TWNMM: Pager Coding

Pager Coding How to send text messages on a numeric pager.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 19-Mar-2002 09:43:18 PST

Note: This was a webpage that I had up a long time ago, and after rooting around a backup I found it and placed it back online. While alphanumeric pagers have largely taken over where numeric-only ones left off, and the availability of cheap prepaid cellular has further deprecated the use of numeric paging, it's still a valid system. I personally have used it on SMS systems, because numeric input on many SMS phones is easy compared to text.

As a suggestion, you might want to copy and paste the codes below into a notepad entry on your Palm organizer. Really spiffy people will carry a cached copy of this page in AvantGo or somesuch...

General Guidelines: Getting your message across.

The first thing is to establish a set of codes for everybody you know. This should be a two (or for larger groups of people, four will suffice) digit code that identifies everybody in a group. It probably should not start with a zero (to keep it compatible with voice-mail paging systems).

You can use your personal code number to identify a telephone number as being from "you". For example, if your personal code is 19, you can follow the telephone number with 19 so the reciepient knows its from you, like so: 714-555-1212-19. Most paging systems use the * key to represent a dash, so you could send 714*555*1212*19 in the above example.

I have a registry of the codes used by people I know.

System One - Established Messages.

I found this textfile wandering around the net one day. I have no idea who to credit for it.. if it's yours, let me know and I'll provide proper credit.

Rather than sending just a phone number to someone's beeper, why not send a pager code that gives the message? Here are instructions on how to use them:

Set up personal codes for a constant reference to the personal ID code numbers of people who will be paging you.
When paging someone with your pager codes, it is very important to always add your code. This will notify the person you are paging who the message is from.
It is recommended that you write down your message followed by the corresponding codes before calling the pager. Reason: some paging companies give a limited time to punch in your code, so there is not enough time to flip around trying to find the proper code you need from your pager codes.
The Star* key should always be used to separate each individual code. Example: 12*207*322*509* = 12-207-322-509
Person codes should be two or four digits, so it is easy to differentiate between a code and a phone number.

  Coding Examples:
  (If Your Code is: 12...)

  MESSAGE: You left your wallet.
  CODE: 12-109-430 (Your Code-Forgot/Left Behind-Wallet/Purse 

  MESSAGE: I am running late, stuck in traffic.
  CODE: 12-215-216 (Your Code-running Late-Stuck in Traffic) 

  MESSAGE: Pick up John (His Code) at the soccer game in 2 hours.
  CODE: 12-117-14-328-2-505 (Your Code-Pick Up-John-Sport Activity-2-Hours) 

Basic Command Codes
100 - Available
101 - Be Home By
102 - Bring Me
103 - Call
104 - Call Collect (If Necessary)
105 - Cancel
106 - Change
107 - Come Back
108 - Drop Off/Deliver
109 - Forgot/Left Behind
110 - Go To
111 - Help
112 - Leaving
113 - Lost
114 - Meet
115 - Need
116 - No
117 - Pick Up
118 - Regarding
119 - Reschedule
120 - Unavailable
121 - Wait
122 - Will Arrive
123 - Will Not Arrive
124 - Yes

Information Codes
200 - At a Pay Phone
201 - Cancel Previous Page
202 - Do Not Meet Me
203 - Get Off the Phone
204 - I'm/Everything O.K.
205 - Job/Deal is Complete
206 - Job/Deal is Not Complete
207 - Meet Me
208 - Need a Ride
209 - On My Way
210 - Pay Phone Not Accepting Call
211 - Pick Me Up
212 - Pick You Up
213 - Problem Has Been Handled
214 - Received Your Message
215 - Running Late
216 - Stuck in Traffic
217 - Thank You
218 - Tired of Waiting; I'm Leaving
219 - Transportation Problem
220 - Where are You?
221 - Why Haven't You Called?
411 - Information

Destination Codes
300 - Airport
301 - Amusement Park
302 - Bank
303 - Child Care
304 - Church, Temple
305 - Cleaners
306 - Club/Organization
307 - Dance Club/Bar
308 - Doctor/Dentist Office
309 - Friends' House
310 - Grocery Store
311 - Gym/Health Club
312 - Home
313 - Hospital
314 - Job Site
315 - Library
316 - Meeting/Appointment
317 - Movies
318 - My Place
319 - Office/Work
320 - Park
321 - Party/Social Activity
322 - Place/Activity Discussed
323 - Relative's House
324 - Repair Shop
325 - Restaurant
326 - School
327 - Shopping Mall
328 - Sport Activity
329 - Video/Audio Store
330 - Warehouse
331 - Your Place

 Item Codes
400 - Alcohol/Beer
401 - Answer Machine/Voice Mail
402 - Bike/Motorcycle
403 - Books/Magazines
404 - Car/Truck
405 - CD's/Tapes
406 - Cigarettes
407 - Clothes/Shoes
408 - Credit Cards
409 - Daytimer/Organizer
410 - Drugs/Medicine
412 - Equipment/Supplies
413 - Fax/Copies
414 - Food
415 - Gas
416 - Glasses/Contacts
417 - Inventory/Product
418 - Item Discussed
419 - Keys
420 - Mail/Package
421 - Money/Check
422 - Pager
423 - Paperwork
424 - Pet
425 - Radio/Stereo
426 - Soft Drinks
427 - Telephone
428 - Tickets
429 - Video
430 - Wallet/Purse

Time Codes
500 - After
501 - Anytime
502 - Approximately
503 - Before
504 - Fairly Urgent/A.S.A.P.
505 - Hours
506 - Hurry/Quickly
507 - Minutes
508 - This Afternoon
509 - This Evening
510 - This Morning
511 - Time
512 - Tommorrow
513 - Until
514 - Yesterday
911 - Emergency

Family/Relationship Codes
600 - Attitude Adjustment Needed
601 - Happy Anniversary/Birthday
602 - Have a Great Day
603 - Hope You're Feeling Better
604 - Hugs and Kisses
605 - I Didn't Want You to Leave
606 - I Love You
607 - I Miss You
608 - I Owe You One
609 - I'm Mad at You
610 - I'm Scared
611 - I'm Sorry
612 - I'm Thinking About You
613 - It's Late, Get Home
614 - Just Called to Say Hi
615 - Let's Go Out
616 - Stay Away for Awhile
617 - Stop Calling Me
618 - This is My Last Page
619 - Wish You Were Here
620 - You Are in Trouble
621 - You Are the Greatest
622 - You Were Incredible

Random Messages

You can also send any short message using the letters above the numbers on the phone. I have written a PalmPilot applet to encode and decode these, but you really don't need the applet. It is easier to show than to try to verbally explain it. Here's the word "HELLO" encoded in this fashion.

4232535363

Each two letter combination is one letter. In the above, "42" is H. We get this because: "H" is on the 4 key (look at a phone), and it's the second letter on the 4 key (GHI = 4, H=42). For purposes of the coding scheme, Q and Z are on the 1 (QZ. = 1 -- Some funky phones have this on them, actually). The limitations of this method is that it is difficult to send a long message this way... most pagers have a 16 character limit. If you're message is longer than 8 letters, you can build multiple pages using "ZeroCode". ZeroCode is the fifteenth and sixteenth character. 01 = page 1, more to follow... 02 = page two, more to follow. this is done because some paging systems (like Flex for example) may actually send newer pages before older ones (there is no guarantee that paging systems are FIFO).

Summary

By using a combination of these two approaches, anybody can send messages to anybody else, simply using numeric pages. Have fun!

i like honey

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index.shtml, Updated: Tuesday, 19-Mar-2002 09:43:18 PST .