IPDatatel IP CAT CDMA Unboxing Review - Know what you're getting

Know what you're getting with this unboxing review of the IPDatatel IP CAT CDMA

<Back

Hey you, John Boroughs at alarmsystemstore.com. And today I'm here to tell you a little bit about the IPDatatel CAT CDMA. Now, this is a cellular communicator that we've got on site, and what it does for you is it gives you self-monitoring capability. Now, you are going to have to pay a service fee on this because this is cellular data, but you're not using a cell phone today without paying for some sort of data package. So this is gonna do self-monitoring, it'll send you notifications, allow you a little bit of remote control over your system. What we're gonna do, I'm gonna take you over to the table, we're gonna unbox this, show you what you get in the box, and tell you a little bit about it. If you like videos like this, subscribe to our channel, like this video, leave some comments below. If you find value in it, we'll be glad to help you out, that's why we're here. Do it yourself alarm systems is what we're shooting for with everybody. You can do this and we can help you. So let's head over the table and check this out and hopefully you learn something. Thanks, guys.

All right everybody, here we are with the IP CAT CDMA made by ipDatatel. And I'm gonna show you the box right here. This is ipDatatel's cellular-only version of their communicator. So it will only report over the cell network, it will report over the CDMA cellular network. So it's kind of connected by Verizon, right here on the box. But this is pretty tiny. It's a little small box. And as always on each ipDatatel product they give you a QR code to scan in case you need the product information. So that's nice to have there. And also, just like any other ipDatatel communicator, they have the MAC and CRC number here for the communicator on the side of the box. This will also be located on the inside of this unit on a sticker as well. You'll give this to us when you get it hooked up, you'll give this to us to activate it, and then we'll use that to activate it and we'll give you the sign-on information to use after we get you up and running. But this is the box that the CAT CDMA comes in, pretty tiny. I'm gonna open this up here, lay this off to the side. And when I open this, I have already...before I turned the camera on I already taken the liberty of opening this case because that was the hardest part. The only hard part that I've really found about using this is getting the damn case open. So I just didn't want to break the little plastic tab on there, but I got it open and this what's you see on the inside of it. Move this box out of the way.

Here are the guts of the CAT CDMA, and it's compact. You got your antenna connector up here, you got your wiring strip over here that you're gonna make connections to the alarm system with, and it has the MEID of the cell communicator right here on this chip. But it's compact, it's tiny, it's lightweight, guys. This thing is so...I mean, it just fits right in the palm of my hand. But this whole...this is powerful. You get the MAC and CRC, again here like I told you. Once you get this connected and activated through us, basically you're going to get your own emails, your own text messages, and your own alarm automated voice phone calls, to let you know what's going on with your alarm system. Unlike the BAT CDMA and some of the other ipDatatel communicators, this does not have the fully functioning virtual keypad. You'll just get a simple key switch arming and disarming which will be done through the SecureSmart app. You get that app for your smart phone, it's iPhone, Android. But basically on that app with this CAT CDMA, you're gonna get your push notifications, your messages and all that, but you're going to just get one button that says arm or disarm. And you'll push that to arm or disarm the system, you're not gonna get a fully functioning alphanumeric keypad like you would on some of the other IPDatatel ones.

But it's very easy to hook up, it works natively on the DSC, Honeywell, and Interlogix hardwired alarm systems. So your NetworX panels if your Interlogix, your Vista systems if your Honeywell, and then your DSC 1616, 1832s and 1864s. They'll work natively. This is also touted as a universal communicator. The main reason for that is that most alarm systems have a way you can do a programmable output to trigger so you got your key switch function there. Most alarm systems have built-in landline dialers. This works off a dialer capture. You will hook this cell communicator into the panel's tip and ring terminals, the two terminals that will usually get a phone line hooked into them. So it's gonna work off dialer capture. So it makes it usable through just about any alarm system, guys. You don't just have to have a DSC, Honeywell or Inner Logics to use this. But yeah, it's nice to have. They charge $135 a year, price is subject to change, plus or minus depending on market demand and whatnot. But it's been $135 for quite a few years now, that'll pay for the data package on this, and basically you could just have it contact you and then you call the police, fire or EMS service, however you wish. Or you can pay another $107.40, that's our current ongoing rate for monitoring service. And then that $135 and then that $107.40, that'll get you central station monitoring and your own notifications. So you'll get your own notifications and central station's also on the job calling the local authorities for you.

So you can use it for self-monitoring or combination and self-monitoring and central station if you wanted to. So good device to have. I recommend you guys check it, out I'll put a link down here in the video description for you so you can go look at it yourself. If you have any questions while you're on alarmsystemstore.com, there is a phone number there. Give us a call, we'll be glad to help out. But that's it, that's...it's just that simple. The other things you get in the box are the antenna, and your little quickstart guide that's gonna show you the simple wiring for this unit for the key switch, and the tip, and ring, hookup, and power. So that'll give you a little quick start to get started. But yeah, that's it guys. That's it and thanks for being here today. Back over to me.

All right. Thanks, John, or thanks, me. We're back over here. Thanks guys. That was the IP CAT CDMA and that's from ipDatatel, they're based out of Texas, good old American company. And that communicator works great, we've tested it out here in the shop and had it send us signals and whatnot, it's very responsive, very easy to use. Go check it out, you know, go to alarmsystemstore.com. We're gonna, like I said, put a link down here and the video description so you can check it out as well. If you got any questions, there's a number on the website, call us up. If you like videos like this, if you like technical videos, unboxing videos, we've got them, we're doing them. Subscribe to our channel, like this video, leave comments in the section below. If you have any questions, it's been John Boroughs, you all have a great day.