Viking Electronics E-1600A-TP2-EWP Two-Button ADA Emergency Phone with Enhanced Weather Protection
The Viking Electronics E-1600A-TP2-EWP is a two-button, ADA-compliant emergency phone engineered specifically as a drop-in replacement for Talk-A-Phone applications — with a built-in dialer, voice announcer, and IP66-rated Enhanced Weather Protection (EWP) for installations where moisture and dust ingress would compromise a standard unit. If you're retrofitting an existing Talk-A-Phone back box or spec'ing an outdoor area-of-refuge station that needs to hold up through rain, condensation, and temperature swings from -30°F to 170°F, this is the model to evaluate.
Overview
The E-1600A series from Viking Electronics covers a broad range of compact emergency phone applications — schools, parking structures, areas of refuge, stairwells, and remote corridors. The E-1600A-TP2-EWP sits at the intersection of two specific requirements: Talk-A-Phone mechanical compatibility and full outdoor weather hardening. Rather than a general-purpose phone that approximates both, this unit is purpose-built for that exact combination. It draws power directly from the telephone line, eliminating the need for a separate power supply run in most installations.
Key Features
- IP66 Enhanced Weather Protection: The EWP designation means foam rubber gaskets and sealed connections are factory-fitted to meet IP66 ingress standards — complete protection against dust and powerful water jets from any direction. That matters in covered parking decks, loading docks, or exterior refuge areas where rain-driven moisture is a regular condition, not an edge case. Standard units without EWP are rated to 95% non-condensing; EWP units are rated to 100% humidity.
- Operating Range -30°F to 170°F: That's a -34°C low, which covers unheated parking structures and cold-climate outdoor enclosures without needing supplemental heating elements. The 170°F ceiling handles enclosed metal cabinets in direct sun.
- Telephone Line Powered (POTS): The unit draws power from the telephone line — minimum 24V DC loop voltage, 20mA loop current. No separate power supply, no low-voltage wiring run beyond the existing phone pair. Simplifies rough-in and reduces points of failure compared to PoE or AC-powered alternatives.
- Up to 5 Programmable Emergency Numbers: Store up to five emergency destinations — 911, campus security, a remote monitoring center, and alternates. Two dedicated central station numbers can be programmed separately, giving you a primary and backup dispatch path without consuming emergency number slots.
- Up to 3 Non-Emergency Numbers: Useful for buildings where you want to allow non-emergency calls (lobby, maintenance, building management) from the same station without enabling unrestricted dialing.
- 16-Second Voice Memory: Record a custom outgoing announcement — site name, location identifier, or ADA-required speech output — directly in the unit. Useful for large campuses where the monitoring center needs to know which of dozens of stations is calling before the caller speaks.
- Talk-A-Phone Back Box Compatibility: The TP2 designation in the model number signals direct mechanical fit for Talk-A-Phone back box installations. If you're replacing a failed Talk-A-Phone unit or standardizing a mixed-vendor campus to Viking, the E-1600A-TP2-EWP installs without re-boxing or adapter plates.
- Two-Button ADA-Compliant Layout: Two dedicated buttons — one to initiate a call, one to end — meet ADA actuation force and reach requirements for emergency communication devices. Reduces the cognitive and physical barrier to use in a genuine emergency.
Integration and Compatibility
The E-1600A-TP2-EWP connects to any standard analog POTS telephone line or loop-start trunk with a minimum 24V DC talk battery and 20mA loop current — parameters met by virtually every analog CO line, PBX analog port, or FXS gateway port. It is not a VoIP or PoE device; for IP-connected emergency phones in the same E-1600 family, Viking Electronics offers the 1600-IP series. The TP2 form factor is designed to mate with emergency phone back boxes originally installed for Talk-A-Phone equipment, making it a direct mechanical replacement in those environments. For new installations without an existing back box, verify the rough-in dimensions — 5.75 inches wide by 3.08 inches tall by 1.05 inches deep for the stainless steel faceplate assembly — against your enclosure spec before ordering. Consider pairing with a access control system or campus emergency notification infrastructure where centralized call routing is managed at the PBX or gateway level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does the EWP designation mean on the E-1600A-TP2-EWP, and how is it different from a standard E-1600A?
