A mobile starter is a motor starter you control from your phone. Instead of walking to the pump house at night to check whether power has come, you switch your borewell motor ON or OFF from wherever you are, and the starter tells you what is happening at the pump. With BTCO, a mobile starter also keeps your motor safe from burning: it still trips on dry run, overload and supply problems, and now it tells you on your phone why it stopped.
How a mobile starter works
A normal automatic starter protects the motor and starts it when power comes. A mobile starter adds a GSM unit with a SIM card, so the starter can receive your commands and send you messages over the mobile network, just like a phone. With BTCO, that unit is the BTCO GSM Module, a 4G module that connects to the MPAU, the protection and control unit inside every BTCO 3 phase starter. You control it in two ways:
- The free BTCO Starters app: ON / OFF, Auto Switch, timers, live voltage and current, alerts and logs.
- SMS from any phone: switch the motor ON or OFF and check its status, even without a smartphone.
- There is no missed-call control: BTCO mobile starters work with the app and SMS.
Why a mobile starter helps stop motor burning
Remote switching is only half the job. Motors burn when they run dry, run overloaded or run on a bad supply, and a mobile starter is only as good as the protection behind it. In a BTCO mobile starter, the MPAU still does all the protecting:
- It switches the motor off on dry run before the pump overheats, and starts it again after the dry restart time you set. How dry run protection works.
- It trips on overload, single phasing, earth fault and cable faults.
- With the GSM Module, every trip comes to your phone with the reason, for example Dry Run Trip or Overload Trip, so you know whether to go to the field or call an electrician.
- You get an alert the moment power is cut and the moment it comes back, so you are never guessing.
Which starters can become a mobile starter?
Every BTCO starter: DOL, Star Delta, Combined DOL, Combined Star Delta and Single Phase. Not sure which one your motor needs? Read DOL vs star delta: which starter does your motor need?
Already have a BTCO starter? If it was bought in January 2024 or later, you can add the GSM Module. If it is from early 2024 or older, call us before buying and we will check whether it fits.
What you need
- A BTCO starter with the GSM Module fitted.
- A SIM card in the module, and mobile network at the pump.
- The free BTCO Starters app on your Android phone (iPhone users use the web app at app.btcostarters.com), or any phone for SMS.
For the full details, with app screenshots and the BTCO app’s Google Play rating, see our mobile starter page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mobile starter?
A motor starter you control from your phone. A BTCO mobile starter is any BTCO starter with the BTCO GSM Module fitted: you switch the motor ON or OFF with the BTCO Starters app or by SMS, and get alerts when power comes, when it goes and when the motor stops.
Does a mobile starter protect the motor from burning?
Yes. The MPAU inside the BTCO starter still trips the motor on dry run, overload, single phasing, earth fault and cable faults. The GSM Module adds an alert on your phone with the reason for every trip.
Can I switch the motor ON with a missed call?
No. BTCO mobile starters work with the BTCO Starters app and by SMS. Missed-call control is not available.
Will it work in my village?
The GSM Module works on 4G with a SIM card inside it, so there must be mobile network at the pump. You can control it from anywhere your phone has network.
Can I add mobile control to my old BTCO starter?
Yes, if the starter was bought in January 2024 or later. For starters from early 2024 or older, call us before buying the GSM Module and we will check whether it fits.
Protect your motor with BTCO
Call or WhatsApp us with your motor’s HP and your power supply, or visit your nearest BTCO Starters dealer. Have more questions? See our motor starter FAQ.
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