RICK box problems

[Deathstarr]

Hey guys, hoping you can help me out with a problem.


I work at a casino and we use an automated dispatching system for our floor attendants. It's a RICK box on top of an older Motorola base station. It's plugged into a PC's audio output.


When it works correctly, the PC will play the message and RICK will open up the channel and transmit the message, then close the channel. It's worked great since 2006, however in the last couple months it's started to have a problem. It will hold the channel open for between 1 and 2 minutes after the message. It's not consistent and I've eliminated the PC as the problem.


Listening right now, some times it works and some times it doesn't.


Does anyone have any ideas on things we can look at?



Thanks!

Dave

[Hardwire001]

OK a few questions and things to look at...
is that base radio working right off the bat? TX power? TX audio from the front mic (the desk or palm mic?)

the PC that is Sending the audio, is the Volume turned up or turned down on the PC its self? (Audio Control Panel)

is the going into TX but no Audio?
what lights are on on the RICK?
IS the REPEAT ENABLE ON or OFF?

assuming the PTT trigger is coming from the serial port, is the Serial cable plugged in? COM 1 or COM 2, maybe a dead COM Port...

so many things to think and look at in a system like this...one of a kind and custom

[Deathstarr]

Yep, base radio works ok.


PC volume is turned all the way up, anything lower than 60% and it's not enough signal to trip the RICK. Just audio triggered, no serial line to the PC.


Tomorrow morning i'll take a look at the rest, it's off right now.


I do have another property that's going to send us a good RICK box, It will probably be a while before it gets here though.



Thanks for your help, will reply tomorrow.



Dave

[Hardwire001]

OK no serial line, so the VOX circuit /option is programmed? if so maybe the input pin is dirty or the wire is going flaky... again so much to understand,,,could be the audio card going bad also...

Do you have another set of cables set up to work with this?

might not be a bad idea to build a new set for testing...

[Deathstarr]

OK a few questions and things to look at...
is that base radio working right off the bat? TX power? TX audio from the front mic (the desk or palm mic?)

the PC that is Sending the audio, is the Volume turned up or turned down on the PC its self? (Audio Control Panel)

is the going into TX but no Audio?
what lights are on on the RICK?
IS the REPEAT ENABLE ON or OFF?

assuming the PTT trigger is coming from the serial port, is the Serial cable plugged in? COM 1 or COM 2, maybe a dead COM Port...

so many things to think and look at in a system like this...one of a kind and custom

Not sure how it's programmed, it was a kit that IGT Gaming sold us with our accounting system. There are lots of the same setup in use around the world though.


at idle the repeater enable light is on as well as the set up light, when triggered the COR light comes on.


I checked the connectors, everything is nice and clean. I also jiggled them both while it was hanging open and it just stayed open.


I can draw up a quick diagram of how it's wired if that'll help.



Thanks