LumenRadio Illuminates the Old City Walls of Jerusalem

Our CRMX outdoor transceivers are built to withstand outdoor weather conditions as well as providing protection against tampering. For this project in particular, our CRMX Slim RX RDM units were used as receivers, and our CRMX Outdoor Flex units as transmitters as well as repeaters.

One Single Control Point

Both the CRMX Slim RX RDM and CRMX Outdoor Flex units support RDM. Which, with the help of SuperNova – our lighting rig management software, allows for monitoring the signal strength of each linked receiver on the fly, as well as configuring any linked RDM device remotely. All from a single control point. This is especially useful for outdoor projects where setup is normally a more time consuming and complex task. Being able to adjust the antennas based on immediate signal strength feedback of all the linked devices in the system did prove to be very handy indeed.

Dealing with Irregular Landscape Layouts

Due to the irregular shape of the walls, multiple transmitters were required to provide full coverage for all receivers. Our CRMX Outdoor Flex unit provides the ability to be configured to repeater mode which, as the name implies, repeats the signal of a transmitter it is linked to, thereby extending the range of a transmitter’s signal considerably. The use of repeaters enables the construction of more complex network structures, this project being one of such examples. In the end, the use of repeaters has forgone the need of establishing multiple control points or having to extend long connection wires, consequently offering a true wireless solution with all its benefits.

Picking the Right Antenna for the Job

Fig 1

All our CRMX transceivers (non-embedded) come pre-fitted with a 2dBi omni-antenna, totalling to outputting 20dBm (100mW) at “High” settings, with a theoretical range of ~1000m under sufficient conditions. In an urban environment, it has been tested to perform well at a distance of at least 500m.

An omni-antenna radiates radio waves in an almost spherical fashion (donut-shaped), spreading signals in (almost-)all directions (see fig. 1). This makes it easier to provide coverage for many receivers in an area, as opposed to directional antennas which transmit signal in certain direction(s) only (which has its own uses). For this project, some antenna adjustments on the repeater were necessary to be able to provide coverage to receivers at a lower altitude while at the same time getting signal from the transmitter, the adjustments of which were made easier with the aid SuperNova. For especially remote receivers, it proved to be useful substituting the pre-installed antenna with a higher gain (6dBi) antenna to provide a stronger and more stable signal link.

Project Outcome and Customer Satisfaction

The project is still ongoing, at the moment one side of the walls has been fully set up and preparations are being done for continuing the installation work for the next side of the walls. The fixtures on each side of the wall are controlled by the LPC-1 controller by Pharos Controls. The products were supplied and installed by our Israeli distributor – Danor Theatre and Studio Systems. For the past 6 years, Danor has been growing the market in Israel for wireless DMX solutions by Lumen Radio, for various applications including entertainment shows and projects.

Danor has been very satisfied with the project outcome so far, and expressed their confidence in maintaining and expanding business relations with their trusted wireless technology supplier and partner LumenRadio. Erez Hadar at Danor had the following to add:

“We are delighted to have such reliable and unique products that allow us to supply beautiful and useful solutions in wireless DMX. I’m sure that more projects will follow after the success of this unique project.”