Critical Communications: Dispatch

Question   Why do I keep getting a Key Read error 71 on C-Soft or Network Recorder?   Answer   The PC has an issue with the drivers for the license dongle, reloading of drivers is required. Please check to make sure the donlge USB or Paralell key is plugged into the pc. Reboot the PC. Wait 2 minutes after logging in to the PC and start the software program. If you still get key read errors please follow the rest of the steps to properly install the driver. You need to make sure that the dongle is unplugged. Uninstall all drivers in add/remove programs referred to as Sentinel or Safenet or SPNcombo. Reboot computer. Install the latest driver from the safenet website. http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.aspU Reboot computer again. Now plug the dongle key back in. Now download the key reader application and run it. This program should read the key and tell you how many lines it is programmed for. If this program finds the key then Csoft or Network Recorder should work for you.  http://www.telex.com/us/dispatch/file?i=97440&lg=eng           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   How do I change Zones/Channels on a Kenwood radio with Telex Dispatch products?   Answer   The Telex Consoles do not have the ability to directly change zones on a radio, this would be done in either the IP-223 or IP-224. The frequency you select on the console would correspond to the F-Tone on the Per Line Setup page in the IP-223/4. In that same section look at the far right hand side and you will see two columns labeled System and Channel. The System column is the zone that you want the radio to change to when the console selects that channel. In turn the IP-223/4 will also change to that channel in that zone. So in practice let’s say the IP-223/4 has F1, F2, F3 set to zones 1,2,and 3 for the channels 1,2,3 respectfully: Now if this is submitted and saved to eeprom, the IP-223/4 will now change channels to zone 1 channel 1 when the IP-2002 selects F1. If the console selects F2 then the radio will change to zone 2 channel 2. If the console selects F3 then the radio will change to zone 3 channel 3.         © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   What are possible causes of poor audio in Telex Radio Dispatch Systems?   Answer   Telex Radio Dispatch systems have operating requirements which need to be established and verified, in order to insure good quality audio across a system.  Here are some fundamental parameters that installers and technicians need to be aware of, which, if not properly ascertained, may be causes of poor quality audio in the system: Levels are a foundational issue with Telex radio systems. Improper digital audio levels are one of the most common defects that impair system audio quality. This means that the digital transmit audio and digital receive audio must be “proportional.” “Proportional” means that the sampling and conversion of the analog signals must be in the proper binary value “window.”  Generally this would be indicated by a VU Meter bar graph deflection of about 2/3 to ¾ scale at voice peaks. Improper digital audio levels are the result of improper analog levels going into the CODEC. Digital audio that is too low or too high will degrade re-constitution of digital back to analog audio at the end points. The Telex “VU Meter” program allows measurement of the digital audio levels at different points in the network, (see the Knowledge Base articles on Optimal Analog to Digital Conversion in the IP-223, and Telex Dispatch VU Meter Program.) VU Meter gives a graphic and numeric indication of digital sampling with multicast traffic. Microphones The quality of the transmit audio of the entire system depends heavily upon the quality of the signal originating from the microphone.  The microphone is where the “tires touch the road” in the system, and a poor quality microphone cannot be compensated for by any external means. The highest quality radio system will not sound good if the microphone is of poor quality, improperly adjusted, or improperly used.  The microphone is the last component in the system that should be a low price based selection. Poor microphone audio is often caused by improper use of the microphone, or the wrong type of microphone for the application.  Without a doubt, the headset mic is the best choice for any dispatching application, whether pubic safety, or not. The headset mic is always at a consistent distance from the dispatcher’s mouth, and the close proximity minimizes background noise, and promotes a very consistent voice transmit level.  Keep in mind that although some dispatchers do not like to wear headsets, no other type of mic will produce as consistently good sound quality as well as a headset mic. Desktop and gooseneck microphones are designed to be used at a specific distance from the dispatcher’s mouth, and when that distance is exceeded, audio quality degrades, and more background noise is picked up along with the voice.It is common to find a desk mic used at a much greater distance than intended, and this creates less than optimal voice audio quality. Obviously, a microphone gain setting that is too high can also create a similar problem, with excessive pickup of background noise, and excessive voice amplitude. Too low of gain setting, and the voice amplitude will be too soft and accompanied by noise. Again console mic audio in a RoIP system is adjusted by watching the VU Meter deflection at the console, using a loud talk test. Once the best deflection is attained, further gain adjustments at the radio end ensure proper transmitter modulation, and optimal audio quality. Voice peaks are a recommended reference point for calibration. Tones may not be as accurate for modulation calibration, as digital conversion does not reproduce single frequency sine waves as well as voice modulation. Control Stations Control station radios need to be run across the test bench