Zetron Model 26

[dharrill]

Hi,
Relatively new to the radio world and looking for anyone that can offer any help or tips on the Zetron model 26 system. This would be a garage set-up and NOT used for any over-air transmission or actual dispatching. I'm simply wanting to have it setup in the garage for fun and as an interactive reminder of days passed. All that I am aiming for is just the ability to press the unit assignment buttons as send out the tones through some small speaker

I have acquired the model 26 dispatcher as well as an expansion module. I even have a command and control cabinet with cards and modules. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find cables. Nonetheless, I have managed to get the units to "turn on" briefly via benchtop power supply and some jumper wires. Aside from that, not much else. These units were operable when removed from service so I assume the should work. Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions to get it functional to "transmit" its tones?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

If I recall correctly the Model 26 uses 1200 Baud FSK data to poll Model 6 transponders at the stations. You won't have tones but a series of data polling messages. You will need at least one Model 6 station transponder to activate anything. I think the Zetron Model 25 does two tone sequential paging.

 

[dharrill]

So, if I were to "intercept" the data transmission before it reached the M6, would I hear the quick-call-style tones or just a digital burst that would only be converted to the true tone sound by the M6?

 

[kf8yk]

If I recall correctly the Model 26 uses 1200 Baud FSK data to poll Model 6 transponders at the stations. You won't have tones but a series of data polling messages. You will need at least one Model 6 station transponder to activate anything.

I'll second that, only the Model 6 generates alert tones. There's some limited configuration you can do through the serial port but all the button function programming is stored in PROMs that only the Zetron factory can burn.

I even have a command and control cabinet with cards and modules. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find cables.

The 'Command and Control' cabinet sounds like a 4000 series CCU, the Model 26 is self contained & does not need a CCU or any other back room equipment to function. Typically the only connection between a Model 26 and a CCU is microphone audio off a channel card.

Here's the Model 26 manual: 025-9158 M26 Fire Station Dispatcher

 

[kf8yk]

So, if I were to "intercept" the data transmission before it reached the M6, would I hear the quick-call-style tones or just a digital burst that would only be converted to the true tone sound by the M6?

Just 1200 baud MSK data, sounds a lot like MDC-1200 bursts.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Just 1200 baud MSK data, sounds a lot like MDC-1200 bursts.

Boring!!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

 

[dharrill]

So, it sounds like in my attempt to be able to "set off the tones", I have now amassed a bunch of useless Zetron items. Anyone have any suggestions on options for any kind of tone-dispatch setup that could serve as a garage display? Also, anyone interested in some Zetron equipment at a good price?

 

[PACNWDude]

Coming to the thread a bit late, and used to be a Zetron engineer, what was posted earlier is correct. Much of the Zetron hardware of that era required other items to function. And with company "yard sales" a lot of it is out there cheap on auction sites. Good luck with the fire sale. Many Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) try to unload their old gear online as well, and then the public learns you need racks of gear to set up a Zetron 4200 series dispatch console. (For standalone, you want a desk mount 4010, which includes paging tones. But, make sure it has all the card slots populated with what you want, channel cards, telephone connection, and all the chips on the main board to generate tones.)

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

So, it sounds like in my attempt to be able to "set off the tones", I have now amassed a bunch of useless Zetron items. Anyone have any suggestions on options for any kind of tone-dispatch setup that could serve as a garage display? Also, anyone interested in some Zetron equipment at a good price?

You might want to sell it off on ebay in the hopes that some department out there needs some spares to keep on going.

 

[AlexC]

Kind of came late to this thread.

The Model 26 / 6 system is likely pretty customized to the end customer who requested it. The Model 26 panel can be configured at Zetron via EEPROM's to talk to a network of Model 6 stations. The Model 6 stations do have the ability to generate tones to match the units dispatched by the Model 26. They can also do things like turn lights on, open garage doors, etc., all through the Model 26 button presses. The model 6 station units have contact closures that do the far end stuff.

To connect the Model 26 to a 6, you simply need two wires to carry the "FSK" sound others have mentioned. If you didn't buy the Model 6 and 26 as a set you might have to do some addressing to make the model 6 respond to the model 26. Each column of keys on the Model 26 would alert Stations or Units. Usually the top button was the entire station, and, the following 3 buttons were the units assigned to the station. In cases where more units were present than buttons existed for the system could have an expansion panel.

The model 6 can be connected to using a serial cable and programmed. You can google for the manuals. When you press the top key on the Model 26 panel (assuming the 6 came with the 26) it can generate a paging/tone type sound which purpose is to alert the station to a pending call. The tones and sounds are all programed on the Model 6 side and are not configured on the Model 26 side.

The system works REALLY well (like most things Zetron makes) and are basically bullet proof. There were other ways to connect the station - they can go over two way radio as well as through serial.

When they re-made the system they basically took the model 26 panel and made a windows application which did every function the Model 26 could do - just far more programmable and without shipping EEPROM's.

I believe you can still get EEPROM's from Zetron today for the old system.