atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Vodavi Telephones & Systems Dispatch not responding to touch-tones

Intermintaly, my customer's dispatch does not respond to DTMF. In other words when I start to dial an extension, it just keeps on playing the main greeting so the call ends up at the operator extension. After dialing the extension, system will say "Calling the operator". This system is connected to a Mach-one system. So far, I have not been able to narrow it down to a port. Is there anything in the software for watching the digits that it receives? Customer does not seem to be having any trouble making outside calls so I do not think it is the DTMF in the KSU.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance

This often happens when the recorded prompts are loud enough to override the caller's digits. It is almost as if the system realizes that the caller dialed a digit but didn't actually hear it. It doesn't start "listening" until the second digit is dialed.

There are two ways that I've been able to overcome this:

One is to re-record the main menu prompt in a male voice. I know that this sounds odd, but there was (and I believe still is) an issue known as "talk-off" that caused voice mail systems to act strangely when female voices were recorded. There was a claim that certain frequencies in a female's voice caused this. Call me crazy, but on a few of these cases, it seemed to work on a different brand of voice mail.

Secondly, I'd consider knocking the CO line transmit level down a notch in the KSU. This will bring the transmit and receive levels more in-line with the customer's current setup. The intermittent nature of your problem may be resolved by just going up or down one step on these level settings.

My guess is that the customer is on a channel bank or local pair gain equipment for their CO lines, where everything is very "hot".

Ed,
I like the answer about the CO lines. They just moved locations when the problem started. To my knowlege, they have not changed their main greeting.
I will check into that and let you know.
Again, thanks for the quick response.
Steph

Hope all is well in DC

Did they happen to move the lines to a channel bank?

I had this problem once or twice and I turned up the handset volume of the voice mail ports through windba and the problem went away.

They moved office locations. Seemed like it worked OK for awhile. They are using COX communications (AKA cable company) so they are using their cable to break out the phone lines.
I tried different volume levels in Flash 40, but that did not seem to really help. I rerecorded the greeting and so far, it seems to be working. I told the customer to try if for a week and see. I'm pretty sure they will be calling me back out.
Thanks for the help. It gives me options if it continues to be a problem.

Stephie

Not shure what windba is.
Thanks again

I think the only way to change the settings you need
to adjust is in WINDBA from your laptop as stated by ADTELDON.

I had to do it once, and it only appears in that program. Sorry.

That would be a bummer. I don't have the software

Is it an analog dispatch (gray box)? I have had a similar issue before and use a butt set and the feature code to increase handset volume.

Blue, digital

In that case, you just may be in luck as per cswroe

Blue = digital means no dice with the butt set.

You can plug a digital phone in to the VM ports (not into the voicemail but the extension) and go off hook with it and adjust the volume that way.

Add this line to the registry:

DvmIntroVol

Value = -3

This reduces the audio output on the menus by -3 db. In some cases I've set this down to -6 but this tends to pad it down quite a bit.

UPDATE
Customer still upset as system is still having problems with hearing touch-tones. When myself and my contact call in we seem to not have any problems but most of their clients and board members are.
So far, I tried to adjust line gain in flash 40. We rerecored the main greeting (the most help), and used a digital phone on the ports to increase the handset volume to max. At this point I told him that I do not know what else to try as I do not have the software to get into the phone system for more changes.
I hate to loose him, but I am at a lose beyond replacing the entire system (something they do not want to do right now).
I guess that this is my last hope for other ideas or the software to go further into programing. 605 tells me it is Ver. 3.10-3fe2 Infinte Basic (Mach 1).
Thanks again for all past help and I hope everyone has a great rest of the year.
Stephanie

I've had numerous Triad S systems, which is the same system, just different software, do this.

Replace the KSU. I know of no other solution. Replacing the 3x8 card has no effect so I assume it's a fault in the base cabinet itself.

Thanks for the response Deltron.

Replacing the KSU isn't going to fix the problem. I suspect that the ones who are having problems dial in from a cell phone, cell phones have a tendency to twist tones, and the Dispatch ignores them. Did you adjust the introvol as suggested?

Derrick, (Introvol?)
If you are talking about using the windba, I do not have it.
Myself and my contact use our cell phones and we rarely have problems. I have had problems with my cell and can always tell because the greeting does not stop when I dial the first digit (1). A very weird problem.

"

Member Rated:
posted January 23, 2009 09:20 AM
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Add this line to the registry:

DvmIntroVol

Value = -3

This reduces the audio output on the menus by -3 db. In some cases I've set this down to -6 but this tends to pad it down quite a bit. "

Is this done in the Dispatch or the KSU??
If done on the voicemail, I should be able to take care of it.

