High-Def Audio Wired Truck Scale Intercom Kit

We have tested lots of systems over the years and we have piles of returns of low-cost wired intercoms that just don't solve the two problems faced by truck scales: scale house operators can't understand the driver due to truck noise, and drivers can't hear them due to lack of volume.

The systems we no longer sell addressed one of these, but not both. If you've ever been to a fast-food drive through with a poor intercom you know how frustrating not being able to understand what's being said can be. There are lots of cheap Chinese-made systems you can try too, but if your scale is revenue generating then you may want to do it right the first time by going with this intercom instead of having to return the others after wasting your valuable time installing them.

This intercom utilizes the latest technology to create unparalleled audio quality. It has clear, high-definition audio on both sides and it uses full-duplex communication so no button pushes are required from the driver. If the 10 Watt Class D amplifier in the outdoor intercom callbox along with its unique grill design doesn't provide the loudness needed to keep the drivers happy, then the included horn speaker certainly will. The amplified horn speaker is used in extremely noisy applications. You will require power at the scale to use the amplified horn since it is a powered speaker. Otherwise the callbox gets its power from a Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) switch (not included).

It also has and extremely effective Active Noise Cancellation that removes the background noise of the truck so real communication can take place. Other features like Automatic Volume Control accommodate for different noise levels of trucks, and Automatic Gain Control which increases microphone sensitivity when the talker is farther away from the microphone. Since trucks can't get too close to the intercom this is important.

There are three ways the scale house operator can talk to drivers. The included phone has a handset that can be picked up, a headphone jack that will enable wireless headsets, or it has a full-duplex hands-free speakerphone with advanced acoustic echo cancellation and excellent double-talk performance. So if you need to keep the noise level down in the scale house so others don't have to listen to the conversations, the handset and headset options provide for that. Or if you have multiple scale operators and phones, then either the handset or headset is recommended since there will be too much noise to use speakerphones. The scale-house phone also has Electronic Hook Switch Cable (EHS) support that provides remote desk phone call control (answer/end) with a Plantronics wireless headset system.

You can mount the phone either on the wall or on a desk for whichever way works best for you.

There are multiple ways you can activate the system. If you see trucks pull up you can simply press a button on the phone to call the scale. The scale will auto-answer so the driver does nothing. You can also attach an optical sensor to the scale callbox and it will automatically call the scale phone. You simply pick up the call. And the third way is the driver can press the button if they can reach the callbox, but this is a less likely scenario since the mirrors on the truck may be longer than the driver's arms.

Installation is done by using CAT 5 or 6 cable between the units. It uses Voice over IP technology so you can use standard Ethernet switches and other IP devices to create a self contained IP network. The outdoor callbox has a built in IP server so no computer is required except for installation using a web browser. You will need to provide your own Ethernet POE switch such as this one: Ethernet POE Switch

If you have multiple lanes you can add additional outdoor stations and you can add more inside units to have additional people help manage the lanes.

So rather than wasting time ordering, installing, troubleshooting, and attempting to return a system that will only solve half of your or your client's communication needs, you can get the right system the first time. Then you'll avoid complaining truck drivers and scale house operators and the loss of hundreds of dollars in lost labor time.