Bug Smacker

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Your Home Phone on Google Voice

Tim R. Enright

That is it, no more phone bills! I have decided to switch my home phone number from Vonage to Google Voice.  I now needed to check into “Porting” the phone number so that I could keep it. I logged into my Gmail account and went to Google Voice. The setup procedure asked if I would like to use a new number or use my mobile number. I chose to use my mobile number. I put in my number to check for available options. The results I received stated that my mobile number could not be ported at this time. I was not surprised since the number is still listed with Vonage who is considered a land line provider.

I then called Verizon. I asked them to setup a new “Pay As You Go” account from me on an old cell phone I had laying in the junk drawer. I said I wanted to port my existing number to them, which they were more than glad to do. I selected the least expensive plan which cost $0.00 per day with 25 cents per minute. This would not matter since I did not plan on using the service anyway. They wanted to charge me an activation fee until I stated the fee was waived on the internet where I got this number to call them. They also wanted me to pay for some minutes upfront. I just told them I would rather wait until the transfer is complete. So far I have switched my number from Vonage to Verizon and it has cost me nothing.

Next I went online to Amazon and purchased a VOIP device. I ordered the OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter which will allow us to make and receive calls from Google Voice. It also has some other really nice features as well. The device is portable so you can use it wherever you have internet access. Best of all there is NO monthly fee.

The porting of my number to took a little longer than expected (due to an error by Vonage). The next day I received a text message from Verizon that the number had been ported. I then waited until the following day to make any more changes due to the fact that most services refresh overnight.

The next morning I logged into my Google Voice account and plugged in my phone number again, this time it worked. I chose to port my number to Google Voice. During the process you will be asked for your account number. I just called Verizon customer service to obtain the number.

It was in the porting process with Google that my free ride came to a halt. They needed to verify my cell phone number by calling it. Since I hadn’t purchased any minutes yet, the attempt to call my cell phone failed. I did however find out that instead of purchasing the minimum $15 dollar amount by calling *611 on your cell phone, you can stop by a Verizon store and buy a $5 dollar package. I also had to spend $20 dollars to have Google port the number when it was finished.

In conclusion: In a matter of 3 days and $25 dollars I ported my phone number twice, spent an additional $50 dollars on an Telephone Adapter, and ended up with the same home telephone number and service I had with Vonage; only now it is FREE!

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2012

Make Your Home Phone Free

Tim R. Enright

Years ago our house phone bill got so ridiculously expensive that we decided to do something about it. I wanted to keep our current house phone number, so I decided to “Port” our number. This allowed me to switch to a new service while keeping our current number.

I shopped around and decided that a VoIP service would best fit our needs. This would allow us to use our current house phone over the internet. Using the line over the web allows you to plug it in anywhere. This is great for RVers and anyone who travels like we do.

The cost would be a fraction of what we were currently paying. Of all the providers available, Vonage was the one we chose. This was mainly due to their popularity.

The quality of the service that Vonage provided us was not as good as what I was accustomed to with a traditional land line provider. Since the majority of our talk time was spent on cell phones the objective at this point was to just get the cost of our home phone service down. This would allow us to keep our old home phone number.

I have had Vonage since January of 2007.  I started with the lowest basic calling plan they offed which was $14.99. As time progressed, the cost grew to $17.99 with plan increases and added fees. The cost started to seem quite high compared to the amount of use we had on this line. After some consideration, I decided to call Vonage and pull the plug.

I called Vonage and informed them that I was going to leave. At that point they informed me they could switch me to an unadvertised plan that only costs $9.99. When I asked about the differences in features on the plan I was told they were exactly the same. Go figure!

The last couple of weeks our Vonage line has been dying. I called Vonage for help. They had me reconnecting and cycling things on the Vonage device. Finally they determined that it was my internet connection. I don’t buy this for a minute. This did though get Vonage off the hook. They are in fact completely off the hook now, I fired them.

I have now decided to switch the home phone number over to Google Voice which is Free. At this point we only get a handful of calls on this line with most of them being of a political nature lately. I still however have a hard time getting rid of the old number. Google Voice fits the bill perfectly.

