 |
|
04-16-2012, 11:54 PM
|
#1
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 1,732
|
Tips on troubleshooting intercom system
Tomorrow I will be going to a cold storage facility where 3 out of 4 warehouse intercom speakers stopped working. They are tied into an Avaya phone system, and the phone/data room is a mess. It's been a while since working with these, any quick tips would be appreciated.
I know the wires were toned and are ok from the speakers to the point they enter the concrete wall heading to the data room. I will tone them again to be sure. They are above forklift height which was my first thought, thats really all I know about it right now.
All the other speakers (about 16 total between dry storage, loading, receiving, etc...) are working properly.
|
|
|
Join the #1 Electrician Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
ElectricianTalk.com - Are you a Professional Electrical Contractor? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's the leading place for electricians to meet online. No homeowners asking DIY questions. Just fellow tradesmen who enjoy talking about their business, their trade, and anything else that comes up. No matter what your specialty is you'll find that ElectricianTalk.com is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally free!
Join ElectricianTalk.com - Click Here

|
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury
or death. ElectricianTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!
04-17-2012, 12:07 AM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3,287
|
Cold storage.....
Speakers failed. Bring speakers. devices failed. Wires good. devices bad.
cold does funny things to things. bring speakers.
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 12:21 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 1,732
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by leland
Speakers failed. Bring speakers. devices failed. Wires good. devices bad.
cold does funny things to things. bring speakers. 
|
The manager I spoke with does not think it is the speakers because all three went down at the same time, he would not even listen and said it is something with the system...
I will test the speakers as well though, thanks
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 12:27 AM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3,287
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by zwodubber
The manager I spoke with does not think it is the speakers because all three went down at the same time, he would not even listen and said it is something with the system...
I will test the speakers as well though, thanks 
|
The manager I spoke with.
Is not a technician. he is a money man.
4 out of 16 went bad/ all on the same ckt? (all 16).
It may be a ckt issue, grounded out. humidity. frozen. it happens.
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 01:06 AM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 1,732
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by leland
The manager I spoke with.
Is not a technician. he is a money man.
4 out of 16 went bad/ all on the same ckt? (all 16).
It may be a ckt issue, grounded out. humidity. frozen. it happens.
|
I know the area with the issue has 4 loudspeakers (3 of which are not working) and a ceiling mounted speaker in the lunch room and 1 office...
Thats really all I know. Thanks for your suggestions
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 07:47 AM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 1,732
|
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 08:59 AM
|
#7
|
|
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alberta
Posts: 85
|
Is this at a Walmart by chance?
Anyways, i would recommend starting at one of the dead speakers and working down the line checking all connections, and speakers/volume controls. An analog tone generator hooked to the speaker should be able to tell you if the speaker it's good or not. Intercom systems are a PITA to troubleshoot. Good luck!
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 09:36 AM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 23,913
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by zwodubber
ugghhhh... good morning mess

|
Remember, electricity does not care how neat or messy the room is and the system did work. You are not there to make it pretty just make it work.
Not trying to be an ass here, you just strike me as kind of a neat freak that would get sidetracked by the mess.
We service sound systems as well and a common issue is a shorted cable due to some over aggressive tie wrapping.
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 09:40 AM
|
#9
|
|
IT/Phone Guy
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: cleveland OH
Posts: 399
|
that is a cluster****, but typical.
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 10:30 AM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Depoe Bay, Oregon
Posts: 9,925
|
Weird, that Avaya paging amp looks IDENTICAL to the several Bogen amps I've installed. Did those outfits merge or anything?
And that system is easy enough to troubleshoot assuming access isn't too terribly difficult. Find the last device that works and check connections in it. It's hard to say how they wired the system (daisy chain vs. random T-tapping) but if it's the former it shouldn't be hard to isolate the bad spot(s).
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 11:20 AM
|
#11
|
|
IT/Phone Guy
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: cleveland OH
Posts: 399
|
I am pretty sure they are just private labeled by Bogen for Avaya.
