Conference Phone For Merlin Magix w/TDL cards

[mikebonte]

Hello,

I can't seem to find any reliable information on what will work for me.

I need some direction in finding a conference room telephone (like a Polycom Soundstation or similar). The phone system is a Merlin Magix with TDL line cards.

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Mike

 

[jlshelton]

Right now, Polycom only has analog (tip/ring) soundstations that work on Merlin Magix. They do have a Definity version that replaces the 7400/8400 series telephone, but that doesn't help you. And I thought they used to make one that connected to the old ATL ports, but it's not currently listed.

If you have TDL cards in your Magix, then you should have 4400 series phones, which include a T/R port for plugging in accessories. So, just buy a Soundstation or equivalent, and plug into an existing phone.

Other than the outrageous price, I've been pleased with the Polycom products. For larger conference rooms, they have the expandable units with extra microphones.

 

[jinxs]

T/R port on a 4400 series phone???? Know something that I don't?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

No no no. No T/R ports on any 44XX phones.

 

[jlshelton]

OOps - was trusting the Avaya documentation:

http://www1.avaya.com/enterprise/brochures/mid2123.pdf

See page 2:

All MERLIN MAGIX telephones are equipped with
dual purpose station ports that allow you to easily
plug in tip/ring devices (phones, fax machines,
answering machines, modems or MERLIN
telephones).

My regrets - I don't have any Magix equipment, and was too trusting. So, what does Avaya mean by the quote?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

What in the world is that? Never seen that in any of the liturature, not that I pay much attention to it. Have to do some more checking, but that seems to be from out of left field.

 

[merlinman]

TTTOMMY - It is TRULY THERE - I can not believe it.

I will get this off to some buddies at AV and see what they say about it.

W O W - -

 

[jinxs]

What the hell is that. The scary part is that the document was published in 2003. looks like somebody in marketing made a boo boo unless avaya addded an MFM abality for the 44xx phones.

 

[mikebonte]

haha well Well when Avaya sold us this phone system, one of their key selling points was that the phones have a tip/ring jack on them for "whatever you might want to hook up to it". Of course, this is not the case.

4400 series phones and only TDL cards.

Am I SOL on getting a conference phone for this thing?

 

[jlshelton]

Well, you might want to go to Avaya and ask them about this. Again, my apologies for the confusion. It seems a shame that a capability had by the old ATL phones (adding an adjunct device to get T/R port), and the MLX phones (the MFM module) is not present in the TDL 4400 series.

I suppose you don't want to add an 016 T/R card to your system, and send a T/R extension over an unused pair to your conference room....

 

[mikebonte]

jlshelton,

Don't fret the confusion. I haven't been able to really get a straight answer out of anybody, phone vendors or Avaya themselves.

We are a relatively small company, the 016 card route + the Polycom phone I'm sure will be far out of our price range. (seems the card will be over $1000 itself).

As another option, I do have a few POTS lines still coming in, I suppose I could reroute one of them to the jack in the conf. room for the phone, but I would really like to have it part of the phone system (i.e. for transferring calls to it and whatnot).

Oh the curse of proprietary technolgoy.

 

[jlshelton]

016 T/R cards have recently sold for $300 on eBay. The older Legend (plastic shell) cards can be installed in your metal Magix carrier (according to the Magix 3.0 Installation manual, page 8-3.)

Unfortunately, the inexpensive (used) T/R cards (012 T/R, 008 OPT w/ring) do not allow installation in the Magix metal carrier, according to the manual. Too bad, because these cards often go cheap on eBay.

 

[mikebonte]

Thank you for your help.

At least I know for sure that they won't work, that's further than I was. Will give some thought to adding an 016.

Mike

 

[Ghostin]

are you using any 016 ETR cards in your system? if so, you can make one of those ports a T/R port to use.

 

[mikebonte]

No 016 cards. All of my line cards are 412 TDLs. Also have a version 1 processor, Merlin Messaging, and a DS1.

 

[merlinman]

Well, here comes my 2 cents worth.

I just implemented a brand new Magix 3.0 with all TDL sets.

On the bottom of the 4412-D+ Sets there is a jack ID'd as AUX.

It seems to be wired, but the Jack is not a standard RJ11.

It is keyed, not unlike the jack for the DSS Field.

Monday, I will be finishing up at this location, and I will be looking at trying to poke something in there to see if it has T&R Capabilities. (I have my doubts.....)