Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

Voicestream / Visorphone On Demand Alerts !

I know that with voicestream phones you can get "on demand" alerts, it is over SMS service. Kind of nice in that you can request a stock quote, weather etc, no dial up involved, just send the request and the alert responds. Is anyone using this with their VisorPhone? No instructions on Voicestream pages.

Registered: Sep 2001
Location:
Posts: 11

George, the Message Alerts from VoiceStream are explained on the VoiceStream Web site, but buried deep in the menus. From the main menu select, in order, My VoiceStream, Ping Pong, Show Me On Demand Alerts, and finally Command Reference. At this point you should have a table of commands that you can print-out for reference purposes. I copied the commands into a memo on my Visor. They have only worked sporadically, however, since Sept 11. Before Sept. 11 you'd get a response to most queries within 10 to 15 seconds. Also, make note of the fact that you're supposed to send all Demand Alert Requests to #444. Let us know if these work for you. Best of luck!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

A little more help

I get to the memu but have to select a phone, no VisorPhone is available for selection. But I guess you could select any one and look at each one by one to get the codes. Don't have the whole matrix available. But for Stock Quotes it look like you send an SMS message to phone number 444 with ST "ticker symbol" Will give it a try. Thanks.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

I did find the command ref as follows, thanks. Some required additional codes like sports, or flights but the basics are here.

News
US News Headlines NW N
Business News Headlines NW B
International News Headlines NW G
Sports News Headlines NW S
Technology News Headlines NW T
Entertainment News Headlines
NW E

Sports
Scores by Team (recent only) SP TEAM CODE
Team Standings by League SP LEAGUE CODE
Team News
SP TEAM NEWS CODE

Finance
Stock Quote
ST "Ticker Symbol"

Entertainment
Lottery Results by State LOT "ST using 2 letter state abbrev.
Joke of the Day JOK
This Day in History HIS
Quote of the Day QOD
Soap Opera Updates SOAP OPERA SHOW CODE
Celebrity Birthdays CELEB
Daily Trivia Question & Answer
DTQA

Weather
US Weather by City WT "City,ST"
US Weather by Zip
WT "Zipcode"

Flight Information

Flight Information - arrivals FL "FLIGHT CODE"

Registered: Sep 2001
Location:
Posts: 11

George, I'm glad to hear that you're now getting on demand inquiries. Remember, that each one of these will cost you two SMS messages (one for the request, one for their reply), which can quickly eat up your 50 free SMS messages on the basic account. Because of this I opted for the $2.99/month extra for 500 Ping Pong messages a month. Today, the service was performing as it did before Sept. 11, quite responsively with system replies from 444 taking only 10 to 15 seconds. P.S. I also learned recently that I can use most any "hands-free" headset built to a 2.5mm miniplug connector in place of the "ear bud" connector that came with the VisorPhone. I just bought a nice one for $12.95 from Wallmart (mfg. by S.W.Bell). The Visor instructions make it seem as if you have to buy headsets designed especially for Visorphone, but you don't.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

These on-demand alerts are great, however they work great somedays then seem to fall into a black hole other days. I don't think these networks are prime time for data yet.

Registered: Sep 2001
Location:
Posts: 11

George, variable responsiveness of "on demand" queries continues to be my experience too. Good days followed by bad. And now the system no longer permits me to send SMS to e-mail addresses (although it will still allow me to send SMS to other VoiceStream phones).

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

E-mail still works ok for me. You are using E-Mail center 500 right? And syntax

To: SMS E-Mail Center

Text: [email protected] # Subject # Text to follow

Registered: Sep 2001
Location:
Posts: 11

George, just today my VisorPhone's SMS functions seemed to "heal", quite suddenly, after a week or two of not working at all. Now, once again, I'm able to send to and receive from yahoo e-mail addresses, just as I could when I first got the thing four months ago. And, for the first time, my visorphone is also able to send to and receive from e-mail accounts on compuserve. AOL accounts also work. So, I'm happy temporarily until the next time everything stops working.