Author: karl

Infocomm 2016 Wrap Up

Infocomm 2016 was great! Lots of new people learned about Technomad gear, and we saw many old friends with interesting stories from the wide world of outdoor audio.

We also drove by the amazing 0.8 mile long installation of our wireless audio system on 75 light poles on 1st Street in Downtown Las Vegas.

Watch the videos below for the ‘virtual trade show’. Karl walks you through the major Technomad product groups: weatherproof loudspeakers, PowerChiton waterproof amplifiers, DragonFly portable PA, and Schedulon automatic audio player.

Weatherproof Loudspeakers

Schedulon Automatic Audio Player

DragonFly Weatherproof Portable PA System

PowerChiton waterproof amplifiers

AudioNode Wireless Audio over IP (Used in Las Vegas)

More Water Tank!

Wireless Outdoor Audio System Blankets Five Acres of Downtown Las Vegas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wireless Outdoor Audio System Blankets Five Acres of Downtown Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, June 7 Downtown Las Vegas has seen a major audio upgrade. A cutting-edge installation of wirelessly networked loudspeakers and amplifiers now covers a five acre zone on 1st Street from Bridger to Boulder. Suspended high above the pavement on 75 customized concrete light poles, the new audio system blankets the street and sidewalks with high fidelity sound streamed live from the city’s command center.

Local integrator TeleData Technologies designed and commissioned the system, while Technomad LLC of South Deerfield, Massachusetts supplied the audio equipment. Founded in 1995, Technomad specializes in military audio and advanced commercial sound systems, with clients including the US Government, Disney, Royal Caribbean and many more. The 1st street project uses a custom ‘AudioNode’ equipment package based on Technomad’s PowerChiton waterproof amplifiers and military-grade Vernal 15 loudspeakers. A Technomad Schedulon audio player at the command center plays hours of audio automatically. The Schedulon also allows a staffer to quickly play emergency messages, interrupting any music playing automatically.

Only 9″ high, the Vernal loudspeaker used in the project freatures a horn-loaded high frequency compression driver – meaning it delivers greater projection and ‘punch’ in noisy outdoor environments than typical dome-tweeter loaded loudspeakers. With a robust bass driver, a unique weatherproof cabinet and multi-layer grill system, the Vernal has a life expectancy measured in decades even in harsh climates, Technomad reports.

The Vernal loudspeaker cabinets were sustainably molded by LightManufacturing in California, using a patented solar thermal molding process which eliminates the need for fossil fuel heating.

A loudspeaker is only as good as its amplification, and the 1st street loudspeakers are well served by pole-mounted ‘PowerChiton’ amplifiers. PowerChitons were invented by Technomad in 2010. These compact, totally waterproof amplifier modules (named after a rugged marine snail) install easily on light poles, buildings, trees, vehicles, and other challenging locations. Importantly for city audio projects they operate from 110 or 220V AC power as is commonly found in light poles. Result? No need to run extra AC power for the street sound system.

The PowerChiton waterproof amplifiers have space inside their waterproof shell to house accessories, and even provide DC electricity to to power them. This makes integrating networking and signal processing gear simple. Technomad selected Barix codecs to bridge from wireless Ethernet data to analog audio.

“The compact size of the system and its ability to operate directly from the power already in the light poles was really important to the project” says Greg Maher of Teledata, “it allowed us to install quickly and take advantage of existing infrastructure”.

Teledata deployed a robust Wifi network over the 5 acre area, allowing the use of standards–based networking and simplifying future expansion. As part of the continuing redevelopment of Downtown Las Vegas, the new wireless outdoor audio system will enhance the visitor experience on 1st Street in an exciting new way. Technomad will exhibit much of the gear used for the 1st Street project at the Infocomm 2016 trade show, June 8-10 nearby at the Las Vegas convention center.

