Want to be alerted to loud sounds when your processors are off at night?

[Mary Beth]

Today I tested out an app ($3.99) that is really designed for baby monitoring.  It has great setting options that allow us to select    things like

alert us for sound

alert us for movement

alert us for sound and movement 

use video

use mic only

the level of sound to be alerted about

the length of time the sound needs to happen before an alert 

 

I was looking for a way to be alerted to alarms (fire etc) when I am asleep and NOT at home.  Our home is set up to alert me.  But when I am not at home and my processors are off, I only get alerted for calls and texts....not fire alarms.

I was happy to learn that this app works with my FitBit Inspire.  I always use my FitBit as an alarm.

So now when I am away, all I have to do is turn on this app and my FitBit will vibrate when loud sound notifications are sent from the app.

It’s cool that it only costs $3.99 and then works on my phone, iPad, iPod Touch, old phone etc and communicates to my FitBit.

 

 

[Mary Beth]

@Joan

[Joan]

@Mary Beth I am still trying to find something that will alert me to the phone ringing, the doorbell, the fire alarm, and the “emergency” in-house p.a. system when I am up but do not have my processors on. I’ve tried a couple of wireless units but they did not pick up the sounds. Might this one work with my phone or only with a Fitbit?

[Mary Beth]

@Joan

This works with phones but you may be better off with a dedicated alerting system in your apartment.  Have you tried emailing Silent Call and describing what you want to be alerted for and telling them which items you already have....and asking for suggestions?

Do your neighbors typically carry their phones around in your community?  A sign on the door requesting a text instead of knocking may be a temporary fix for the doorbell.  

[Mary Beth]

Works on android devices as well

 

https://cloudbabymonitor.com/

[Joan]

@Mary Beth I talked directly with Silent Call regarding the first unit I tried (both units I tried were Silent Call) and found out it would not work for me as needed. I didn’t talk with them about the second one. I purchased (and returned) both units from Harris Comm.  

For the most part, the only time I need such an alerting unit is early morning or late evening so the doorbell is really not a significant issue (and very few residents carry their phones). The phone is my bigger issue and neither of the Silent Call units I tried would pick up the phone’s ring.

[Mary Beth]

@Joan

 

Landline phone?  A simple light flasher may be easiest to use.

[Joan]

@Mary Beth yes, landline. However, although I have two phones, neither can be seen from the bathroom and that’s where I am 95% of the time when I’m needing the alerts. So I’m wanting a light that flashes in there...which neither Silent Call unit would do (neither would “react” to the telephone’s ring).

[Mary Beth]

@Joan and I have been chatting about this and are going to give

LiveTranscribe sound alerts a try

Its a free app for Android phones

[Mary Beth]

Update ...... LiveTranscribe audio alerts did not work for @Joan.  It “recognized” the doorbell as a “violin”.

 

The cloud baby monitor app ($3.99) and can be downloaded on 5 devices continues to perform well during my tests.  It alerts my phone (parent unit) when a sound is detected.  I would then need to put my processors on to identify the sound.

 

Here are the settings I am using with cloud baby monitor ....

-I did not give any device access to the cameras since I do not need video info

-I did give the devices access to the mics (because I want it to detect sounds)

-under settings..... (Gear symbol)

Turn on notifications 

Choose sound sensitivity

Choose sound duration

 

This app works on iDevices as well as android devices.  I am using it on iDevices.  My iPhone 8 is the parent unit.  I have used an iPhone 5s and an iPod Touch as the baby units during testing.

I am going to use this app at night when I am not at home to be alerted to sounds.  So I turned on notifications from this app to my FitBit Inspire.  It vibrates and alerts me to a sound alert.  (Notifications MUST be turned on in the app under settings for this to work.)

 

[Joan]

@Mary Beth how close to the sound source does the “baby” device have to be?

[Mary Beth]

@Joan

I think there is flexibility with that by changing the sound sensitivity setting.  I think if the “baby” device was placed in the living room, it would pick up phone ringing, doorbell, fire alarm and overhead announcements and send sound alerts.  The difficulty may be that the “baby” device may also alert to sounds we don’t care about like the AC unit kicking on, etc.

[Joan]

@Mary Beth I think this will work for me...my apartment is quite small! My heating/cooling is a forced air system and I control when the fan comes on/goes off so I don’t see that as an issue. Aside from that, the only other unwanted sound could be the refrigerator. It will be interesting to see if that activates the monitor. 

[Mary Beth]

@Joan

We will put it to the test!

[Joan]

@Mary Beth

Yes!😊

[Megan L.]

This is a great idea @Mary Beth!! I’m definitely going to look into this. My apartment came with a talking smoke alarm but I brought another smoke alarm with a strobe. If anyone ever knocks on my door while I’m sleeping, this might work! I have a door bell that flashes but...ya know most people don’t push it, they knock 👎 Thanks for sharing 😁