Federal Signal Corporation Informer I-HIOW, Informer I-UIOW Installation And Operation Manual

Informer™ Wall Mount Series

Models I-HIOW and I-UIOW

Tone Alert Receiver

You must program the Informer with I-SW software version 3.6 or greater.

25500089
Rev. B1 1114
Printed in U.S.A.
© Copyright 2014 Federal Signal Corporation

Installation and

Operation Manual

Limited Warranty

The Alerting and Notification Systems Division of Federal Signal Corporation (Federal)
warrants each new product to be free from defects in material and workmanship, under normal use
and service, for a period of two years on parts replacement and factory-performed labor (one year
for Informer, EAS, and Federal software products) from the date of delivery to the first user­purchaser. Federal warrants every 2001, Eclipse and 508 Siren (Top of pole only) to be free from
defects in material, per our standard warranty, under normal use and service for a period of five
years on parts replacement.

During this warranty period, the obligation of Federal is limited to repairing or replacing, as
Federal may elect, any part or parts of such product which after examination by Federal, are
determined to be defective in material and/or workmanship.

Federal will provide warranty for any unit, which is delivered, transported prepaid, to the Federal
factory or designated authorized warranty service center for examination and such examination
reveals a defect in material and/or workmanship.

This warranty does not cover travel expenses, the cost of specialized equipment for gaining access
to the product, or labor charges for removal and re-installation of the product. The Federal Signal
Corporation warranty shall not apply to components or accessories that have a separate warranty
by the original manufacturer, such as, but not limited to batteries.

Federal will provide on-site warranty service during the first 60-days after the completion of the
installation, when Federal has provided a turn-key installation including optimization and/or
commissioning services.

This warranty does not extend to any unit which has been subjected to abuse, misuse, improper
installation or which has been inadequately maintained, nor to units which have problems related
to service or modification at any facility other than the Federal factory or authorized warranty
service centers. Moreover, Federal shall have no liability with respect to defects arising in
Products through any cause other than ordinary use (such as, for example, accident, fire, lightning,
water damage, or other remaining acts of God).

THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL FEDERAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT
OF ANY SUCH DEFECT IN MATERIAL WORKMANSHIP.

2645 Federal Signal Drive, University Park, IL 60484-3167

Phone: [phone]

Website: http://www.alertnotification.com

Informer Wall Mount Series

Contents

Safety Message ........................................................................................................................ 1

Read and Understand ............................................................................................................ 1

Installation Considerations ...................................................................................................... 1

Notices ................................ ................................................................ ................................... 2

Servicing ................................................................................................................................ 2

Symbol Definition ................................................................................................................ 2

General Description ................................................................................................................. 3

Introduction to the Informer TAR ............................................................................................. 3

Features ................................................................................................................................. 4

Optional Features ................................................................................................................... 4

Informer Wall Mount Main Components .................................................................................. 5

Input/Output Definitions .......................................................................................................... 6

Specifications........................................................................................................................... 7

Installation Instructions ..........................................................................................................10

Determine a Suitable Location ...............................................................................................10

Wall Mounting ........................................................................................................................11

Recessed Mounting ...............................................................................................................12

Input/Output Connections ......................................................................................................13

Wiring the Device ..................................................................................................................13

Operating Instructions ............................................................................................................16

General Information ...............................................................................................................16

Power Supply ........................................................................................................................16

LED Indicators .......................................................................................................................17

Keypad ..................................................................................................................................17

Adjusting the Volume .........................................................................................................17

Receiving an Alert Message ..................................................................................................18

Receiving a Test Message ....................................................................................................19

Tone-Alert Radio Failure .......................................................................................................19

Dual Relay and 600 ohm Audio Output..................................................................................19

Relay Outputs ....................................................................................................................19

600 Ohm Audio Output ......................................................................................................19

Monitoring Weather (NOAA Weather Radio and Channel Selection) .....................................20

Testing .....................................................................................................................................21

Training....................................................................................................................................21

Using the Battery Switch .......................................................................................................21

Informer Wall Mount Series

Obtaining Service ...................................................................................................................22

Informer Wall Mount Service .................................................................................................22

Replacing the Battery ............................................................................................................ 22

Index ........................................................................................................................................23

Figures

Figure 1 Rear View – Hole Measurements ................................................................................................. 11

Figure 2 Side View – Hole Measurements .................................................................................................. 12

Figure 3 Internal Wiring for the Informer Wall Mount .................................................................................. 15

Figure 4 Informer Keypad ........................................................................................................................... 16

Tables

Table 1 Electrical ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Table 2 Bandwidth Receivers 25–30 kHZ ..................................................................................................... 7

Table 3 Bandwidth Receivers 12.5 kHz ........................................................................................................ 7

Table 4 Acoustic ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Table 5 Dual Relay and 600 Ohm Audio ...................................................................................................... 8

Table 6 Signaling Formats ............................................................................................................................ 8

Table 7 Environmental .................................................................................................................................. 9

Table 8 Physical ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Table 9 Audio/Relay Output – Input/Output Connections ........................................................................... 13

Table 10 LED Indicators .............................................................................................................................. 17

Table 11 Informer Buttons........................................................................................................................... 18

Informer Wall Mount Series

1

Safety Message

Safety Message

It is important to follow all instructions shipped with this product. This
device is to be installed by trained personnel who are thoroughly
familiar with the country electric codes and will follow these guidelines
as well as local codes.

