Rochat wrote:
snip
We have studied different solutions replacing it with a NAT or a PS
Engineering, but the simplest and easiest solution would be to
replace it with a "new generation" SCI-6 or SCI-S6 Sigtronics intercom.

What makes you say that it would be easier to replace the SPA-400 with
the SCI-6 rather than some other intercom? The SPA-400 is a 4 place
intercom while the SCI-6 is a six-place. That automatically means it's
not a plug-and-play replacement, and if you're going to do some
rewiring, you should definitely take a very close look at some other units.

Does the SCI-6 intercom solves the problems of the old SPA-400 (outputs in
parallel, etc) ? Is the SCI-6 good enough or should we forget it ? (we
have an alternate, but more complex solution with a ps engineering
model)

I must admit I have no personal experience with the SCI-6, but I can
offer my opinion on the PS-Engineering Intellivox systems based on my
100 or so hours of experience with our PS7000B audio panel.

In short, it mixes headset brands / mic types (electret vs. dynamic)
well, and desquelches at all the right times. It also only opens the
mic of the person(s) talking, which further reduces background noise.
And, of course, this all comes with the benefit of no annoying squelch
controls.

Best thing of all is the support -- Mark Scheuer, the President of the
company, frequents this newsgroup and is more than happy to provide
help. He took the time to answer several of my pre- and post-sale
emails. He even built up a one-off modification to amplify my cell
phone's audio output when I determined that it was a bit too low for my
taste.

The only downside is the price, but IMHO, you get what you pay for. Our
previous intercom? An SPA-400.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------