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Latest Ariticles
Solar Speakers Solve Logistics Issues
for Giant Voice System
Solar/Wireless SoundCommander® MNS Saves Millions in Infastructure at Hawthorne Army Depot.
Enables SOC Nevada to meet Mandate
Solar/Wireless SoundCommander...Saves Millions...
Giant Voice
5/15/2015
Marietta, GA May 20, 2015 – SOC Nevada LLC estimates it avoided millions in infrastructure costs by installing a solar-powered, wireless mass notification system consisting of six SoundCommander® SC360 speaker systems to cover approximately 212 square miles at the Hawthorne Army Depot, Hawthorne, NV.
The US Army mandated the new mass notification system (MNS) to upgrade security at the facility, which serves as a weapons storage and transportation site for branches of the US Armed Services on the West Coast. SOC, the contractor to manage operations and maintain the facility, chose the giant-voice SC360 systems from IMLCORP, Marietta, GA in three configurations because of their power and voice clarity and their manufacturer’s ability to deliver the solar system to back-up the batteries and the wireless system to communicate with each speaker from a central operations center. And the system fit the budget, too, with the system costing less than 10 percent of a wired installation.
“Before we installed the new SoundCommander system, we had a single speaker on an industrial building on the base,” said David Ellis, Planner/Estimator, SOC Nevada. “That just didn’t have the capability to provide warnings and instructions for the base in the event of an active shooter, a terrorist attack or any conditions where we need to warn personnel.”
In addition to warning personnel on the base, the new MNS will be audible to people not connected with any other type of communication system. The base surrounds the city of Hawthorne, with its population of 3,300, and easements allow highways to pass through the area.
Installing wired power and communications infrastructure would have faced challenges beyond the estimated expense of as much as $5 million, Ellis noted. The high winds that buffet the area precluded any above-ground lines, and soil conditions for trenching and then housing the lines, plus the marking requirements, made solar and wireless the only viable option. The farthest speaker in the network is located eight miles from the base’s operation center.
For IMLCORP, the system design and solar/wireless adaptation were straightforward, customized engineering solutions.
“We used sound measurement equipment to determine how much speaker power was required to provide the required volume levels in all coverage areas,” said Frank M. Myers, President, and CEO, IMLCORP. “That enabled us to configure each of the speaker arrays using our SC360 High-Performance Speaker Array (HPSA) systems, all of which have 3600 coverage for optimum performance. For three locations, we installed SC360 Quad Hex systems (four stacked six-speaker arrays). For two locations, we installed SC360 Dual Hex units (two tiers – 12 speakers), and one location needed a single SC360 (one tier – six speakers).
“All of our systems come standard with battery backup, so we already have battery power for our SC360s,” he continued. “It was just a matter of integrating the solar panels and power controllers with the HPSAs and using wireless IP (internet protocol) to set up the communication system. That enables operators to activate an array at any time and receive full parametric status monitoring at the control center – 100 percent of the time, 24/7. They know the status of each array at any time, including battery level, amplifier status, system temperature and whether the system amplifier’s cabinet door is open or closed. This level of parametric monitoring not only ensures real-time awareness of the system’s readiness but saves maintenance and repair costs by allowing system techs to be more efficient and take preventative measures as needed to ensure the system is ready at all times. We can design and install a mass notification system like this anywhere in the world.”
The system gets a daily test with the playing of colors at the start of the day and lowering the flag at the end of each day. The music is pre-recorded, and the scheduling is automated.
“I like the way it works,” Ellis said. “It has the simplicity of use and maintenance. We just need to check for the same things at every location.”
Solar Speakers Solve Logistics Issues for Giant Voice Systems
Solar/Wireless Sound Commander...Saves Millions...
Giant Voice
5/14/2015
We’re getting a lot of interest in attaching solar panels to our SoundCommander® Giant Voice loudspeakers for deployable and fixed-location systems. The solar panels can head off a number of logistics problems, ranging from hauling fuel for powering generators to avoiding infrastructure costs to hardwire them to power grids.
All SoundCommander speakers come standard with battery backup, so it is just a matter of using the solar panels to charge the batteries in the HPSAs (High-Power Speaker Arrays). The solar panels are easily attached to the speaker, and they can be sized to match sunlight conditions to provide the power to keep a battery charged overnight.
The speaker system can remain completely untethered by using wireless IP (internet protocol) to set up the communication system. This enables operators to activate any array on the network at any time and receive full parametric status monitoring at the control center – 100 percent of the time, 24/7. They know the status of each array at any time, including battery level, amplifier status, system temperature and whether the system amplifier’s cabinet door is open or closed. This ensures real-time awareness of the system’s readiness and saves maintenance and repair costs by allowing system techs to take remote preventative measures and go on-site only when needed to ensure the system is ready at all times.
Using solar power and IP communications enhances the deployment capabilities of the SoundCommander SC3500 system, designed for use in temporary locations. Two people can set up the entire system in less than 15 minutes, and the speaker can provide clearly understood voice message for up to 5200 feet (1600 meters) for mass notification operations.
For fixed locations, the SoundCommander SC360 can be permanently installed on buildings or utility poles to provide similar emergency mass notification capabilities while withstanding extreme weather capabilities.
We can design and install (for fixed locations) a mass notification system with solar-powered battery charging and IP communications for use anywhere in the world. Visit our website pages for the SC3500 and SC360 to learn more about each system and download specification sheets – and contact us to get answers to your questions or arrange a demonstration.
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