atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Nitsuko-Tie Telephones & Systems Mod Key 16 and intercom systems

I have a problem that probably starts with everyone's favorite beginning:

"I just moved into this building and the phone system BLANK..."

That really is the truth but phone system was in pretty good working order and easy to use. The only problem that I cannot figure out is the overheard paging system. It is apparent through "semi-recently dated" documentation left behind that the paging system was activated by "60"

So I can press 60, the ear piece get's juice like I dialed something active but nothing comes out the intercom. How is the intercom tapped into the phone system usually? What should I be looking for? Where would it plug into the CO unit at? I just am not sure where to start... am I looking for a seperate amplifier or what?

Any help would be great! Thanks

B:

Please finish your profile--Where are you located??
Before you drive yourself crazy---do y ou have a manual?? Do you have a user guide??

Check the "Manuals" link on this site for some help in that area if you don't have any documentation.

If this is a TIE ModKey(blue plastic cabinets)---the paging system was usually hooked up to the KSU CO line circuit with a 600 ohm to 50K ohm adapter. How do you have your paging system hooked up??
If you're talking about ALL Page (on the extensions) then the code for that is 20--getting intercom tone first, of course.

I would not administer, install, nor use a phone system (even an old one like this) without having adequate documentation to help. You will find that this little guy does all sorts of neat stuff, even though he's over 20 years old. Good Luck

I'm located in Fairview Heights, Illinois (techincaly the greater ST. Louis area).

I WISH I had a manual! I'm a fan of manuals...

Alas, this building was leased to us without one (but a free working phone system). The intercom's I speak of are definately the "overhead" type. It's just a paging system in this old warehouse we're adapting.

What I can see on this TIE ModKey 16, in it's wee wiring closet, is that it has CO ports on the left and station ports on the right. I'm definately not a telecom guy (I do computers, not phones) but hold my own on simple stuff. So the CO's are line's in and the station ports are lines to phones, right?

And finaly at the bottom there are some areas where you'd screw down individual wires. Those are labeled:

Sta 7 ring
CO ring
Fail Alarm
Music Source

So, what about this KSU CO circuit? Incidently, the only reason why I think the phones are tied to the overhead paging system is that I've found the last secretary's sheet of extensions and what-not's and the overhead pager was listed on there.

[This message has been edited by bscofield (edited September 13, 2005).]

B:

You've got a 2 line 8 station KSU if you have the basic box. If you have a station expansion unit, you've got 16 stations---if you've got a 4 line expansion unit you've got 6 lines---and there's more---but you've got to get a manual. Click on the "MANUALS" link and purchase a downloadable versions of the manual--plus anything else you want to download.

Check out the PAGING section. The only way that I know of, to have an external paging system work on this system is to hook it up through a CO line port with the right adapters and the right page amp---then push that particular CO Line key on a phone -- and talk over the speakers. Label that key as "Page" and your ready to go. Remember, though---this was sold in 1985--that was even before the 286, and for sure before the 386
computers...just so you know what you're working with. Good Luck

JWRacedog is correct.
The MOD KEy 16 used a co line port for external paging not a code. For internal all page to the stations you would use 20 and you could set up Groups 1-4 and use 21-24 to page them.

Have you tried pressing line 6,5,4,3 to see if one of them triggers the external paging? You just may luck out.

My only hesitation on buying the manual is whether or not what I need is going to even be do-able with this system.

Obviously I need to trace the wires from the overhead and find out where the heck they go... if not I'll not even know if they are connected or if I need an AMP still... right?

Well it would be a simple trace, your page lead should come from the CO line to an amp then to the speakers.

I have 80,000 sq. ft. of suspended ceiling where that AMP could be hiding...

And the previous owners would have DEFINATELY done something that crazy... why because it's wierd. All there is around this place is wierd stuff.

I wouldn't think they would have put the amp in the ceiling, that's just crazy. I would think it's by the KSU or perhaps they are powered horns

They are speakers in the ceiling. They aren't powered... I wish they were. The lines may lead to the wiring closet, I'm not sure yet. If they do then obviously the amp is gone. The only reason why I think this thing could be in the ceiling somewhere is because the previous people WERE crazy. Just picture the maintenance man doing all the work and then you'd understand...

Anyway, tracing the line has got to be done anyway cause I have to know where to tap into it, right?

LOL, Sounds like you have your hands full. Yes you are correct you will need to know you wiring scheme

If the speakers are daisy chained would I still need to know the wiring scheme? Can't I just tap in anywhere?

The only reason i was talking about tracing was in order to find a possible amp... do I need to know more?

[This message has been edited by bscofield (edited September 14, 2005).]

Well....I've been putting in phone systems for quite a while, and it seems to me---you need a good cable person that knows paging systems and wiring and you will need to have the manual, so that someone can look at the pictures and read the print---so that they are not completely pulling their hair out. This has nothing to do with being able to "figure things out". You need someone with a bit of experience to do the things that the people on this board can't do---which is physically be there and check things out, do some toning, and check out cable pairs. That is why I pay my technicians....I don't have the time or the skill to do that, now---they do it all the time---it's a snap to them. Give yourself a break. Good Luck.

Well I'm all there is to this place... in other words the company won't pay to bring anyone else in... I don't think anyway. I can tone out the lines and what not and I'll probably buy the manual since it sounds like people are sure that I can do what I need to do.

Here's a thought for you. As CO lines go into the KSU on the left side, can you trace them? Maybe one line does not go to the Telco D-mark but goes off someplace else, you could try to press the associated CO button on a phone and see what happens. Another idea is to try paging all phones one at a time. There is a chance they taped off of a speaker in a phone to connect the page speakers/amp to the system.
Just a couple of ideas to look at.

Stephanie