Batboard

I’ve got a MC2000 on order from my local shop. This is our first advanced console. This is a replacement for a standard deskset that fried during a brownout. We want to take advantage of the features we have never had the option of using before. We are also getting several ht1250s to use with it.

We plan on using everything from QC2, to all the MDC stuff.

I noticed on the sales sheet that we have a choice of 3 alert tones. Does anyone have a recording of the possible choices they could send me so we can figure out which ones we want to use? If not, I have cool edit and can create a sample if someone would be kind enough to give me the specs for the alerts.

Does anyone have any recommendations or tips on this deskset? I’m starting to think I might know more about our system than the shop that installed it.

Any help would be appreciated. The shop is halfway across the state so getting them to come and tweak it after its installed will be a real pain. I want to do it right the first time.

I've installed a couple, with no real issues to report. The MDC worked like a charm. It seems to be far better at muting post MDC than the actual radios are.

One thing to be aware of though, is to leave all MDC functions in the base radio OFF. The MC2000 needs to handle all the MDC. Enabling anything in the radio will interfere with the remote & nothing will work.

Some more info on this can be found here:

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... ght=mc2000

The windows based software (yep, it needs software) is fairly easy to navigate, and there's lots of options to play with.

I like the fact you can hook up to the printer port, and watch your MDC activity in real time with Hyperterminal or similar.

I have seen a few posts about problems with QCII tones. See these links for more info:

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... ght=mc2000

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... ght=mc2000

Todd

I shouldn't have a problem with the tones over the tone remote line. the line stays on campus and it only travels about 300 feet to the building next door through a utillity tunnel to get to the repeater.

another few questions

I would like to set up QC2 for manual entry, I'm just assuming it can be done. Is this correct? Also, does it use the same format as manual entry in a centracom2? EX: 1290, 1291...

I really don't want one button paging. I'll have too many tones and don't want them to get bumped and paged accidentally.

It says the mdc id has '250 aliases'. What exactly does that mean?

It also says the programable buttons can be set for relay control. Are there relays in the unit, or is their an optional board, or connection that needs to be installed? (i'm thinking door controls )

And the spec sheet also mentions wildcards for the programable buttons. I'm not sure what these are.

Anyone have any recomendations for any hotkeys?

Thanks.

1. The three alert tones that are more or less standard in the fire service are:

A) steady 1 kHz tone (for as long as you hold the button down): means standby for general broadcast announcement;

B) a hi-lo warble (again, for as long as you hold the button down): means urgent message for all hands, such as evacuation, headcount, MIA or the like; and

C) series of half-second 1 KHz beeps (ditto): used to alert companies in "on the air" status for a dispatch.

2. "Aliases" refer to aphanumeric IDs, which will display in lieu of the hexadecimal ID, when PTT-ID display is selected. E.g., you might get "E-1 Off Port" instead of "25E7".

3. Assuming you have an in-cabinet repeater, you can use FTs to disable and then re-enable the repeater, where a subscriber wants to pass info to dispatch that shouldn't be broadcast to all the world. However, I strongly urge that this feature be programmed in only one control unit (console or remote), not in all or more than one, as the status indication can get out of registration.