Operation
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Stack Paging
The Digital Tone Remotes support the function of stack paging, that is, paging a number
of different users as the result of a single paging entry on the remote. The Digital Tone
Remotes can support a total of ten stack pages, and each of these stacks can have up to ten
pagers included in them. The stack must be programmed into the remote by the installer.
In order to allow entry of stack pages, this function has a leading digit assigned to it just
like the paging formats do. The operator enters this digit and the remote will display it in
the bottom line with dashes to prompt for two more digits. The stacks one through ten are
called by entering the numbers 90 through 99 respectively. Once you enter the number of
the prompt on the bottom line will change to “Stack 1”, “Stack 2”, etc. as appropriate.
When you press the TRANSMIT button the remote will go into transmit and start sending
the pages in the stack, displaying the name of each user as it sends that user's page. If any
of the users in the stack had specific frequencies assigned as part of their paging
programming, then the remote will make the frequency selections as part of the stack page
too. The base station will remain on the last frequency selected during the stack page. The
Alert tones and talk-time (if any) that follow the stack page will be determined by
whatever was programmed for the last pager in the stack.
If the stack entered has no pagers programmed in it, then the prompt will change to
“Unknown user” for about four seconds, and then return to idle without any further action.
The leading digit used for stack paging can also be used to page individual database users.
If you follow the leading digit with a two-digit number between 01 and 50, the remote will
display the user in that slot and you can page them. If the user number you enter is not
programmed, the remote will display “unknown code” followed by “* or # searches”, and
return to the idle condition. If you enter a number from 51 to 89, the remote will remind
you that user numbers lie between 01-50 and stacks 90-99, and then return to the idle state.
Live DTMF Signaling
The last form of signaling to be discussed is live DTMF. In order for this feature to work,
DTMF must already be programmed into the remote as the paging format for one of the
leading digits, even if you don't intend to use it for paging in the normal sense. The reason
for this is to provide a place in the database for such necessary information as relative
level and which equalization curve to use when transmitting DTMF.
Unlike the other forms of audible signaling, you do NOT use a leading digit in order to
send DTMF live from the remote. What is required is that the remote be in transmit
already when you start pressing keys on the DTMF keypad. When we speak of the remote
being in transmit, this means the operator needs to be holding down the transmit button,
handset PTT bar, or pressing the foot switch of his or her own remote when they start
keying in the DTMF. If the radio is transmitting as the result of a keying tone from another
remote in the system, then the Digital Tone Remote will think that the operator wants to do
leading digit paging and behave accordingly.
The DTMF digits transmitted in the live mode go out “live”, with what ever duration and
interval timing the operator gives them while pressing the keys.
