Internal + External Paging

[bJamN]

NEC2000IPS: In an earlier thread thread937-807805, it was mentioned that paging using one code was once accomplished by creating a BGM trunk and a paging trunk, looping them together, and turning on BGM on all phones that you want paged. I believe FIXED was the user that wrote this. Can someone please elaborate on this process? I am very, very green on PBX's in general, yet I have this exact requirement. It may even solve the problem of my DTERM-IP phones not having the ability to do an ALL ZONE page (because of apparent bandwidth restrictions).

Thanks,
bJamN

 

[OzzieGeorge]

BJamN

You don't want to turn BGM on for IP Dterms as that could use up your bandwidth even with relative silence and for sure every time a page is made. It might even be enough to down your network.

The trick you are referring to is one that is often used. If you programme a paging trunk to a physical card and a BGM input trunk to a physical card then jumper the two together on the frame. Any output on the paging trunk is then routed back into the system and comes out of the speakers of any station that has background music turned on

 

[ctvi]

Crack open one phone that you do not need. Take the speaker wires from the phoneset and wire it to the paging input. You will then have internal and external paging with the internal paging code or page all code.

http://www.ctvi.com

 

[OzzieGeorge]

Ensure you don't need maintenance on this before you crack open any phone and still stay clear of paging IP phones!

 

[bJamN]

Great info. But I feel the need for clarity.

I am IT Director at an elementary school that uses paging for dismissal; cars pull up to pick up kids, and a walkie-talkie is used to call for the student. A walkie-talkie is placed in front of a phone that has accessed the internal paging system (phone), and another is placed in front of another phone that has accessed the external paging system (overhead Valcom). I HATE THIS!

The few Dterm IP phones that we have (about 12) don't require paging, since they belong to offices, anyway. The remainder of the phones (classroom phones) are TDM (about 60).

So, does this scenario sound like a good one for the TRUNK LOOPING TRICK? Also, I really don't want to do the PHONE SPEAKER TAPPING TRICK since this is a brand spankying new system, and it uses one of my available TDM phones.


Also, what happens if the TDM phone is in use when BGM is is being transmitted? Does it act like an all zone phone page? If so, paging won't kick back in on that unit until a new page is done. Typically, there is only 1 page that occurs per day, but it's a very, very long page (approx. 45 minutes).

Obviously, I need some help.
Thanks a bunch,
bJamN

 

[OzzieGeorge]

The thing with BGM is you turn it on and off on a phone by phone basis so what I would do is enable the code in command 200. Turn on BGM at all required phones then remove the code in command 200 so that people can't turn it off.

The good thing about this set up from your point of view is that if a phone is used BGM is suppressed but as soon as they hang up BGM comes back on. As your page is to a paging trunk it is still live as long as you have the page going. So the page is unaffected by the use of the phone other than they would miss the part of the page they are on the phone during. If that makes sense?

I would also invest in a good Dect phone and do away with the walkie talkies if I were you.

There is of course an alternative which would be cheaper and that is, if the walkie talkies have an earphone jack you could simply connect the walkie talkie to the BGM input trunk and put the calls out directly from the walkie talkie through the BGM again there would only be sound when the walkie talkie picks something up and the phones are idle.

 

[mextera]

Another thing to think of is the display of the phone, When the phone has Background music set the phone is not in the Idle mode. Display and Softkeys are different.

45 minutes is a long time for paging to any phone much less an IP Phone.

Mextera

Mextera

 

[bJamN]

You guys are great. I believe that the information that you have provided will help me get this actually working.

The number of IP phones that will have this feature turned on will be no more than 2 (out of about 20). The remainder of the IP phones are in offices and as such, don't need to know what student is being picked up at the end of the day.

I plan on grouping the IP phones with TDM phones by zone for paging capabilities. I understand that only 3 ip phones can exist in one zone with a total of 15 phones (3 ip max, 15 total per zone). If this in fact is true, then I will be able to include vice principal phones to their respective zone of responsibility (K-2 VP with the K-2 classrooms, 3rd-6th VP with the 3d-6th classrooms, etc). The remainder of the IP phones can either not exist in a zone at all, or be included in some other arbitrary zones.

I think I will use the BGM and External page port together. When someone accesses the page port, it will feed the BGM port. Also, wire the headphone jack of a walkie-talkie to the BGM port. That way, radio calls will be directed to the classrooms over BGM and not the hallways over the page port. This frees up the page port for an "all call" type page (hallways, and classrooms). And leaves the radio dismissal calls strictly in the classrooms. I don't think I will have any bandwidth concerns like this, since I will not be using the zone paging option at all, and BGM will only be turned on with TDM phones.

Anyone see any problems?

Thanks,
bJamN