How to use an iphone keypad to operate a remote gate entry that requires a touchtone?

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Level 1

8 points

How to use an iphone keypad to operate a remote gate entry that requires a touchtone?

Our condo complex has a gated entry with intercom. The intercom is capable of dialing both landlines and cell phones. However, to open the gate remotely you need to depress #9 on your phone keypad to generate the touch tone that will open the gate. On phones with mechanical keypads, holding the key down will produce a tone long enough to trigger the remote gate. On an iphone, however, the tone is too short to trigger the gate. The iphone keypad does not generate a tone for the length of time you touch the keypad. Is there a method to create a longer touch tone from the iphone keypad?

Posted on Mar 13, 2014 3:28 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,291 points

Jul 29, 2016 7:08 PM in response to mishabuggy

The iPhones send the standard DTMF tones. I am not aware of any method to extend the length of the tones on the phone. I just attempted to hold down the 9 key on my phone after calling a number and if you hold your finger down on the key steadily, it will generate the tone for a little over 3 seconds. Not sure why that wouldn't work.

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Answer 2

bobinpas Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 13, 2014 3:54 PM in response to sberman

Someone suggested putting the iphone on speaker phone before depressing "9" so I went down and tested the gate several times using speaker phone and it worked. The tone didn't seem any different then being off speaker so I tested it without speaker phone and it continued to work. I now think it was working all along and my visitors were too slow to open the gate before the lock re-engaged. I assumed it was an issue with phone as I had disconnected the landline that had previously operated the gate and had never had issues with people getting in. Also, the person in the complex who oversees the phone system told me it wouldn't work with cell phones.

Thanks for the feedback anyway!

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Answer 3

Jul 29, 2016 7:03 PM in response to bobinpas

I have this problem as well. I tried getting the phone company to help, but they said that the tone coming from my iPhone isn't long enough. I have a 6s. It wasn't like this with my other iPhones, but my 6s is definitely a problem. Is there a way to fix this? No matter how long I touch the number "9", it only gives out a short tone, not long enough for the intercom to work.

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Answer 4

sberman

Level 10

272,280 points

Mar 13, 2014 3:38 PM in response to bobinpas

I just tried holding down the pound (#) key on my iPhone 5S. The tone sound continued for almost a second.

Is that really not long enough? Or is there some other issue?

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