Maxon MDS Series User manual

MDS Series
Wireless Radio Speakers
User Manual
11535W 83rd Terrace, Lenexa, KS66214
Toll-Free. 800-456-2071(US Only) 913-859-9515
Website www.maxonamerica.com

1. What are the MDS-1400/2400/3400 Series Speakers?
MDS-1400/2400/3400 are wireless, programmable, receive-only radio speakers that can be used with any
Analog or DMR Digital (DMR Tier2 TDMA) portable or mobile radio programmed in the UHF band (400-
470MHz) for remote broadcasting & announcements. System will allow a user with a portable radio within
range to transmit audio from their radio to one speaker, a select number of speakers, or all speakers within
a building/area.
The speaker system consists of the speaker and a Bluetooth USB module for your PC that is used to
program the speaker. The MDS Series uses a plug-in power supply that converts the AC voltage to 12VDC
to power the speakers. MDS-1400/2400 versions can be either wall-mounted or stood on a book shelf. The
MDS-3400 is a circular speaker that is hard mounted into a wall or ceiling.
Use wherever wireless broadcasting or announcement loudspeakers are needed but where it may be hard
to install wiring for a PA system: Schools, Factories, Bus/Train Terminals, Shopping Centers, Large
Stores, Parking Lots, Golf Courses, Amusement Parks, Warehouse & Distribution Centers, and Public
Address Alerting. The plug and play design means there is no installation of pulling wires through walls thus
reducing costs and saving time.
Figure (1-1) shows basic use of the MDS speaker with a portable radio.

2. Product Photos
MDS-1400 (10W) MDS-2400 (20W) MDS-3400 (10W)
ID# on Serial Number label is the speaker’s OWN ID

3. Product Specs & Features
 Frequency Range (400~470MHz SW Programmable)
 Channel Spacing: 12.5KHz
 Frequency Stability: ±1.0ppm (-30 ~ +60℃)
 Digital Vocoder: AMBE++
 Digital Protocol: ETSI TS 102 361
 Receiver Specifications
 Sensitivity: 0.22uV BER 3%
 Inter-modulation: 65dB
 Spurious Rejection: -36dBm (< 1GHz) -30dBm (> 1GHz)
 Audio output
 MDS-1400: 10W
 MDS-2400: 20W
 MDS-3400 (Circle): 10W
 Dimensions
 MDS-1400: 126(W) x 133(D) x 266(H)㎜
 MDS-2400: 126(W) x 133(D) x 376(H)㎜
 MDS-3400: Ø227×100(D)mm
 Main features
 Works with any DMR Tier II Digital or Analog UHF radio in 400-470MHz band.
 Unlimited # of Speakers & Portable Radios can be used together
 Single Channel (stores 512 Channels, 32 Channels per Zone)
 Programmable DMR / Analog / Mixed Mode Per Channel
 Private Call, Group Call (to use only specific loudspeakers), All Call (All Speakers)
with DMR radios.
 CTCSS/DCS can be used in Analog mode to access specific speakers.
 Broadcast Radio Alerts from Portable Radios for Emergencies
 Program Speaker & Upgrade firmware using Bluetooth Dongle
 Rechargeable Backup Battery (5-Hr Broadcasting, 9-Hr Standby)
 Portable w/Wall Plug (AC110V) or Wall/Ceiling-mount versions available
 Remote volume control using MDP-6424 Portable Radio
 UHF “rubber duck” antenna supplied w/speaker set-up.

4. Operation
4.1 Power ON
Operation is as easy as plugging in the speaker. Speaker will turn on automatically about 30 seconds
AFTER it is plugged into your power source (AC110V), at which point a bell chime will sound as the
speaker has powered on and entered “Stand-by Mode”. The switch on the bottom of the MDS-
1400/2400 rectangle or side of the MDS-3400 circle speaker is only used to turn on/off the back-up
battery. It is not a “Power” switch. Leave this switch in the “ON” position so that the battery charges
during use unless you need to turn off the battery for transport. Each speaker will stay on & be ready to
receive until the speaker is unplugged or the backup battery is drained.
4.2 Volume Control
Volume for the speaker is adjusted in either of two ways. One by the speaker’s PC programmer and
Bluetooth Dongle. The second is by an MDP-6424 with the MDS functions enabled. (Contact your local
Maxon dealer for programming & additional information)
4.3 How it works
Each MDS Series speaker contains a UHF band “Receive-only” radio. Your two-way radios and the
MDS speaker need to be programmed to be on the same UHF band radio frequency before using.
(Color Code will also be needed for DMR use, contact your local Maxon dealer for programming). Once
both the portable radio and the speaker are programmed, the user transmits audio to the speaker by
talking clearly and loudly through the portable radio (press and hold PTT button on the portable radio
while talking). Audio will broadcast through the wireless speaker as the portable radio transmits to the
speaker and the sound will turn off when the user stops transmitting (release PTT button to stop
transmitting).
Figure 4-1) Visual Diagram of General Radio to Speaker Use:

