Keyboard shortcuts

Press ← or → to navigate between chapters

Press S or / to search in the book

Press ? to show this help

Press Esc to hide this help

South Gym — Information Still Needed

Items you need to track down: site measurements, equipment identification, decisions, and questions for contractors. Organized by what kind of action is required.

Items marked with → are unlocked by their parent — once the parent is answered, those sub-items can be looked up or derived without additional site work.

Design-phase details (AMX programming logic, DSP preset parameters, touch panel UI layout, commissioning procedures) are tracked in the open questions sections of each plan file and are not duplicated here.

Waiting to Receive

  • DWG files and facility drawings (requested) — unlocks DIALux evo lighting calculations (imports DWG natively) and EASE Focus 3 speaker coverage modeling (import as DXF background). Also provides accurate cable run distances and conduit path planning.

Site Visit / Physical Measurement

These require being physically present in the space.

Room

  • Floor dimensions (length x width) — unlocks photometric calculations, speaker coverage modeling, zone layout, cable run estimates. May be answered by DWG files once received.
  • Ceiling height at speaker and fixture mounting points
  • Structural mounting points in the exposed ceiling (for speakers and light fixtures)
  • Will the radiative heating system be removed with the new air handler? Will the brick wall be framed out or get drywall directly on it? (affects surface-mount vs. flush-mount for wall-mounted equipment)
  • Wall and floor surface materials — concrete with brick finish up to 10’, wood paneling above; dark green rubber gym floor; no acoustic treatments
  • Existing acoustic treatments, operable walls, or large glass surfaces — none of the above; all walls fixed, no windows
  • HVAC units, bleachers, or large surfaces causing flutter echo — no bleachers; no in-room HVAC units; external air handler with supply/return vents; ceiling-mounted circulation fans; flutter echo TBD on-site
  • Is there a fixed stage/speaking position, or does it move by event type? — fixed at front of room, under projection screen / future LED display(s)

Projector

  • Make and model (read the label on the unit) — unlocks everything below:
    • → Lumens, native resolution, remaining lamp life (from spec sheet)
    • → Warm-up and cool-down time; mandatory cool-down period (from manual)
    • → Auto-wake feature that could conflict with AMX power sequencing (from manual)
    • → RS-232 command protocol for power on/off/status (from manual — currently blocking AMX programming in control.md)
  • Measured throw distance from projector lens to screen (site measurement)
  • Does the current image fill the screen properly? (site observation)
  • Is there a horizontal offset between projector and screen requiring keystone correction? (site observation)

Projection Screen

  • Bottom edge height when fully lowered — do audience members at the back have an unobstructed sightline?
  • Installed drop distance from the case to the bottom of the viewing area (any extra drop beyond standard 2“?)

Existing Lighting

  • How many existing fluorescent fixtures, and what type? — needed for demolition planning and may inform new zoning layout
  • Can the existing ~8 daisy-chain groups be mapped to inform the new zoning layout?
  • What happens to the existing dry-contact switching box once decommissioned?

Rack Closet

  • Exact interior dimensions — unlocks everything below:
    • → Can a 42U rack, two wall-mounted SmartPacks, and required electrical working clearances all fit?
    • → On which wall(s) will SmartPacks be mounted? Dimensioned layout showing rack footprint, SmartPack positions, and clearance zones
    • → Usable wall area for two SmartPacks while maintaining code-required working clearances
    • → CEC Rule 2-308 clearances with SmartPacks in the same closet (electrician question)
  • How do SmartPack output wires exit the units (top/bottom/side), and is there clearance for conduit sweeps? (can be partially answered from SmartPack installation manual)
  • Where are the rack closet receptacles located? Depends on whether the closet ceiling is kept or removed
  • Who has physical key access to the closet?

Cable Run Distances

Several of these are blocked by decisions that haven’t been made yet. Measure the ones you can; the rest will follow.

  • Rack to back-wall N1115-WP wall-plate encoder
  • Rack to ceiling-mounted NMX-DEC-N1222A decoder (at projector)
  • Rack to M32R floor drop(s) — blocked by floor drop location decision
  • Rack to AMX touch panel location(s) — blocked by touch panel location decision
  • Rack to farthest speaker location — blocked by speaker placement design
  • Rack to farthest fixture location — blocked by fixture layout design
  • Rack to each candidate LED wall location — deferred with LED wall decision
  • All runs expected to be well under 100m Cat 6A max — confirm on-site

Conduit Paths

These will largely be determined by the electrician based on the cable run distances above and building structure. Confirm routing during the permit/design process.

