TOT: Sim for SMS and GPRS data only

[AlanD]

Totally off topic I know, but as this group has the answers to everything...

I need a sim (for use in a GPS data tracker) which is as cheap as possible to run. It will never be used for voice, just SMS and GPRS data.

The tracker will live in a caravan, located in a storage site. The tracker is configured to send me an SMS when it detects movement, and report on the caravan battery voltage - which it can only do by GPRS. (There will be a solar panel to recharge the battery)

Currently I have an ASDA PAYG sim, which in 6p/text (fine) BUT...

75p/day for GPRS (upto 25mb). I'm not expecting to send many texts, (only when the tracker detects movement) but the GPRS data although tiny is frequent, and useful to plot the battery voltage over time (computer recieving it at home), however the 75p/day charge will soon add up.

So can anyone suggest an alternative? I don't mind if contract or PAYG, as long as it's cheap!

Alan.

[fred]

In article , AlanD writes

Prob one worth crossing over to uk.telecom.mobile

[AlanD]

Thanks, will give them a try now...

[alan]

Giffgaff PAYG 20p for 20Mbytes per day - it gets expensive after that on straight PAYG (20p for every additional 1Mbytes/day) but they offer Goodybags for £10/month with unlimited data (which isn't really unlimited - and they are currently discussing cutting back on the allowed usage with the Goodybag packages)

Giffgaff uses the O2 network.

[Dave Liquorice]

There are so many variations in tarrifs these days that finding the best one for your particular useage pattern is nigh on impossible. You could try the Ofcom approved mobile phone price comparison sites:

in the expected useage and see what they come up with.

[David WE Roberts]

That sounds like the service you get from a Mobile Data dongle - SMS and data but voice blocked. At least that was what I had on my old Virgin £5/month dongle. You should certainly be able to get a data SIM for less than £22.50 a month. [0.75 * 30] Asuming that is the current tarrif you pay.

Cheers

Dave R

[Tim+]

Search on eBay and you might find an old Vodafone dongle/sim on the £15 per gigabyte tariff which has no monthly charge.

Tim

[Alan Deane]

I have several of those sims already... but they won't send SMS unfortunately!

Otherwise the £15 would go a very long way with that deal!

[Alan Deane]

That sounds ideal, many thanks.

[Andy Burns]

I'm pretty sure mine does SMS, it came with vodafone software to do that, I'll check later ...

[jkn]

I have one of the old Vodafone PAYG sim cards - and it definitely does send SMS.

J^n

[David WE Roberts]

Haven't tried, but can you send an SMS via Skype from a program or script? i.e. is there a Skype API? If so, you could send the SMS over the data connection.

[news]

The trackers we use in mobile plant have sims from the Czech Republic and are data and sms but as the control centre manage the data I cannot say how much they cost. The good thing is as they roam on any of the UK networks they have good coverage.

AJH