Our dispatch center has 2 Gaitronics ICP 9000 consoles with 3 Kenwood NX-5700's and 1 Kenwood NX-5900 operating remotely with the consoles via ethrenet cable. Since our consoles were installed there has been a horrible hammering noise when talking through the consoles to field units. You notice especially on DMR but also on NXDN and Analog. We have hooked up a mobile unit to the antennas and determined that it is likely in the consoles themselves. The radio shop hasnt been much if any help at all blaming the weather, led lights, the whole 9 yards. Any suggestions?
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911 Dispatch Console Problems
- Thread starter pepper33
- Start date
FKimble
Member
A new radio shop maybe?
Frank
Frank
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Could be a number of causes for this. Based of the "Ethernet Cable" statement, I suspect you mean they are using a 4pair cable to handle the interface between the console and the radio. Could be something as simple as noise from the console getting into the audio.
Or, could be RF interference.
Problem #1 that sticks out is that any radio shop that is responsible for maintaining equipment in a PSAP should have a more appropriate response. I agree with FKimble, new radio shop time. We had a shop pull that crap with us once, and we dumped them on the spot. Doing that to a PSAP is unacceptable.
As much as people will likely want to help out on this site, this is way beyond hobby radio stuff and you should really find a responsible/professional radio shop to come out and troubleshoot that.
3rd vote for new service provider, because (IMNTBHO) you don't have a radio shop servicing you, you have a few hacks working on something they seem to not know much about, and sending out bills for it.
Unacceptable, totally.
Console setup is critical, ESP. audio settings. I've seen console systems go from terrible to wonderful with just simply re-setting levels to nominal design levels.
A boss I had once told of Centracom systems where the desk mic compression was so wacked out that any extraneous noise in dispatch would get pumped up so loud that 'you could hear a fly buzzing in the far corner'!!
And of course the dispatcher was so distorted that communication was horrid.
Unacceptable, totally.
Console setup is critical, ESP. audio settings. I've seen console systems go from terrible to wonderful with just simply re-setting levels to nominal design levels.
A boss I had once told of Centracom systems where the desk mic compression was so wacked out that any extraneous noise in dispatch would get pumped up so loud that 'you could hear a fly buzzing in the far corner'!!
And of course the dispatcher was so distorted that communication was horrid.
I know you said it happens on NXDN and analog also, but the “hammering” on DMR sounds like the pulsed RF getting into an audio path somewhere. Either that or the power supply can’t handle the rapid power fluctuations of the TDMA signal. I’ve seen both of these on P2 TDMA control stations.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Exactly, a common issue when around TDMA systems.
speedway_navigator
Member
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2008
- Messages
- 1,298
We had a client who had intermittent audio level issues, turned out the equipment provider was pushing firmware updates every few months that reset the device to factory default which was too low at the radio end.
Have you called Gaitronics for help? I bet they'd be willing to send someone from their office or get another dealer out there, both from a safety aspect and reputation.
Have you called Gaitronics for help? I bet they'd be willing to send someone from their office or get another dealer out there, both from a safety aspect and reputation.
We are about done with the dealer, this has been going on for a couple years. Don't get me wrong he is a nice guy but this was his first DMR system he has ever done which is #1 red flag. We call him to come fix stuff and its over a week or longer before we get any response from him. He blames the weather, led lights, all kinds of things. i have never once seen any kind of rf test equipment or service monitor checking things. Very poorly installed system. Over 50 feet of rg58 ran to lmr 400 on our tower which is another issue in itself. No grounding from what i can tell. Radios are velcroed onto the tone remote adapters.
12dbsinad
Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,953
Run Forest run!
Another thing to add is we have a panic button installed in our courthouse that transmits an automated message when the button is pressed. It is hooked to a Kenwood NX-3220 with battery eliminator and an external antenna and it also has the terrible hammering / helicopter noise. Was installed by the same dealer. Would this mean rf is somewhere in the building or another radio shop mistake?
Is the NX-3220 doing DMR?
Yes it is.
You have RF getting into an audio circuit somewhere. I can almost guarantee it. Separate the antenna from whatever generates the voice and I bet it stops.
i used just a mag mount to test the radios that are connected to the consoles and the noise is still there
Then I’d suspect the power supply. Assuming the antenna is far enough away from whatever audio stage it may be getting into.
The helicopter description matches the 30 millisecond pulse of the TDMA transmitter.
Makes Sense, but what about the other 2 radios that are NXDN and analog? It doesnt seem to have quite the same sound but it almost sounds like a fan or something running in the background but the same pulse your talking about
I don’t know. Stupid question, are the analog and NXDN patched to the DMR?
No they are all ran separate. Audio from the consoles is ran via 2 Ethernet cables to the radios themselves, i believe it goes to some sort of distribution box first.