OTHER TECH

Speaker wiring from an audio system runs through the keypad, which provides In/Out connections supporting up to 14-gauge cabling. A crucial note to installers: To function in a system with volume controls, the keypads must be wired after the volume controls. This ensures that no matter how the volume knob is set - anywhere from totally off to wide open - intercom pages will pass through at the preselected volume. So the wiring chain should go from amplifier to volume control to ComPoint keypad to room speakers. The ComPoint keypads convey music audio signals on to the speakers passively until they receive a page/doorbell command, at which point they automatically kick in, muting the music and playing the page/door chime.

For rooms where you would like to have intercom capabilities but don't have or want audio speakers, Russound has a slick solution in the form of the ISSP Speaker ($40). This is a speaker that fits in a single-gang wall box, creating a total intercom solution in a two-gang footprint. Power to drive the speaker for pages or chimes comes from the ISH1 Hub.

Two-way communication with visitors at your door is provided by the ISK3 Door Station ($238). The station is available in three finishes - polished brass, antique brass, and brushed chrome - and should look right at home in any setting. Automated gates and door locks to let visitors in can be triggered by using the ISDR1 Door Strike Release Module ($90).

PERFORMANCE The ComPoint system offers two methods of communicating with the rest of your home. The first is point-to-point, which is ideal for speaking directly with someone without disturbing the rest of the house. Simply select the area that you want to communicate with (by number on the basic pad or scrolling to the appropriate room on the advanced pad) and press the Talk button. An example of a well-thought-out feature is that the microphone on a keypad that has been paged directly stays active for 7 seconds after the page is concluded, allowing a hands-free response from anywhere in the room.