Beacon Sound System at Fort Lewis, Washington
Anchor Audio has been in the business of manufacturing a wide range of portable sound systems for over 30 years. Government agencies have relied on an Anchor Audio portable sound system to reach their audiences whether it’s a group of 100 in an auditorium or a crowd of 5,000 in a noisy arena.
When Kenneth Faulkner, IC3 SW/AW on the USS George Washington CVN-73 heard about the Beacon sound system and read the specifications, he had his doubts. If what he read were true, the Beacon would outperform his current speakers and setup in minutes.
“We had to carry two 28 pound speakers, a 30 pound amplifier, a mixing board and two bags of wires and cables to tie it down all on board a United States aircraft carrier,” tells Faulkner. There were stairways and obstacles that made the transport difficult and abusive on the equipment.
“The PA speakers were rapidly deteriorating. To fix the problem, the Navy bought us a similar setup that was even heavier. After I dropped one of the speakers down the stairs I said, ‘Enough is enough,’” reports Faulkner.
The Beacon sound system was designed to offer a line array disbursement of sound that allows the sound to travel wide and deep to cover large crowd configurations such as those on an aircraft carrier. The Beacon travels on wheels much like a suitcase with a retractable handle. The array tower is stored in the base enclosure and is easily removed, opened and locked on the base in minutes. Two wireless microphones can be used with each Beacon because there are 16 user-selectable channels available for interference free transmission.
“My command purchased two Beacon sound systems, and things could not be any better. Everything is completely wireless and easy to use,” says Faulkner.
“With our old PA it took 45 minutes to carry all the equipment, set it up and do a sound check. We now setup in less than two minutes. Our command personally requests the Beacon, and as a result we purchased two more.”
In the past it took heavy speakers, a mixer, an amplifier, tons of cables and a professional to prepare for an audio presentation. With four Beacon sound systems aboard the USS George Washington, they are ready in minutes.
Faulkner puts it simply, “The Beacon provides superb sound quality, and the best part is the mobility. This system rocks!”
Fort Lewis, Washington has several Anchor Audio sound systems including the Liberty, Xtreme and Beacon portable sound systems. The Beacon is the latest product purchased and was added due to the consistent performance by all the Anchor products.
Robert H. Martin III is the Multimedia Presentation Specialist, DOIM of the Visual Information Service Center at Fort Lewis. He is pleased with the wireless microphone compatibility between products and the ease of use.
“The portability and ease of setup are unmatched by any other product that I have ever used. The Beacon can literally roll to an event and have sound within a few moments,” says Martin.
“The battery power is great when you are in a location where power is unavailable, and the battery status light lets me know that the battery is full and won’t shutdown in the middle of an event.”
Martin is also impressed with the back panel input and output jacks as well as the music source input cable.
“The inputs and outputs are versatile and support all anything I have ever needed,” says Martin. “I can use a CD player or iPod with the Beacon. I also regularly “hook up” a media breakout box for the local television news and radio stations to record their audio from.”
742 Signal Squadron in Edmonton, Canada was equally impressed with the Beacon sound system from Anchor. The attraction to the Beacon was the mobility - the collapsible handle and rolling wheels make the Beacon easy to transport by any staff member. With the option of two wireless microphones you have your choice of a handheld microphone or a body back transmitter and a hands free microphone such as a lapel microphone or a headband microphone. A storage bag is also included that is great for CD players, MP3 players and microphones.
According to Bucky Buchanan, CD, C-Tech with 742 Signal Squadron, “The Beacon sound system is easy to use and very reliable.”
“We are very pleased with the Beacon PA system. I have personally used the Beacons for PA support many times” says Buchanan. “The Prime Minister of Canada and the Chief of Defense have both used the Beacon.”
Garrison Edmonton has four Beacons on the base as well as some located in various deployed areas within their scope of responsibility. The sound system is used for parades and Remembrance Day Ceremonies where the battery-powered option is a must.
“Our rental fleet is where we maintain our supply of Beacons to other units on the base,” reports Buchanan. “It has become strictly the request for the Beacon once it has been used. This is due to its great sound, ease of use and reliability. You can always count on the Beacon sound system.”
For more information on any of Anchor Audio’s portable sound systems, intercom systems or lecterns, contact Anchor Audio at 2565 W. 237 St., Torrance CA 90505, Tel: (310) 784 2300, sales@anchoraudio.com or visit www.anchoraudio.com.
Further information contact:
Robert Foulger
Anchor Audio Inc.
Tel: +1 (310) 784 2300 x138
E-Mail: robertf@anchoraudio.com
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
