dfc2 wrote:Can someone talk me through what is needed to set up a tone remote?
Recipe to add a tone remote control -
Ingredients:
1 mobile radio with an accessory port on the back with PTT, MIC HI, RX HI (preferably not off the volume control), and Ground
1 Tone remote adapter preferably with instructions or ready made cable to plug into mobile radio
1 or more tone remote controls
1 500ft box of IW (Inside Wire commonly used for telephone applications)(CAT5 cable is more than adequate))
2 or more surface mount telephone jack blocks (commonly called bisquits)
2 or more silver satin RJ telephone jumper cables to connect the equipment to the bisquit jacks
1 outdoor rated antenna for the mobile radio
1 mounting bracket / tripod / mast / hunk of metal that ain't too ugly to attach the antenna to the building
coaxial cable sufficient to connect radio to antenna with a drip loop at the building entry point
1 power supply for the mobile radio and possibly the tone remote adapter
tar, silicone seal, putty, or something to weatherproof your exterior wall penetration
drills, bits, screwdrivers, and other implements of destruction as required to complete your task
1 portable radio to aircheck with
Procedure:
Plan your work.
* Determine where the radio will sit with its power supply, tone remote adapter, and telephone bisquit. It has to be close to an AC outlet with a clear route to an exterior wall for the coaxial cable, and an easy path for the tone remote telephone cables to reach. You may have to build a shelf.
* Determine where the antenna will mount on the roof that provides an easy path for the coaxial cable from the roof to the cable entry point on an exterior wall. The anchor points for the antenna mount need to be solid, and the antenna needs as much free space around it as possible. DO NOT mount the antenna to the AC service conduit, or to any conduits on the roof that feed any rooftop equipment (like the air handlers). DO NOT mount the antenna on a large metal siding wall without the antenna element itself entirely projecting above that wall with free space for at least 10 feet in all directions. Keep the antenna away from other vertical metal pipes, conduits, and siding in general.
* Determine where your tone remote(s) will go. They need to be close to an AC outlet. You need to place a bisquit nearby on a wall that you can easily run the telephone cable(s) to the radio. You can run a tone remote through 1000ft of IW without any concerns for wire loss.
Practice makes perfect:
Connect all your equipment together on a work bench before installing it just to make sure it works. Even wire a couple bisquits together so you get familiar with how they hook up. Once you get it running, you're ready to install.
Drill and Fill:
* I mount the antenna first, and get its cable to the radio area leaving the spare coiled up for now. All the outdoor work gets done first including cable attachments and entry weatherproofing before moving on.
* Then I run all the phone lines trying to be as neat as possible where I have to drill through floors or walls for the wire pull. I put the bisquits on the walls at the remotes, and leave the extra wire coiled by the radio. I put the remotes in with their RJ jumpers connected. All other interior work done before the final step. Be careful stapling the wire down. Sometimes those staplers crush the wire. Adjust the impact tension if possible. You can put a staple through the cable without noticing. Check each one before progressing.
Wire it up and Fire it up:
* Land all your telephone lines in the bisquit next to the radio.
* Assemble the radio, tone remote adapter, and power supply together.
* Terminate the coaxial cable.
* Check your work, turn it on, walk around the building making sure it all works by airchecks on the portable.
Miller Time:
* Self explanatory.