Google Voice is basically a voice answering system that allows you to store voicemail. It also has the capability to forward calls to other numbers as well as email and text messages. With the addition of an OBi VoIP Device you can now make outgoing calls as well.

Check out the following article to find out exactly how I went about this transition:
Your Home Phone Number on Google Voice

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2012

Video Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2012

It is Friday the 13^th and we decided to try our luck and make our first RV trip of the season at a casino. That was a big mistake! Not that either of us are big time gamblers, but we both went into see how the 13^th would treat us this time. We both dropped a twenty in our machines and pressed our buttons. It was at that point that things got weird. My machine broke and I could not hit spin anymore. I then moved to the machine next to us and tried to continue with that one. That machine was broke as well. The spin button would not light up. Terri asked if I remembered to cash out of the first machine at which I replied “my bad”. I leaned over to the first machine to cash out when I realized that there was no cash to come out. Then I noticed that my 1 penny machine was actually a 1 dollar machine. I don’t like to waste time at the machines like my wife does so I tend to select the max button when I play. This is when the machine sucked in my $20 and spit out lemons. Oh well, I didn’t waste much time today. One spin and I was done!

The rest of the weekend was actually quite nice. The weather was great for this time of year with only a little rain on go-home day. The Prime Rib and Seafood Buffet was excellent as usual. The place also had the water turned on at the campsites which we hadn’t expected.

On Saturday, we took a short day-trip down town to Manistee and saw a ship that had run aground near the mouth of the river. It was a 579-foot integrated tug and barge vessel which grounded in Lake Michigan early that morning and began to take in water. When we were there, the 579-foot vessel, known as the “Invincible,” was still blocking 30 percent of a channel near the North Manistee break-wall.

I guess the ship wasn’t all that “Invincible” after all.

Spring Cleaning and Maintenance for your RV

Tim R. Enright

Easter has come and gone. The days are getting longer and so is the grass. Even the flowers are popping out. These are all indications that it is time to get the cobwebs out of your RV and gather the things that were remove from it last season.  It’s time to go camping again.

Before you head out this year, this is a good time to check your RV over, do a little maintenance and spring cleaning. Here is a brief check list to get you started.

• Clean Flooring
• Dust
• Clean Refrigerator
• Clean Linins
• Clean Windows
• Clean Window Treatments
• Restock Cleaning Supplies
• Restock Bathroom Supplies
• Restock Paper Plates, Plastic Silverware, etc.
• Replace Batteries in Detectors (smoke, gas, etc.)
• Check Fire Extinguisher
• Lubricate Exterior Hinges and Levers
• Lubricate TV antenna
• Lubricate Folding Steps
• Clean / Lubricate Jacks and Landing Gear
• Check Tire Air Pressures (don’t forget spare tire)
• Check Tires Pressure on Tow and/or Towed Vehicles
• Check Tire Tread for Wear
• Check Trailer Brakes
• Lubricate Trailer Axles
• Inspect Roof, Windows, Vents, etc. sealant for Cracks (reseal if necessary)
• Clean Roof
• Reinstall Battery / Check Terminals
• Flush and Sanitize Water Tanks
• Check and Lube Hitch Components
• Clean Slide Mechanisms
• Refasten / Check LP Tank System
• Check Engine Fluids and Belts
• Check Lights
• Check/ Tighten Wheel Lugs

This is also a great time to look for any items that you may not have used last season and ask yourself if you really need to keep hauling these things along. With gas prices rapidly climbing, it may be a good time to leave some stuff behind.

These items are not listed in any specific order. The list is not necessarily inclusive of everything that you may need to check on your particular RV. Check your manuals for details relating to your specific rig.

Here is a link you can use to print the list above: Spring Cleaning and Maintenance List

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2012

Don’t Bug Me

Tim R. Enright

Ever get to your destination after a long trip only to find your vehicle splattered by bugs? Ever wish you could just peal them all off with one quick easy swipe? Well with Road Wrap, now you can.

Road Wrap is an ingenious product. This product will help protect the front of your vehicle from bugs, tar, grime and even small stones.  You can use it to protect your tow or towed vehicle from road debris when travelling. When done just peal it off and your vehicle is left unblemished. This product is a necessity for those long RV road excursions. I highly recommend picking up a roll of Road Wrap before your next trip.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2012