SafAlert Notifier QUICK START NOTE: Click on red text for more details on highlighted item 1. Install ComTekk SafAlert 1.1 What you will need: A suitable computer running Microsoft Windows (see Requirements) Radio receiver, tuned to your agency's operating frequency (channel). Suitable audio cable for connecting receiver's audio output to the computer sound card input (see section 2 below). Paging tone codes (audio frequencies) for each department/agency/unit for which you wish to receive alerts. If you don't have access to the tone codes, they can easily be acquired using ComTekk's 2-Tone Decoder. For departments that only use 1 or 2 codes, just use the "Capture Last" feature. If using text/email messaging, email addresses for each individual who will receive alert notifications. 1.2 If you haven't already, install the software and enter registration key if you have already purchased a license. You may use the software for evaluation purposes up to 15 days without purchasing a license. 2. Connect Receiver Audio 2.1 Preferred method: Using a 1/8" computer audio or ipod cable (either mono or stereo type should work), C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 1/11
connect receiver's speaker output to computer sound card's MIC (usually pink/red), LINE (usually blue), or AUX analog input. LINE IN is preferred when available. 2.2 Verify receiver is tuned to the correct frequency, and receiving desired dispatch station clearly (excessive static or interference can cause missed alerts). Receiver volume should usually be no higher than about 25%. 2.3 Be sure computer speakers are connected, turned on and volume up part way. NOTE: If you don't have a way to connect audio directly to the computer, place the computer microphone close to receiver's speaker (even a walkie-talkie will work fine for this). The downside is, background noise will be picked up and recorded too. 3. Configure SafAlert Audio Settings 3.1 Run SafAlert. Select Setup -> Preferences from the main menu. Note that all settings are saved upon normal close (exit) of SafAlert. 3.2 Click the Audio Source tab in SafAlert Settings window. (Audio Device selector will not appear on Windows 7/Vista) C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 2/11
SafAlert audio source controls (Windows 2000/XP view) 3.3 WINDOWS 2000/XP: Select the Audio Device from the drop-down list at right if more than one sound card is available. Click the Audio Source button to open the Windows recording device selection dialog (shown below). Now select the desired input line by clicking the appropriate Select box. Adjust the input level of this device as described in step 3.4. Windows 2000/XP Recording Control Panel WINDOWS 7 & VISTA: Click the Audio Source button to open the Windows recording device selection dialog (shown below). Click once on the desired input device to select. If more than one device is available, click the Set Default button to make it your default recording device. Click Properties, then select the Levels tab to adjust the input level of this device as described in step 3.4. C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 3/11
Windows 7 / Vista recording device selection (left) and properties (right). 3.4 Be sure the Mute option in SafAlert is un-checked during the setup process. Listen for receiver audio through computer speakers - it should be clear and crisp. Watch VU meter for level well into the blue, peaking in red is ok. Adjust the level control below Input Source as needed. It may also be necessary to adjust the receiver's volume control. If level is too high, decoder will not function properly! 3.5 The Squelch control should normally be set to a level in the lower blue range of the VU Meter. The default setting will work fine in most cases. 3.6 The Audio Source button is provided as a convenience for accessing the Windows C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 4/11
audio control panel if needed. 4. Decoder Settings Decoder tab: In most cases, these settings should not need adjustment - defaults are recommended. See Setup Section for more info. 5. Alert Options 5.1 Audio/Visual alerts: Click on the Alert Options tab. These settings determine what actions will be taken when an alert is detected. Most of these items should be selfexplanatory, but some brief descriptions will be provided here. See the Setup section for complete details. 5.1.1 Max. Alert Time - determines how long (in minutes) the following audio/visual alerts will repeat. Clicking the RESET button on the main screen will cancel the alert. 5.1.2 Play Sound - plays a sound file selected by clicking the button. The sound file selected should be.wav type. Check the Loop box for continuous repeat. 5.1.3 Run File - A powerful feature, launches any external program, script or associated file when alert is received. Click the button to select a file. HINT: Test this action by navigating to the file you want to run using Windows File Explorer or My Computer, then double-click on the file. 5.2 Advanced Options controls event logging, audio recording and emailing features. 5.2.1 Log Alerts - Check this box to enable event logging to CSV text file. A dialog will open allowing you to select the log file name, as well as the Logs/Recordings Folder. Log files and recorded MP3 files will both be stored in this folder. Mouse over to see complete folder name. C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 5/11
