Panamax Wins 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for Innovative SM3-Pro System Manager

Commercial Integrator magazine today announced that Panamax, the leader in electronic and electrical protection, filtration and control products, has been awarded a 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for its SM3-PRO System Manager. The award was presented today at InfoComm 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The Commercial Integrator BEST Awards program recognizes the most noteworthy solutions for an integration business. A panel of industry experts, integrators, and the editors of Commercial Integrator chose the winners by reviewing all aspects of the products submitted, including innovation, functionality, competitive advantages, and benefits to the installer. The SM3-PRO won the Commercial Integrator BEST Award in the Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression, & Energy Solutions category.

“Receiving a BEST Award from Commercial Integrator is truly an honor,” Core Brands Director of Power & Accessories, John Benz, stated. “Panamax strives to provide integrators with products that not only protect and monitor electronics, but also make their jobs easier and more efficient. The new SM3-PRO is the latest product fulfilling this goal. It does so in a form factor well suited for a variety of components in commercial installations that may be located at some distance from the main system rack, such as smart digital displays and networking hardware.”

The SM3-PRO, along with other Panamax Pro Products (the M4000-PRO, M4315-PRO, and M3420-PRO) is sold in parallel with Furman Pro products to commercial integrators. All Furman commercial dealers have access to Panamax Pro.

Measuring only 10” x 7” x 1.75”, this compact device is small enough to mount behind a flat panel display, next to a projector, or inside a structured wiring cabinet. Along with robust power protection and filtering, the SM3-PRO’s BlueBOLT interface gives integrators the ability to perform remote hard reboots, monitor energy usage and network status, program scheduled on/off commands to reduce energy consumption, and create custom triggers for on/off, reboots and alerts based on environmental conditions and sensor input.

The SM3-PRO features three AC outlets in two controlled and monitored banks. Connected equipment is safeguarded with Panamax’s exclusive Protect-or-Disconnect catastrophic surge protection and AVM over/under voltage protection. The 2-port Ethernet switch delivers easy network connectivity to neighboring devices. Two accessory inputs, allow triggering of power outlets on and off (as well as email alerts) for highly customizable and flexible integration applications.

BlueBOLT enables a comprehensive systems management solution with monitoring of energy use and network status. Users and integrators can set energy usage budgets and receive alerts when nearing or exceeding defined energy use parameters. BlueBOLT’s network management feature allows any IP address to be “pinged” by the SM3-PRO and action to be taken (power cycle, power sequence, email alert, etc.) to be triggered when a device is not responsive on the network or if network connectivity is lost at the location.

The SM3-PRO System Manager has a suggested retail price of $349.00, and will be a featured item in the Furman Booth #3843 at InfoComm 2015.

Furman to Host Manufacturer Power Management Training Program at InfoComm 2015

Today’s information technology systems are connected more than ever before, but they still face common issues like surges and AC line noise that can wreak havoc in a variety of ways. To help prepare integrators, Furman, the nation’s leading provider of power management systems, announced an all new manufacturer’s training course that will be offered at InfoComm 2015.

“With this training program, we are providing integrators the necessary knowledge and tools they need keep systems running smoothly,” John Benz, Core Brands Director of Product Management for Power explained. “When a system goes down it can cost both the client and the integrator money. “Be the Hero” is designed to address common issues and provide solutions to protect gear and optimize networks.”

Networked devices can create complex systems that have multiple points of failure and require specific boot sequences. This course will address power management features and benefits, best practices to employ power management solutions, and how the integrators can use the latest technologies to provide the highest level of service to their clients.

“Power management solutions from Furman can eliminate up to 80 percent of service calls, monitoring networks and giving integrators remote access to control devices from anywhere in the world,” Rob Harris, Furman Product specialist stated. “Furman is dedicated to providing attendees with the facts they need to greatly reduce or eliminate costly power management issues.”

Harris will lead the training program, showing manufacturers why typical surge strips are not enough to protect your equipment and maintain a healthy network of devices.  Join him as he walks integrators and technology users through common AC problems and their solutions while covering the science behind AC surge protection and noise filtering. Real-world examples will be used to show how Furman solutions protect gear, optimize networks and create reoccurring revenue opportunities for integrators.

Everyone who attends will be eligible to win one of Furman’s award-winning AC-215A power conditioners. Featuring the highest level of surge and spike protection available, linear filtration to ensure clean power, and auto-resetting extreme voltage shutdown, the compact, non-sacrificial AC-215A is one of the most versatile power management devices on the market today.

To register, visit: https://inf151.experientevent.com/showinf151/Default.aspx?UITEMS=_MT86

Furman Protects the Past and the Future at Sanford Stadium

Named for Dr. S. V. Sanford, former president of the University and Chancellor of the University system, Georgia's Sanford Stadium celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2014. When the season opened this year a capacity crowd filled its 92,746 seats, a far cry from its original capacity of 30,000 when it was built in 1929.

