PRELIMINARY

ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS

RANS-DV DIGITIZED VOICE 
ROVING ALARM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

1.0	GENERAL

	1.1	This specification describes the digital voice roving alarm notification system (RANS-DV) for installation in this facility. This system is installed in conjunction with a fence protection or other alarm system, and provides rapid and secure alarm information to responding personnel regardless of their location. With the addition of channel alert capability, this system can be used in conjunction with an existing facility radio channel.

	1.2	The RANS-DV system monitors the outputs of the perimeter and/or other alarm systems within the facility. When an alarm is received, the RANS-DV system transmits a secure digital signal to portable alarm receivers. Each portable alarm receiver converts the coded digital signal to the predetermined voice alarm message. A prerecorded analog audio message is also generated which can be used with local analog audio systems, such as the facility radio system, a paging system, or an intercommunications system. Each zone alarm activates a radio transmission of a preprogrammed digital signal unique for each alarm zone. The exact content of the alarm message will be provided by the facility. The radio transmitted signal will be received and decoded by portable alarm receivers worn by the personnel. The information contained in each alarm message is sufficient to enable a rapid pin-point response to alarms.

	1.3	The general system requirements and the products described in this specification are patterned after the EMPACT Series RANS-DV, Digitized Voice Alarm Announcement system manufactured by CDT of Pine Valley, California. The functions and features listed in these specifications are those desired by the facility. Another system with demonstrated features and products that are equal or greater than those listed herein, will be considered equal.

2.0	REFERENCE STANDARDS

	2.1	The following reference documents shall be considered part of this specification:

		Federal Communications Commission, Part 15 and 90
		National Electrical Code

3.0	CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

	3.1	In order to be considered qualified, the installation contractor must hold a valid contractor’s license. In addition, the contractor must show proof of being a qualified distributor for the product and that at least one installer on staff has successfully completed installation and service instruction with the manufacturer.

4.0	ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORK

	4.1	The system installation will be accepted after the contractor successfully demonstrates to the owner that the specified alarm coverage has been attained. The alarm coverage must be demonstrated during an operational “walk test” of the system conducted in the presence of the owner and/or the owner’s representative.

	4.2	The contractor is responsible to furnish the coverage requested by the owner. If during the “walk test” the coverage is not as specified by the owner, the contractor is responsible for adding devices to the system to attain the required coverage at no additional cost to the owner.

5.0	SUBMITTALS/SHOP DRAWINGS

	5.1	The contractor shall submit catalog cuts and shop drawings in the quantity required for this project. The catalog cuts and shop drawings as a minimum shall consist of the following:

5.1.1	A catalog cut for each piece of material being furnished.
	
5.1.2	A list of materials showing the quantities of each piece of material being furnished.

5.1.3	Scaled plans showing the location of each device to be installed, including installation details of each major product. The device location plans must be approved by a qualified representative of the manufacturer before being submitted.

5.1.4	System line diagram showing the interconnection of all devices in the system.

	5.2	No installation shall begin until the contractor’s submittals and shop drawings have been approved.

6.0	WARRANTY

	6.1	The complete installation shall be warranted by the contractor for a period of one year from the date of system acceptance. During the warranty period the contractor is responsible for any and all repairs to the system unless the result of misuse or abuse.

	6.2	The contractor shall maintain a service organization trained on this system and shall provide a service response of no longer than 24 hours to system failures.

7.0	PRODUCTS

	7.1	The products used for this system shall be manufactured by one manufacturer who will guarantee compatibility of all components.

	7.2	All products shall be the latest model of the manufacturer and shall be delivered to the job site in new, unopened cartons.

	7.3	The products listed in this specification are manufactured by CDT as EMPACT Series equipment. The components and model numbers are provided to set the standard of equipment required to meet the need of the facility. A system by another manufacturer with equal or better features will be considered equal provided the alternate system is demonstrated to and approved by the owner at least 10 days prior to bid date. The approval of an alternate system in no way relieves the contractor from providing the coverage, functions, and features listed in this specification.

	7.4	Alarm Encoder

7.4.1	The alarm encoder shall be configured to receive up to 256 solid state, relay contact, or RS-232C serial data alarm inputs from the alarm systems being monitored. When the encoder receives an alarm, it shall search for the alarm response and the audio message that was preprogrammed for that alarm input.

7.4.2	Alarm messages shall be contained on a plug-in circuit “chip.” Alarm messages shall be able to be reconfigured and changed in the field without removing the system from service. Alarm message length shall be adjustable, allowing message lengths as required by the customer. Longer message lengths shall be available with factory assistance; however, short, concise messages are normally the most effective. Announce tones and warning signals shall be tailored to the alarm messages.

7.4.3	The alarm messages will be provided by the facility. Each message shall be custom tailored to the facility requirements. Copies of all messages shall be retained in the as-built drawings for future reference. Changes to existing messages shall be able to be ordered by telephone and delivered overnight to the facility with no system “down time.”

7.4.4	The encoder circuitry shall stack multiple alarm messages and send them out one after the other. No alarms shall be lost. A built-in test feature shall send all preprogrammed analog alarm messages through the internal amplifier and loudspeaker.

7.4.5	The encoder shall be able to be programmed so that certain personal alarm receivers will receive certain alarm messages. The encoder programming shall allow any personal alarm receiver to receive from one to three specific alarm messages or all the alarm messages on one system. In this way, a specific portable alarm receiver being carried by personnel working in a specific area can receive alarms occurring in that area only.

