Data transfer using audio/cell phone

Hi all, not sure if this has been asked before but I'll ask it again
and you can moan if it has

I'm looking to place a remote metering device approximately 25 miles
from my house - the only wireless method of data comms i can find is
using gsm technology. The price of a GSM specific board is seriously
prohibitive, especially as a) the device will be in a fairly insecure
location and b) is only a fun project. I do, however, have a stack of
old cell phones sitting around-anyone know if i can modify one of the
older types to accept serial data from my device and be
'dial-into-able' from a standard modem so I can grab current data? I've
seen a fair few companies about it but they all quote 500+ for this
sort of setup, which is just beyond a students limits lol.
Anyone know of anyone who has done a similar thing before? Seems like
something someone would have attempted, if you see what i mean?

Any help appreciated, google is only good at returning commercial
solutions.
Cheers
James

 

Hi take a look at this
http://www.autospeed.com/cgi-bin/browse.cgi?category=1442&sc_add=1003707670&

and also http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_102670/article.html

its a sms controller kit, which I'm going to use on a pay as you go system,
hope this helps.

regards

Stevie P

 

The text message thing would work ... wheather you want to use that depends
on the type of data your sending ... You can just build a serial connection
on your board and add some code to your PIC to control the GSM phone, using
it's AT command set ... to send a text message AT+CMGS <followed by the PDU>
.... or use ATD<num> to make a data call back to yr modem ....

 

I'm looking into using a nokia mobile linked to the pic via an mbus
cable - should be able to do what i require - got a few nokias hanging
around just got to get the phone set up on a 'charge-the-recipient'
sim card, if possible.

J