilot) had an article about how to do this. I was planning on making my own until I found the KT-G3-A, which had everything in one package.

Unfortunately it won?t work on Verizon, these are gsm based, which isn?t supported by Verizon. AT&T and T-Mobile are your only choices.

A normal Reiff sump heat system is only 200-400 watts. That's 2-3.5 amps. I can't imagine a 10 amp relay struggling with that.

i also used the switch to preheat my shop in the hangar.

My understanding is that as of 1/1/2020 Verizon has converted from CDMA to GSM.

Do you have a reference? I don?t believe that is true.

I can tell you I have four devices on the Verizon network and none of them are GSM compliant. They would have to set up a completely redundant network to transition to GSM.

The reviews on Amazon were pretty consistent. All the reviews for the Verizon version of this device stated they couldn?t get their unit to work.

I tried to get you a reference and got some clarification instead: Verizon is switching to 4G. GSM refers to 2G, so Verizon will be skipping over that technology all together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Wireless

Unfortunately that?s all marketing hype. They all use the 4G, 5G nomenclature regardless of the underlying technology. The G refers to generation, not gsm.

Netgear LB1120
 

The Netgear LB1120 is a 4G LTE modem. Insert a sim card (I have used both Verizon and T-Mobile) and it provides an Ethernet interface out. The LB1120 has it's own built-in DHCP server/router so all you need is a simple wifi access point to provide wifi inside the hangar.

I use the TanTan wifi switches off of Amazon (~$8.50 each). The iphone app (Smart Life) is free and works very well.

I originally had a hotspot line added to my VZ wireless account which gets unlimited data for $20 per month.

That was a little overkill so I now use a T-Mobile prepaid plan for $10/month. I think it comes with 1Gb per month so I can use it to do updates to my databases at the hangar if needed.

Mine are in Kansas and Missouri in unheated hangars but just in case I buy the replacement insurance from Amazon when I buy the LB1120s. So far no failures in 2.5 years.

Andy

I bought one of the Chinese power strips that is text activated off of Ebay. It's a nice unit with good reviews, unfortunately I've been unable to find a cheap sim to work in it. The T-Mobile/ultramobile sim isn't available locally. I tried buying another prepaid GSM sim but you have to activate in a smartphone and all the phones we have use the small sim while the switch uses the full size card.

I gave up and am now working on a wifi repeater to get the airport terminal free wifi out to my hanger. This is running into technical difficulties as well (I think I should stick to airplanes!)

The cell switch is for sale if anybody wants one.

DEM

SIM adapter
 

You can get a SIM card adapter which will allow you to activate the card in one of your phones, then move it to the switch.

https://www.amazon.com/iSYFIX-Card-A.../dp/B00R25GJJW

+1 on the hotspot and smart plug.

I had an unused hotspot lying around and put it on the cheapest TMobile data plan ($10/month) then got another smart plug of the same variety I use in my house (TP-Link Kasa) and added it to my account. I can use the Kasa app on my phone, ask Alexa to turn it on/off, or have it on a schedule. It's pretty slick and saves me time considering I live 10-15 from my t-hanger. I highly recommend this configuration...it requires very little technical know-how.

T-mpbile
 

I have an unused hot spot and wonder about putting a T-mobile sim card in it but don't find the $10/mo one without a lot of limitations. Does someone have a link to the best one for the lower price?

Thanks.
John

I am unclear on how you get a cell signal into a hotspot? I thought a hotspot had an eithernet plug to plug into an existing wired internet source (WAN), and then transmits WiFi from that. I don't know where you would put a sim card and cell receiver into a hotspot?

sorry, I'm just kind of a Ludite.

You're thinking of a Wi-Fi base station that connects to an internet provider's modem to provide a Wi-Fi signal throughout your home/business.

A cellular hotspot receives cell signals wirelessly, just like your cell phone. The hotspot then transmits a Wi-Fi signal that the smart switch connects to (or other Wi-Fi devices also, e.g. Wi-Fi-only iPads, computers, etc.).

It's similar to your cell phone acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot, except the dedicated hotspot does not have the phone calling features that your phone does (although it does have it's own cell "phone number").

Colorado. We had a wemo smart plug I believe and a FreedomPop hotspot. Neither worked below like 15f