More information
Audio Hardware: https://www.technomad.com/
System Design / Deployment: http://teledatanv.com/
Solar Molding: http://www.lightmanufacturingsystems.com
Audio over IP: http://Barix.com
Infocomm 2016: http://www.infocommshow.org/

Products
PowerChiton: https://www.technomad.com/products/powerchiton/
Schedulon: https://www.technomad.com/products/schedulon/
Vernal 15: https://www.technomad.com/products/vernal/

For more information contact
Rodger von Kries
Technomad LLC
1.800.464.7757 x 702
rvk@technomad.com

Concepts
Technology, audio, sustainability, wireless, urban development, Las Vegas, loudspeakers
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DragonFly Excels Poolside in California

Hi Technomad,

The DragonFly is still amazing. I would love to share two stories with you. We had our banquet at a communion hall at a local church. Our parents set us up with a [redacted] amplifier and microphone. It made our coaches’ voice “tinny”, and the volume was inadequate for the size of the room. My assistant principal did me the favor of driving to school and grabbing the DragonFly… It made a HUGE difference. People in the back could hear me clearly and the sound quality was superb. It saved the evening.

The other story is for our summer school that starts this Monday. So my game plan for this summer is to have the DragonFly with me and in use for 8 hours a day. Five hours in the classroom and three hours on the pool deck. The fact that it is not heavy will make it easier to move back and forth between the classroom and pool daily. I did a sound check in the new classroom and the quality of sound in the back of the room is tremendous. Clear, loud, and maintains the bass of my voice. I will also be using the DragonFly much more frequently as we start water polo practice.

Attached are a few shots from the end of swim season during practice.

Thank you for such a great product.

All the best,

Jan Tsuyoshi Sakonju
M.S. Education: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
Head Boys Aquatics Coach
Crescenta Valley High School, California

Key Specifications:

23 lbs
122 dB
8 hour continuous full-power operation from internal battery
Runs from 12-24 V DC or 110-240 V AC power
Weatherproof
Integral Wireless Mic
Expansion Bay
Half the size and weight of ‘commercial grade’ devices that 9 db less powerful

» DragonFly Main Product Page

Large-Scale Outdoor Sound Masking / Sonic Net Airport Bird Deterrent

Technomad supplies fully weatherproof, high powered outdoor sound systems for sound masking, environmental sound simulation, and to repel birds from airport and farm environments.

A recent article in The Economist describes the use of a sonic net to repel birds from airports. This reduces the chance of a bird hitting an aircraft – known as ‘bird-strike’ in the aviation industry – and the associated risk to passengers and equipment.

The scientific journal Ecological Applications describes the use of Technomad Berlin outdoor loudspeakers and waterproof PowerChiton amplifiers to create a Sonic Net – an area of background noise that repels birds.

The systems deliver 80 dB of broad-spectrum sound over the target area, and dramatically reduce the presence of many species of bird. Ecological Applications suggest that the reason the sound repels birds is not by scaring them (as with ‘startle’ systems that occasionally play loud surprising sounds) but rather by making it hard for them to communicate. The Sonic Net makes birds unable to make out each other’s calls, so they move away to an area where they CAN communicate.

Original research by Dr John Swaddle suggests that broad spectrum sound masking may be very effective at reducing dangerous bird populations near airports, and may also be effective at reducing crop losses.

With our line of waterproof, field deployable amplifiers, broad spectrum waterproof loudspeakers, and automatic audio playback devices, Technomad has a range of products ready to help with your bird repelling project.

Turn-Key solutions arrive ready to use, and last for years in the harshest outside environments.

Technomad gear equipment is US-made since 1995. The firm supplies the US government, Disney, Universal Studios, all major Cruise Ship lines, Club Med, and thousands of other demanding customers.

Read More:

Technomad used for Sonic Net, Protects Airports and Crops from Birds

Turns out the gear used…. was Technomad. From the original article in the scientific journal Ecological Applications we read that Technomad Berlin outdoor loudspeakers and waterproof PowerChiton amplifiers were used to create the Sonic Net.

The system projects approximately 80 dB of broad spectrum sound over the target area, and dramatically reduces the presence of many species of bird. The authors speculate that the reason the sound repels birds is not by scaring them (as with ‘startle’ systems that occasionally play loud surprising sounds) but rather by making it hard for them to communicate. The Sonic Net makes birds unable to make out each other’s calls, so they move away to an area where they CAN communicate.

The research by Dr John Swaddle suggests that broad spectrum sound masking may be very effective at reducing dangerous bird populations near airports, and may also be effective at reducing crop losses.

With our line of waterproof, field deployable amplifiers, broad spectrum waterproof loudspeakers, and automatic audio playback devices, Technomad is well positions to support these efforts.