Russound Intercom?

vining

Anyone have any experience with the russound intercom system? I'm looking for an inexpensive way to add intercoms to a new system that will likely only have AMX keypads for control, possibly an iPad or two. The russound intercom looks like it would work as another 1 gang decora device ganged with an AMX keypad. The intercom kp will apparently switch the local speakers and drive the speaker on intercom and pass thru audio when no intercom or page active. Rooms with no AMX or speakers can use a 1 gang decora speaker ganged with the intercom kp. This seems to be a very simple and sort of nice solution if it works well. Anyone got anything good or bad to say about this system?

shr00m-dew

We've been using them since they came out as standalone intercoms and with other systems. Since there's nothing proprietary about how the speakers tie in, it makes it seem more integrated then it actually is.

Only negatives is that you can only have two door stations per system (regardless that each master has two door ports), the door station with camera is only black and white (but easy to replace), and the firmware updates require a special cable (but they haven't had an update in a while).

Keep in mind the stations take up just about an entire single gang box. IE, they are bigger then the decora faceplate. We've had problems fitting them in some pop-in trim rings without trimming the circuit boards some. I guess by definition it should fit with anything else next to it, but you might want to get one and test it.

Also, DO NOT use a spring loaded punch down tool on the stations. They tend to spread the 110 block apart and make it one time use. Just use a small manual punch down.

Kevin D.

vining

Thanks for that info. I agree it does seem like it would integrate seamlessly into any system and since AMX doesn't provide a complete intercom solution unless iTPs are used everywhere or you use a CSG and IP phones I think it would be a better than adequate solution. Plus the AMX door phones aren't really designed or suitable for wet or damp locations and their cameras are just about useless.

John Nagy

Let us all know how this works out, I'd like to know if it is a good option for our dealers who often ask about intercom and even just doorbell integration, but don't want to buy a multiroom preamp with the paging/door hardware built in.