5.2.2 Record Alerts - Enables recording of WAV file each time an alert is detected. The file name will be added to the log for later review. Select the duration of recording. The default of 30 seconds is usually long enough to capture critical dispatch information. Keep in mind, longer recordings mean larger files which take more time to send and receive. It's best to keep this time as short as possible. 5.2.3 Audio File Format - Select MP3 audio file recording format. 48kbps is currently required for delivery to AT&T phones via MMS. 5.2.4 Send Email - Causes SafAlert to send emails based on the particular alert tones received, with or without attached audio files. This setup will be explained in the next section. 5.2.5 Record Mode, Delay- Three modes of recording are available: 1. Immediate - Recording will start immediately upon receipt of first tone-out, no delay. One or more tones may be heard in recording. 2. Timed Delay After Tones - Recording starts after tones have been sent + Delay seconds. 3. Voice Detect - Recording starts after tones, but not until voice is detected, or maximum Delay seconds. 5.2.6 Ignore repeat alerts for last unit - Some dispatchers will always send the same call twice in case some units did not receive it the first time. This option will help prevent duplicate emails/recordings from being sent for every call. 6. Mail Setup 6.1 Mail Server Settings - Click the Mail tab to access these settings. To utilize the email feature, you must have an email account. Most ISPs provide at least one email account. Note that SSL/TLS, required by some servers such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, is not supported at this time, but will be added in a future release. Auto Configure is provided for some of the most common email services. We recommend setting up a free account at GMX mail: http://www.gmx.com 6.1.1 First click the Auto Configure drop-down to see if your provider is listed. Making a selection here will populate the basic settings for that particular provider. A message box will appear, prompting you to enter your email address, and account login & password. C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 6/11
NOTE: Be sure SMTP/POP3 access is enabled for your email account! Many web-mail providers do not allow non-web access by default. 6.1.2 Email Address - enter the complete email address for the account you will be using to send mail. 6.1.3 SMTP Server - This is your OUTGOING mail server address, as provided by your email service. Port 25 is the standard for outgoing email - do not change it unless you know the specific port number. 6.1.4 Authentication Required - Some ISPs don't require a login/password if you are connected to their network. If this box is checked, you must provide the User Name and Password as well. User Name will be filled in automatically after Email Address is entered. 6.1.5 SSL/TLS will be available in a future release. 6.2 Email Settings are found in the lower panel of the Mail tab. 6.2.1 Email To: - (Required) email address for all mail messages with audio file attached [MMS]. A single email will be sent with all responder addresses hidden in the Bcc (Blind Carbon-Copy) field. By sending a single email instead of separate emails to every responder, time required to send notifications is drastically reduced. 6.2.2 Attach Audio File - be sure this box is checked if you want responders to receive audio file. 6.2.3 Signature - will appear at the end of every message sent. Keep it as short as possible, but to be legal it should at least have a contact name and number in case a recipient wishes to be removed from the list. 6.3 Test Email Settings - To check your settings, click the Test Email button, which will open the messaging window: 6.3.1 Enter a recipient's email address (preferably one you have immediate access to), then click Send Test Email. The process shouldn't take more than half a minute. You can monitor progress in the Activity window. Below is an example of a successful transmission, ending with the message "Connection closed." Any error messages displayed here will aid in troubleshooting your email settings. C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 7/11