Listed below are important safety instructions and precautions you should follow:

Read and Understand

 Read and understand all instructions before installing or operating this product.
 Adhere to all warnings and operating instructions.
 Proper installation, placement, and testing are required to ensure the unit is able

to perform as intended. Perform installation, placement, and testing after the
installer has read and understood this manual.

Installation Considerations

 Do not use near water; for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,

laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, rain, or similar
environments.

 Mount to a wall only as specified in this manual.
 Place away from heat sources; such as, radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other

accessories that produce heat.

 Do not exceed maximum accessory relay output rating of 30 VDC, 5 Amps.
 Locate an outdoor antenna away from power lines.
 If an outside antenna is connected to the receiver, make sure the antenna system

is grounded in order to provide protection against voltage surges and built up
static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70,
provides information with regard to proper grounding of the mast and supporting
structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to the antenna-discharge unit, size of
grounding conductors, location of antenna discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode.

2

Informer Wall Mount Series

Safety Message

Notices

 Take care so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure

through openings.

 Keep the Informer at least six inches away from a listener’s ears whenever the

Informer Power LED is on or blinking. The sound output of the Informer may
cause hearing damage if the Informer is activated too close to the user.

 Clean with a non-abrasive cleaner and a damp cloth. Do not apply solvents

directly onto the Informer.

 Retain instructions for future reference.
 Service the Informer by qualified service personnel when the following has

occurred to the Informer:

 Objects haven fallen onto, or liquid has been spilled into
 Does not appear to operate normally
 Exhibits a marked change in performance
 Exposed to rain
 Has been dropped
 Enclosure is damaged

Servicing

To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not perform any servicing other
than what is contained in the operating instructions unless you are
qualified to do so. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Always test the Informer before using after repairs have been made.

Symbol Definition

Indicates to reduce the risk of fire, replace fuse as marked.

Informer Wall Mount Series

3

General Description

General Description

Introduction to the Informer TAR

The Informer Wall Mount Tone Alert Receiver (TAR) is an emergency alerting
device available in VHF and UHF bands from 150-170 MHz and 450-470 MHz. It is
also capable of decoding multiple formats (such as, single-tone, two-tone, DTMF and
optionally EAS or Federal Digital) at the same time. These features enable the
Informer to be easily integrated into virtually any new or existing warning system.

The Informer is a robust radio receiver with a loud speaker output designed
specifically for warning applications. You can mount the unit on the wall or recess it
in the wall. The Informer comes with an antenna to mount on the front of the unit or
in another location, such as outside, by using the internal BNC connector and using
the punchouts for access into the unit. The Informer has a built-in battery and charger
to provide reliable operation even in the event of an AC power failure. The optional
LP1 strobe is powered through the internal transformer, which requires AC power.

You can program the Informer with up to four separate warning tones plus a channel
monitor function for live public address (PA) announcements. Two programmable
relay outputs and a 600 Ohm audio output are also available. You can use these
outputs to control other equipment; such as, pre-wired LP1 strobe light for warning
the hearing impaired and to tie into external PA systems respectively.

You may program up to four separate RF channels into the Informer. The channels
are easily selected from the built in membrane keypad. Each of the RF frequencies
must be within the allowable frequency spread for the RF band being used. Refer to
the “Specification” section on page 7.

The Informer is completely programmable through a built-in RS232 serial port from
an easy to use Windows XP/Vista/7® based software program. All data is stored in
non-volatile memory. You can update application software and user specific
configuration data through the serial port.

The Informer series receivers meet all requirements defined by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the CSEPP programs.

4

Informer Wall Mount Series

General Description

Features

 Available in two (2) frequencies bands: VHF 150-170 MHz and UHF

450-470 MHz

 Long life rechargeable battery with built-in charger (Only units built after May

2015 are equipped with a battery.)

 Wide temperature operating range
 Excellent RF sensitivity and selectivity
 Fully programmable RF—no tuning required
 Clean, low distortion of recovered audio
 Loud +80 dBA output at 10 feet
 Signal to Noise based squelch circuit, does not open receiver in high radio noise

environments; that is, near computers, etc.

 Programmable for wide or narrow band
 Programmable RF, Single Tone, Two-Tone, DTMF, CTCSS, and CDCSS (DPL)

decoding

 Re-programmable over RS232 port
 Volume control, Monitor, and Reset buttons with diagnostic LEDs

Optional Features

 Programmable MSK decoder compatible with the Federal’s Commander

Software.

 Programmable EAS decoder for decoding NOAA radio SAME code alerts.
 600 Ohm audio output and two (2) SPDT relay outputs.
 Windows XP/Vista/7® based programming software.
 Ability to top mount Model LP1-012 12 V mini-strobe when used in Wall Mount

configuration. Strobe does not function during battery backup mode.

NOTE: The MSK and EAS decoders are not available simultaneously in the same

unit. You can use all other options together.

Informer Wall Mount Series

5

General Description

Speaker

Keypad

Antenna

Informer Wall Mount Main Components