Elk to Nuvo GC Paging

[stew]

Has anyone connected their M1 to the Nuvo Paging Feature? I converted Speaker Output 1 to line level using the suggested ELK to PA circuit. I ran the line level output to Source 6 on the Nuvo GC. From there I took Output 2 to the Nuvo Ext. Mute since it looks like the Nuvo wants an external paging trigger. I didn't have any luck getting the M1 to trigger a page on the Nuvo. I have Output 2 to Voltage Out.

If I pop the Ext. Mute off, the Line Level from the Elk takes over the Nuvo and fires all of the zones up and holds on to them (but I can get Elk Voice out of it). Kind of 1/2 way there.

Any help would be appreciated (or am I chasing my tail on this one?). I'm having a hard time convincing the wife that I need another batch of speakers throughout the house when I just finished installing 24 of them in her ceilings.

Thanks.

Stew

 

[Spanky]

I am not familiar with the NUVO external triggers, but if you need a trigger to switch the NUVO, write a RULE using the "AUDIO AMPLIFER" turning ON. With this you can use a relay or voltage output. Output 2 is a siren output.

 

[Steve]

Spanky pretty much gave you your answer - don't use Output2, it is designed for a siren and is supervised. You can use Output3 or another relay. I do paging through the GC and it works great but I decided against using the Elk and route everything through CQC. But I did test it with the line level converter and used an Output on the M1RB to trigger the page. When I decided to just use voice via CQC I still used the Elk Output to trigger it but I had a problem where every once in a while page mode would stay engaged. I was turning the output on/off via actions in CQC. So I just modified the CQC driver for the GC to turn page on/off via the serial interface and it has been perfect since. The output may work ok if its all in the Elk, I don't know. But you also must have the GC configured right for paging. On the System Settings tab there is the External mute section. In there you must choose the Paging Trigger, not System mute trigger. When you choose the Paging trigger you must set high or low. If you are just using a plain open/close relay like me, choose active low. You can test by simply turning the output in the Elk on/off and watching the GC to see if it goes into page mode - all zones (LEDs) will come on except if the zones DND is on. That should get your page mode working, now for voice you can test that separately. Just program a zone to have Source6 available, go to that zone and press Ok until Source6 comes on. That will essentially keep that zone in page mode. With that set you can issues command to have the Elk speak and see if it comes out of that zone, it should. You can use that to fine tune the volume, etc without having page mode tripping on/off all the time.

You may notice a 'pop' when the Elk amp turns on/off. If you do you can fiddle with the Elk Output1 volume setting until you virtually eliminate it. You also need to deal with the delay. It takes about a second for the zones to 'kick in' when the paging trigger is activated. You may need to go into all the voice configs in the Elk and put a delay up front or some of the words may get chopped off. You will have a bigger problem if you use the P2100 for zones 7 and/or 8 because if you have that set for voltage trigger it takes a few seconds longer for it to kick on. If thats the case you can configure the 2100 to be 'always on' which I may do since I have to delay announcements 3 or 4 seconds waiting for it.

Hope that helps...

 

[stew]

Spanky and Steve,

Thanks for the advice, it worked like a champ! I used the NO output on Output 3 with Page Triggering Acitve low. I guess the wife can stick around for awhile longer.

Stew