Emergency button on PR860

[kyparamedic]

I'm trying to setup the emergency button on the PR860. The MDC 1200 ID is set to transmit post Tx and decodes fine on my Kenwood TK-2180. However, when the emergency button is activated it doesn't appear to do anything. No ID shows up on my 2180 and nothing shows up on the consoles at our dispatch center (however I'm not convinced their consoles are setup right either). What should the correct settings be for this? I'd like to set it up so that the radios are not waiting for an acknowledgment from dispatch but simply transmit for a set period of time or until turned off.

Thanks!

[HLA]

Need more info, is this on a trunked system? and i'm prett shure you need at least a cdm or ht 1550 to decode the emergency signal. You'll have to have somebody check to see if the console is actually set up for it to recieve and display it. But when you push the emergency button it should transmit the mdc pre so the other radios know what's going on

[escomm]

It can't be on a trunked system because PR860s are conventional only. And he's not trying to decode emergency on the radio he's trying to encode it.

[HLA]

That's where I was getting at, he may have it set up correctly to send the signal and if he does, he needs to make shure the recieve radio or console can decode it. When he said he didn't want to wait for acknowledgment I didn't know if he was waiting for the system to let it thru or if he was actually waiting for a disbatcher to reply?

[kyparamedic]

I was referring to some type of acknowledgment packet from the dispatcher console. I'm assuming that's how it works, correct? I don't know if our dispatch will be setup to do this. At this time they aren't even being alerted that an emergency has been declared. My Kenwood TK-2180 is decoding the radio ID post tx on a regular transmission but is not decoding anything when the emergency button is pressed.

Thanks.

[HLA]

I don't know about kenwood radios but i'm pretty shure they can't decode it, it takes another motoroal at least a ht1550 or cdm1550 with firmware recent enuf to decode it. and the signal that's sent out is always pre for the emergency signal, if it wasn't then the recieving radios wouldn't know what to do until after it was all over. do you have access to any type of 1550?

[kyparamedic]

The Kenwood x180 series can do MDC 1200 with a firmware upgrade. It's no longer under patent so other companies are adding it as an option on their radios. At this time I don't have access to a 1550.

[HLA]

I don't think you're understanding, just because a radio can decode mdc don't mean it can decode the emergency signal, it's different, you need at least a 1550 with new enuf firmware or the console set up for it. I don't know about other brands but I doubt it any of them can do it

[kyparamedic]

Ok, I see what you're saying. It should decode the emergency signal but it's possible that it doesn't. I know that it's received an emergency call before. I don't understand why I'm not getting at least an ID when it's in emergency mode. During normal transmission the ID shows up. I'll see if I can't get a hold of a HT 1550 and see what happens. I believe one of the fire departments uses them.