Paging

[tlsallada]

As a fairly new 3CX installer I've found very little info on paging to be available. I'm in the process of replacing a decades old Executone phone system that uses external paging horns via a Bogen paging amp and also a Valcom VIP801 master and two Valcom 811 units.
I can get the 3CX to access the Bogen and Valcom 801 using an unused FXO port of the Patton 4114, but, once accessed, the Yealink phone keypad will not send a DTMF tone needed to indicate the initiation of a page.
Neither can I seem to get the multicast feature to interface with just the Valcom portion of the system.

I find it hard to believe that someone, somewhere hasn't run across the same problem and found a workaround... If you're aware of the solution, I'm listing my email address and would sure welcome any and all constructive feedback!

[email protected]

Thanks!!

 

[10Gauge]

Terry,
There are several ways to skin this cat, many of us just yank out the old analog equipment and put in something like a SNOM PA1 that then feeds to a Bogen or Paso or other brand amp. The PA1 is basically just a SIP phone with a built in audio amp to feed a horn directly or you can take an unamplified output from it to the input of a standard PA amp and go out of that to your 70v speakers or whatever you have. This way, you just add the PA1 to a paging ring group that includes phones, overhead speakers or what have you. The PA1 is cheap too and has PoE and a web interface so you can program it remotely.

FWIW

 

[leejor]

I can get the 3CX to access the Bogen and Valcom 801 using an unused FXO port of the Patton 4114, but, once accessed, the Yealink phone keypad will not send a DTMF tone needed to indicate the initiation of a page.

You could try changing the DTMF settings on the set(s), and, or the gateway, and hopefully find something that still allows "regular calls to function as well. It seem strange that there is no DTMF tone as that would lead me to believe that if you called a PSTN number then you wouldn't be able to send DTMF to activate features at the far end. If you haven't had any issues with that then I have to assume that they are being sent.

Are there different settings for each trunk group (the single trunk going to the paging unit)?

If you do change anything, make note of the current settings.

 

[tlsallada]

Thanks for the input on this problem. I just might take the Snom PA-1 route as I see it IS listed in the provisioning list on 3CX. I'll wait until tomorrow as I'm getting some help from my vendor to see if they can make it work via multcast.

 

[tlsallada]

Thanks to leejor - What I found was that the port on the Patton 4114 would access the paging input (I would hear the 'alert' tone in the overhead speakers) but the Yealink phones keypads just were dead. Actually, the display on the phone still indicated 'dialing'.
I had set up an outbound dial rule that dialing '7' would send it out the FXO port of the Patton 4114 and access the paging. So I would dial 7, press send and I would hear the alert tone in the paging speakers but then couldn't send another DTMF tone to 'tell' the Bogen amp to 'open' the line for audio. When making a 'regular' phone call the phones keypads will produce DTMF tones. I think because the phone 'thinks' it hasn't completed the call, the keypad goes dead.
I'm hoping the brains at my vendor will be able to help me out tomorrow - so far they've been great help!! Thanks again for your input!!