I had the adhesive fail on a sensor that was mounted on a sliding door, with “Stay, NO Delay” activated. The alarm tripped, just as it should. I immediately went to the console and disabled, and waited assuming I would get the audio call as I have in the past on my GC2 console. The dialogue began with the typical touch tone like tones, followed by voice. The issue is, as it has been in the past, that the audio level is so loud, the amplifier sounds like it goes into clipping or the speaker cone just breaks up so the attempted dialogue is unintelligible. Fortunately, I have learned via a phone call just what the questions are that are asked, and the verification. This time was different, as it appeared they could not hear me at all even though I began at a normal level and wound up yelling at the console as it was clear they could not hear me, and of course I could not understand them if they deviated from the script I knew. I waited for the phone call and via that avoided dispatch. Short of me tearing into the console, and attempting some method of attenuation, what can be done? This is the first instance I have had of the central station not hearing me, and their audio has always been highly distorted due to level coming from them to me. Connection is Verizon cellar.
There is a separate issue currently affecting Verizon LTE modules and Two Way Voice, but you currently use a CDMA module and the symptoms are not the same.
The 2GIG Panel is one of the loudest panels, and there can be a little distortion to the audio from the operator, but in my experience it is nowhere near a level where the operator cannot be understood. There may be an underlying issue with your speaker/panel or module.
I would first try testing again after performing a power cycle of the panel. You can send a remote reboot command through our System Manager tool here.
You can call operators at 855-348-0367 and request your account be placed on 2-Way Voice Security Test mode so that you can test 2-Way voice without the risk of dispatch.
Do you have the same issue where they cannot hear you after rebooting and running a test?
I did the reset and put the system in test mode, and tried a two way audio test. This time I did get two way audio, but again audio to me very loud and distorted. Not only was the level too loud but about every 5 seconds, while agent speaking, there was a loud blast of DTMF. I suspect this is what was causing the distortion, as this level was even higher than the voice. I also found it very difficult to determine if the agent was hearing me, and for the most part we wound up duplicating our conversation. Is this system really two way duplex, or is it some sort of PTT simplex system, and the agent is not really hearing the customer if PTT is pressed? Is there some sort of DTMF pad that the agent could accidentally be pressing during the call?
I made a second test attempt and this time set up to record the dialogue. Of course this time levels were loud, but reasonable, and no intermittent DTMF bursts. It was a different agent, so too many variables to determine any real cause. I know there is an issue here, be it hardware or CS training but until I capture it I realize not much can be done.
The 2-Way Voice service is full duplex, and the operators use full duplex first for all calls, however they are trained to attempt to connect again if they do not hear anything from the panel end, which would result in the DTMF button presses you hear.
This indicates that the operator may have had trouble hearing you at first.
The issue I referenced earlier that is affecting 2GIG Verizon LTE modules specifically makes it difficult for operators to connect to the call from the panel using the DTMF tones, so they might be retrying the connection more fervently at the moment due to that issue.