How to Select the Best Paging System
IP paging is the latest way to broadcast a message in an organization. It is excellent for emergency notifications or public address notifications. It can also provide background music and notify students of class changes. Determining your objectives and where you want people to hear the broadcast is essential.
This article reviews how to ensure that everyone hears the message. It reviews the type of speakers, the amplification required, and the sound levels required to achieve your paging goals.
Review of Speaker Technology
IP Paging uses speakers similar to those in older analog systems, except they are not connected to a central amplifier. The speakers connect to the network and have individual amplifiers. This configuration allows us to use the network infrastructure and reduces the wiring required.
IP Paging speakers include the network interface and an amplifier. The amplifier provides enough power for the speaker to be heard in a somewhat noisy environment. The IP speakers are designed to be mounted on the wall or ceiling. Read our article How Network-Attached Audio Works to learn more.
Why Purchase an IP Paging System
There are several reasons for purchasing an IP Paging system. For example:
- Provide emergency communications: If there is a fire or dangerous situation in the building, it’s important to provide instructions to everyone.
- Provide the ability to make pages from multiple locations. In our decentralized organizations, making announcements from alternative locations is essential.
- Directing announcements to specific areas or zones. Provides instructions to people in specific areas.
- High-quality Audio: The announcements must be easy to understand, and the speaker must have enough power and clarity to be heard.
- Schedule announcements: Scheduled announcements can notify students of class changes or notify workers of shift changes.
How Much Sound is Required
Here is a review of the sound levels we hear in our environment to give you an idea of the right sound level.
Sound level is measured in decibels or dB (or dBA). The dB level measures relative sound levels and is usually used to describe very loud sounds. The dBA measurement also measures sound levels at 1000Hz, the frequency most people can hear clearly.
The sound chart shows typical sound levels from different sources. As a rule of thumb, the sound level from the speaker should be 10 dB above the background noise.
Where Should You Place the Speakers
IP Paging Speakers can be placed on walls or ceilings. Depending on your requirements, you can select several different types of speakers.
Ceiling Speakers for a Large Room
Larger rooms require more speakers. You can’t just increase the volume level. The number of speakers needed depends on the room’s size, the ceiling’s height, and the speakers’ coverage angle.
For example, if the ceiling is 16 feet high, the distance to the ears is 12 feet. The coverage distance and distance between speakers (with a 100-degree angle) are calculated to be 14.3 x 2 = 28.6ft (or about 29 ft).
The total number of ceiling speakers required in a room is calculated by dividing the dimensions by the distance between speakers required for clear hearing of the page. For example, if the room is 80ft wide by 100ft long, we divide 80ft by 29 ft to get 2.76 speakers (about 3) in the wide direction. We divide 100ft by 29 ft and get 3.45 speakers (about 3) in the long dimension. Multiplying the two numbers, we calculate that the room should have about nine speakers.
Selecting a speaker for the Hallway
Hallway speakers can be placed on the ceiling or the wall. Dual speakers are available that project sound from the front and back. This means you can put the speaker in the center of a hallway and have sound projected both ways.
For example, the SPKR-IP-11-BD is a dual network-attached speaker. PoE powers it and can provide about 8 watts to the speaker. Since the speaker is rated at 92 dB at 1 watt and at 1 meter, it provides more than enough sound level in a noisy hallway.
Speaker for Large Outdoor Area
A weather-proof horn speaker is used for large outdoor areas. The horn must be placed high enough so that the sound is not too loud for people close to the speaker.
The horn can provide very high sound output. For example, the model 132-8D horn provides over 110 dB at 1 watt at 1 meter. The speaker should be mounted higher than 13 ft. (4 m) so that the sound level close to the speaker doesn’t exceed 98 dB. This speaker can be heard over 400 ft. (128 m) away.
To learn more about speaker placement and volume, read our article, IP Paging Systems for Schools.
Voice Versus Music Audio Requirement
Like your home stereo system, the wider the frequency range, the better the sound quality. If you are playing music, you want a frequency range that’s as wide as possible.
IP Paging systems are designed for voice broadcast, and others for voice and music. Music systems have different network performance, better amplifiers, and speakers. The specifications will tell you the system’s range of frequency response.
Better Paging systems cost more, so you must determine what you want to hear. For example, the Penton LIS8T72 ceiling speaker has a very good frequency response of 60 to 20,000 Hz, so it’s great for both music and voice paging. Other speakers have frequency ranges of 300 Hz to 15 KHz, which is just fine for listening to a person talking.
Summary of Paging Audio
This article provides an overview of IP Paging, the latest method for broadcasting messages in an organization. It emphasizes the importance of understanding objectives and ensuring everyone can hear broadcasts, which means more than just placing one speaker in a room. It discusses the technology used in IP paging, including the types of speakers, amplification requirements, and sound levels needed to meet paging goals.
If you would like help selecting the best IP paging system, please contact us at 1-800-431-1658 in the USA or 914-944-3425 everywhere else or use our contact form.