"Skylink Model AD-433S Emergency Dialer - User Review"

By Ron Stultz

8 January 2010

I like it.

The Skylink model AD-433S is a user programmed autodialer with home security system wireless capabilities.

What I like:

- Well designed. Has excellent hardware and programmable features.

- Well constructed. Not cheaply made like some autodialers.

- Easily programmed. Actually has a user manual of more than 2 pages.

- Always "armed" or ready to dial out.

- Dialed telephone numbers are stored in EPROM and not lost if both the 12VDC power adapter and backup 9VDC battery are lost.

- Has screw terminals for a normally closed (NC) dialer trigger. I use these terminals to interface this device to an existing home security system I have.

- Sells for about $100. Not cheap for an autodialer but worth the cost for the quality.

What I do not like:

- Built in speaker for playback of user defined autodialer voice message is total crap. I found playback of my recorded message to be almost unintelligentable. There is a switch to turn this speaker off and that is what I have done.

What I can not comment on:

In my case, I connected this device directly to an existing home security system and did not use any of the wireless devices sold for use with this dialer. Thus I can not comment how well it performs in the wireless security system mode. I did see that the autodialer has a built-in antenna that must extended up out of the dialer's plastic case, which I find cosmetically unpleasing.