A hybrid (analog-digital) PA system would have cost Trinity Christian Academy thousands of dollars in repairs to their legacy analog system for many years.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
For years, Trinity Christian Academy’s (TCA) old analog PA system deteriorated, requiring costly repairs and lacked full campus coverage. When TCA was awarded CRRSA funding, Dante McNeil, Technology Director, Trinity Christian Academy started searching for a new all-digital PA system.
Benefits of an all-digital PA system:
- Easily change the bell schedule
- Clocks automatically sync
- Endpoints are PoE (Power over Ethernet)
He received quotes hoping to meet his all-digital requirements. He asked his trusted installer to review the quotes. The installer discovered that vendors were quoting analog-digital hybrid systems instead of all-digital PA systems.
What is an analog-digital hybrid PA system?
A hybrid system is an IP headend on top of a legacy analog system. Analog was not an acceptable solution since analog is more susceptible to damage from lightning storms, resulting in high repair costs in future years. Every summer for 6 years, the IT department at Trinity would expect to replace a head-in or a few speakers after hurricane season, costing the school thousands each year.
Analog vs. Hybrid vs. Digital Systems
RFP Review
While the vendor disclosed (somewhat buried in the RFP) that the quoted system was not-all digital, Dante’s expectations were that vendors should provide quotes that met his minimum requirements of all-digital IP systems.
If Dante’s installer had not reviewed the quote for the analog-digital hybrid system, Trinity would have been paying for costly repairs from lightning storms damaging their analog system for years to come.
Carina, the all-digital PA solution
Dante and Trinity Christian Academy found an affordable all-digital PA system, Carina from Wahsega.
Carina met Dante’s requirements including:
- Standardize on a single IP platform to manage the system easily
- PA announcements to the entire school or specific zones
- Two-Way Intercom communication with a push of a button
- Update school bells when school schedules change at the last minute
TCA implemented the Carina platform throughout the school, and Dante set up the bell schedule to work on the first day.
Your local Wahsega Solutions Advisor can help your school implement an affordable all-digital PA / Intercom / Bell system today.
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