Starting in Version 2, PowerCom allows the connection of multiple ports.
Before adding multiple base stations, make sure the drivers for the base stations are all installed. A driver for Standard Reply may not necessarily work for Reply Worldwide.
In order to add a base station, go to the “Start a Base Station” option in the PowerCom menu and add a base station.
In the base station adder, there will be two dropdown menus. The first menu, called Base, allows PowerCom to differentiate between the different bases. The default base is ’. If you want to add multiple ports, you must choose a different base name for each base added.
The second dropdown menu allows you to choose which kind of base station you are adding. Click “Find Base Station button to start the base station search. Please select the right type of base and do not use the same base alpha (A – Z). When the base station is located, Powercom will display the base station with Comm Port #, base model type, assigned base alpha, channel (for Reply WorldWide only), total keypads selected, and keypad range setting.
The check box at left-most side is a base station selection indicator. In most cases, it should be checked. One exception is when you want to disconnect a base station but not all base stations, then you uncheck all other base stations except the one you want to disconnect, then click Disconnect button. The checked base station line will disappear. Make sure you check all the remaining base stations, otherwise Powercom will not use the bases not checked.
The different bases must be set to different channels. You cannot have two base stations set to the same channel.
PowerCom suggests plugging in and adding base stations one-by-one, which means plugging in one base station at a time into your computer and adding it using PowerCombase station adder. Then plugging in another base into your computer and adding that.
If you want to test the base stations to make sure they are fully functional, you can check the tab (e.g. A Port: 14 CHNL:3) that contains the base station you want to test and press the `Test Keypad' button. This will bring up a new screen that will display keypad responses highlighted in green.
PowerCom recommends that you do this to make sure you have connected the ports correctly.
Keypads will be listed from A001-A250 for channel A, B001-B250 for channel B, and so forth.
For Reply EU, which can take up to 650 keypad responses, keypads will be listed as A001-A650, B001-B650, etc.
For Reply EZ, which can take up to 50 keypad responses, keypads will be listed as A001-A050, B001-B050, etc.
PowerCom allows a total of 15 channels to be used. The max number of keypads allowed therefore, is 4550. This configuration includes 13 Reply WorldWide bases (250 keypads each) and 2 Reply EU bases (650 keypads each).
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