Thick Concrete Walls? Not a Problem for the ERA-UTDCR Door Alerts

Safeguard Supply guarantees their ERA-UTDCR Business Door Chime products to work or your money back. This is because of the 4,000 ft. range, from the transmitter or sensor to the receiver. Simply put, you won’t find wireless products with this kind of range on Amazon.com or your local box retail store. When dealing with any wireless products, it’s important to understand that the stated wireless range is always “line of site.”

Although products are physically tested to ensure they are functioning correctly, the wireless range is an “up to” number & is calculated using mathematical equations based on the electronics of the products. In essence, it’s the “lab tested” range. This makes sense because it’s the only way to standardize the wireless range. There are simply too many variables at play to standardize a wireless range if it were tested in real-world scenarios.

With that said, a range “up to” 4,000 ft. line of the site should be sufficient in most situations. As stated above, there are physical and environmental factors that will reduce the effectiveness of the wireless signal. If a wireless push button is outside and must penetrate concrete block construction, this will reduce the wireless signal by up to 50% right off the bat. Every interior wall will reduce the signal by another 15%-30%, depending on the materials used, the thickness of the walls, etc. If you are placing a magnetic door contact, like the ERA-UTX, on a solid steel door, think about the fact that this wireless signal will bounce off the door and must also penetrate the steel. That’s why, even with the ERA line of products, you might have a receiver that works fine in the first couple of offices, but as you distribute them throughout your warehouse, you may find receivers that start to drop the signal.

Is There a Way to Boost the Wireless Line of ERA Products?

Although this is rare, there may be situations where you need to increase the wireless range on the ERA line of products by Safeguard Supply. To do that, we use a combination of two products, the ERA-EXTX doorbell extender, and the ERA-DCRX desktop, wall hang receiver.

The ERA-EXTX Wired Doorbell Extender

The ERA-EXTX is a wired doorbell extender by Safeguard Supply. In most cases, it is used to wire into an existing wired doorbell, and when triggered, sends a radio signal to a compatible ERA receiver. When a visitor outside pushes the wired doorbell button, the existing doorbell rings as normal. At the same time, the wired in ERA-EXTX will transmit a radio signal to the ERA receiver which will play the programmed melody. In addition to this, the ERA-EXTX can be used, along with the 12V DC outputs on the ERA-DCRX receiver to transmit a signal another 4,000 ft. to an additional ERA receiver.

The ERA-DCRX Desktop Receiver

There are three receivers in the ERA line of products. All ERA receivers are compatible with one another. Each works with up to 12 different ERA sensors/transmitters and an unlimited number of receivers may be programmed to a sensor. Each receiver has a wireless range of up to 4,000 ft. from an ERA transmitter or sensor.

ERA-RXPG Plugin Receiver

The ERA-RXPG is a plugin receiver with a built-in strobe light. Simply plug it into a standard wall outlet, program it to the receiver, and set the operation mode to sound, strobe, or sound + strobe and you have a great wireless door chime alert.

ERA-VPRX Portable Vibrating Receiver with Rechargeable Batteries

The ERA-VPRX is a portable receiver with built-in rechargeable batteries. It also has a 4,000 ft. range and may be set to chime only, vibrate only, or sound + vibration mode. It may be clipped on a belt loop, is small enough to place in your pocket, or can stand upright on a desktop. With a six (6) day standby time between charges, it’s a great portable receiver.

ERA-DCRX Desktop Receiver with 12V DC Outputs

Finally, the workhorse in the ERA line of receivers is the ERA-DCRX warehouse doorbell receiver. This is a desktop receiver that sits on a desktop or is hung on a wall. A feature that makes the ERA-DCRX stand out from the other receivers is the live 12V DC outputs and the C-Form relay. The 12V DC outputs will send 12V of DC current to an accessory when the receiver is triggered by an ERA transmitter. In this article, we will use the 12V DC outputs to relay the receiver using an ERA-EXTX.

Overview of Warehouse Doorbell Extender System Will Work

In a typical scenario, a customer has an ERA-PBTX push button or the ERA-UTX on an exterior steel door of their warehouse. Most of the receivers inside the warehouse will work properly, but some, because of interference, may be outside the range. If you have an ERA-DCRX desktop or wall-hanging receiver within range, you can hook up an ERA-EXTX to a 12V DC output on the receiver. When that receiver is triggered, it will trigger the ERA-EXTX (just as a wired doorbell would) to send a radio signal another 4,000 ft. to another programmed receiver.

What You Need to Extend the Wireless Range of Your ERA System

*In order for this setup to work, you must have an ERA-DCRX that is within range and working correctly from an ERA transmitter or receiver. We will call this “receiver 1” in the steps below. The “out-of-range” ERA-DCRX will be referred to as “receiver 2.”

Program the ERA-EXTX to “receiver 2” (the receiver that is out of range from the transmitter/sensor). IMPORTANT! Remember, there is an ERA-DCRX (“receiver 1”) that is already functioning correctly. This IS NOT the receiver we are programming to the ERA-EXTX. In the steps below we will program it to another ERA-DCRX receiver, “receiver 2”. NOTE: If you are using the ERA-RXPG or ERA-VPRX, for “receiver 2,” the steps are similar but consult that receiver’s manual to put it in programming mode.
- Hold down the “mode” button on “receiver 2.” After approximately 3 seconds, you’ll hear a short tone sound, and the RED LED for zone 1 will blink.
- Task off the cover of the ERA-EXTX. Push the “front” button.
- You will then hear a short musical chime sound. This denotes the transmitter (ERA-EXTX) is programmed to that zone.
- Hold down the “zone” button again and after 3 seconds, you will hear another short tone sound. This takes the receiver out of programming mode.
Next, make sure “receiver 1,” (the one that is within range) is unplugged. This is IMPORTANT.
Remove the cover from the ERA-DCRX (consult the manual for details).
Take the RED wire from the ERA-EXTX and wire it into the positive screw on the 12V DC output for Zone 1. Please see the diagram below. You will need to cut the c-clamp off the red and black wire and stripe them a bit. The RED wire corresponds to the “front” button on the ERA-EXTX.
Take the BLACK wire from the ERA-EXTX and wire it into the negative screw on the 12V DC output for Zone 1. Please see the diagram below.
You can ignore the WHITE WIRE.
Set the duration of the 12V DC output to 5 seconds. Please consult the user manual for the ERA-DCRX to find the location of these dip switches.
Plug “receiver 1” back in.
Trigger the transmitter/Sensor already programmed to the ERA-DCRX “receiver 1.” “Receiver 1” should chime. Simultaneously, the RED LED on the ERA-EXTX will light, and “receiver 2” should chime.