Figure 4-2) Visual Diagram of Speaker use within a building:
When using in DMR Digital, each speaker has a unique ID (OWN ID) that is used to identify each
speaker. It allows the portable radio to select that specific speaker for volume control, or to broadcast
to that specific speaker only. For a visual example, using the figure above you could program your
portable DMR radio to speak to all the rooms with a speaker at once, or just a few speakers at a time
(Program your portable radio to broadcast only to Room #6 & #2).
For Analog radio set-up, you will need to program CTCSS/DCS codes along with your radio frequency
in specific speakers for privacy and also to differentiate between speakers when transmitting.
**The speaker should be programmed and tested with a portable radio before installation.
(Contact your local Maxon dealer for programming). Turn off power & battery to any additional speaker
you are not programming so that the Bluetooth Dongle only picks up the speaker you intend to program.
5. Install MDS-2400 & MDS-1400 wireless speakers onto wall brackets:
***UHF “rubber duck” antenna shown in image is included with speaker setup.
Figure 5-1) mount MDS-2400/1400 to a wall

6. How to install the MDS-3400 wireless speakers into the ceiling:
 It is recommended to have a professional electrician install the MDS-3400 speakers because
of the electrical wiring and specific installation process in the ceiling.
 Gather Tools:
o Speaker kit
o Protective / safety goggles
o Ladder
o Pencil & Cardboard Stencil of speaker to mark the location
o Saw or box cutter to cut the ceiling
o Drill (to drill a pilot hole for the saw)
o Wire nuts for securing the 110V line cord
o Phillips or Regular screwdriver
o Wire cutter to strip the wires off.
 Use a pencil and our cardboard stencil of the speaker to mark the location where to cut.
MDS-3400 series speaker stencils are available free at www.maxonamerica.com.
 Installation videos may also be available. Check with your Maxon dealer.
1. Before installing the ceiling speaker, choose the best location for your audio speaker by
checking the topside of your ceiling. It may be necessary to center the speaker between the
joists and remove the insulation. If the install is being done with access to the attic (the area
above the speaker), there are 2 stencil types available for making the hole. Option #1 is used
when there is no direct access to the attic. Option #2 is when the speaker can be mounted
directly from the topside. Option #2 will have a more stable speaker mount.
2. When you have selected the desired stencil, cut out the center of the stencil and trace this
onto the ceiling or ceiling tile.
3. Survey the area where the wire runs and plan out the position for the speaker. If there is no
outlet to plug the power supply into, find the nearest junction box. Make sure the power has
been shut off by the appropriate breaker. The plug on the 110V cord will need to be cut off
and the wires stripped. Use wire nuts to secure the connection. If you are not familiar with
this process refer the work to a qualified electrician.
4. Place the ladder to reach the desired location of the speaker. If the ceiling is made of ceiling
tiles, it may be best to remove the tile for easy cutting. In this instance use stencil option #2.

5. Mark the area using the stencil of the speaker. If you are printing the stencil out, make sure you
select “actual size”.
6. Use a saw or box cutter to make a hole going all the way around the circle. The hole will be
big enough to put the speaker through sideways without the grill.
7. Keep speaker grill hooks attached to speaker base, but detach grill.
8. Insert the speaker (without the grill) into the ceiling-hole and place it in the appropriate position.
At this time, it may be necessary to plug the 12V line into the speaker. Also flip the switch on
the speaker to the “ON” position. This switch turns on the back-up battery.
9. Adjust the position of the speaker by balancing the left and right sides of the hole.
10. Grasp and pull out each spring hook on the left and right sides of the speaker and hook
them into the connection loops of the grill one at a time. Be careful not to damage the
ceiling or pull the speaker through the hole.
11. Carefully adjust the final position of the grill.
12. Turn back on the power at breaker to provide power to the speaker.
13. Test the operation. Since programming is done wirelessly, it is not necessary to remove the
speaker from the ceiling. Refer to the MDS Programming Guide or contact your Maxon dealer
for more information.

7. Safety Notes
Please read the following recommendations for safe and effective use of the Radio.
• Please do not remove or damage antenna, or use a damaged antenna. It affects
the
radio receiver’s performance.
• Use only AC110V power.
• If the power is unstable, noise may be generated in the wireless speaker.
•
Be careful when using the speaker in a place where computers or other electronic
devices are being used because the strong electronic waves from the Radio can affect
this equipment.
• Please do not disassemble or modify the wireless speaker. It may
damage or
otherwise affect the product.
• Please do not damage or strike the speaker with hard impact.
• Please avoid direct sunlight or place with high humidity.

Warranty Card
Thank you for purchasing Wireless Maxon Digital Speaker.
1. This product has passed strict quality control and testing procedures.
2. Warranty is three years from original date of purchase.
• Failure of the product under normal operating conditions, during the warranty period may be repaired by
a distributor, the head office, or service center free of charge.
3. For the following cases, service fees will be charged.
• When repair occurs after the warranty period has passed.
• When the product is damaged used to user’s mishandling, abuse of improper operation.
• When the product is damaged due to fire, pollution, earth quakes, and any other natural or unnatural
conditions, accidents, etc.
• When defect caused by not following the instructions or precautions described in the user manual.
• When an improper power source is used.
• When the product is damaged due to user’s modification, attempted repair or otherwise
access to sealed/non-user serviceable items.
4. Personal information for wireless digital speaker
Model No □ MDS-1400, □ MDS-2400, □ MDS-3400
Serial No
Purchase date
Purchaser Name
Address
※ Complete the chart above after purchase.
11535W 83rd Terrace, Lenexa, KS66214
Toll-Free. 800-456-2071(US Only) 913-859-9515
Website www.maxonamerica.com