Digital Upgrade Program FAQ

Q: What does the radio in my tattletale do?

A: There are two radios in your wireless system. The first radio is used to monitor all of the sensors in your Tattletale system. The second is used to send messages to and from the Tattletale monitoring service using the cellular network. Currently the second radio utilizes the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) service from a local cellular carrier.

Q: Why do I have to change my analog radio to a digital radio?

A: There is a limited space of the radio frequency spectrum that has been allocated for cellular phones in the U.S. Currently one of the frequency spectrums is being shared by the AMPS network and the newer digital networks like GSM. Because of this shared space, the carriers are limited to the number of channels (phone calls and data links) that can take place at a time. By eliminating the AMPS service, the carriers can support far more channels of GSM than they would be able to support of AMPS since the channel spacing is much closer for GSM. Because of this, new government rulings will be going into effect which will allow the carriers to eliminate the support for AMPS.

Q: When will my analog radio stop working?

A: As of February 18th, 2008 each carrier was no longer required to maintain AMPS service. While we do not know for certain if all providers have terminated service on all towers, we have to assume they have in order to enhance their digital networks.

Q: How is a digital radio better than an analog radio?

A: By upgrading to a digital radio you will see much faster response to alarm (or other) messages being sent to the Tattletale monitoring station. You can also expect to see a longer standby battery period for the Tattletale system since the digital radios require less power to operate.

Q: What programs do you have in place for me to make the conversion now?

A: We are ahead of the curve and have thousands of digital radios ready. Now is the time to get your digital upgrade. To request one of the upgrade packages currently available please click here or give us a call at 1-888-tell-on-u.