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REFACE
Welcome to the Telex Communications, Inc. Handbook of Intercom Systems Engineering. The
idea for this book came, as it does with many books and inventions, over drinks at a bar. A few of
us “intercom types” were discussing our varied histories and experiences. We added up the years
each of us had in the intercom system industry and between the four of us we hit the 75 year mark.
Add the “rest of the gang” at Telex into that estimate and we are well past the century mark,
quickly closing in on the two century mark. It was then we decided that we were getting old and
had spent too much time dealing with intercoms. Someone commented that it was a shame that
“the younger generation” didn’t really know what we seasoned pros did and suggested that we
should pass down our profound body of knowledge for the good of “intercom-kind.”
The idea for the book sort of hibernated for a bit after that (as did we). Weeks later we found
ourselves planning for a trade show and discussing the appropriate “swag” for giveaways. After
some discussion, we decided a well written, reasonably impartial, complete reference / tutorial on
intercom system design would be a great thing – useful, desirable, business related, and maybe
something inspirational. We hope those that read this book take advantage of the knowledge they
can glean from it and expand the capabilities of their own intercom systems. And, maybe they
will use some intercom equipment from Telex. In the process, we may go down in history as the
“guys who wrote the book on intercoms.”
The book you are starting has a number of goals; it is intended to be a systematic tutorial for the
novice user and an encyclopedic reference for the designer in the midst of a project. It is NOT a
100+ page sales brochure for Telex
®
products. Rather, it is a resource intended to take the reader
through the different types of intercom systems and needs, compare them, point out strengths and
weaknesses, and provide many “real-life” examples of working systems.
This book will be updated regularly to keep pace with changes in technology. On the enclosed CD
you will find a good deal of technical information, systems examples, and some marketing “fluff”
such as Telex
®
product sheets, catalogs, operating manuals, etc. Throughout the book, we have
strived to provide real examples with real products. Many of the examples will make use of
Telex
®
products, as that is what we know best – Telex AudioCom
®
, RTS
™
Matrix, RTS
™
TW,
RadioCom
™
Wireless and Telex
®
Headsets. If we get to a point with an example where the
equipment needed or best suited is not one of our products, we will tell you what that product is
and how to find it.
I have often joked that intercoms are the “stepchild” of the industry – no one (or VERY, VERY
FEW) people decided in high school what they wanted to do with their lives is be Mr. (or Ms.)
Intercom. People tend to get dragged kicking and screaming into dealing with the design,
installation and support of intercom systems because they were in the wrong place at the wrong
time. What they later learn is that they have developed a valuable bit of niche expertise that can be
in great demand.
The one goal above all with this book is to provide a solid body of work, in a useful form to all
those who have been, and will be, dealing with specification and operation, as well as, design,