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Receive Speakers/Splitting between two truck bays, comm room, and meeting room (Audio

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NoCoFire

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Greetings,

We are in the process of building a fire station addition where our truck room will now be split between a big 4 bay truck room and the smaller, original, two bay truck room. The new radio room will house our base radio and other communications equipment. Our base radio is a Kenwood Mobile TK -7360 pared with a Astron RS-35A, connected to a DB224 with hardline. We are VHF (155...) This setup has served us well for many years and with the move from the old to new radio room we will be keeping the same components but replacing the hardline with new line, new connectors, etc, and the antenna will be moved to a new mounting area on our new addition.

It used to be that in the old radio room we could connect an external speaker out of the 3.5mm mono jack on the back of the TK-7360. This was then connected to: A loudspeaker right outside the radio room in the truck room, a smaller external speaker inside the radio room, and a speaker upstairs in the meeting room. This was done without the need for an amplifier and everything worked pretty good.

Now with the move we need to feed two truck rooms, the external speaker inside the radio room, and I would still like to feed the meeting room upstairs.

Do you think that this will require an amplifier? I have no idea what the radio will feed and I am not sure about matching impedance/ohms from the receiver to the speaker. I prefer simple and the least amount of moving parts (less possible failure)

Perhaps some of you have a better idea/method/etc. We do not need a PA/Intercom system but that also would not be a bad idea - however we are limited by a budget and my guys work best with simple.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks - NoCoFire
 

cmdrwill

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Yes you will need a PA Amplifier with 70 volt output to feed your speakers. Each area would have speakers with a separate transformer/ volume control.

You need to get the receiver audio out from the Kenwood radio that IS not affected by the radio's volume control, and that is feed to the PA amp LINE INPUT. ( FILTERED AUDIO on Motorola radios. )
 

mmckenna

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On the rear of the TK-7360 is a DB-15 female connector. You can purchase a KCT-60 interface cable, or simply buy a DB-15 male connector and use that to connect to the radio.

Using Pin 4 (DEO - Detector output) and Pin 5 (ground) you'll have a low level output that can be used to feed to an external amplifier. This output wouldn't be impacted by the volume control on the front of the radio.

You can use the external speaker output, but you'd need to purchase a build an interface to bring the level -way- down to feed the amp. That output would also be controlled by the front panel volume control, which might not be a good thing as someone will inevitably turn it down and calls will be missed. It'll also disconnect the front speaker on the radio.
 

12dbsinad

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As what was already said, you'll need a 70 volt system. Many amps are available on the market. Make sure you don't size to small and always allow extra room for additional speakers if ever needed in the future.

I find that TOA and Bogen amps are near bullet proof and should provide many years of service. For the suspended ceilings we use the round Bogen speakers cut into the ceiling tile. Make sure you use a baffle above the speaker, otherwise it won't sound nearly as good. On the transformer there are multiple taps for how much wattage you want to drive each of the speakers. Some rooms (garage bays) you'd probably want a higher wattage vs a smaller area such as a bathroom speaker.

I always recommend more speakers and less volume. Installing only a few to get by usually means you're driving the crap out of them and you'll end up with uncomfortable levels near the speaker and severe feedback if you use your portable radios or truck radios in the bay.
 

NoCoFire

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12dbsinad, mmckenna, cmdrwill

Thank you all very much. I definitely have the information that I need to get this project off the ground. I appreciate your time.

NoCoFire
 

TampaTyron

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I second Bogen 70v amps and speakers....... And Bogen will even design a system for you of it is large enough.. TT
 

Hop763

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Bogen makes speakers that lay in the drop ceiling that are a complete unit with a adjustable tap control on the outside, CSD1*2VRU
 

scottyhetzel

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70 volt is great for long distance and many speakers... Tao and bogen are expensive amps...we are not wiring 10 rooms here. 8ohm normal house speakers are better. Any 2ch amp will work. Earthquake makes a good one with a volume control on the unit. I don’t like volume controls in a fire station . Guys turn them down to answer cell phones and calls get missed. The volume control should be in a locked area. Speakers can be parallel wired at the amp. Line level input from mackenna suggestion. This will sound the best...especially a speaker with a tweeter for female dispatchers comm.s..
 

cmdrwill

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Using Pin 4 (DEO - Detector output) and Pin 5 (ground) you'll have a low level output that can be used to feed to an external amplifier. This output wouldn't be impacted by the volume control on the front of the radio.


I thought that DEO Detector output was not filtered or squelched. Maybe a jumper or setting?
 

k8zgw

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PA Amps

Having been in the telephone business ( with a little two way radio) for over
thirty years, while Bogen makes an OK amp, I have had the best luck with
Grommes-Precision amps are ( in my opinion) the best. not cheap, but GOOD.
.I would look at their Axiom line, but you might be able to get away with the Basix line.
I have put their amps in everything from factories to fire stations to a race track.
and have found one I didn't install that had been "playing" for over 50 years.
They just don't break

Don
 

jim202

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70 volt is great for long distance and many speakers... Tao and bogen are expensive amps...we are not wiring 10 rooms here. 8ohm normal house speakers are better. Any 2ch amp will work. Earthquake makes a good one with a volume control on the unit. I don’t like volume controls in a fire station . Guys turn them down to answer cell phones and calls get missed. The volume control should be in a locked area. Speakers can be parallel wired at the amp. Line level input from mackenna suggestion. This will sound the best...especially a speaker with a tweeter for female dispatchers comm.s..

Careful here in trying to put several 8 ohm speakers all on the same line. Your going to lower the impedance to a point that the audio amp can't drive the speakers.

This is why the use of a 70 volt transformer system is used. You can drive a good number of speakers using the 70 volt system. I have serviced several locations using a 70 volt system with a transformer at each speaker.

It may take some trial and error attempts to find the right tap to provide the desired sound level for each location. I have found myself either raising the amp gain or lowering it before you end up with the sound level you need.

Good luck on your efforts installing the speakers and amp.
 
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