atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Security, Alarms and Paging Dukane Paging Exclusions

I am trying to configure an MCS350 system where you have some speakers stations that are excluded from a standard all-call page (PAGE+ENTER) but will be paged only when an all-zone page is initiated (PAGE+9+ENTER). Does anyone know how to configure this without changing zone settings on the assigned points?

That is not possible with that system without physically disconnecting the speaker. You could use an external output to control a relay ...

But to do this, you'd have to set the page zone for the point to 0, which requires you change the programming...

I’ve worked with a system before that was configured in that way regarding paging, with the entire system being zone 1- the speakers on the exterior of the building and in the gymnasium were only pageable with the 9 for an all-zone page where as a standard Page+Enter all-call hit only the interior room speakers and hallways.

Wouldn’t configuring a page zone to 0 not disable it completely from receiving pages of any kind?

There may have been external logic. I don't have enough information about this "other system" to adequately answer your question.

I have an MCS350 here that I can change programming on, I will test this for you a little later.

The system I used to work on operated in this fashion - maybe the outside and gym AP’s were programmed in a different zone configuration that I didn’t notice. I do know for sure that all the rooms with assigned room numbers were left in zone 1 from the point of system install and I zoned them based on floor. But it’s been many years since I’ve worked on that system. I’m pretty sure they were rocking a 250 at the time.

I should also add that time-tones always played at all available speakers on the system. Inside or out

Confirming that setting page zone to 0 does not exclude a station from all call paging, but it does exclude it from all zone paging.

See, the opposite of what I’m trying to do. The only theories I can think of is that there is some kind of zoning assignment in that old system that the standard all-call page doesn’t do but the all-zone page does. It’s been 20 odd years since I’ve tinkered with the programming on that system, and even then I never did anything with the AP’s set to 0000. I only updated the zoning on the actual rooms with dial-able room numbers attached.

I know the all-zone page is doing more than all-call page just by the clicking of the relays on the cards. It’s a noticeably louder snapping sound because there’s more of them snapping on and off when I initiate an all-zone page on the ACC. The same principle applies for program distribution as well (Program+Enter vs Program+9+Enter).

UPDATE: I figured out how to do it.

You have to route the audio line off the BIX going to your daisy-chained outside speakers back to the BIX through the first two pins (audio pair 1) and configure the 4-wire switching card to dry contact mode using the jumpers and configure your AP1 and APXX (whichever pair on the BIX is your outside speaker line) in Room Assignment to room 0000, and to any random page and program zone. From there only a zone page/program to that specific zone number, PAGE+9, scheduled time tone, or doorbell will open the relay and pass to the outside speakers.

Standard PAGE+ENTER all-calls and PROGRAM+ENTER “Program to All” distribution will not trigger the relay to open the circuit and thus will not go to the outside speakers as the dry-contact option is only activated by zone specific activity.

Solved.