Help for Subscribers

Using the Telephone Stations

If you're a Subscriber to Wendy, you DON'T dial the 0900-series public number! There is a separate normal-geographic number for each station. (For instance, Devils Dyke is on 01273-857-002.)

Or, you can just go to the Home Page and look at the main map of stations. Click on the station dot, and a page of info will come up about that station including its Subscriber Number.

There are 2 benefits to calling these numbers:

• The calls are much cheaper (and even FREE if you have a call allowance).
• The data is much more up-to-date. You're phoning the station on-site itself! Data is updated every 30 seconds, whereas on the website and the public number, it's gathered from round the country and updated every 30 minutes!

OK, so, you note your password. Call the Station Number (01273-857-002 , for instance).

Then listen. The station will answer with a "Beep" sound.

The Opening Message (and how to Skip it)

Sometimes the Wendy has an opening message on it - in which case the first thing you will hear is "Message" - (beep).

Then there's a second or two's pause, then the message is read out. This message may be a reminder of our contact numbers, a message about a new station in the area, or a redirection message for non-subscribers, etc.

Obviously, you may not want to listen through the message every time you call, so we've built in a way for you to avoid it. After the station says "Message-beep" , there is a pause for about 1.5 seconds or so. During this pause, hit the *(STAR) key, and you'll jump over the message, straight to Please Enter Your Code, as normal.

This also works if there is no upfront message - when the station answers with a beep as normal - hit Star, and you'll immediately get "Please Enter Your Code", without delay.

There is an even quicker way - as soon as you hear the opening "beep", or "Message=beep" then enter #12345678 where 12345678=your code.

This will jump over any opening message, and skip the "Please Enter Your Code" message as well, and give you direct access.

Auto-Logon from Mobiles

Is there a way to avoid having to enter your Access Code manually? Yes - from a mobile! You can't just tack the 8 digits onto the end of the phone number - the station has to answer the call first, before it can hear them.

However, with many mobiles, there is a way to program a dial string to do this. Many mobiles can program a pause into the dial string, and also a "wait for answer" pause.

You have to program a memory number like this:

1. The Wendy phone number to be dialled
2. Then, pause 3-6 seconds or so
3. Then send your 8-digit access code

It might look like this: 01273857002(pause)85486323

How do you do this on your particular phone? - RTFM!

(Read The Flaming Manual!)

However, I can tell you that, on most Nokias and Ericsson phones, you do: [Wendy station number] [p] [your password]
which might look like:

01273857002p85486323   (you get "p" by pressing the * key several times.)

You may have to do two "p" entries, in order to get the phone to wait long enough. If you do, the screen on the phone should look like this:

01273857002pp85486323

If the station is not engaged, this procedure should result in an auto-logon, with no manual code entry (providing the line you dialled wasn't engaged).

There is a better way, which may work on your phone.

Set up:    01273857002w85486323

(You get "w" by pressing * until it shows on the display, usually. It's usually one more * press than you need to get "p")

This dials the number, then waits for you to press a button on the phone before sending the rest of the string - your access code. So, you start the dial sequence, wait until Wendy says Please Enter Your Code, then press a button to send the access code. The button you press is usually the one at the bottom left of the phone screen.

Fast-Forward

Once into the station, you may get the Tide Times first (if it's a Coastal Station). If you don't want to listen to them, enter a * keypress any time during the tide report. The station will jump the tides, and go straight to the weather.

During the weather report, the * key again acts as a fast-forward button. Pressing it causes the report to skip forward to the next section of the weather. For instance, hitting star after the Current Wind will cause it to skip the Wind History, and go straight to Skystate, and so on.

Shortcut Commands at the Start of Phone Report

There is provision for you to select the type of report you want, right at the start of a phone session. People usually want to either:

• Skip the tides, and go straight to the weather.
• Have a faster weather report than the usual one.
• Have the raw daylight percentages, rather than the Skystate reading.

To do any of these, you wait until the Wendy Station says:

"This is [Station] at 9:34 am"

(or whatever the time is)

Then, you can enter a command digit to alter the Style of the Report.   (you have around 1.5 seconds to do this, so be quick - but press AND HOLD the key for longer than usual - like about a second, to make sure)

In all cases, if tides are present at the station, it will give them AFTER the normal weather report, instead of up front, if you enter any of these digits.