A: EWP stands for Enhanced Weather Protection. It indicates the unit is factory-fitted with foam rubber gaskets and sealed connections to meet IP66 ingress protection standards — full dust exclusion and protection against powerful water jets from any direction. Standard E-1600A products are rated for humidity up to 95% non-condensing; EWP products are rated for up to 100% humidity. If the installation is outdoors or in a high-moisture environment, the EWP variant is the correct choice.
Q: Does the E-1600A-TP2-EWP require a separate power supply?
A: No. The unit is telephone line powered, drawing current directly from the analog loop. It requires a minimum talk battery voltage of 24V DC and a minimum loop current of 20mA — both standard parameters for analog CO lines, PBX analog ports, and FXS gateway ports. No separate power run is needed.
Q: Is the E-1600A-TP2-EWP compatible with VoIP phone systems?
A: The E-1600A-TP2-EWP is an analog unit that connects to a standard loop-start analog telephone line. It will work with VoIP systems that provide analog FXS ports or ATA adapters presenting a standard analog interface with the required 24V DC talk battery and 20mA loop current. It is not a native SIP or PoE device. Viking's 1600-IP series covers natively IP-connected emergency phones.
Q: How many emergency numbers can be stored, and can the unit call 911 directly?
A: Up to five emergency numbers can be stored, plus two dedicated central station numbers. Yes, 911 can be programmed as one of the emergency numbers. The unit also supports up to three non-emergency numbers if the installation requires non-emergency call capability from the same station.
Q: What are the physical dimensions of the E-1600A-TP2-EWP faceplate?
A: The stainless steel faceplate assembly (E-1600-SSA series dimensions) measures 5.75 inches wide by 3.08 inches tall by 1.05 inches deep. Shipping weight for the unit is 2.5 lbs. Confirm these dimensions against your Talk-A-Phone back box opening before installation.
Q: What temperature range does the E-1600A-TP2-EWP support?
A: The operating temperature range is -30°F to 170°F. This covers unheated parking structures, cold-climate outdoor installations, and enclosed metal enclosures in direct sun without supplemental heating or cooling equipment.
The E-1600A-TP2-EWP is one of the cleaner solutions I've seen for a specific problem that comes up constantly in campus and municipal installs: an existing Talk-A-Phone back box in an outdoor or semi-outdoor location where the original unit has corroded or failed, and the owner doesn't want to demo the wall to re-box for a different footprint. The TP2 mechanical compatibility removes that obstacle entirely, and the EWP package — IP66, foam gaskets, sealed connections, 100% humidity rating — means you're not back in six months replacing a unit that fogged up over winter.
Technical Highlights:
- IP66 / 100% Humidity Rating: Unlike standard E-1600A units (capped at 95% non-condensing), EWP sealing handles condensation-cycle environments — covered parking decks, exterior refuge stations, cold-climate stairwells — without degradation.
- -30°F to 170°F Operating Range: That low end covers most North American unheated outdoor enclosures without supplemental heat; the 170°F ceiling matters in metal surface-mount enclosures baking in summer sun, where internal temps routinely exceed 130°F.
- Telephone Line Power (24V DC / 20mA min): No separate power circuit means the rough-in is just the phone pair — critical when the back box is already in conduit and pulling additional conductors would require permit work or wall penetration.
Deployment Considerations:
- Verify your analog loop delivers at least 24V DC talk battery and 20mA loop current before commissioning — FXS ports on some budget IP-PBX systems or long cable runs with undersized wire can fall below the 20mA floor, causing intermittent call failure under load.
- The 16-second voice memory is fixed length — plan your location announcement carefully if you're deploying on a large campus where the monitoring center needs unambiguous location data before the caller speaks. Sixteen seconds is enough for building, floor, and station ID, but not much more.
This unit is the right call for area-of-refuge and outdoor emergency phone replacements on campuses, transit facilities, and municipal sites that originally standardized on Talk-A-Phone equipment — particularly where cold-climate or high-humidity conditions ruled out the non-EWP variant.