Thanks again for the help.

Steph:

Yes, this is done in the Dispatch. You will need to access the advanced area of programming, access the registry and then make the entry as indicated. Note that the registry is case sensitive. Don't forget to reboot the system after making this change.

Thanks Ed,
Maybe I can make it by there this afternoon.

Stephanie,

By all means, try what these guys are saying. However, I really think you have a telco problem.

If it worked fine before they moved, it should work at the new location as well. Do you have access to a POTS line on site? If so, connect it to the system and see if you have any problems with it.

I had a similar problem, on a Norstar (Dispatch for VM), with a CLEC a few months ago. The system had been in place for years with no issues. When I turned up the new lines, the Dispatch would not always recognize DTMF digits. Of course it had to be something wrong with our system...

After 4 weeks of screwing around, the CLEC finally found THEIR problem. The channel bank was part of an MPLS network and they were using VoIP to deliver the lines. The channel bank was set to use one codec and the switch in the CO was set to a different codec. System has worked fine ever since.

-Larry

My bad, I missed that. Larry may well be right. We've had some issues with COX (and Time Warner) ourselves. I hooked up a digit grabber and it would intermittently not pick up touch tones correctly. It was pretty hard for the cable company to deny the issue. It seems to have something to do with their soft switches. I don't even want to get into the caller ID issues with these vendors.
I still wouldn't bet on it. I have WAY too many of the Triad S/Mach 1 cabinets that have done this. I'm with Larry on this one but it's still a distinct possibility.

Here is the Product Notice from Vodavi

PRODUCT NOTICE

SPPN0171
Starplus Voice Processing
July 2000


DVM Introduction Volume Use


Affected Products: Digital Voice Mail


Issues: The Registry item DvmIntroVol has a pronounced effect on the ability of DTMF tones to be heard over the sound and volume of the main greeting in a menu.

The proper use of this registry variable is to decrease the value. The minus sign is needed to tell the system to reduce the vocal volume relative to the DTMF tone volume. The DTMF tones are not packetized and therefore the quality of the dual-tone-multiple-frequency can be contaminated by the complex patterns in a human voice. The maximum lowest level that should be used is a value = -- 8.

Usage: Attach the PC or laptop, with the current level of the ADMIN program, to the serial port of the Digital Voice Mail and start the ADMIN program by selecting the <START> button; next the <PROGRAMS > field; next the <ADMIN > field;
selections are ECOM and ADMIN. Choose the ADMIN. Once in Admin go to the <SETUP> then <ADVANCED> then <EDIT REGISTRY>. This database takes a short while to come up. There are examples in the manual as to the common registry items that might be encountered. This is not one of the listed examples
.
In the upper case section, click on the <INSERT> button and add the item

In the item field type: DvmIntroVol

The value field needs to have: --6

This is case sensitive, please make the D the I and the V capital letters.

Go to <SETUP> <ADVANCED> SHUT DOWN> <SHUTDOWN AND REBOOT>

Alternate method: Attach the PC or laptop, with the current level of the ADMIN program, to the serial port of the Digital Voice Mail and start the ADMIN program by selecting the <START> button; next the <PROGRAMS > field; next the <ADMIN > field; selections are ECOM and ADMIN. Choose the ECOM. Once in ECOM mouse click the <SEND> button next to the +DIE0. This parks the system and takes it off line from answering calls.

Click in the blank area where the C:\hello prompt is located.

Type the word <regadd> press the space bar then type

“DvmIntroVol=--8”

There are no spaces and the capital letters are D and I and V . Press ENTER. After the C:\hello returns, type REBOOT and close ECOM with FILE and EXIT.

I went into the voicemail registry and added the DvmIntroVol = -6
We are going to see what happens.
I agree on the possiblity of it being COX. I may need to get out my digit graber and see what it sees.
Thanks again to everyone for all the help. I owe you all a cold one

Hi all, just wanted to add my problem and fix. Had a pathfinder working fine. Started getting calls saying callers could not dial any number other that a 2. This was only happening from small CO around me. Cell worked great. ATT said all OK. Found some CO line levels were off by 6db. Increased vol using phone on digal port. Took care of problem after working with them for 2 weeks
tom

No joy yet. Was back out and levels on the lines look good, but they were not having problems while I was there. I put a digit graber on line 1 and showed the customer how he could look to see if digits are being lost by COX. Also told him to call while it is giving problems so I can go back out.