to insure that they meet all performance specifications. Once installed on site, transmit modulation levels need to be re-verified, once the overall system alignment is completed. Mic Jack Audio Some radios use the mic jack as the TX audio interface. Be aware that such low level signals are susceptible to local sources of electrical noise, and shielded cables should always be used. RF Most installations use multiple control stations in a single rack or shelf arrangement. RF leakage can infiltrate wiring of all kinds, so it is important to minimize any radiation that may occur in the vicinity of the system equipment. Keep lead lengths as short as possible. Using outside antennas located as far away from equipment as is possible is important, especially when using high power base stations. Use double shielded RF antenna cables to insure that minimal RF radiation is occurring locally at the rack. iDen phones and similar can generate all kinds of pulse mode interference, especially if the antenna is not cabled to an external location. A loose antenna cable connector can create a lot of RF radiation near the radio. When in doubt, shield everything and make sure connections are tight. Amplified speaker cables and microphone cables are very susceptible to pulse mode RF interference. High Noise Floor Areas For example, if you are planning a power company dispatch center installation, and you have 345,000 volt transmission power lines next to the building, you may have a noise problem. Similarly, areas near commercial radio and television broadcasting towers may also have a very high RF noise floor that must be considered. Control station interfaces should be located out of the area of these types of noise sources if possible. If installation away from these noise sources is not possible, extra care should be used to shield all wiring.  Faraday shielding is the best method of eliminating electrical noise induced from radiating sources. Noise Present via Supplied AC Power Variations and transients in AC power can contribute to system noise. Using UPS power supplies or power conditioners can help eliminate AC power noise present on the supply lines. Verifying that the equipment room supply outlets are properly wired and correctly grounded is good practice. Improper grounds can be a significant factor in noise. Telex equipment should always have case grounds installed. DC Power Telex equipment in racks should have a common DC power supply, rather than each one on a separate power supply. A power supply plugged into an improperly grounded outlet will almost always cause AC noise. Network Network topology can cause VoIP audio problems if there are bandwidth restrictions, or if shared services are causing packet queuing, or data collisions. If operating on a shared network, use VPN Tunnels. Many Telex customers have had good results with products such as DCB (Data Communications for Business) tunnel boxes.           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   Can I setup for MDC-1200 Encode and Operation?   Answer   Yes, see attached           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   Why do my C-Soft volume sliders provide no level changes to receive audio?   Answer   In early versions of C-Soft Designer, audio volume sliders (main, per-line and nena) had a default of 0db gain, basically the slider is off.  We suggest increasing the maximum gain to 12 db thus allowing for amplification of lower RX levels.    Length of Sliders - Slider length affects the resolution of the control, so the shorter the slider, the more abruipt changes will be in volume level.  The most common method of configuring a slider so that it has sufficient length/resolution is to make it a vertical slider, usually alongside the line it controls.             © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   How can I mute my transmit audio coming back as receive on another line?   Answer   In some radio systems, when several RF channels are the same to each other in frequency, transmitting on one channel can cause others to break squelch and make noise. Although this is in reality likely an RF problem that is best dealt with by addressing the root causes—antenna proximity, orientation, and TX power output levels, etc., Telex C-Soft can help mask these symptoms by providing audio RX blocks for selected adjacent channel lines. RX blocks programmed into C-Soft will automatically mute the lines selected in the list during console transmit. (Other Telex "hard" consoles also have this feature.) For example, if Line 1, a VHF channel is randomly causing three other nearby VHF channels, Line 2, Line 3 and Line 4 to unsquelch during transmit, RX block should be programmed for those channels as shown in Figure 1. This screen is found in Edit/Set up per line parameters/Frequency. Note: per-line mute buttons must be present in the design for RX Block to work. Figure 1 RX Block delay time RX Block delay, found in Edit/Global parameters/Audio, sets the amount of time in milliseconds, that the muting time is continued after console ptt stops.  This can be useful for masking repeater squelch tails and network latency of parallel line RX traffic, see Figure 2.   Figure 2                   © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   When I press the Blue "Run" button in designer nothing happens, what are the possible causes?   Answer   Most commonly found in Window XP, during the install phase a file called "CsoftPath.txt" was not created or has a bad file location path loaded.  This file would be located in C:\Program Files\Telex Communications\CSoft  If not present you can create this file by pressing the "Run" next to Help on the toolbar in Designer, then press the "Select C-Soft Location"  Point Designer to the csoftruntime.exe file location.             © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   Can I setup for MDC-1200 Encode Setup and Operation?   Answer   Yes, see attached.  