While much has changed at Sanford Stadium over the decades, what hasn’t is the need for the school to be vigilant when it comes to managing the costs of a behemoth venue like this. As part of the stadium’s most recent round of AV systems upgrades — which included a new Danley Jericho point-source sound system in the stadium bowl and a new LED video wall in its practice facility — new Furman power management products were included in the systems design, to protect these and other new and costly AV platforms and help take Sanford Stadium closer to its 100th anniversary.

In the stadium’s 50 Sky Suites, where audio, video and radio inputs are available through a complex digital audio networking system, audio is protected by a pair of Furman PL-PRO Classic Series Power Conditioners. The Classic Series brings together superior protection and outstanding performance in a sturdy, rack-mountable design, and features Furman’s revolutionary Series Multi-Stage Protection (SMP), Linear Filtering Technology (LiFT), and Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS). Together, these technologies comprise what is without question one of the world's most advanced and comprehensive transient-voltage surge suppressors. In addition, the installation employs a Furman 20 Amp Series II Power Conditioner, offering features including a 20-amp rating with ultra-high inrush capable magnetic circuit breaker, front-panel master power switch protected by hinged panel to prevent accidental power off , and zero ground contamination circuitry assures delivery of pure AC, as well as the benefits of SMP, LiFT ad EVS. 

“We deployed the Furman power protection and management products in the Sky Suites and at the FOH mix position, all critical locations,” explains Pete Dugas, President of TSAV, the Athens, GA-based AV systems integrator that designed and installed the new systems at Sanford Stadium. “They deliver clean power that protects the equipment and the school’s investment in it.” TSAV has relied on Furman for power conditioning and protection in many of the leading collegiate sports facilities it has done AV systems designs and work for, including the Auburn Arena at Auburn University and the Hawkins Arena at Mercer University. “The Furman technology is solid and reliable, which is why we use it consistently, across all of our market sectors. It’s not enough to put in excellent AV systems – you have to protect them, too, and that’s where Furman comes in.”

Hoffman Pro Systems Keeps Avista Stadium in the Game with an Entire "Eco-System" Solution from Furman Sound

The deeper you go into baseball’s complex organizational infrastructure, past the glamorous major leagues, past the grittier AAA and AA minors and into the single “A” leagues, the tradeoff becomes apparent: the passion — of the players, the teams and the small towns that treasure them — soars while budgets struggle. That’s been the case at Avista Stadium, home to the Spokane Indians of the Class A Northwest League. The team, an affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, won the 2005 Northwest League Championship and in 2008 captured the Northwest League Title.

The stadium, built in 1958, has seen several minor (and a few major) renovations over the years as annual budgets allow. Cary Cummings, systems designer at Spokane, Washington based Hoffman Pro Systems (www.hoffmanprosystems.com), which has been tending to the stadium’s audio system’s needs for over two decades, points out that the budget for audio system upgrades typically, for various reasons, ends up as a lower priority. However, a major renovation came in under budget last year so the audio system was able to get a well-deserved upgrade.

“Due to these limited budgets, we’ve had to do incremental upgrades over the years, but last year we were able to upgrade the sound system’s front end —a new Peavey Media Matrix NION processor and Crown amps,” says Cummings. “It was a substantial upgrade; we replaced the analog mixer, EQ and delays with all digital signal processing via the Media Matrix.”

The rarity of such upgrades makes them all the more valuable, so Hoffman Pro Systems included another, equally critical piece of equipment: a Furman F-1500 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) backup battery and power conditioner. It’s the core of an entire Furman ecosystem of protection for the entire sound system that includes a CN-1800S SmartSequencer™ 15-amp bidirectional power sequencer, an ASD-120 AC Sequenced Power Distribution unit that can address six 20-amp circuits, a CN-20MP MiniPort switch, and a PS-REL relay that detects the presence of AC power and, in response, closes relay contacts that are wired to a terminal strip. In this installation, it’s wired to one of the GPIO (general-purpose input/output) ports on the Media Matrix, which then signals a warning to the operator and also logs the event. 

The F-1500 UPS is critical to keeping Avista Stadium running efficiently and cost-effectively, says Cummings. “That’s the first line of defense, really,” he says. “It’s the best way to protect every part of the sound system, new or old.”

The Furman F1500-UPS delivers battery backup designed exclusively for audio/video professionals and home theater aficionados.  For decades, traditional audio/video components were simple analog devices designed to easily weather power outages of well over two seconds. Later, as computer and microprocessor based components gained in popularity, their extraordinary sensitivity to even a fraction of a second power loss was managed with traditional UPS (uninterruptible power supply) technology.