6.3.2 Upon successful send, check the Inbox of recipient email address. Depending on the service and software, the test email could appear immediately, or take a few minutes or more. NOTE: There is no way to control how fast an email is delivered once it has been sent. 6.3.3 Click Close when you have finished testing. 7. Tone-out List 7.1 From the Settings window, click the Alert List button in the lower right corner, or from the Main Menu, click Setup -> Alert List. 7.1.1 Start with the top section "Tone-out List" Click the Add Tone-out button to make a new entry. This entry will be inserted into the next available empty row. Use the Tab key to move cursor to next field. Click OK or press Enter key when finished editing entry. To edit an existing entry, simply click on the text to highlight (you may have to click twice to enable editing). Press the Tab key to advance to the next field. To sort the entries, click on the column heading, for example to sort entries by unit C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 8/11
name, click on the Unit ID heading. Click again to invert sort order. The Undo Sort button will return entries to their original order. 7.1.2 Enter each tone frequency in Hertz (Hz). If there are two tones, they MUST be in correct order, first tone is Tone 1, second tone is Tone 2. For single-tone alerts, Tone 2 should be left blank. See examples above. NOTE: If you don't have your department's tone frequencies, they may be obtained using our ComTekk 2-Tone Decoder software (half-price when ordered with SafAlert). 7.1.3 Enter a unique Unit ID. This should be the same or similar to over-the-air unit designator. Important note: Unit ID is the key field used to match alerts to corresponding emails. Be sure each Unit ID is unique and not contained in part of another. For example: Truck-7 Truck-71 This will cause Truck-71 to also receive calls for Truck-7. Instead, use Truck-07 as the ID. 7.1.4 Enter Text Message - this text will appear in the body of alert emails or text message if sent to a mobile phone. 8. Email List 8.1 To access the Email List: From the Settings window, click the Alert List button in the lower right corner, or from the Main Menu, click Setup -> Alert List. To edit an existing entry, simply click on the text (you may have to click twice to enable editing). Press the Tab key to advance to the next field. To sort the entries, click on the column heading, for example to sort entries by unit name, click on the Unit ID heading. Click again to invert sort order. The Undo Sort button will return entries to their original order. To delete an entry, click on it (singleclick) to highlight that entry, then click the Delete Responder button. 8.1.1 To add a new entry, click the Add Responder button. This entry will be inserted into the next available empty row. Use the Tab key to move cursor to next field. Click OK or press Enter key when finished editing entry. Name - recipient's name, anything can go here. Email Address - Normal email addresses, these will include a WAV file C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 9/11
attachment if this feature is enabled. Use for recipients who can open and play WAV files. Mobile Email - These entries are for TEXT ONLY emails and will NOT include an attachment. Use this option for sending SMS text to mobile phones. This entry must be formatted as an email address as shown in the screen capture above. Find your carrier's SMS gateway on one of these lists: http://www.mutube.com/projects/open-email-to-sms/gateway-list/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_sms_gateways Unit ID - Critical field: This entry must exactly match the correct Unit ID in the Tone-out List above. Emails will not be sent to incorrect entries - they will simply be ignored. Multiple Unit IDs may be entered and must be separated by a comma and/or space. For example, when tones of 769.0 and 697.0 Hz are decoded for unit id "TEST", an email will be sent to John Doe (TEST@mail.com), along with any other email entries with unit id "TEST" 8.2 To send a "carbon copy" of EVERY alert message, enter recipient email in "Email all Alerts to" box. If Attach recording is checked, audio file will be sent along with email. WARNING: Using this feature can result in a very large amount of email being sent to this recipient. 9. Final Step: Save alert lists 9.1 Click Save and Close once you are satisfied all entries are correct. Congratulations! You should now be ready to start using SafAlert. Testing is highly recommended. This may require asking your dispatcher to transmit one or more test pages to ensure everything is working properly and all intended recipients are able to receive their alert messages. Next: Using SafAlert Disclaimer: Actual performance may vary between different computers and sound cards. The author makes no warranties or guarantees of performance or suitability for any particular purpose, and assumes no liability whatsoever for the use or misuse of any software products. This product is not intended for use as a primary means of notification. Top Contents ComTekk Home Copyright 2007-2011 Brian R. Williams, BW Consultants / ComTekk All Rights Reserved C:/Program Files (x86)/ /quick-start.htm 10/11
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