Remote Paging

[irishlad]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to setup a paging system for our EMS responder scheme in Ireland.

At the moment, an SMS comes into one mobile and we gotta forward that to all the other guys to help us out which can take 5 minutes for the guy at the bottom of the list to receive the message.

There is currently no paging system in operation and the dispatch is done 190 miles away. Using the radio system is not an option as the TETRA encrypted system is used for radios.

I have about 30 Motorola Keynotes no longer used, believe they were ex-Las Vegas PD.

Basically, I want to know, without going to much expense, as we're volunteers, is there a way to activate those pagers by using only my mobile phone when I get a call?

I've seen apps like TedTonesOut etc. but where I need to hookup a radio and 3.5mm jack to get going.

I've seen DAPT terminals in use but that require getting a designated landline connection in. Is there any computer program or solution that can use Text-To-Speech and play an audio file (the tones) and be activated by e-mail or some app?

[Bill_G]

You would need a licensed transmitter someplace that matches the freq the pagers are on. And you need to connect that transmitter to something that would make those conversions ala phone line or internet connection. And someone would have to man the position to send said pages to the group.

[irishlad]

Hey Bill,

Should have mentioned, we have a licenced transmitter and repeater for ourselves.

Plan was to connect one of the handhelds with VOX to a dedicated computer which would carry out the dispatching function.

We want this to be a remote system so that nobody is tied down to a specific area. We only get a call once every two weeks so we really just go about our daily business until called.

[Bill_G]

Are the pagers in the same band as the transmitter?

I apologize. I'm not up on individual models of pagers per se. I don't know if Keynotes are programmable, or require a crystal change. Let's assume they are programmable. Do you have the means to program them, and check their operation before putting them in the field?

[irishlad]

Hey Bill, the pagers are crystal type.

We have them working here and they work great but only if I am next to the computer.

I want them to sound off by me activating them somehow 5 or 10 miles away.

[tuckerm]

Can't you setup a radio with QuickCall encoding on it to manually trip your pagers? Give a couple analog portables out to the "senior guys" who are on the top of the list and have one of them trip a page. Then you can use TwoToneDetect to handle the SMS portion. https://sites.google.com/site/radioetce ... oneprogram

[irishlad]

This could work half the time but another issue we have is that the response area is in the middle of a valley with a slight mountain between where most of us work and the actual response area.

Teamspeak or Skype from a smartphone would even work fine if we could have the audio file play first.

[tuckerm]

This could work half the time but another issue we have is that the response area is in the middle of a valley with a slight mountain between where most of us work and the actual response area.

Why is this the issue? Can't hit the repeater or what?

Teamspeak or Skype from a smartphone would even work fine if we could have the audio file play first.

If you want really really crude, How about this. You already get SMS from dispatch, yes? Hook up a computer to the VOX of the radio. Add a dedicated email address to the list of members that get paged. Using Outlook or Thunderbird, set the new mail notification to your two tones you have picked out that would trip your pagers.

So in theory: You'd get the SMS email-->Outlook Notification would be a QC two tone that matches pagers-->VOX Radio hears audio from PC and keys up repeater-->Tones go across repeater and maybe activating your pagers.

But really, it's all a theory and while it would work, I don't know how reliable.

[MaxK98]

Problem with using services like Skype or teamspeak is they are dependent on a server from a third party. Also If the software needs an update to work or their servers are down you are down too. plus need an active internet connection.

Same thing for SMS; it's not a reliable way to dispatch.

if you don't want to spend much money, my plan would be to to get a PSTN telephone line and install an autopatch on your current repeater. Give radios that are able to do DTMF to a couple of guys who are available to answers calls. Distant Dispatch call in the telephone number, one guy acknowledge the call then close the patch. An optional step here could be that the guy of answered the call generate a two tone page and repeat the message from dispatch

On a side note, if you want to generate two tones, try to find a controller that will do it directly from your repeater. Generating two tones from a radio can fail especially if repeater coverage isn't that great.
Also, is your repeater coverage is good enough?

I'm an IT guy and I love finding ways to make twisted solutions works. But one thing I learnt from working in an FD is it gotta work and it has to be sample with the least ways your solution can fail.
Doing some king of SMS to two tone gateway would be an headache.

[tuckerm]

Problem with using services like Skype or teamspeak is they are dependent on a server from a third party. Also If the software needs an update to work or their servers are down you are down too. plus need an active internet connection.

Same thing for SMS; it's not a reliable way to dispatch.

I agree, there's a failure rate there that won't be pretty. Power blip kills the computer, something breaks, etc. I run TwoTone Detect for many agencies in our county and occasionally it goes down due to Internet or Power problems and it will miss a page. The guys get upset, but I always tell them it's a secondary means of paging, your pager is #1. Although, my paging system has more uptime than our Dispatch's paging system...

Sounds like they're using SMS to get dispatched already.

[irishlad]

Thanks Guys,

I appreciate all of your input.

I am getting the repeater moved to a better location which will cover all of our coverage area.

However, I am still left with the activation issue.

What I could do if get a handheld radio and put it in the first responder bag and get them to activate the pagers via the radio and give the message but then I am slowing down response time as 80% of our calls are cardiac arrests.

[tuckerm]

Thanks Guys,

I appreciate all of your input.

I am getting the repeater moved to a better location which will cover all of our coverage area.

However, I am still left with the activation issue.

What I could do if get a handheld radio and put it in the first responder bag and get them to activate the pagers via the radio and give the message but then I am slowing down response time as 80% of our calls are cardiac arrests.

irishlad,

With all due respect, I don't know how we can fix your setup. It sounds like you need your own dispatchers or issue everyone portables to set off their own pagers. Any automated system is bound to fail and if it's through the internet, it could have a delay as well.

I wish I could be of more assistance, but for the scenario you are trying to run here, it's not looking good.

[RFguy]

In your situation, we would install a ROIP system with a "transponder" that provides the dispatcher with positive confirmation of a successful page. We would add a telephone interconnect as a back-up that the dispatch would use in the event of a failure on the primary system.

Yes, it costs $$$, but it's public safety so that shouldn't be a barrier.

[tuckerm]

Yes, it costs $$$, but it's public safety so that shouldn't be a barrier.

Here in lies the problem:

Basically, I want to know, without going to much expense, as we're volunteers,

[irishlad]

Yes, money is an issue tuckerm - not something I have much control over.

I came across a system last night.

A mobile phone had a 3.5 mm jack going to a VOX handheld (on repeater channel)

The phones ringtone was set as the pager tones to replay three times, then the phone had an app that automatically answered after 12 seconds, person gave their message and then hung up.

This may be something we will put on trial for a month.

[tsunami_australia]

if you don't want to spend much money, my plan would be to to get a PSTN telephone line and install an autopatch on your current repeater. Give radios that are able to do DTMF to a couple of guys who are available to answers calls. Distant Dispatch call in the telephone number, one guy acknowledge the call then close the patch. An optional step here could be that the guy of answered the call generate a two tone page and repeat the message from dispatch

You could use a VoIP phone line and something like a Tara2020 phone patch.

http://www.dmkeng.com/ This might work for you as well for hooking to teamspeak or many other different possibilities.

If you could find a way to receive SMS on the computer and trip a relay upon receipt of the SMS then you might be able to right up a group call from a radio to call all radios.