We are replacing our old Gentner TS-612 phone system. It's a central box with inputs for at least 4 lines, and two control surfaces that resemble phones, one in each studio. The control surfaces allow the DJ's to select the line and put the caller on the air. (It's a college station, no full-time engineer.) The buttons are starting to wear out and we're replacing it, but Gentner no longer exists I'm baffled by the many options available. What current system is equivalent to the TS-612, with similar control surfaces?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
need advice on phone hybrid
- Thread starter Fenris
- Start date
Have you checked with Comrex, who now supports the 612, to see if you can get new buttons?
If you have a budget to buy new stuff consider the comrex stac. It's an excellent system that has call screening software built right in (web server).
If the only thing wrong with the Gentner system is worn-out buttons on the control surfaces, that is easily fixed. I believe Comrex (who bought out Gentner's phone equipment line some years ago) still sells the membrane switch assemblies for the TS612. Last time I bought them, they were around $70 or so each, and they are fairly simple to replace.
If your mind is made up to replace the TS612, the Comrex STAC is probably the phone system that is most similar to the Gentner. You will have to make some wiring changes to install it, so it's not a drop-in replacement.
Also, the STAC is basically a Linux PC that acts like a telephone system. I have one on a news-talk station and I am not entirely happy with it. It does seem to crash at the worst possible times, and I've had it back to the factory a couple of times without resolving the problem.
If your mind is made up to replace the TS612, the Comrex STAC is probably the phone system that is most similar to the Gentner. You will have to make some wiring changes to install it, so it's not a drop-in replacement.
Also, the STAC is basically a Linux PC that acts like a telephone system. I have one on a news-talk station and I am not entirely happy with it. It does seem to crash at the worst possible times, and I've had it back to the factory a couple of times without resolving the problem.
For studio phones, there's Telos, and there's everybody else. I'd heal the Gentner and save my bux for a Telos system.
I agree with Littlejohn, but for a different reason.
Heal the Genter, and then wait to see if you plant moves to VOIP. Office phone systems are all moving to VOIP systems and Telos and others are moving to VOIP "hybrid" solutions to interface with VOIP. VOIP is much easier to install and if the rest of the plant moves to VOIP, you won't have the expense of implementing multiple-line analog interfaces to adapt to a still-new analog hybrid.
Heal the Genter, and then wait to see if you plant moves to VOIP. Office phone systems are all moving to VOIP systems and Telos and others are moving to VOIP "hybrid" solutions to interface with VOIP. VOIP is much easier to install and if the rest of the plant moves to VOIP, you won't have the expense of implementing multiple-line analog interfaces to adapt to a still-new analog hybrid.
Thanks, that's good advice. I'm going to advise the general manger to fix the Gentner and wait on a new one.
There's another issue we're having with the phone system, a high-pitched cricket-like noise in many phone calls. It's confined to a fairly narrow bandwidth around 5 or 6 kHz. It follows the audio and it only happens when the audio gets louder. I'm guessing that it's intermodulation distortion occuring between ultrasonic data tones, and when the audio gets louder it pushes the total level above the threshold of clipping. Installing DSL filters on the inputs of the Gentner didn't fix it. Has anyone else experienced this kind of noise?
There's another issue we're having with the phone system, a high-pitched cricket-like noise in many phone calls. It's confined to a fairly narrow bandwidth around 5 or 6 kHz. It follows the audio and it only happens when the audio gets louder. I'm guessing that it's intermodulation distortion occuring between ultrasonic data tones, and when the audio gets louder it pushes the total level above the threshold of clipping. Installing DSL filters on the inputs of the Gentner didn't fix it. Has anyone else experienced this kind of noise?
Just an idea: is there a cell phone sitting nearby? I've seen several instances of cell phones causing interference to poorly shielded audio cables when the cell phone rings or is about to ring. The data bursts get inducted into the audio cables. This happened to about a handful or poorly shielded powered computer speakers.
- Status