Viking Electronics E-1600-32A Double Gang Box Mount Emergency Phone
The Viking Electronics E-1600-32A is an ADA-compliant, handsfree emergency telephone designed for surface or recess installation in a standard double gang box. It draws all power from the telephone line — no separate power supply, no conduit run for 120V — making it the right tool for elevator lobbies, stairwells, parking structures, and remote call points where pulling a power circuit would add cost and complexity. The E-1600-32A stores up to seven programmable numbers in non-volatile memory, so a power interruption or phone-line voltage drop won't wipe your autodial sequence.
Key Features
- Phone Line Powered: The unit draws operating power directly from the analog telephone line — under 4W in active call, nothing at idle — so there is no local power supply to fail, maintain, or replace. Simplifies rough-in to a single pair of conductors.
- 7 Programmable Autodial Numbers (5 Emergency + 2 Central Station): Five emergency destinations plus two central-station numbers can be pre-programmed. Non-volatile memory retains the configuration through power cycling or line interruptions, which matters on elevator phones that sit idle for months between test calls.
- Non-Volatile Memory: Programming survives power loss without a battery backup — no lithium cell to track or replace over a 10-year installation lifecycle.
- IP66 Rated: A full IP66 enclosure means direct water jets and heavy dust won't compromise the unit. Suitable for covered outdoor locations, parking decks, and industrial corridors where a standard indoor unit would corrode within a season.
- Operating Temperature -30°F to 170°F: The standard chassis handles a 200°F swing, covering unheated northern stairwells in January and sun-baked elevator cab tops in summer without thermal derating.
- 304 Stainless Steel Construction: The 5.75″ x 3.08″ x 1.05″ stainless faceplate (red fine-texture powder coat) resists corrosion and vandal scraping better than painted steel. For harsh marine or chemical environments, the optional EWP variant steps up to 14-gauge marine grade 316 brushed stainless.
- Optional Enhanced Weather Protection (EWP — E-1600-32A-EWP): The EWP variant expands humidity tolerance to 100% (versus 95% non-condensing for the standard unit) and uses 14-gauge marine grade 316 stainless steel. Operating temperature range on the EWP is -15°F to 130°F — a slightly narrower thermal window, so verify your coldest ambient before specifying EWP in extreme northern climates.
- ADA Compliant: Designed to meet ADA requirements for emergency communication devices — critical for any facility subject to ADA Title II or Title III obligations (public accommodations, commercial facilities, elevators).
- Gel-Filled Butt Connectors: Connections are made with gel-filled butt connectors rather than screw terminals, providing a moisture-resistant splice that resists corrosion in damp chase ways and outdoor conduit runs.
- Surface or Recess Mount: The double gang box footprint supports both surface-mount and recess-mount installations, giving installers flexibility to match the architectural finish of the space — flush-to-wall in finished lobbies, surface-box in mechanical rooms.
Integration and Compatibility
The E-1600-32A connects to any standard analog (POTS) telephone line — compatible with traditional PSTN circuits, analog line cards on hosted PBX systems, and analog telephone adapters (ATAs) from SIP infrastructure. Because the unit is phone-line powered, the ATA or line card must supply standard loop current (typically 20–40mA). Verify your ATA's loop current output before commissioning, particularly with budget SIP adapters that sometimes supply marginal current on the second line port. For facilities converting from POTS to VoIP, pair this unit with a VoIP gateway or ATA that supports loop current injection. Viking's Viking Electronics emergency communication line includes compatible call-in systems, amplifiers, and remote programming interfaces that integrate directly with the 1600A Series chassis. If your project requires emergency phones across multiple locations — elevators, stairwells, area-of-rescue — the 1600A Series chassis family shares the same programming interface, simplifying multi-unit commissioning. For larger facilities requiring access control integration at call points, the analog line interface allows connection through most access control panel analog input modules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the E-1600-32A require external power, or is it powered by the phone line?
A: The E-1600-32A is fully phone line powered — no local AC power supply or battery is required. It draws its operating power directly from the analog telephone line, which simplifies installation to a single conductor pair.
Q: What is the IP rating of the E-1600-32A, and is it suitable for outdoor installation?
A: The E-1600-32A carries an IP66 rating, meaning it is protected against powerful water jets and total dust ingress. It is appropriate for covered outdoor locations, parking structures, and industrial environments. For fully exposed outdoor or coastal/marine installations, consider the E-1600-32A-EWP variant with marine grade 316 stainless steel and 100% humidity tolerance.
Q: How many emergency numbers can be programmed into the E-1600-32A?
A: The unit stores seven programmable numbers: five emergency destination numbers and two central station numbers. All numbers are retained in non-volatile memory and survive power interruptions without a backup battery.
Q: What is the difference between the E-1600-32A and the E-1600-32A-EWP?
A: The EWP (Enhanced Weather Protection) variant uses 14-gauge marine grade 316 brushed stainless steel and tolerates humidity up to 100% (versus 95% non-condensing on the standard unit). The EWP operating temperature range is -15°F to 130°F, which is narrower than the standard unit's -30°F to 170°F. Specify EWP for coastal, marine, or chemical exposure environments; verify the thermal floor if installing in severely cold climates.
Q: Is the E-1600-32A ADA compliant?
A: Yes. The E-1600-32A is designed as an ADA-compliant emergency phone, making it appropriate for facilities subject to ADA Title II and Title III requirements, including elevators, areas of rescue assistance, and public parking structures.
Q: What analog line infrastructure does the E-1600-32A work with?
A: The unit connects to any standard analog telephone line — traditional POTS, analog line cards on PBX or hosted phone systems, or analog telephone adapters (ATAs) bridging SIP infrastructure. The ATA or line card must supply adequate loop current (typically 20–40mA); verify loop current output on budget SIP adapters before commissioning.
The E-1600-32A is one of those units I recommend specifically when a project is converting from POTS to SIP infrastructure but still needs to maintain analog emergency call points — the phone-line-powered design means you're not running conduit for 120V to every elevator cab or stairwell landing, which on a 20-story building is a real labor and materials saving. The IP66 rating and -30°F to 170°F operating range cover virtually every North American climate without any special enclosure treatment on the standard unit.
Technical Highlights:
- Non-Volatile Memory: Seven programmable numbers (5 emergency + 2 central station) survive power loss without a backup battery — no cell to track on annual inspections, and no re-programming after a line outage or brief power failure.
- IP66 + -30°F to 170°F Thermal Range: The combination handles unheated northern parking decks in winter and sun-loaded elevator machine rooms in summer without derating. That 200°F thermal swing is genuinely wider than many competing units in this class.
- EWP Upgrade Path: The E-1600-32A-EWP variant swaps to 14-gauge marine grade 316 brushed stainless and raises humidity tolerance to 100% — specify it for waterfront facilities, car washes, or chemical processing corridors. Note the EWP's lower temperature floor (-15°F vs -30°F) if the installation site sees extreme cold.
Deployment Considerations:
- Loop current is the hidden variable on SIP/ATA deployments — confirm your ATA or analog line card outputs adequate loop current (typically 20–40mA) before commissioning. Budget adapters sometimes supply marginal current on port 2, which can cause intermittent operation on a phone-line-powered device.
- The EWP variant's operating temperature floor is -15°F, not -30°F — if you're installing in an unheated northern stairwell or outdoor call point in a cold climate, the standard E-1600-32A chassis is the correct choice, not the EWP.
For area-of-rescue assistance stations in mid-rise commercial construction — where ADA compliance, outdoor-rated durability, and a clean double-gang box footprint all have to coexist — the E-1600-32A hits every requirement without requiring a separate power circuit at each location.
