Paging and external speakers

[Ronald Spencer]

I have a customer that has 2811 router with a vwic2-4fxo.  There is a route pattern whose destination is a port on that fxo card, the cable of which is twisted directly into a self-amplified speaker series (without a paging interface).  I am all but positive that this cannot work, but tried in vain to prove myself wrong.

Am I wrong?  Is this setup posible?  Anyone have experience with this type of setup?  If so, would you mind providing some insight?

[Brian Meade · Accepted solution]

The speakers will receive the ringing voltage but will never loop to answe the call so the page will not go through.  You need a paging interface that will detect the ring voltage and open the circuit so the audio will pass through.  Valcom and Viking sell simple one-zone paging controllers for around $200 that will do the trick.

[Ronald Spencer]

This is what I knew to be true (from my experience) but I needed a sanity check because the installer said they he had aways done them that way and all he required was 600 ohm resistance and clear channel. 

As a final bit of sanity check, should the call attempt to complete, but simply not have any audio?  I ask because when I call that route pattern, I don't see the port light on 0/0/0 (the fxo card) light up at all.  I just get a busy signal.  Is this expected behavior?

[Brian Meade]

That would be expected behavior.  I do not believe the FXO port will light up until the loop is completed which will never happen without a paging controller.