BTS Counts on Clear-Com Intercoms for Safe, Reliable Communications on Industrial Ships
Clear-Com®, a global leader in critical voice communication systems, is pleased to announce that Broadcast Technical Services (BTS), a leading integrator of broadcast services for some of the world’s premier industrial marine ship suppliers, has selected the Clear-Com Encore™ partyline and Tempest®2400 digital wireless intercoms as its communications systems of choice for clients. The combination of the wired Encore system and 2.4GHz band wireless Tempest2400 ensures constant, reliable and safe communications between the deck and bridge areas of the ships, helping staff members complete tasks that run the gamut from standard oil rigging to environmental cleanup.
Many of the ships that BTS work with require flexibility and durability in both the technologies involved and the physical layout because the decks are customized to each job, adding and removing different winches and other equipment as needed. Due to its patented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio technology, Tempest2400 is able to operate reliably in the harsh environment of an industrial ship, enabling staff members to stay in contact during critical operations such as lowering and raising cranes and remote-operated vehicles, directing helicopters landing on a heliport and locating oil rigs, among other tasks. The wet environment and the ship itself, which is built almost entirely of metal, cause multi-path signal and frequency interference issues. Tempest’s unique RF design combined with its 2xTX redundant data transmission allow the system to break through interference and successfully transmit voice data each time.
“Having Tempest on deck is very convenient, because ship staff can just grab a beltpack and go and it’s very durable in this marine environment,” says Michael Hobart, Vice President of Sales for BTS. “At the same time, having the Encore partyline allows a direct wire connection below deck, guarding against signal loss there as well. We never have to worry about anything becoming obsolete because whatever Clear-Com equipment we install today can be upgraded or interfaced with the Clear-Com of tomorrow. In addition, the company is always willing to work with us if we have to wire or connect a system a bit differently than normal, which is a major plus.”
BTS typically installs the Clear-Com Encore in the office area of a ship, hardwiring it to individual Clear-Com Encore KM-702GM remote speaker stations in each office. This way, the captain, winch supervisor and controller, along with other key staff members, can access highly-reliable, quality audio at all times. For those applications that cannot be wired due to safety issues, BTS utilizes Tempest2400. For example, if the staff member in charge of lowering remote-operated vehicles into the ocean were wired to a vehicle, he may risk being pulled overboard. Tempest is a much safer way of communicating in these types of situations. Another benefit of going wireless is that BTS does not need to add another wire to a ship’s slip ring, which holds much of the circuitry needed onboard, and can get overcrowded very quickly.
“BTS has had a hand in outfitting some of the world’s largest ships with broadcast-grade technology and we are honored that it has chosen Clear-Com as the intercom system provider of choice for its clients,” says Mike Rucker, Senior Regional Sales Manager, Clear-Com. “It speaks to the trust the company has in Clear-Com to manufacture products that stand up to even the most extreme conditions, such as the windy and watery environment of the high seas. We are particularly gratified to see how well Encore and Tempest work together – it demonstrates the scalability and compatibility we strive to build into all our products.”
Clear-Com Encore is a rugged, 2-wire circuit system that enables group communications for fast-paced, demanding and high-intensity applications. It also offers superior sound quality with noise-attenuating headsets and noise-cancelling microphones along with anti-sidetone circuitry, which minimizes acoustic noise and feedback. Utilizing patented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio technology, the Tempest2400 system operates license-free in the 2.4 GHz band worldwide, allowing interference-free communications even in environments heavily populated by other RF devices.