sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Nortel Telephones & Systems T7406e feedback trouble...

I recently installed four of the T7406e units.
Everything works beautifully except for paging.
Making or receiving a page from these sets cause a feedback loop.

I found a couple of posts pointing to user error or placement as the cause, with tips like "put your thumb or put tape over the mic hole". That is not acceptable to my customer, nor to me.

I think this is a design problem as the mic sensitivity can be adjusted prior to a page and the feedback doesn't occur unless the T7406e is within a a foot or so of a standard set. Then after the page the mic sensitivity resets back to default. Doing this before every page is not only "mickey-mouse" but is also not feasable as you cannot know when someone else is going to make a page.

I read in the installation docs that the firmware can be upgraded on the base unit. Are sets also upgradable?

Is there a ugrade available that corrects this problem and if so, how do I obtain it?

Thanks

If you make a page under any speaker you're going to get feed back on any phone, unless you have a noise cancelling handset. The solution is to go to a room without a speaker directly by you and make the page. This isn't a issue with you're cordless phone, but rather a audio issue.

You can also get Valcom time delayed audio paging device that store the page and then plays back after a delay. This works well in large building with tons of paging speakers.

Location Location Location. Is not just applicable to real estate. If you are too close to a paging speaker it will feed back.

Same applies to any telephone that you're trying to page from...

Thanks your responses, but I simply cannot believe that the collective experience of this board just says "location, location, location".
(I, myself, have 20 years as my own interconnect company, so I am not a newbie to this field.)

Point 1: I am quite aware of how feedback is caused with paging speakers. I did not say anything paging speakers in my OP. There are no speakers what-so-ever in this application. Pages are made and received through the sets only.

Point 2: As mentioned in my OP, reducing the microphone sensitivity to its lowest level, effectively eliminates the feedback problem.

Point 3: Regardless whether the T7406e is making OR receiving a page, the microphone opens at full sensitivity causing a feedback loop. It does not stay at the lowest sensitivity when set to that level. So the Valcom unit descibed above would be useless.

Point 4: It doesn't matter whether the unit is 10, 15, or 20 feet away from a set; making or receiving a page causes a feedback loop. With 4 T7406e's roaming throughout an office of 60 stations, it is effectivly impossible to use "location, location, location" as a remedy to this issue.

Point 5: The older T7406 sets the client is replacing do not have this issue. Can anyone please explain why?

So I ask again, does anyone know if there is a firmware update available as the documentation alludes to? And if there is, can I obtain it without being a Nortel dealer (although now that Avaya owns Nortel SME, I expect to be able to remedy that).

Is it safe to assume that this is the same installation that you referred to here and here?

If so, for kicks & giggles, have you tried disconnecting the 2 other T7406's to see if the problem still exists?

Also, keep in mind that the T7406E's are a fairly new item to the Norstar series of equipment, so not everyone here has had enough experience with them to run into the same issues.

There is no firmware updates to a 7406e from Nortel. If you have two phones in the same office, 10ft 15ft away, chances are you will have feedback. Any reason you have 4 cordless units that need to page, this close to the other 60 phones? Were the 7406s installed for remote accesability of lines or to page?

MooreTel: The first reference was, in fact, for the same client. That's when he first expressed an interest.
The second is a different client. Although the systems and configurations are similar.
I had forgotten about these. I guaranty it, I won't forget this time.

Nickels: Both. The 7406s are assigned to "operators". This paticular office suite has a many offices and several cubicle areas and is just over 22,000 sq ft. on an entire floor of a high rise. And since they use a doorbox for access to the suite, they are continually on the phone.

The "operators" are not always at their desks, hence part of the reason for the cordless sets. It's a convenience factor they've grown accustom to with the older T7406's. If it weren't for the reduced range, and the difficulty of getting new batteries and replacement sets, the client probably wouldn't have bothered with the new style "e" sets. (Yes I know there are gazillions of these things available just about anywhere. But not NEW.) This client of mine is picky on that.

Well, thanks for being here guys. At least I can go back to the client and tell him I tried. He won't be happy and he'll probably want me to take them back. And I will. He's too good a customer not to.

Anyone want to buy 4 slightly used T7406e's and a base unit? You can have them at cost... Oh wait! They're slightly used... Uh, how about 10% below cost... No?

Are pages being initiated while on speakerphone?
Isn't there a setting in Term/Sets for using system or user settings?