Question 1

Does it need broadband or a phone line?

Accepted Answer

No. The unit works entirely over the mobile network using texts and a little 4G data, which is exactly why it suits a barn or pump house with no line running to it. Drop in a SIM, power it up and it's working — no Openreach, no trench up the lane.

Question 2

How many things can one box look after?

Accepted Answer

Each controller carries 2 to 8 switched outputs, so a single unit can mind the gate, a pump, a light and an alarm together. If you've got several buildings spread out, you can run a unit at each and manage them all from the one phone.

Question 3

Will it warn me automatically, or do I have to check it?

Accepted Answer

It warns you. Wire in a temperature probe, a door contact or a power-fail input and the unit texts you the moment your threshold is crossed — you don't have to remember to look, which is the whole point on a site you only visit now and then.

Question 4

What does it cost to keep running each month?

Accepted Answer

Very little. Because it leans on texts and barely any data, a basic pay-as-you-go SIM with five to ten pounds of credit on it usually lasts several months before it needs topping up.

Question 5

Is it a big job to get going?

Accepted Answer

No. Slot in the SIM, wire your gate, pump or sensor to the outputs, then send a text or tap the app. Most people have a unit set up and tested inside an hour, with no electrician on a basic 12V install.

Question 6

Will it survive being mounted in a draughty barn or outside?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Weatherproof enclosures are available for outdoor and exposed mountings, and the units are built to shrug off a British winter in an unheated store or pump house year-round.

Question 7

What happens if the signal drops out at the building?

Accepted Answer

Commands queue and the unit reconnects on its own once signal returns. For a building where you can't afford a gap — a chiller or a stock shed — dual-SIM models hop to a second network automatically so the alerts keep coming.

GSM Alarms — Outbuildings & Remote Sites