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by Alice

Hospitals in New York’s Largest Health System Use New Technology for Lullabies and Announcements

Technomad, the Massachusetts based manufacturer of government and civilian audio systems, announced the installation of two Schedulon audio players in the Northwell Hospital system in the New York area.  The units will provide hospital-wide announcements and music.

Through coordination with dealer Advance Sound Company, the Schedulon Programmable Digital Message Repeater was installed in two hospitals in the summer of 2019. Northwell is one of the largest health systems and employers in the state of New York, and future installations are being planned for their other locations.

“A lot of other devices at this price point are not user and integrator friendly”, commented Thomas DePace of Advance Sound. DePace particularly appreciates the ease of use that is available through the web-interface which allows authorized users to configure and program the systems using any web browser.  This feature on the Schedulon enables the customer to upload, change, and select messages quickly from anywhere.  The company will be installing additional Schedulons at other locations because they integrate with existing systems as well as new.

In addition to generating automatic messages, the Schedulons are used in these hospitals for a variety of announcements, from visiting hour notifications to the sound of a lullaby when a baby is born.  There is also a quick-access knob and screen on the front of the unit that allows operators to quickly trigger audio files in case of emergencies like evacuations, emergency protocols or other unplanned circumstances. Version 4.0 allows the customer to build named playlists in their own format: Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and WAV playback, and of course, MP3. With to-the-second scheduling, 300% faster file upload speeds, user-editable GUI, two password levels (admin and control-only), customized playlist creation and scheduling right from the web interface, the Schedulon is a perfect solution in many applications.

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by Alice

What Do Technomad and Cal Ripken, Jr. Have in Common?

“Baseball is the very symbol, the outward and visible expression of the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century.”  Mark Twain is credited with that quote upon his observation of what would become a national past-time of the U.S.

Approximately 130 years after baseball’s inception, baseball great Cal Ripken, Jr. retired from the game.  Among his many next endeavors, he spearheaded The Ripken Experience, a baseball complex, and program for kids.  The program gives kids a chance to experience the “Big League” vibe.

Any avid baseball fan might say that hearing your favorite player’s name announced is part of the thrill.  With that understanding in mind, the Aberdeen, Maryland location of The Ripken Experience installed durable, clear-quality sound Technomad sound-systems on all eight of their youth playing fields.

Tehnomad IPA2 with NOHO Ci Loudspeakers

Through the easy-to-use and powerful IPA2, which features the brand new Noho Ci, and the DragonFly portable weatherproof system, the fields play intro music before the game and walk up music for each kid coming on to the field.  Most importantly, an announcer broadcasts the player’s name as they take the field.  “In our feedback and surveys, this is one of the single comments that we consistently receive from parents – they love hearing their child’s name over the loudspeakers,” explains John Dye, Assistant Director of Baseball Operations.


Located in the East Coast of the U.S., the Aberdeen campus experiences the typical scorching sun, wind, rain, hail and snow of Maryland.  The loudspeakers are out in the weather from March through November of every year.  The ruggedness of the sustainably manufactured systems  makes them are capable of remaining out year-round, but the complex management elects to secure them for the winter season. 

During a normal season, the ball fields are packed every weekend and during the week in summer months.  The fields are also used for corporate outings and events, for employers hosting fun outings for their employees.  Even the adults get to hear their names announced through the loudspeakers when they are playing.

Given the recent COVID-19 isolation requirements, the complexes are currently silent.  The entire team at The Ripken Experience is hopeful that the fields and loudspeakers will be back in action soon, announcing the next great player at bat.

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Photo credits: The Ripken Experience, Aberdeen

by karl

Technomad Makes Loudspeakers with Heat from the Sun

Sustainable process improves quality while significantly reducing costs and carbon footprint

BOSTON, April 3, 2020 – Technomad redefines sustainable audiovisual equipment with a partnership that brings solar technology to its already-green plastic loudspeaker manufacturing process.  The new manufacturing method reduces production costs by nearly 30 percent while reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Technomad has long been associated with sustainable manufacturing, producing durable, weatherproof MilSpec loudspeakers using recycled plastic.  As a result, Technomad loudspeakers are often specified in AV projects with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirements.

