Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsHeadlinesRSS
14,000 hints and counting!

Send a fax using a phone card System
In order to use a phone card (one of those cards with either pre-paid or cheap long distance) to fax something, I had to think up this workaround. When using a phone card, you often have to wait for prompts before you can both enter your pin number and dial the desired number. Here's how I worked around that problem...

Start by setting up the fax by clicking Print... from the File menu while viewing the document you want to fax. In the bottom left corner of the Print dialog, select "Fax PDF..." from the PDF popup menu. Select an Address Book entry that has the fax number as your phone card would like it. If you don't have one already set up, you may need to switch to the Address Book and do just that.

Next select Modem from the third pop-up in the center of the dialog (Modem is the second item in the pop-up, which is itself unlabeled, but located below the Presets pop-up). Uncheck "Wait for dial tone before dialing," but don't click the Fax button just yet.

Now pick up your handset. Dial your phone card's number. Wait for it to answer. Go through its menu system and enter your pin number, etc. When it prompts you for the number you want to dial, click the Fax button on the Mac. After a few seconds, your Mac should dial the rest of the number and begin faxing. Now I remember older fax programs that let you install a pause, just for such purposes ... however, there does not seem to be a way to do this using OS X's built-in fax feature. If any one knows a better way to do this, please post it in the comments...

[robg adds: I've searched for any info on adding delays to OS X's fax dialing feature -- in both Address Book's help, and the general system help. A little work on Google wasn't much help, though I did find Jon's Phone Tool, which looks like it might ease the manual dialing stage.]
    •    
  • Currently 2.80 / 5
  You rated: 3 / 5 (5 votes cast)
 
[11,595 views]  

Send a fax using a phone card | 6 comments | Create New Account
Click here to return to the 'Send a fax using a phone card' hint
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Send a fax using a phone card
Authored by: hedgeland on Aug 31, '05 10:51:26AM
Man, I could've used this hint exactly 2 days ago! Oh well, I'll definitely keep this hint bookmarked for the next time.

I did some searching on this when I was trying to fax and finally found this seemingly obscure help entry on Apple's website. You would think that the built in OS X help for faxing would link to this entry, but you would be wrong.

How to enter special characters when dialing a modem (pauses, etc):

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=152362

I'm not quite sure what the "@" and "&" accomplish, so if anyone has better explanations than what Apple supplies, please post!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Send a fax using a phone card
Authored by: hedgeland on Aug 31, '05 11:09:23AM
Oops, didn't complete the link html. Let's try that link again. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=152362

[ Reply to This | # ]
Send a fax using a phone card
Authored by: shavenyak on Aug 31, '05 12:32:48PM
Geez, I thought everybody knew that you put commas in the phone number to pause. I guess you kids with your fancy broadband connections to that intarweb don't remember the good old days, when we dialed into BBS's by typing the modem commands ourselves.
ATH0^&(&(&@($(#*****
NO CARRIER


[ Reply to This | # ]
Send a fax using a phone card
Authored by: flyingtrout on Aug 31, '05 02:45:24PM
Using a phone card type deal is MUCH easier if you have a service such as OneSuite:
 http://www.onesuite.com/ 
I am able to set this up so that any of three phone number I dial in from (I use my home, work and mobile numbers) do not need to use a password. I simply input the access number string into my fax dialing number, then add, as mentioned in other comments, an appropriate number of commas. It took some testing to find out that 3 commas worked for me (usually). Then I add in the string for the actual number I am dialing. With some trial and errror you should be able to figure out the correct # of commas, and also add in a password string for cards or services where you need this. BTW you can use this for OneSuite (Shamless Pyramid Pitch...I really do like their service, we dial Japan for 4 cents per minute):
 * You've got to check out this long distance service I use right now that's been saving me big bucks!

For as low as 2.5 cents per minutes, OneSuite.com lets you call anywhere in the continental US at anytime!

You can even save more on international calls! It's so easy, just sign up here:

https://www.onesuite.com/052L05949/suitetreat and we'll both get 20 minutes for FREE! 


[ Reply to This | # ]
Re: Send a fax using a phone card; Another option
Authored by: flyingtrout on Aug 31, '05 02:46:18PM
Using a phone card type deal is MUCH easier if you have a service such as OneSuite:
 http://www.onesuite.com/ 
I am able to set this up so that any of three phone number I dial in from (I use my home, work and mobile numbers) do not need to use a password. I simply input the access number string into my fax dialing number, then add, as mentioned in other comments, an appropriate number of commas. It took some testing to find out that 3 commas worked for me (usually). Then I add in the string for the actual number I am dialing. With some trial and errror you should be able to figure out the correct # of commas, and also add in a password string for cards or services where you need this. BTW you can use this for OneSuite (Shamless Pyramid Pitch...I really do like their service, we dial Japan for 4 cents per minute):
 * You've got to check out this long distance service I use right now that's been saving me big bucks!

For as low as 2.5 cents per minutes, OneSuite.com lets you call anywhere in the continental US at anytime!

You can even save more on international calls! It's so easy, just sign up here:

https://www.onesuite.com/052L05949/suitetreat and we'll both get 20 minutes for FREE! 


[ Reply to This | # ]
Send a fax using a phone card
Authored by: Bigc on Sep 01, '05 12:32:20PM

Doesn't a comma still give a 3 second delay when inserted in the dialing box ?



[ Reply to This | # ]