Given our experience in engineering and installing Traxon Technologies equipment on the outside decks of cruise ships, we were approached by AC Special Projects Ltd to assist them with the engineering for an exciting project in Weymouth on the Esplanade. The concept design specification created by Dorset County Council and Tonkin Liu involved the installation of Traxon Media Tube HO RGB mounted on the promenade lamp posts covering about a mile of the beach front esplanade.
The concept was easy but the inception required a huge amount of time researching, engineering, creating mockups, site trials and meetings to meet not only the environmental and site challenges but also the exacting standards of the relevant agencies. The solution was to mount 6m of Traxon Media Tube starting at 3m from the floor level with the power supply and lighting control equipment in a marine grade external junction box above. All the equipment and fixings had to be able to withstand the harsh saltwater, extremes of temperatures, driving rain and high winds that are experienced throughout the year.
Another challenge was the control of the LED Media tubes which was to be undertaken using wireless DMX over the 2.4Ghz frequency. Lumen Radio CMRX Outdoor were used for transmission and repeater stations with the CMRX Slim for the receivers. Again, detailed site trials were required to find the optimum locations for transmitter antennas, repeater stations and whether a reliable signal could reach the furthest locations. Control was provided using Traxon LCE2 MX running the Sympholight software.
We eventually started site works in September working alongside the appointed HERS contractor. As weeks turned into months we completed a lamp post at a time, testing and commissioning as we went. As expected, the weather turned more unpredictable and often we would have three seasons in a day and on some days the wind was too strong to access the lamp posts. However, no time was wasted as we had temporarily made a mobile workshop within our large van and were able to pre-assemble many components to speed up the column installation.
Eventually in November we completed the last lamp post followed by commissioning and system programming, which went smoothly given the ongoing testing process we had instigated. This was definitely a challenging contract but thoroughly enjoyable with an impressive outcome. Wow, what a night time effect, the pictures do not do it justice but if you are ever down that way go and have a visit and see the show which runs from dusk until late every day.