Hi. Fist post so bear with me. I have a client who doesn't want to buy a CEN-TIA or any other expensive intercom interface products, and I was wondering why we can't just do the following :
Monitor a contact input for a doorbell press
Activate video on TPS6L to show doorcam feed (composite, its not far)
Activate TPS6 speaker and listen to door station audio (unbal or bal.)
Have a PTT button to allow user to talk to caller via TPS mic while muting speaker & send audio out to door station.

Has anyone done this before ? Someone told me that the TPS mic is permanently on and this would cause horrible feedback with the speaker. Can you disable the TPS mic until e.g. a PTT button is active ? Simplex comms (i.e talk then listen) would be fine between panel & door station.

Any help appreciated ..

I haven't done it with a TPS-6L, but I've used other panels without an IADS for simple paging and intercom functions. I've also used TPS-6L's for the same, but they were running through an IADS or BIPAD8.

You first need to make sure the 6L has the speaker kit, which is optional. After that, you should really test the sound before getting too deep, because the 6L's speaker usually sounds like crap. The last time I used them, I ended up routing the incoming sound through the room's speakers because the 6L audio was so distorted it was unusable.

You can't mute the mic through programming, but you could use a relay to disconnect it when necessary.

Bottom line - I wouldn't recommend it, because there are too many things that could go wrong, even if the 6L speaker sounded great, which it doesn't. You'd be better off installing a Doorbell Fon, Viking, or something similar, to allow them to answer the door using the telephones.

+1

We use Tele-door and use the relay from the module into the Processors IO. Once the IO goes high PIP on the AMS appears with the camera showing and the door station rings through the phoneline. We also use door strikes so if the owner knows who is at the door they don't have to get up to let them in they just have to press the "door open" button on the TP. Works like a charm!

One note if using the Tele-door system. Only use the Audio door stations and install cameras for video as the door station cameras are horrible and don't allow for any manipulation.

Not a big fan of the 6L speakers either, but we have been triggering the front door camera to a panel with video for years.

Thanks. I have the speaker kit. Its mainly the video I will use, I reckon, and your idea about using a relay for the mic is very good (sometimes the simplest ways are the best). If someone rings the doorbell, we want to pop the video up and let the user talk to the caller. As long as the speaker is able to reproduce the odd grunt and grumble of the pizza man, it should hoipefully be OK, else I'll have to route it thru the Adagio and have the whole block know there's pizza arrived !!!

Cheers