7.4.6	The contractor shall prepare an encoder matrix based on the programming requirements of the facility. The contractor shall meet with the facility personnel to determine the programming requirements before preparing the matrix. The contractor shall then prepare and submit the matrix for approval.

7.4.7	The encoder shall be the EMPACT series RA800 or equal. Provide sufficient preprogrammed audio modules for each zone on the system. Provide an EMPACT series RA550, or equal, radio paging interface module when the alarm system is to be used with portable alarm receivers.

7.4.8	Battery back up for the encoder unit shall be available as an option. The battery back up shall provide a minimum      8 hours standby power under normal operating conditions.

7.4.9	Provide an EMPACT Series RA805 channel alert module for channel monitoring and control on an existing radio channel. The contractor shall prepare documentation supporting the use of an existing radio channel.

	7.5	Radio Transmitter and Antenna

7.5.1	The radio transmitter shall provide a nominal 2-watt or optional 5-watt (as requested by customer) radio frequency output for communication to the portable alarm receivers. Transmitter frequency shall be either VHF or UHF as stated in the contract documents. The contractor shall research available frequencies and provide a list of recommended frequencies to the facility during the submittal process. The facility will select the operating frequencies from the list provided by the contractor. The contractor shall assist the facility in obtaining the necessary FCC licenses.

7.5.2	The radio transmitter shall be remotely located near the antenna to minimize RF line loss. The distance from transmitter to antenna shall not be greater than 40 feet. The transmitter shall communicate with the alarm encoder via a four-wire connection or a telephone line. The line matching and line driving circuitry shall be contained as an integral part of the alarm encoder and the alarm transmitter.

7.5.3	The transmitter shall be an EMPACT Series RA850 or equal. The radio frequency shall be __________. The output power shall be __________.

7.5.4	Provide an EMPACT Series RA851C channel-alert capability in radio transmitter.

7.5.5	Battery back up for the transmitter unit shall be available as an option. The battery backup shall provide a minimum 8 hours standby power under normal operating conditions.

7.5.6	The antenna shall be an EMPACT Series RA682 or equal. The antenna shall have a minimum 4.5 dB gain and shall be cut to length to match the transmitter frequency. The antenna shall be mounted to a suitable 20-foot mast which has been installed in a manner to withstand minimum 75 MPH winds. The antenna assembly shall be furnished with cable and connectors pre-terminated and tested at the factory. The contractor shall submit a detailed drawing of each antenna installation showing the mechanical details of mounting and guying for approval before installation.

	7.6	Portable Alarm Receiver

7.6.1	The portable alarm receiver shall function similar to a voice message pocket pager. Each receiver shall have its own unique code but shall also be able to be called as a group for alarm messages. When an alarm is sent, the portable alarm receiver emits an alarm tone followed by the alarm message. Alarm receivers shall be able to be configured for use as a voice paging system as well as an alarm system. Portable alarm receivers shall be ruggedly constructed from impact resistant ABS plastic, and each receiver shall be provided with a leather holster for added protection. Provide a quantity of _______ (fill-in) EMPACT Series RA1555, or equal, portable alarm receivers. 

7.6.2	Each portable alarm receiver shall have a self-contained crystal-controlled radio receiver, alarm signal decoder, audio amplifier and high quality loudspeaker. The receiver sensitivity shall be 12 dB SINAD, 12 microvolts per meter. The audio output level shall be a minimum of 90 dB SPL at 12 inches over an audio frequency range of 300 to 3000 Hz. The portable alarm receiver shall measure no more than   3.8” by 2.5” by .08” and shall have a heavy-duty, wide belt clip attached.

7.6.3	Each portable alarm receiver shall be furnished with two rechargeable Ni-Cad battery sets; one for use in the unit and one spare. Furnish battery chargers for charging the portable alarm receivers. Provide one portable alarm receiver battery charging stand for each portable alarm receiver used in the system.

	7.7	Wiring and Cable

7.7.1	All wiring and cable shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. Submit detailed drawings for all wiring and cable to be installed.

8.0	INSTALLATION

	8.1	The system installation shall be accomplished in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and the approved shop drawings.

	8.2	The contractor is responsible for observing all workmanship standards. The contractor shall repair at no additional charge work that has been rejected by the architect or owner for defects in workmanship.

	8.3	Following the installation the contractor is responsible for completing all system programming and initial testing. Following the initial testing, the contractor shall notify the owner to begin final system test.

	8.4	The contractor is responsible for performing all necessary repair work identified in the test procedure.

9.0	FINAL TESTING

	9.1	Final testing shall consist of a complete demonstration and walk test of the installed system. The contractor is responsible for conducting a complete system test showing the owner and/or the owner’s representative that the system does provide the specified coverage and performance.

	9.2	An authorized representative of the system manufacturer shall be present at the system final test and shall provide certification that the system is installed and operates in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

10.0	TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION

	10.1	Prior to final test the contractor shall furnish two complete operations manuals and two complete maintenance manuals.

	10.2	The operations manuals shall contain sufficient information to instruct a new operator in the correct operation of the system. Included in the manual shall be a 3” x 5” card containing simple operation information that can be given to the employees who are carrying portable alarm receivers.

	10.3	The maintenance manuals shall contain sufficient information to enable normal service of the system. The manual shall contain a complete set of as-built drawings covering all device and wiring installation in the facility. There shall be a diagram of each and every terminal block installed in the facility showing the destination and use of each wire.

	10.4	The contractor shall arrange and conduct a minimum of one 4-hour training session for operations and maintenance. Training sessions shall be conducted at a time dictated by the owner.

11.0	MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

	11.1	The contractor shall be prepared to offer a maintenance contract at the end of the warranty period.