In 2016, Technomad teamed up with LightManufacturing LLC, which developed a unique patent-pending method of molding plastic with solar heat.  The company’s unique Solar Rotational Molding (SRM™) systems eliminate greenhouse gasses associated with traditional rotational molding while reducing manufacturing costs — an unusual combination in a world that equates ‘green’ with unaffordable.

The partnership began by manufacturing three of Technomad’s loudspeakers using the solar methodology.  Now in 2020, all Technomad products are sustainably molded by LightManufacturing at its California facility.

“Technomad is the first company in the professional audio industry to take advantage of solar thermal energy,” said Rodger von Kries, vice president of Technomad.  “We’ve always worked on the cutting edge of green manufacturing, being the first company to use 100 percent recycled plastic to make loudspeaker cabinets.  The LightManufacturing partnership brings new advantages by reducing our costs while benefiting the environment.”

LightManufacturing’s SRM process uses heliostats – computer-controlled mirrors – to concentrate heat from the sun onto a mold and melt the plastic inside.  The sun’s thermal energy is used directly, avoiding the costs of making electricity with photovoltaic panels.  The process delivers higher quality parts at a lower cost than traditional rotational molding, with typical savings of 10 to 30 percent.  The nearly silent SRM systems use no natural gas or external AC power, and the hardware costs less than traditional rotational molding systems.

“This partnership shows that the solar molding process can deliver high-quality, reduced-cost parts for manufacturers right out of the gate,” said Mark Severy, a consultant at LightManufacturing.  “Technomad came to us with a 15-year history of making world-class products.  We met their requirements for outstanding quality, lower cost — and zero carbon emissions.”

In addition to molding loudspeaker enclosures and products for other clients at its California facility, LightManufacturing deployed a Solar Molding System to mold water storage tanks on the Big Island of Hawaii.

ABOUT LIGHT MANUFACTURING

LightManufacturing LLC’s unique process re-invents rotational molding and other plastic molding processes through the use of heliostats and solar thermal energy.  The company works with equipment builders, plastic molders, large-scale end-users of plastic components, governments and NGOs to create sustainable and economically-competitive manufacturing solutions. For more information: call 415-796-6475; e-mail [email protected]; watch this video;  or visit LightManufacturing Inc.

For more information about LightManufacturing’s hawaii-made water tanks, please visit bigisland.lm.solar.

 

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by karl

Technomad Returns to Installed Systems Europe in February

Technomad returns to Amsterdam on February 11-14 at booth 5-W120 of the Installed Systems Europe Expo.  “We’re excited to return to this premier ProAudio and AV event”, says VP Rodger von Kries, “and we’ll be debuting several new and updated products.”

Technomad was founded in 1995 and has built a reputation for high-performance solutions to difficult audio problems, including virtually ‘un-killable’ loudspeakers and subwoofers with unmatched fidelity for outdoor environments, waterproof amplifiers that install anywhere and don’t require dry equipment room, the powerful web-connected Schedulon automatic audio player, and the remarkably compact and powerful DragonFly portable PA system.

The company has a long history of supporting military and government projects in the US and globally and builds all of its products in Massachusetts, USA.

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by Alice

Technomad installed at the Highest Peak in Georgia

Brasstown Bald may be so remote that even GPS mapping systems can’t find it, but Technomad is there. 

Local dealer CANA recently installed the black Vernal ultra-compact, weatherproof, full-range loudspeaker on the highest mountain in Georgia – 4,784 feet above sea level to be exact.   A climb up the steps and over the rail was all that it took to get the speakers installed atop the Brasstown Bald Visitor Center.

The forestry service will use the speakers to make announcements to guests visiting the grounds of the visitor center.  While we think the speakers are a good reason to visit the center, the taxidermy exhibit of bears right below the speakers is a pretty compelling reason to visit too.

Located in the northeastern section of the state of Georgia, the off-season temperatures and weather at Brasstown Bald can be pretty rugged.  There is a recorded low temperature of -27 F and the winds, fog and storms can get fierce.  However, the weatherproof Vernal system will continue to bring high-quality sound to every announcement from the park service.

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Photo credits: CANA