Question   How do I connect Telex VoIP Dispatch Systems to Analog Recorder Solutions?   Answer   See attachment  

Question   C-Soft dongle key error codes - What do they mean?   Answer   Error 71 - Unable to read the key.  Most common error. To correct this error you will need to first check that you have a dongle key or a licensed AD-HB4 plugged into the computer. If you have a licensed AD-HB4 please contact telex technical support for further assistance. If there is a dongle key, then see the attached document to reload the driver for the dongle key. Error 13 - sp_io_communications_error. The system device driver is having problems communicating.  verify the device driver is correctly installed. If the driver is installed correctly, then try a different key if you have one. There may be a hardware issue with the key. If you do not have another key you will need to contact our customer service at 1-800-553-5992  

Question   Does Telex Dispatch support UDP Unicast addresses instead of UDP Multicast addresses?   Answer   Yes. Place opposite ends static ip address into the multicast address field, see example below: Note: You will now be operating in point to point mode (ie...ip-223 to single console), point to multi point (ie...ip-223 to multiple consoles) will not work.  

Question   When sending out pages the console steers the page to the correct channel, but then immediately switches back to whatever channel was selected prior to the page.  Need it to stay on the paged out channel.   Answer   This is standard operation if the page button is configured with 0 in the "Talk Time" field.  Typically if you send pages and voice on the same channel it is expected that the "Talk Time" field has a value inserted to keep the radio keyed allowing the dispatcher time to press PTT so your not bouncing the radio RF final with a very short de-key.  

Question   What will the IRR button record in C-Soft runtime?   Answer   The IRR button will record recieve audio only. This applies to the select, unselect audio as well as to the global call history window.

Question   What models of iDEN phones are supported with the IP-223/NI-223 adaptors?   Answer   In general, if the iDEN phone has a Falcon Series connector it should work.  Below you will find a list of phones that we have tested and are known to work. Models i315 i832 i836 i730 i580 i930 i710 i205 i605 i560 i355 i325 i325IS i860 i850 i365  

Question     I keep getting a Key Read error 71 on C-Soft or Network Recorder. Why and what can I do?   Answer     The PC has an issue with the drivers for the license dongle, reloading of drivers is required. Please check to make sure the donlge USB or Paralell key is plugged into the pc. Reboot the pc. Wait 2 minutes after logging into the pc and start the software program. If you still get key read errors please follow the rest of the steps to properly install the driver. You need to make sure that the dongle is unplugged. uninstall all drivers in add/remove programs referred to as sentinel or safenet or SPNcombo. Reboot computer. Install the latest driver from the safenet website. http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.asp Reboot computer again. Now plug the dongle key back in. Now download the key reader application and run it. This program should read the key and tell you how many lines it is programmed for. If this program finds the key then Csoft or Network Recorder should work for you.  http://www.telex.com/us/dispatch/file?i=97440&lg=eng  

Question   What port number does the Sentinel driver use?   Answer   The Sentinel driver uses ports 6001, 6002, 7001 and 7002. For C-Soft to run these ports need to be allowed to pass through all firewalls. This is especially true if you are using server enabled keys.           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   How do I set up EF Johnson Series 5300 Mobile Radio Alias and User ID Operation?   Answer   See attached.           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   Are there Electro Voice Microphone Options for Dispatch Consoles?   Answer   Yes, see attached.           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   What does Dispatch products due in the cases of missed packets (lost due to jitter or errors)?   Answer   The products have a jitter buffer that allows for packets to be reordered if delivered out of sequence, if this buffer empties due to lost packets the unit will stop and restart once the "Packet delay before playback" buffer is filled.   The product looks at the source and destination address, when a correct incoming port number is recognized the unit will lock in on that source address an ignore packets coming from another source address until the first source stops sending then the second source has access. There is no protection against multiple packets from the same source address with the same multicast and port numbers as this shouldn't happen.  Add to this the same sequence bit in the packet (echoes) should never be allowed. Packets not received or lost before their play sequence (bit) time in the buffer are lost and next packets in the buffer pulled in.           © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.  

Question   Multicast doesn't seem to be working on my Telex Dispatch system - what are good next steps to troubleshoot for possible network issues?   Answer   The problem can come from many reasons, the two most common are the following: 1. The TTL value entered isn't high enough for the number of router hops and Multicast packets are being pruned by the network before reaching the end point unit.  Try increasing the TTL value. 2. By default WAN or Layer 3 networks will not pass multicast traffic, a good next step to test overall port number addressing.  Configure a number of devices for "point to point" Unicast instead of "point to multi-point" Multicast.   Enter the IP address of the far end IP unit into the Multicast address field of the local IP unit.  Do this for both ends. If console and radio traffic now work using Unicast the network is not configured correctly for Multicast traffic an you need to work with the IT manager for resolution.          . © Copyright Bosch Security Systems All rights reserved. Text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos as well as the arrangement of the same in Bosch offline knowledgebase (help file) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. The content of these offline knowledgebase may not be copied, disseminated, altered or made accessible to third parties for commercial purposes. Some Bosch web sites may also contain text, images, graphics, sound, animations and videos subject to third party copyrights. Warranty Note This information is provided by Bosch Security Systems ''AS IS'' and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including (but not limited to) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement. While the information provided in believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. Bosch Security Systems will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from use of this tool, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.