With 2000km of electrified railway and 463 trains, Netherlands Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen - NS) has addressed an issue that now impacts transit operators throughout the world.
"NS needed something like a megaphone, but they also wanted the loudspeaker away from the face of the user so that he or she could see what was going on," recalls Rob Rutten, a manager with Eurocase Audio & Media Products in Hertogenbosch, a distributor of audio and security products. "They also needed a strong SPL. So we provided them a demo Anchor Audio Minivox portable PA system, and they felt it delivered on both counts."
Manufactured by Torrance, California-based Anchor Audio, the Minivox unit reaches crowds of 150 or more with 108dB (at 1 m) of sound with its rated power output of 15W.
"The ample power for its compact size, the fact that users don't have to hold a megaphone up to their face, and the quality of the sound contributed to Dutch Railways' decision to purchase more Minivox systems," noted Rutten. "With its wide frequency response (100Hz-12kHz), passengers can clearly hear any important instructions offered by the emergency personnel.
"The other thing that appealed to NS was the build quality and sturdiness of the portable sound system package, which Anchor Audio specially produced to match the yellow colour of the NS rail cars," continued Rutten.
(Jim Evans)
