Alpha NC365B Installation Manual

IL671
Installation Instructions for
NC365/A/A T NC366A/AT NC368A/A T

Tek-PAGING™ On-Site UHF Paging System

OVERVIEW

TekTone®’s digital paging system can be used to transmit
both text and numeric messages directly to individual pocket
pagers, or to entire groups of pagers. Information is input
using one to three RS232 serial ports, depending upon model.
The unit can also be used in conjunction with an optional
telephone interface, thus enabling any telephone within the
building or complex of buildings to access the paging system.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

TekTone® products are designed to operate safely when
installed and used according to general safety practices.
The following requirements should be observed at all times.
Do not subject this equipment to:

1. Mechanical shock
2 . Excessive humidity or moisture
3 . Extremes of temperature
4 . Corrosive liquids

Section C

Rev. 9 - 03/2009

WARNING!

Alteration or modification of any part of this
equipment, without the prior written consent of
the manufacturer, will invalidate all
manufacturer Approvals and Warranties. No
adjustments can be undertaken except by a
qualified and licensed person as defined by the
FCC Rules and Regulations. Operation of altered
equipment can result in fines, imprisonment,
and/or confiscation of such equipment.

LIABILITY

TekTone® does not accept any liability for any damage or
injury howsoever resulting from misuse of this equipment. It
is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the equipment
is operated in the manner for which it was intended and that
it is the correct item of equipment for the required task.

• Do not operate this equipment with the antenna discon­nected. Doing so may severely damage the transmitter.

• This equipment is designed for indoor use only, unless
expressly stated otherwise, and must not be used in
classified Hazardous Areas, including areas containing
explosive or flammable vapors, unless express authoriza­tion has been given in writing by the manufacturer.

• Do not obstruct any slots or openings in the product.
These are provided for ventilation to ensure reliable
operation of the product and protect it from overheating.

• Only use a damp cloth for cleaning (not liquid or aerosol
based cleaners), and ensure that any power is removed
from the unit prior to beginning the cleaning operation.

• Removal of covers from the equipment must only be
undertaken by authorized service personnel.

EQUIPMENT APPLICATIONS

It is the user’s responsibility to determine the suitability of
this system for any given application. TekTone® cannot
provide specific advice, since each application requires
independent evaluation. T ekTone® has no control of the use
and application of the frequencies issued by the FCC. Some
licensed equipment may have greater protection than other
equipment operated on a FCC License Exempt basis.

EQUIPMENT TESTING

Conduct range tests at least once a week; more often when
critical criteria apply . This involves testing the unit past the
limit of its required working range, so as to ensure a measure
of safety. TekTone® suggests keeping a log of all the test
dates and the information gathered, together with the battery
change data and service records.

The frequency of the tests required will vary between
applications. If a pager has been dropped or is worn by a
person involved in an accident, test the unit again before re­use. It must be stressed that the physical range tests are
essential and any construction work or movement of plant
or equipment could alter the signalling capability of the unit.

ALPHA COMMUNICATIONS

Toll-Free Technical Line: 1-800-666-4800 • Phone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Website: www.alpha-comm.com • Email: [e-mail]

®

• 42 Central Drive • Farmingdale, NY 11735-1202

LITERATURE

Copyright © 1998–2009. No part of this document may be
photocopied or reproduced in any form without the express
written permission of T ekT one® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc.

TekTone
therefore reserves the right to modify or change the
specifications without prior notice. While every possible
care has been taken in the preparation of this manual,
TekTone® shall not be liable for technical or typographical
errors or omissions contained herein, nor for incidental or
consequential damage arising from the use of this material.

®

has a policy of continual improvement, and

LICENSE

Y ou are cleared to use this equipment within the USA under
a license assigned to the exclusive importer, PIPs Holdings
Inc., File Number 0002168163, issued on 5/21/2005 which
expires on 06/26/2015. Certain restrictions apply in respect
to output power and antenna installations. If you have any
questions, contact TekTone® before installation and use.
Alternate frequencies are available by formal license
application (Form 600) via the FCC. These will not be subject
to the same restrictions as the standard assigned license.
Y ou should obtain the FCC Rules and Regulations, T itle 47,
Part 80 to End, including Parts 90 and 95, available from the
US Government Printing Office, GPO bookstore or FCC Office.

SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer:

Scope Marketing (Communications UK) Ltd.
Totnes, Devon, England

Operating Frequency: 457.55 MHz
RF Power output: 500mW
Deviation: 4.5 kHz / 1200 Baud
Stability: ± 2.5PPM over a range of 14°–132° F
Input Line Voltage: 115 Volts AC, 60Hz
Operating Voltage: 13.8 Volts DC
Current Consumption: 50mA standby,

300mA transmit (500mW)

PERFORMANCE

The system will normally cover 95% of all range requirements
using the base station connected antenna, on buildings of
20,000 square feet or more. Greater ranges can be achieved
by using an externally mounted antenna (subject to license
conditions). Contact T ekT one® prior to any antenna change.

SERVICE

If your ConneXions interface unit or pagers require service,
return them to T ekTone® at the address listed in the front of
this manual. Prior to returning the equipment, you must call
T ekT one®’s Sales Department at [phone] and obtain
a return authorization number (RMA number). No returns

will be accepted without an RMA number .

UNPACKING

Carefully unwrap and inventory the pager transmitter and all
components as shown below. If anything is missing, notify
T ekTone® immediately.

• ConneXions transmitter

• ¼ wave antenna

• Serial cable for RS232 operation

• 12 foot AC power cord

• Installation kit

• Installation instructions

• Pagers (type and number ordered)

HARDWARE LOCATION

Before placing the hardware in any given location, consider
the range of operation that the installation will require. The
standard transmitter can quite easily provide ranges of up to
one mile or more, and will provide excellent propagation on
most industrial sites—covering a considerable area with just
the ¼ wave antenna (BNC terminated) connected directly to
the unit.

For coverage of very large sites, or where exceptionally
difficult operating conditions exist, it may be advantageous
to install an external antenna. Installing the transmitter on
the second or third floor of a building will usually boost
overall range. However, horizontal range is not always
required so much as propagation through a multi-story
building. Here it may be more useful to use a small external
antenna mounted outside the building at half the building
height. Sometimes range is required more in one direction
than in another: moving the antenna to one side of the
building can provide a bias in the required direction, which
may overcome the range difficulties.When using a remote
antenna, remember to use a low loss 50-ohm coax cable from
the transmitter to the antenna. Do not use cabling for CCTV
or TV satellite; this type of cable is normally 75 ohms.

Important: Coaxial feeds over 16 feet (5 m) must employ low
loss 50-ohm coax. W e normally recommend feeds be no more
than 50 feet (15 m) for standard applications. However, we
suggest you contact our technical department if other
considerations prove this to be impractical.

Page 2 • IL671 T ek-P AGING® Installation Manual

Copyright © TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A further consideration is the distance between the
transmitter and the source of the data feeding the transmitter.
With a standard RS232 serial interface, data cables should
not exceed 50 feet (15 m). The cables must be screened/
shielded and must be kept clear of sources of induced
magnetic or electrical noise. If distances of over 50 feet
(15 m) are required, additional drivers or amplifiers must be
installed at both ends of the data link.

Remember these important points when installing equipment:

1. Never install antennas near or adjacent to telephone,
public address or data communication lines, or overhead
power cables.

2 . Avoid, wherever possible, running antenna coax along-

side other cables.

3 . Avoid mounting the transmitter in the immediate vicinity

of telephone exchanges or computer equipment.

4. Remember that the performance of the system will be
affected by the type of material the unit is mounted on and
by its surroundings.

5 . The circuit boards within this equipment may be harmed

by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Installers must avoid
touching the circuitry wherever possible, and must
ensure that adequate antistatic procedures are adhered to
at all times (earth grounding with wrist straps, etc.).

This transmitter will be adversely affected by the follow­ing materials, if it is mounted on or near them:

a) Foil backed wall board
b) Metal mesh, or wire reinforced glass
c) Metal sheeting, large mirrors or suspended ceilings
d) Elevator shafts

All of the above can reflect radio waves and thereby
reduce the capability of the transmitter to perform its
desired functions.

6. Warning! Never transmit without an antenna attached to
the transmitter

7. Warning! Carefully check the data pin connection
information in the Installation section and Figures 3, 4,
5, 6 and 7 prior to installation. Damage caused by incorrect
connection is the responsibility of the installer!

INSTALLATION

The following procedure must be followed when installing
the ConneXions paging system. Ensure you have taken into
consideration all the information in the Hardware Installation
section before selecting a location for your transmitter.

1 . Remove the cover from the ConneXions transmitter unit

by slackening the four Phillips head screws located at the
top and bottom of the unit.

2 . Carefully lift off the cover and set aside.

