Dispatch consoles?

[SKYNET156]

What is needed to make a dispatch console receive other RX only frequencies?
A friend of mine in Tennessee has a Centracom and would like to know how to fill the other positions with RX only Traffic?

Do you need a receiver and cards?

[kb4mdz]

Going with the stupidly simple answer, yes, a receiver and a card (I assume you're talking about a BIM - Base Interface Module - it's what takes receive audio from a radio & puts it into the console system, and if the channel is capable of transmitting, takes the microphone audio from the console, and routes it out to the transmitter portion of the radio).

What else can you tell us about your friend's Centracom (and here, I assume it's something like a Centracom II. Don't know noting about no old old Centracoms which might predate the II).

[SKYNET156]

Well,

He went to an auction some where in KY, and picked up a Centracom II,

He wants to do Skywarn on the positions, i believe most frequencies to be in the 174mhz area, and we are just stumped on how to add to that,

I want to say it's a 10 or 12 channel model, and he wants to ad local fire and skywarn on the RX side as a project for his local group, i haven't really much knowledge in this area,
But like i said, i guessed a receiver and some cards to rx the frequencies,

If you could be kind enough to point me in the right direction, it would be very helpful.

He belongs to the Nashville/Davidson County Skywarn Group

[N_Jay]

CentraCom consoles (in general) have no receivers.

They are designed to interface to the audio remote control connections of base stations.

EDIT:
Since it is a CentraCom II, you need the console positions, and a Central Electronics Bank (CEB).
In the CEB you need base interface cards for each audio connection.

Then you need to program it all to work together.

Having designed CentraCom, CentraCom II, Centracom Gold, and Gold Elite console systems, I would not use one for hobby/home use.

[trooperdude]

OR...

Gut the electronics and use the furniture as a nice base in which to mount
a bunch of mobile radios and speakers in racks.

[kb4mdz]

Wow. What EXACTLY did he get? Just the dispatch positions/furniture? Any cardcages? with or without cards?

A full Centracom II is a very, very complex thing.

If it's just the position furniture, yeah, just gut them and put radios into rack panels mounted in them.

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

Well,
He went to an auction some where in KY, and picked up a Centracom II,

He wants to do Skywarn on the positions, i believe most frequencies to be in the 174mhz area, and we are just stumped on how to add to that,

I want to say it's a 10 or 12 channel model, and he wants to ad local fire and skywarn on the RX side as a project for his local group, i haven't really much knowledge in this area,
But like i said, i guessed a receiver and some cards to rx the frequencies,

If you could be kind enough to point me in the right direction, it would be very helpful.

He belongs to the Nashville/Davidson County Skywarn Group