Transtalk Avaya 9040 Noise 1

[selmerjoe]

Hello,

Ok I have customer with (2) transtalk base units and (4) 9040 phones. The base units work by them self and all 4 phones test fine. If the two units are in sync but are a good 50 feet apart the phones get horrible line noise. The customer looses calls and clicking happens. We tried the base units next together same problem. I told them to try them apart with out snycing them and try them next together syncing them. I just don't know what the correct protocol is for having more then one transtalk base unit. Could some please educate me on the proper setup and why the manual does not help at all. Thanks!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

The base units come with a cord to tie them together so that they don't interfere with each other. You MUST connect them, or they will try to assign the same frequencies and cause the problems you have cited.

Alternativly, keep the bases far out of each other's reach, and register the phones as dual zone.

 

[selmerjoe]

Is the cable just a RJ-11 straight through? Thank you so much for your advice!!

 

[hbiss]

Hate to tell you but this is why the Transtalks have been discontinued.

The popping and clicking is caused by other devices somewhere in the area that use the same frequency spectrum (902-928Mhz). It's either interference or the system hopping around trying to find a clear frequency. Apparently this was not something that the original designers though would be a problem at the time.

I have many of both the 9031s and 9040s out there. Every one of them worked fine until one by one every one of them came down with the popping and clicking you describe. There is no fix for it and so many complaints that Avaya decided to just discontinue them. The only Avaya cordless available now is the little 2 line 3910.

Avaya really dropped the ball on this one. EVERYBODY has a cordless solution and they work just fine.

Unfortunately the Transtalks are still being sold on the gray and refurbished market to unwary people. Not likely they will work unless you are in the middle of the desert. Maybe it will actually get better some day when everything moves away from the 900Mhz band as is happening now.

-Hal

 

[dagwoodsystems]

I'm sorry my brother, but what hbiss says is true.

I managed to convince one customer that most of their cordless users did not use the multiline features of the Transtalk phones. Any chance you could do the same? Because replacing the Transtalks with ordinary 5.8GHz phones is a cinch.

And because of the reach of the 5.8GHz band, a repeater may not be necessary. Wireless networking gear, wireless keyboards and mice operate in the same 5.8GHz band, but collision-detection/channel hopping is much more sophisticated these days, and may not be a problem in the customer's environment at all.

Perhaps you could even borrow one from your house for a day...just to do a little testing.

 

[aarenot]

try searching engenius wireless phones on the web. great range, analog phones.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

How are those Engenius phones these days, aarenot?

Last time I set one up was for a charter airport. It was advertised as having a one mile range, but I found that I lost contact with the base whenever I walked behind a steel hangar.

Granted, this was MANY years ago.

 

[aarenot]

i have had great range with them. even about 4 years ago, i installed one with the external antenna for the base unit. the user reported he could use the phone across the quarry over a mile away. as with any wireless device, test the site, and placement of the base. there are obstacles to wireless signals which nothing will get through. i have seen 7 floors coverage in office buildings.

i have seen nothing with a greater range as of yet, for an analog phone.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

Thank you, that is killer information!

Any of this stuff help you selmerjoe? Please write back.

 

[selmerjoe]

Yes thanks guys! Why is it that the units alone work fine with two phones then? Is it just when you add additional phones that this problem occurs? If I take everything out of the building that is working with 900MHz band will that solve anything? I just sold these to the customer and I hate to return a huge amount of money and eat something this big. Thanks guys!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Why is it that the units alone work fine with two phones then? Is it just when you add additional phones that this problem occurs?



[small]The base units come with a cord to tie them together so that they don't interfere with each other. You MUST connect them, or they will try to assign the same frequencies and cause the problems you have cited.[/small]

 

[aarenot]

get advanced replacement from avaya.

 

[Dexman]

Doesn't the Transtalk use analog transmission as opposed to either digital or Digital Spread Spectrum (DSS)?

With cordless analog transmissions, interference is almost a certainty (florescent lighting, larger electric motors etc).

 

[aarenot]

the engenius analog cordless phones i have installed have been much less suuceptible to interference than any other type.
900 mhz, frequency hopping 100x / second. i think this is spread spectrum, or similiar. 708mw peak rf power

they can have multiple handset per base, and a built in auto attendant in the base if needed. can program incomings to ring certain handsets., dedicate lines to certain handsets, and register handsets to multiple bases. behind a pbx use analog exts for the line inputs, in a group, or not. it can also be set to return to the built in aa if desired, or to the pbx for unanswered calls. it is a little cordless phone system itself, if those functions are helpful, yet easy to program it.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

I did an install for an actor who had an elevator in the center of his studio. The original installer had placed a transciever on either side of the elevator shaft, knowing that 900MHz transmissions wouldn't be able to get past this steel column. The main complaint in this setup was that darn clicking.

I changed the setup by moving both base stations to the center of the room near the elevator, which (for some unexplained reason) caused to clicking to greatly lessen.

The studio had a vaulted/slanted ceiling. I read that the antennas were to be placed at a height that was equivalent to the lowest point on the ceiling, which I did.

I think its also important (perhaps the most important) to note that there is a limitation as to how close you can put any base unit to the PBX. In my case, the original installer had placed one of the transcievers about 6 feet from the switch. Changing the location of that base unit alone may have been the real reason for the clarity gain. I guarantee there's a seasoned tech reading this right now that knows how far from the switch these units need to be. I expect that you'll see a follow-up with that information.

Does any of this information apply or come into play for you, selmerjoe?

 

[selmerjoe]

Yes the base units do work fine with two phones. It is when I introduce the two base units that the problem occurs. Dag I will try putting them out in the warehouse far apart from each other and far away from the switch. Thank you guys so much for your help! I will get back to you.

 

[hbiss]

Why is it that the units alone work fine with two phones then?

If you have more than one radio unit you absolutely HAVE to connect them together with a sync cord.

The more handsets you have the more links there will be looking for a clear frequency so, yes the problem will be more apparent with multiple handsets. Matter of fact the original Avaya advisory described the problem as affecting multiple handsets however my experience is that it affects even a single handset used by itself. In all instances of my testing at multiple customer locations, single handset with brand new equipment there was no problem if you are close to the radio unit but when you move as little as 20-30 feet away it will begin. In each case I was not aware of any other 900Mhz equipment anywhere near the location.

Interesting to note that you say you have no problem with the units working alone.

-Hal

 

[1043]

Bottom line is the 9040 sucks. After it was in production a couple years Avaya came out and said not to put more than 2 antennas and 4 phones on the system.(the manual shows how to hook up alot more than that). Why do you think Avaya discontinued them.

Also as a side note. If you are using a 9040, make sure it isn't in a paging group. It will chirp with every page.

 

[selmerjoe]

HBiss,

Thanks for your added info.

1043,

Bottom of the line most actual system cordless phones suck, but what can you do if you need system functions on a cordless phone?

 

[dagwoodsystems]

I'm curious whether the "garden-variety" single line 5.8GHz phone that I suggested makes sense or not.

You lose multiline capability (though few seem to use it) but the clarity is great for quite a fair distance. Many brands are bundled with multiple phones and charging units. All new 5.8GHz seem to be WiFi friendly.