Viking Electronics E-1600-RDA ADA Compliant Red Emergency Phone with Built-In Dialer and Voice Announcer
The Viking Electronics E-1600-RDA is a wall-mount emergency telephone built for public corridors, parking structures, elevators, and campus locations where ADA compliance and reliable one-touch dialing are non-negotiable. The E-1600-RDA ships in a 0.060-inch-thick (16 gauge) 304 stainless steel chassis finished in red fine texture powder paint — the color signals emergency at a glance, and the steel housing holds up where painted plastic enclosures crack or deform. No separate power supply is required: the unit draws from the telephone line itself (24VDC / 20mA minimum), eliminating a common failure point in emergency phone installations.
Key Features
- Five-number emergency dialer with non-volatile memory: Stores up to 5 emergency numbers, 2 central station numbers, and 3 information numbers in non-volatile memory. Numbers survive power interruptions — critical for emergency infrastructure where a reboot after a power event cannot wipe dial plans.
- 16-second digital voice announcer: A built-in digital voice announcer delivers a recorded location or instruction message (up to 16 seconds) to the called party the moment the call connects. Dispatchers hear exactly where the call originates without the caller needing to speak — a measurable improvement in response time for unmanned monitoring centers.
- Grade 2 Braille label: Satisfies ADA tactile requirements out of the box. No third-party labeling kit needed; the Grade 2 Braille designation meets the specification for facility compliance documentation.
- Phone-line powered: Draws 24VDC at 20mA minimum from the POTS line — no separate 120VAC circuit, no UPS required at the device. Simplifies rough-in and keeps the enclosure small (5.75 in × 3.08 in × 1.05 in / 146 mm × 78 mm × 27 mm).
- Wide operating temperature range: Rated -30°F to 170°F with humidity tolerance from 5% to 95% non-condensing on standard units. The optional Enhanced Weather Protection (EWP) variant (E-1600-RDA-EWP) extends humidity tolerance to 100% and shifts the temperature floor to -40°F — relevant for unheated parking garages or exterior kiosk installations.
- 304 stainless steel enclosure, red powder paint: The 16-gauge 304 stainless body resists corrosion and physical abuse in high-traffic public areas. Red fine texture powder paint is durable enough for exterior-adjacent environments and maintains the required visual identification under UV exposure.
- Surface mount with gel-filled butt connectors: Mounts to walls via surface mount, making it compatible with standard electrical boxes or direct wall attachment. Gel-filled butt connectors protect the telephone line terminations from moisture ingress — particularly relevant in stairwells and covered parking where condensation is routine.
Integration and Compatibility
The E-1600-RDA connects to any standard POTS telephone line. Because the unit is phone-line powered and uses a conventional analog interface, it integrates directly with existing analog telephone infrastructure, PBX analog extensions, or emergency phone systems without additional adapters. Facilities migrating to VoIP or SIP trunks will need an analog telephone adapter (ATA) at the demarcation — the unit itself has no IP capability; see the Viking Electronics catalog for IP-based emergency phone options if SIP integration is required. The built-in five-number sequential dialer cycles through stored numbers until a live answer is achieved, making it compatible with monitored central station workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the E-1600-RDA ADA compliant?
A: Yes. The E-1600-RDA includes a Grade 2 Braille label and is designed to meet ADA requirements for emergency telephone accessibility in public facilities.
Q: Does the E-1600-RDA require external power?
A: No. The unit is telephone line powered, drawing 24VDC at a minimum of 20mA from the connected POTS line. No separate power supply or electrical circuit is needed at the device location.
Q: How many emergency numbers can be programmed?
A: Up to 5 emergency numbers, 2 central station numbers, and 3 information numbers — 10 total stored numbers in non-volatile memory that survives power loss.
Q: Can the E-1600-RDA be used outdoors?
A: The standard E-1600-RDA is rated for -30°F to 170°F and 5%–95% non-condensing humidity. For fully outdoor or high-humidity environments, the E-1600-RDA-EWP variant adds IP66-equivalent Enhanced Weather Protection and 100% humidity tolerance.
Q: What does the 16-second voice announcer do?
A: When a call connects, the unit plays a pre-recorded message up to 16 seconds — typically the location of the phone (e.g., 'Parking Level 2, Stairwell B'). This tells the dispatcher or emergency responder exactly where the call is coming from before a word is spoken.
Q: What mounting options are available?
A: The E-1600-RDA supports surface mount installation. It ships with gel-filled butt connectors for the telephone line termination.
The E-1600-RDA is the variant I reach for when a facility needs a visible, ADA-compliant emergency point that connects to an existing analog infrastructure with zero additional hardware. The phone-line-powered design — 24VDC at 20mA minimum — means the conduit run is one pair of copper and you're done. No AC home-run, no UPS closet coordination, no electrician scheduling conflict.
Technical Highlights:
- Non-volatile 10-number memory: Five emergency, two central station, three info numbers all survive a line drop or power event without reprogramming — essential for any life-safety device that may sit dormant for months between activations.
- 16-second voice announcer: Location pre-announcement on connect is the single biggest operational improvement over a bare-ring emergency phone. Dispatch knows the origin before the caller speaks — faster deployment, fewer 'where are you?' seconds wasted.
- 16-gauge 304 stainless steel, 5.75 in × 3.08 in × 1.05 in: The slim profile fits tight elevator lobbies and stairwell half-walls without protruding into the egress path. The stainless shell handles the mechanical abuse of high-traffic public spaces better than ABS.
Deployment Considerations:
- The E-1600-RDA requires a standard POTS line or a properly provisioned ATA feeding an analog extension — confirm the ATA supports the 24VDC / 20mA power draw before spec'ing it into a SIP-only facility.
- The standard unit is rated to 95% non-condensing humidity. If the installation point sees condensation cycles (covered parking, exterior vestibules), spec the E-1600-RDA-EWP instead — the Enhanced Weather Protection variant handles 100% humidity and drops the cold floor to -40°F.
This is the right phone for ADA-required emergency call stations in campus parking structures, elevator lobbies, and interior stairwells on analog or ATA-bridged infrastructure — particularly where a slim stainless profile and pre-programmed location announcement reduce both installation complexity and dispatcher response time.
