EJ, I have done a few IADS/IVDS implementations with the 6L panels. It can work but its a PIA. You are forced into a push to talk scenario and the only way to make it work is to set the analog value for the room to zero when the mic is in use. That said, it is a less than stellar intercom system.

Didn't know you can do that - or didn't think to try.

Thanks for the tip. Still a sucky solution though.

EJ

I have a house with 6L's that are intended to be used for intercoms but they are not online yet. I was in the process of testing them with the programmer before he and i left and we were able to talk/hear from one to the other and from either to the front door. There was a feedback loop issue but he was able to tame it with the next upload. Not sure what he did. We assumed it was the close proximity from the 6L and the holovision unit outside the front door.

Uhh yea, I wasted a week thinking that was the problem. Can you find out what the programmer did to fix it?

Thanks.

ejfiii,

Have you thought of running the mic output of the TPS-6L into a RDL box for level control and then pass out to Crestron IADS?

GMAN, I would really be curious to see your layout and design for the APAD in simple as well as the pages for this setup. The APAD is thorn in my side when dealing with SIMPL.

This might actually work. But even better than going into the mic pre-amp what about using a Biamp DSP? I know this is pushing it but if you have a lot of 6L and the project is big then the 2k of the DSP might be worth it.

This is as far as I can advice and I am not sure if it will work. MikeZTC or other commercial experts will have to advice if this can be done and how and what parts are needed.

I've done a few systems with touchpanels' mic outputs going directly into a BIPAD8 for whole-house paging. The speakers for the room initiating a page, and sometimes those of surrounding rooms, would be muted to prevent feedback. I don't see why something like that would wouldn't work with the 6L's.


Well, that's really the best solution, anyway :-) I'm still amazed that people insist on using touchpanels for intercoms (I mean a full intercom, not just a paging system), when a phone system does a much better job, at possibly a lower cost.

Clearly you haven't had to train a client and his wife and kids on how to intercom another room from their location on a Panasonic phone system lately? Or teach them how to page the whole house?

To the contrary, I have trained *many* clients to use Panasonic phone systems. You simply program a DSS button for each of the primary rooms, and one for "all page". I also usually do one for "answer page". With it setup that way, they can perform any of those functions with no more than two button presses.

If they have more rooms than Flex buttons, I make a small laminated "cheat sheet" and attach it to the underside of the handset, or base of the phone. Some phones used to have a little holder that slid out of the bottom, similar to alarm keypads.

It's actually been a few years since I was responsible for a phone system, but I have reviewed programming and instruction manuals recently, to provide information for clients and/or dealers - and the above-mentioned procedures are still possible with Panasonic.

A touchpanel *could* be easier to use, but often are not (for intercom functions). The client has the phone anyway (or should), so why not use it for the intercom too? The same way they do at work. The phone system also does a better job of it.

I happen to agree with you here. I am always facinated why intercom from a touch panel is sold. Phones are often closer to the client than an in-wall or lectern mouted touch panel and are full duplex. Program a dss button for a particular extension, program a page all button or provide a list. Indeed current Panasonic systems allow you to scroll though the list of extensions and intercom to it.

Commerical phones systems we use in residiential have their issues but intercom has not been one in my experience. Popping up CCTV cameras on touch panels when a doorphone or gatephone is activated makes perfect sense.

I often think salespukes sell features because they can, because they don't evaluate the cost to program vs the benefit ( as if sales ever thinks about anything save their commissions ). EJ is not a salespuke. Nonetheless I cannot understand why intercom from a touch panel makes sense when every room has corded or cordless phones that do the job more simply and better.

Alan

In the age of cell phones, that is no longer true. In our vacation house for example, we don't even have a phone service let alone a phone in every room! Everyone in the family has cell phones. Even in our primary house only half the areas have phones whereas all have intercom.

That said, of course there are people with different lifestyles where putting a phone in every room you want intercom functionality might make sense. So at the end of the day, one has to talk to the customer and find out how they like to live rather than forcing a certain systems onto them.

Another issue I ran into which may be solvable was to mimic the intercom functionality fully. In our primary house we had an intercom where we could call the kids to dinner and any of them could speak and say they will be late without doing anything. Can you do that with a phone system? That is, page and then have the mic be on for X number of seconds for anyone to speak?

Well, since we didn't fall off the turnip truck last night we do the exact same thing.

The bottom line is it is not intuitive for most people even with the simple programming and laminated card.

And now how you teach them to do it from a portable? you have to use at least 6 joystick moves and presses just to get to page all. Answer page - forget it.

I'm not a proponent of touchpanel based intercoms either unless you have a lot of them around the home.

We need a game changing intercom option to offer at the highest end home integration projects.

I hate system cordless phones (for end-users), so I didn't think about that.

What would be really cool, is for the touchpanel to actually emulate a station on the phone system, ie. *become* an extension. Then, all the intercom functions could be handled by the phone system, as they should be, but there would be an easy-to-use interface (touchpanel) so anyone could operate it.

It could be done with several CEN-TIA's, if money were no object - sounds like a job for you, EJ :-)

Or, I'd love to see an Asterisk or other VOIP interface, which would allow the touchpanel (or processor) to emulate an IP phone. Theoretically, it should be possible...

It should be possible Tony but the price point would be painful. EJ might need to throw his industry weight around and speak with Fred about what we need. Something like a XAP800 dumbed down for touch panels but built into a BIPAD like product so that "page all" is handled mechanically versus through software. While we are at it, can I get 5 doorbell inputs, 4 gate trigger inputs, 1 pool alarm input, built in wav playback, 30 mic inputs/30 panel speaker outputs, 24 audio source inputs (just in case you have V24s throughout the property all being used as TVs but not all sources are HDMI), an auxillary set...maybe 4 stereo pair...of analog inputs for various other things like alarm sirens, IP/VOIP video phone capabilities, PBX integration with all major players and a price point around $5k.

Excuse my ignorance but, is there anyway to integrate Holovision and a Crestron touchscreen (say a tps6) without having to use the
C2N-IADS30X24 ? The job we are doing we just need simple door video on tp screen and ability to get voice between Holovision and Crestron panel, be it a TPS6 or 12.