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to jeffmoss26 For This Useful Post:
|
|
04-17-2012, 02:59 PM
|
#13
|
|
Data Tech/Apprentice.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: New Zealand.
Posts: 5,440
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBQ
Remember, electricity does not care how neat or messy the room is and the system did work. You are not there to make it pretty just make it work.
Not trying to be an ass here, you just strike me as kind of a neat freak that would get sidetracked by the mess.
We service sound systems as well and a common issue is a shorted cable due to some over aggressive tie wrapping.
|
No that is a freakin abortion that looks like it was done by some old ex govt telco worker who got a sweet gig as an inhouse technician. Jesus is killing puppys everytime he sees looms of more than 24 cables coming down into a panel not supported by cable tray or in some kind of trunking, everytime he sees unpainted plywood for backing boards. When I think about the price of the gear we install then see installations like that, its like driving an aston martin into a swamp.
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to chewy For This Useful Post:
|
|
04-17-2012, 03:20 PM
|
#14
|
|
IT/Phone Guy
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: cleveland OH
Posts: 399
|
Amen!
|
|
|
04-17-2012, 04:28 PM
|
#15
|
|
animal lover /rat bastard
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: central east coast us
Posts: 7,045
|
looms ? aston martins ?
put some shrimp on the barbie and call me in the morning.
__________________
As President Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself. And Chuck Norris. And 滿口胡言. And Grabthar's hammer. And Gort. and 江南 Style. and rotting in the street and Zombies . . . and Wayne Griffen "
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to wildleg For This Useful Post:
|
|
04-17-2012, 08:45 PM
|
#16
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 1,732
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBQ
Remember, electricity does not care how neat or messy the room is and the system did work. You are not there to make it pretty just make it work.
Not trying to be an ass here, you just strike me as kind of a neat freak that would get sidetracked by the mess.
We service sound systems as well and a common issue is a shorted cable due to some over aggressive tie wrapping.
|
I'll be the first to admit I tend to be a neat freak, but I'm only distracted by it the first minute or 2 when I see something like this then it's time to start workin.
Now when I get to do my own installs, I tend to get a little to picky but I'm working on that
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to zwodubber For This Useful Post:
|
|
04-17-2012, 11:30 PM
|
#17
|
|
Spaghetti Cleaner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 673
|
I can't imagine that install if it was done with 66 blocks instead.
__________________
Thread shorter.
|
|
|
04-18-2012, 12:16 AM
|
#18
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Shawnee KS
Posts: 702
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarness
I can't imagine that install if it was done with 66 blocks instead.
|
You would need more plywood...
|
|
|
04-18-2012, 01:44 AM
|
#19
|
|
Data Tech/Apprentice.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: New Zealand.
Posts: 5,440
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by wildleg
looms ? aston martins ?
put some shrimp on the barbie and call me in the morning.
|
Yes, 24 port panels, the cables should be "loomed" into their groups before being pulled into the comms closet or data centre ie - 1 - 24, 25 - 48, 49 - 72 etc then labelled Loom 1, Loom 2 and Loom 3 etc. Looming is making sure the cables all flow nicely so there are no visible crossovers and velcroed or zip tied depending on specs at the appropriate intervals. The looms should also go down to the rack or cabinet in a way that they are not crossing over each other like a spaghetti mess.
http://www.astonmartin.com/
I'm not lighting a BBQ for anything less than Angus Beef.
|
|
|
04-18-2012, 04:22 AM
|
#20
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 23,913
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by chewy
No that is a freakin abortion that looks like it was done by some old ex govt telco worker who got a sweet gig as an inhouse technician. Jesus is killing puppys everytime he sees looms of more than 24 cables coming down into a panel not supported by cable tray or in some kind of trunking, everytime he sees unpainted plywood for backing boards. When I think about the price of the gear we install then see installations like that, its like driving an aston martin into a swamp.
|
Not disagreeing with you just pointing out the realitys of it.
If it looks like that the customer is not going to pay him to make it pretty because that type of customer just wants it to work.
And it did work so don't get distracted by the ugly.
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|