Unfortunately, these units were solely designed for the IT professional. Though they included many technologies and features appropriate to that application, they fell short for premium audio/video components. Though many of these manufactures later recognized the ever-emerging professional audio/video, broadcast, and home theater market, their lack of experience led merely to a re-tooled chassis. These hastily produced UPS devices lacked the technologies necessary to truly optimize protection, performance, and control for today’s audio video components. The Furman F1500-UPS more than fills this void, and offers customers unparalleled battery back-up technology, created from the ground up to meet the exacting demands of the world’s most sensitive audio, video and control systems.

The CN-1800S SmartSequencer™ offers another kind of AC protection, allowing the various major components it provides power for to power on at programmable intervals, preventing any risk of surge or overload. “We have the CN-1800S set to a fairly slow sequence, with the Media Matrix processor turning on first followed by the ASD-120 100-amp distro, then the wall controller at the audio control station, because the main processor has to be turned on first in order for all the systems to ‘see’ each other.”

Cummings says the protection that the Furman products offer provides very necessary confidence for the team, its fans and the stadium personnel in an aging venue. “Systems like the new processor we added last year are not cheap, and Furman is an investment in protecting them. What’s also great is that in the process, the Furman UPS is protecting itself, too, because it does its job in a non-sacrificial way — the UPS will continue to be there, working, even after it encounters an AC glitch.”

In fact, Furman power protection has made Cummings feel a little like the advertising legend Maytag repairman, a role that’s fine with him. “The only reason I’d get a phone call about the UPS is if it’s not doing its job properly,” he says. “And so far, we haven’t gotten a single call.”

The Furman CN-1800S (15 amp capacity) and CN-2400S (20 amp capacity) SmartSequencers are designed for commercial A/V installers.  The units combine AC power distribution, protection, filtration, sequential system power on/off, and optional compatibility with Panamax/Furman’s BlueBOLT® hosted remote power and energy management platform.

The CN-1800S and CN-2400S feature Furman’s SmartSequencing™ technology, which allows large and complex A/V systems to be powered on and off safely with the simple press of a button or turn of a key, even by nontechnical personnel. The SmartSequencer’s bidirectional communications between installed units enables a primary unit to control and sequence multiple secondary units, ensuring that multi-zone electronic systems are powered on and off safely and dependably from a single control point across an entire installation. Units can be connected via current loop at runs of more than 1,000 feet, with backwards compatibility with Furman’s legacy sequencers and/or third-party products.

Providing robust control options, the CN-1800S and CN-2400S are equipped with RS-232 ports and command sets for PC control or integration with control systems. An optional RS-232-to-Ethernet adaptor — sold separately — adds full IP-addressability to the unit so it may be controlled, programmed, and monitored from any Web-enabled device with Panamax/Furman’s cloud-based BlueBOLT platform.

Furman and Diversified Systems Keep the Slow Motion Video Going for the Fast-Moving Oakland A's!

The red-hot Oakland Athletics are sitting atop the American League West just after the mid-season All-Star Game break, and ESPN doesn’t refer to the team as the “Surging A’s” for nothing. But another kind of power surge, one that could have had dire consequences for this winning’s team’s stadium video display show and live in-stadium entertainment, was avoided in mid July, thanks to the timely installation of a Furman F1500-UPS uninterruptible power supply and battery backup/power conditioner.

Earlier this year, AV systems designer and integrator Diversified Systems installed a new Grass Valley slow-mo video playback system, consisting of a Grass Valley® Dyno slow-motion controller and Summit video server, replacing an older Grass Valley Profile slow-motion system at the Athletics’ 35,000-plus-seat O.co Coliseum, which it shares with the NFL Oakland Raiders. As part of this system upgrade, a Furman F1500-UPS uninterruptible power supply and battery backup/power conditioner was included, to protect the rack containing the Summit server.

“The slow-mo video system is crucial to the A’s in-stadium video operation,” observes Mark Sackett, Project Manager and Systems Engineer for Diversified Systems’ work on the stadium’s AV systems, noting that the slow-motion replays on the stadium’s huge Diamond Vision video displays are substantial revenue generators for the team, attracting additional advertising between clips of tight plays. “It really keeps the fans in the stands engaged.” 

The Furman F1500 sat in its rack unnoticed, as it’s supposed to do, until one day in mid July, when a power surge due to an electrical storm hit the control room racks overnight, taking several of them offline — except for the rack holding the Summit slow-mo server, which never even blinked during the power surge. “The [video] switcher and the router were knocked off line briefly, but the Furman F1500 protected the server, exactly as it was designed and intended to do,” says Sackett. “Surge protection and power conditioning seem like very small parts of a complex system like a stadium’s slow-motion video, but if there comes a time when you really need it, it’s suddenly the most important component in the rack. We were very happy we had a Furman unit in there. It really made the difference.”