Call Screening with a Telos HX-1

[pellmell]

A buddy is setting up a home studio to originate his weekly radio talk show from home. Taking phone calls is a big part of his show. While Skype and other online services will work for taking POTS calls, those services don't handle a candle to the quality and reliability of a hybrid, such as the Telos HX-1, with clean telephone lines.

Many years ago, we interfaced to the hybrid with a 1A2 key system. The hybrid has a A-lead contact closure so that the key system released the hold when the hybrid grabbed the call. When we updated to Toshiba electronic key system, we had a problem with releasing from hold because the system did not have an A-lead input and it did not automatically sense when the call was removed from hold by a device other than another key set.

What is the typical configuration that stations use today to interface hybrids with multi-line systems that allows a producer to screen calls? My buddy is not able to spend the big bucks to get the optimum digital telephone system with a console. He's trying to understand the least expensive way to use a Telos HX-1 (or HX-2) with three lines. What's a good, creative solution?

 

[RolfTaylor]

The best approach is to put the hybrid on it's own analog extension and use the PBX transfer function to put the call onto the hybrid.

The quality of the PBX's analog ports is the limiting factor, of course. There may be more than one type of analog port, SOmetimes there are 24 and 48 volt version, and generally the 48 volt version is better than the 24 volt version.

If the PBX has digital trunks this can work very well.

 

[DudeFan]

I second Rolf's approach. We screen with a multiline handset and have programmed a button on the handset to transfer calls over to the analog extension for the hybrid. More awkward than having a multiline hybrid, but just as effective. When VOIP multiline interfaces are less expensive, we will drop one in.