3. Attach the transmitter to an even wall surface using
suitable screws fitted through the holes provided in the
chassis plate. Hold the chassis up to the chosen location
and use a pencil to mark the positions of the mounting
holes. Warning: Do not use the chassis plate as a template
for drilling the holes into the wall. Hammer drills vibrating
through the chassis may irreparably damage the quartz
crystals on the printed circuit boards.

4. Place the ConneXions transmitter over the mounting
holes and secure the unit with suitable screws. Check that
the chassis plate does not bend and that the screws do not
snag or pinch any of the internal cables.

5. Connect the antenna to the unit via the BNC connector
located at the top of the housing. If the antenna is an
external antenna, or an antenna which is separate from the
transmitter unit itself, ensure that the previous criteria
covered in the Installation section have been strictly
adhered to.

6. NC365AT, NC366AT or NC368AT: Connect the
ConneXions unit to any two-wire analog local telephone
extension wall outlet. Access is gained by dialing the
extension number. It is essential that all phones on the
system are capable of sending DTMF tones internally to
the paging extension.

7 . Due to the number of interfaces brought out to the 9-Pin

‘D’ connector, you must take great care to use only the
lines that are applicable to your installation. Failure to
comply with this instruction will almost certainly destroy
the unit.

8. If the unit is supplied with a sealed lead acid battery,
connect the battery leads to the terminals marked
and BATT- on the power supply.

BATT+

Copyright © TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

9 . Replace the cover and re-tighten the four retaining screws.
10 . Finally, after checking all connections, insert the supplied

AC power cable into the IEC type connector located at the
base of the unit, and plug into a suitable wall outlet. With
power applied, the red LED on the base of the unit should
be lit.

11. The system is now ready to accept calls from the host
system. When a call is transmitted, the green LED on the
base of the unit will light momentarily.

IL671 Tek-PAGING® Installation Manual • Page 3

SYSTEM OPERATION

Confirmation of power connection is provided by the red
LED on the base of the ConneXions unit.

Confirmation of transmit is provided by the momentary green
LED on the base of the ConneXions unit.

Sending data in the correct format (see Pager Information
section) invokes transmitted messages to the relevant pagers.

PROBLEMS AND FAULT FINDING

1. Check and re-check the data cable connections. This,
together with an incorrect signaling format, results in more
faults than any other problem.

2. Check that the communications baud rate of the host
equipment matches that of the relevant RS232 port (see

Figure 3 for settings).

TROUBLESHOOTING

None of the pagers on the system will respond to a page:

1 . Verify that the ConneXions interface unit has power.

The red LED will be on.

2 . Verify that the antenna is connected to the ConneXions

unit.

3 . Verify that the green LED comes on when you transmit

a page. If not, check telephone cable connections.

Some of the pagers will not respond to a page:

1 . Verify that the correct pager number is being used.
2 . Verify that the pager is turned on.

3. Verify that the pager’s battery is not dead.
4 . Check whether the pager is out of range.

ConneXions does not respond:

1 . Turn the system off for one minute and then re-apply

power.

3 . Check that the pagers are at least 16 feet (5 m) from the

transmitter and antenna. Under certain conditions, it is
possible to flood the pager receivers and corrupt the data
received.

4 . Check that the pagers have their batteries installed with

the correct polarity and are correctly powered up.

5. Check that the red power LED on the base of the
ConneXions is lit. If not, isolate the power and check the
fuse in the main plug. The main input fuse on the internal
power supply and the low voltage output fuse may also
be checked by a suitably qualified technician.

6. Check that the green LED is lit for the duration of the
transmission. If not, go back to the data cabling and re­check the signal format.

7 . Verify that the antenna is correctly installed.

8. NC365AT, NC366AT or NC368AT: Verify that phone line
is correctly installed.

PORT TESTING

Using a terminal program like Procomm® or HyperT erminal
from Windows 98®, you can isolate problems by sending
data in the correct format to the serial port. This will cause
the transmitter to activate.

Terminal Settings:

a. 9600 baud (unless ordered with a different rate)
b. Parity – 8, n, 1
c. Echo On

Record your system details here for quick reference.

Transmitter frequency: 457.550 MHz
Transmitter FCC ID No.: JRNUSADATALINK
Transmitter baud rate: 1200 baud
Serial input baud rate: 9600

Date supplied:_______________________________
Serial Number of the ConneXions unit:_____________
Number of pagers supplied with the system:_________
System base ID number:________________________

Page 4 • IL671 T ek-P AGING® Installation Manual

Copyright © TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. All Rights Reserved.