Batboard

Hi, it's been a while.
2 questions:
Anyone have experience using a Knox Box system with the Astro Spectra?
How did you hook it up?
Were going to use Analog simplex mode for the Knox Box activation and want to here from anyone else using it.
Howard

What exactly is a KNOX BOX and what does it have to do with a MOtorola radio?

Pardon me if I seem ignorant.
I thought they were boxes that housed keys for something, or something along those lines.

One version of the Knox box has a Master key locked into place by the position of the tumblers (When you unlock something and can't remove the key.) Let's say for a Fire Dept, place a universal commercial key in a knox box on your fire truck (to access all the commercial buildings in your district.) Obviously a key you need to keep tabs on!

You must use a "user" key to free the Master key from it's position. Then the "user" key becomes trapped in the device until the return of the master Key. IE: Exchange key for a key.

Enter Radio aspect....
Prior to the user key being turned, a correctly decoded DTMF sequence must be sent by the dispatcher to "unlock" the Knox box for 15 seconds, to allow the user key to turn. A solonoid moves to allow the key to move. The DTMF tones are non-standard tones so someone can't just send DTMF from a portable to unlock it. This forces whoever wants the master key to call the dispatcher and have the DTMF sequence for that knox box to be sent. Hopefully that channel is recorded for additional security. I know an option exists that allows the Knox Box to send a signal to the dispatcher to alert them that the master key was successfully removed... whether they sent the tones... or not! This requires a two-way radio of some type... motorola perhaps?

The "Audio input" line from the Knox Box SHOULD go to the discriminator output of the radio. I know of an install where they used the speaker output, but if it gets too low or too high in volume, it will not properly decode. This was done on a regular non-astro spectra. Not sure on Astro... just wanted to clarify.

BTW - Earlier versions used to use a stepper motor for the release of the user key and always blew the 5V regualtor. Also, if you can get a hold of the service key, all of the above can be bypassed.

pg

Most large cities and government facilities run the Knox Box system and what this is a "vault" mounted on the outside of a building that a special key can access. See http://www.knoxbox.com/store/pubdoclib/ ... .pdfInsidethe vault is the building access keys and usually MSDS sheets or floor plans, etc. The FD, PD, and EMS carry these master keys in the trucks and are mounted in a "bullet proof" box that requires a signal from the radio to access the key. The dispatcher records the signals being sent and received so they track how long the key has been out of the box and what unit requested the key. Here is where the problem comes in; if I use the speaker output the level is too variable and the signal may not be strong enough to activate the unit. I really need a flat source of audio that doesn't vary with the volume control.

We went to the flat audio output on the 16 pin connector of the GM-300's we ran but now that were Digital we want to stick wit the Astro Spectra's and the flat audio output function doesn't seem to be their.
Elroy are you still around?