MCC7500 with VPM - Multiple gooseneck mics

referencethisradio · #1 (**permalink**) 01-31-2013, 1:50 PM

My dispatch center is about to go live with 6 mcc consoles with vpms. I wanted to know if anybody has tried to use more than one gooseneck on this system. I know the vpm has only one mic input, but i've thought about modifying the headset jacks db15 connector for use with a second microphone. Does anybody have the pinout for the headset jacks db15 connector or the rj45 gooseneck mic connector. The obvious answer would be a splitter on the mic input but I'm not confident this will work. Thanks for the replys!

fireresq2825 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-01-2013, 6:36 AM

There is not an easy solution for using two gooseneck mics. A wireless headset would allow a person to move about and use the console from anywhere in range. They work very well, and if needed for two people there are two headset jacks.

I don't want to sound rude, but perhaps you should ask your Motorola ST on the project for that pinout information. I'm sure he would be happy to share that with you and help you potentially void the warranty and / or damage some very expensive new equipment and create a solution that no one will want to support if it breaks.

jim202 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-01-2013, 6:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by referencethisradio

My dispatch center is about to go live with 6 mcc consoles with vpms. I wanted to know if anybody has tried to use more than one gooseneck on this system. I know the vpm has only one mic input, but i've thought about modifying the headset jacks db15 connector for use with a second microphone. Does anybody have the pinout for the headset jacks db15 connector or the rj45 gooseneck mic connector. The obvious answer would be a splitter on the mic input but I'm not confident this will work. Thanks for the replys!

Not sure I can understand the reason for a second mic. What I have found in my many travels around the country is that the radio techs have the mic gain set so high, they will pick up an ant farting way across the room. It is bad when you can hear someone talking from way across the room and it comes over the radio almost as loud as the dispatcher sitting at the console.

SteveC0625 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-01-2013, 7:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim202

Not sure I can understand the reason for a second mic. What I have found in my many travels around the country is that the radio techs have the mic gain set so high, they will pick up an ant farting way across the room. It is bad when you can hear someone talking from way across the room and it comes over the radio almost as loud as the dispatcher sitting at the console.

And, that's one reason why many dispatch centers don't even have the console mics installed. When I started at Rochester PD in 1976, they had already pulled the mics off the old GE consoles in favor of headsets. A few years later, when Fire Dispatch moved into our facility, that sub-group thought they knew better and tried to use the goosenecks on their brand spanky new Motorola consoles. It took less than 4 weeks for them to discover that 15 dispatch positions is 14 too many to be using them in a single room.

There's now an even more critical reason to use headsets: Most dispatchers have at least one computer at their work positions. It is unrealistic to expect someone to try to type on a computer and sit in a position to use a fixed position gooseneck mic. The trend is now to have work stations with adjustable everything: work station height, monitor height and tilt, keyboard height and tilt, and the mic is part of the headset on the operator's head allowing 100% freedom of movement at the position.

cmdrwill · #5 (**permalink**) 02-01-2013, 3:17 PM

Get real headsets that plug in.

Field personnel have a hard time with the piss poor quality of the 'wireless' headsets. Like what has been mentioned, they have high levels of noise and lots of distortion.

firefive76 · #6 (**permalink**) 02-02-2013, 2:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmdrwill

Get real headsets that plug in.

Field personnel have a hard time with the piss poor quality of the 'wireless' headsets. Like what has been mentioned, they have high levels of noise and lots of distortion.

We've been using wireless headsets for several years now. The sound quality is just as good as when we used the old plug in type, there's no difference at all. In fact, I don't know of any place around here that still uses wired headsets. Gone are the days of getting tangled in the cord, tripping over the cord, open mics from not getting your plug back in all the way, and unplugging every time you need to do anything away from your console!

cmdrwill · #7 (**permalink**) 02-02-2013, 4:11 PM

firefive76

So maybe you had someone who knows how to set them up......

pforbes · #8 (**permalink**) 05-15-2013, 7:40 AM

May I sneak into this thread?
I'm interested in learning about the good quality Wireless Headsets that were mentioned above as well as how well 20 of them in the same Dispatch Centre would perform.
We'll be getting new MCC7500's and the wired headsets have always been troublesome.

firefive76 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-15-2013, 8:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pforbes

May I sneak into this thread?
I'm interested in learning about the good quality Wireless Headsets that were mentioned above as well as how well 20 of them in the same Dispatch Centre would perform.
We'll be getting new MCC7500's and the wired headsets have always been troublesome.

Here's what we use: Plantronics | CA12CD PTT Adapter

We only use 5 in the same dispatch center, so I couldn't tell you how 20 will work within the same area.

kb0uxv · #10 (**permalink**) 05-15-2013, 1:52 PM

We use the same plantronics headset posted above. Staff likes them and audio is good. But 7500 GPIOM.

pforbes · #11 (**permalink**) 05-17-2013, 5:52 PM

How's the interference factor?

jim202 · #12 (**permalink**) 05-17-2013, 7:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pforbes

May I sneak into this thread?
I'm interested in learning about the good quality Wireless Headsets that were mentioned above as well as how well 20 of them in the same Dispatch Centre would perform.
We'll be getting new MCC7500's and the wired headsets have always been troublesome.

I feel sorry for you that your getting the MCC7500. There have been a number of comments on the APCO chat group about the audio problems lately from agencies that are using them. Hope that the great Motorola engineering groups resolves the problems quickly.

Jim

pforbes · #13 (**permalink**) 05-18-2013, 7:40 AM

Thanks for the heads-up, Jim. I've lost touch with the APCO chat. Have you the link to it? I'd really enjoy seeing what those issues are so we might be able to head them off at the pass. I've just found that the VPM we'll be getting has been stripped of several standard features of GPOIM and CIE's. Not nice. Though, I've constructed work-arounds. Hate having to do that!