sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Vodavi Telephones & Systems STS and Polycom Sound Station not playing together

Update:
Moved SLIB-4 to main cabinet- no change
Swapped SLIB 4 with a spare in main cabinet-no change
Swapped incoming lines 8 & 9, so that dialing 9 on a Polycom for outside line would select a different line.-no change
Swapped LCOB cards around, no change

I thought I had it nailed, when I busied out the first line accessed when dialing 9, then placed an outgoing call from the Polycom. This worked a couple of times, then went back to not working. Monday, I am going to swap out the main cabinet and try an analog speaker phone.

To clarify, the Polycoms worked great at the old location for years, the problem started some time after the move. Since a lot of overseas calls are placed, it was attributed to poor connections in the beginning. I never checked the off-hook voltage, I thought the loop current was the important number. On hook voltage is the same on the SLIB-2 and the SLIB-4.

If all else fails, you may need to add something like a Viking TBB-1A to boost both talk battery and loop current.

Update:
Swapped out the BKSU - No difference
I placed my butt-set across the extension before the line goes into the KSU. The symptom was present at that point.

To recap:
Outgoing audio is weak on outside calls (thru the SLIB-4) only, internal calls are OK. Outside calls are okay when the Polycom is connected directly to an outside line. A Motorola speakerphone sounds great when calling outside via the STS. A Partner R3.1 module inserted into the circuit to act as a line booster did not help.

I'm thinking this set-up never worked and no one said anything until recently. I would like to try the SLA (9854-00) mentioned above, but am not sure if it works on the STS. I'm trying to determine that now. Also looks like the SLA is a discontinued item. I wanted to be able to return the SLA if it did not solve the problem.

So far I have 11 hours in this, and I am still at square one. The customer is frustrated, but understands that we are essentially chasing a ghost.

Thanks for listening,
Vernon Hobbs
[email protected]

have you tried the Polycom directly on the CO line at the demark ?

have you checked loop current at the demark ?

I'm thinking its loop current related

I recently spent a afternoon with a EnGenius behind a STS that wouldn't dial out on line two loop current on two was identical to line one that it would dial out on it would dial out fine directly on line two at the demark but not at the slt port through the STS

In desperation 20 min before they closed (the site was a hour and half drive )I threw a loop current attenuator on line two and everything worked fine

logically it didn't make sense since the current was the same on both lines and it did work at the demark but it solved the problem

Actually, I haven't checked the loop current at the demarc, if anything, it would be too high. Incoming lines are coming off a channel bank. The Polycom seemed to work okay at the demarc, but it may be worth a recheck.

Thanks for the advice, I'll be checking the CO loop current on my next trip. Also have a 9854-00 on the way.

Vernon Hobbs

Well,the SLA didn't solve the problem either. Customer is going to have some new outside lines provisioned, and move the Polycoms from the SLIB-4 card.

Thanks for the replies,
Vernon Hobbs
Seaboard Communications

We have had similar problems on an XTSc on a 12 port SLIB card. Any thoughts?

I know this might be a dumb question, but has anyone run this by Vertical tech support?

Oh yes, they recommended moving the SLIB-4 card around in both the EKSU and the BKSU,and substituting another SLIB-4 card. Their initial thought was the BKSU or the interconnecting cable was at fault. After these ideas failed, I swapped out the BKSU.It took three calls to tech support to get someone that didn't want to immediately blame the Polycom. Polycom says "send the unit back" to us. Well, they are not going to be able to duplicate the problem.
Loop current out of the channel bank was 27.3 mA. I did not have a loop regulator to place on the line. At this point, it was decided to cut losses and wire the Polycoms not on the SLIB-2 to a dedicated CO line.

Worst case of evil spirits I've ever seen...

Vernon Hobbs
Seaboard communications

With others saying they've experienced the same problem, I'd have to say it's something in the Vodavi. If that's the case you'd think tech support would be aware of the problem even if they don't know the fix.