In our last post, we explored how JTECH’s restaurant pagers worked. Here, we will consider the operation of the master transmitter. The master transmitters are at the center of JTECH’s GuestAlert® and ServAlert® paging systems. Consider the master transmitter as the brain, sending signals to different nerve endings in the body, represented by the pagers. The master transmitter is a powerful and yet simple tool to use.

As we mentioned in our last post, each pager has a unique Channel Access Protocol (CAP) code. To signal a specific pager you enter its’ number into the master transmitter. The master transmitter first encodes and then transmits or broadcasts the signal to all of the local pagers, but only the pager with the corresponding CAP code responds. Some master transmitters can also be connected to a phone system, which enables pagers to be “paged” directly from any phone on the system. This is especially valuable in larger restaurants and other hospitality applications such as hotels, resorts and clubs. An optional GuestAlert feature is the Call4Sure™ cellular phone messaging module.

Additional JTECH Master Transmitter Features:
• Plugs into standard 110V outlet
• Operates in FM mode on UHF (450-470 MHz)
• Adjustable power settings with up to 2 watts of power for complete area coverage
• Out of range feature captures guests, reduces walk-away’s and reduces pager loss (GuestAlert)
• Search feature assists in pager management and reduces pager loss (GuestAlert)
• 2X and 3X messaging options (ServAlert)
• Server Cancel and Expeditor Panels (ServAlert)
• Integrates with other JTECH systems
• Designed Restaurant Tough™

We’ve written in the past about the different ways that JTECH’s wireless restaurant solutions can work to increase the efficiency of your staff, guest satisfaction and restaurant profitability. In this post, however, we will look at how the components of this simple yet powerful wireless system actually work, starting with the pagers.

Pagers are essentially simple radios that have predetermined responses upon receiving the correct signal. It’s a method of communication that, while simple, has provided a host of businesses in the hospitality industry with a countless number of applications. Whether they’re used to signal guests that their table is ready or allow cooks to quickly communicate with servers on the dining floor, pagers are an integral part of many of today’s most successful casual dining restaurants.

Each JTECH pager offers several “addresses”, each with its’ own a Channel Access Protocol (CAP) code, allowing the pager to be activated when signaled by that code. Moreover, each pager “address” is pre-programmed with a specific response or “cadence”, allowing several distinct responses from a single pager, depending on the commands sent from the master transmitter. Most of the pagers used in JTECH’s GuestAlert® and ServAlert® systems fall under the classification of “beepers” which means they communicate simple messages through vibration, tone and/or flashing lights.

In our next post we’ll describe the master transmitter, which is a significant part of a JTECH wireless restaurant solution. It’s the central device responsible for sending messaging to the JTECH family of pagers.