Frontline in USA (New York)

[Chris]

Hi there!

I recently began a literary journal to be distributed via text message. We're called Cellpoems, and can be found at www.cellpoems.org.

We're currently just run off of a blackberry, but we'd love to use Frontline in order to have more control over the messages, and so I don't have to receive all the texts on my own phone.

In looking at the technical advice available on this forum and on the website, and I am having trouble finding info on how to employ Frontline in the US. This is an elementary question, but what are the very basic steps I should take to set this system up? (Perhaps there's a link to another thread that already covered this.)

I very much appreciate any and all help.

Thanks,

Chris

[kiwanja]

Hi Chris

Thanks for your message - good to hear from you. The best place to start would be to download and install FrontlineSMS on your computer, done through the "Request Download" section of the website. Once you have it on your computer, you have a couple of choices. If you primarily want to send out messages, then you can set up an online account with a messaging service such as Clickatell or IntelliSMS (see the "Help" files, in the "Settings" section of your FrontlineSMS for more). As a guide, IntelliSMS is generally quicker and easier to set up, and you get five free test messages. You then have to give FrontlineSMS your login information so it can connect with the service.

If you then create a Group in the Contacts section of FrontlineSMS and add in at least one number, you can then send a message to that Group. That should be it. If you want to be able to receive messages from the outside world into the software (for surveys, polls, readers poems, etc) you will need to attach a mobile phone to your computer with a local SIM card inserted (from AT&T, for example). There's a list of phones we know work in the "Request Download" section you've already used. You can likely find one of these phones, and a genuine cable, on eBay or Craigslist. If you intend doing a lot of receiving, we'd recommend a GSM modem, which is more robust. Three or four are listed on the website here.

Hope that helps. The best thing to do is download it and play around. Let us know if you need more. (And, by the way, your work sounds very interesting!).

Ken

[Chris]

Thanks so much Ken!

If we employ the mobile phone/GSM modem method, is it possible to send messages directly from the computer/phone/modem without using Clickatell or IntelliSMS?

Thank you for all the hard work you're doing!

C.

[kiwanja]

The answer is yes - you could send and receive through the phone/modem, as long as the volumes don't get too high (sending is possible at a rate of around 8 messages per minute, so not ideal for really big numbers all in one go). If you did go this route then I'd recommend getting a FALCOM SAMBA 75 GSM USB modem (only has Windows drivers, though) - you can get these off the web and don't need to buy from an operator directly, so no contracts.

Cheers.

Ken

[Chris]

Hi Ken! Thanks, again, for all you do.

It's been prety difficult to find a FALCOM SAMBA GSM modem for sale online. Do any other GSM modems work well with Frontline?

Thanks!

Chris

[kiwanja]

Hey Chris

There are three or four listed in the "Requirements" section of the website here (under the "Request Download" menu). There's also a separate conversation going on here:

http://frontlinesms.ning.com/forum/topics/where-to-buy-gsm-modem-that

Apparently Expansys sell FALCOM modems in the US. You could check them out. Regardless, let us know what you go for and how you get on!

Cheers. \o/

Ken