well my sage eas endec came yesterday as of December 24 ill be sure and put some pictures of it and also it brings up there are about 6 sage eas endecs on eBay on a really good price... 3 of them are $199 and the other 3 are for $225 all on eBay if you can afford them i recommend getting them for your station like i did you'll be sold and for getting a receiver i recommend getting the Sherwood-RX-4105-Stereo-Receiver-Black and a 25 foot speaker wire and getting the rs232 female-usb or rs232 female to male for your automation computer, that's what im doing so if you want to get emergency alerts for your station then i recommend getting the endec, but you don't have to (if you don't want to) but if you do want one.... go get it on ebay
i wouldnt pay all that money for them the reason they are there is because after june 1st they will be NG for eas. they will still decode and relay audio to tx and then close audio path after message but the header info is being changed around. you will soon be able to get one like i did for the cost of shipping.
The current EAS systems are not compatible with the upcoming CAP system either, and is why stations must add another piece of gear to their racks which will work along side the current EAS boxes, or order a CAP unit and the newer EAS box which is compatible.
But the old EAS units will still be somewhat useful for Part 15 purposes. They will still pick up the activation triggers from the receiver decks, activate the audio break-away box, insert incoming message, then back out again.
I have two TFT EAS 911 units with their receiver deck compliments and I do not use them for the simple reason that the information that is sent from the LP1 station can be found on a typical weather radio, as most of the time is what the incoming audio message is from anyway..the weather service.
RFB
I Don't Think Us Part 15'ers have to have the new eas or cap to monitor but if you decide to participate in eas, you have to monitor 2 eas sources. but it is your decision....
EAS/CAP is an expensive headache. Pt. 15 operators are not required to be involved with it in any way, so why bother?