  • Rack closet to projector/decoder (ceiling)
  • Rack closet to N1115-WP wall plate (back wall)
  • Rack closet to LED wall stub-out(s) — deferred with LED wall, but conduit should be run during renovation
  • Rack closet to speaker locations — blocked by speaker placement design
  • Rack closet to lighting fixture zones — blocked by fixture layout design
  • Relay wiring path from rack to screen motor controller (PoE Ethernet or low-voltage wire — conduit needed either way)
  • How many conductors will share each conduit from the closet to fixtures? (affects conduit fill derating per CEC Table 5C) — blocked by fixture layout and zone count

Equipment Identification / Selection

Needs to Be Decided

  • Speaker model selection — unlocks impedance, sensitivity, amp sizing validation, wire gauge, breaker sizing, zone wiring plan. Blocked by room dimensions (for coverage modeling).
  • Gymnasium lighting fixtures — blocked by room dimensions (for photometric calc). Once selected, unlocks:
    • → Circuit sizing and wattage
    • → Energy code (NECB) compliance check
    • → IES photometric layout
  • Event layer fixtures — types per zone (field, perimeter/wall-wash, stage). Once selected, unlocks:
    • → Forward-phase dimming compatibility confirmation
    • → SmartPack minimum load threshold check
  • Subwoofer: needed or not? If yes, placement and low-frequency extension target (80 Hz speech vs. 40-50 Hz music)
  • Floor monitor: needed or not?
  • Paradigm ACP enclosure type — ERn wall-mount (Mk1 or Mk2) or DIN rail P-ACP-D (Mk2 only). Once decided, unlocks:
    • → Power requirement and feed method
    • → Physical mounting location
  • Response 0-10V Gateway mounting location — near ACP (rack closet) or near gymnasium fixtures (shorter 0-10V runs)
  • ClickShare model confirmation (CX-20 or similar) — once confirmed, unlocks:
    • → Verify ClickShare + LP10 fit side by side on a single 1U vented shelf (from spec sheet dimensions)
  • UPS model and sizing — blocked by device wattages (need equipment selection first)
  • Mac mini rack shelf — Middle Atlantic makes Mac mini-specific mounts; which one?
  • SFP+ transceivers for M4250 fiber uplink (single-mode LC, wavelength, reach) — depends on fiber type and distance to upstream switch

Rack Layout

  • Horizontal cable managers (1U) at any positions?
  • Vertical cable managers for rack sides?
  • Dedicated equipment grounding bus bar? (can be checked from ERK-4025 spec sheet)
  • Rack elevation drawing (to scale) as installation deliverable?
  • At 23-1/2“ usable depth between rails, verify all devices fit with rear cabling accessible — all fit; Pro-LITE 5.0 is deepest at ~20.25“ total (17.25“ chassis + connectors + bend), leaving ~3.25“ clearance; DL16 is only ~12.6“ total; SVSi frame is 5.04“ chassis
  • Front or rear rack door? — no rack doors
  • Slide rails for UPS, amps, or DL16? — no slide rails

Decisions Needed

These require stakeholder input or a design choice.

Display

  • LED wall: Option A (single large wall) vs. Option B (two smaller panels) — deferred, no time pressure
  • LED wall: candidate mounting wall location(s) — deferred, depends on A/B
  • LED wall: physical dimensions (width x height) — deferred, depends on A/B + viewing distances + pixel pitch
  • Digital scoreboard software/system — deferred until LED wall is selected
  • Rack PC operator access — monitor in rack closet, KVM extender, VNC/remote desktop?

Audio

  • How many discrete speaker zones with independent level control? — unlocks amp usage plan, BLU-100 output assignment, wiring design
  • Antenna type for wireless mics (omni paddle vs. directional log-periodic) given metal ceiling
  • Antenna mounting location — remote from rack closet or at rack?
  • Battery management plan for wireless mics (rechargeable vs. disposable, charger location)
  • M32R floor drop: single fixed drop or two locations (either side of room)?
    • → Floor drop type: flush floor box rated for gymnasium floor traffic? (follows from location decision)
  • M32R umbilical contents: Ethernet + AES50 + IEM returns + power? Separate cables or combined?
  • Is there budget or willingness for acoustic treatment (hanging baffles, fabric panels)?

Lighting

  • How many gymnasium zones/circuits? “Half Gym” split needed?
  • How many event zones/circuits (up to 24 available)?
  • Minimum dim level for events — is 10% sufficient, or need below 5%?
  • Tunable white (variable CCT) needed, or single fixed CCT acceptable?
  • Paradigm button station locations (near main entrance? multiple?)
    • → Should a button station include event layer preset buttons for non-technical fallback? (follows from location decision)
  • AMX touch panel count and locations — also affects networking drops and cable runs
  • Auto-off after inactivity / occupancy sensing needed? (almost certainly not — confirm)
  • Time-based scheduling needed (e.g., “School Gym” at 7 AM, “Off” at 10 PM)?

Control

  • What does “system off” mean operationally? (all RLNK off + amps on dedicated circuits + lights off + projector off + screen raised? Or everything de-energized? Or standby?)
  • Relay wiring path for screen control — PoE IP2CC-P via Ethernet, or REL8 via low-voltage wire?
  • Volume control on touch panel — single master, per-zone, or per-source? (per-zone only relevant if zone count is decided)
  • Does the Mac mini need a graceful shutdown signal before RLNK power is removed? (can be tested)
  • Budget range for the overall project

Networking

  • VLAN assignment for rack PC and ClickShare (SPACnet VLAN 5 for user device discovery, or split?)
  • Wall plate locations and quantities (beyond the known back-wall N1115-WP)
  • Cable labeling standard (Brady, P-touch, heat-shrink) and naming convention
  • School division AP cabling requirements — coordinate

Electrician Questions

Bring these to the electrician during the permit/design process. Many of these form a dependency chain — the electrician will work through them in order.

New Electrical Panel

  • Panel location in the room
  • Main building service capacity — headroom for this new panel? (working estimate 6,500-14,500W)
  • Available fault current (AFC) at the main building panel — unlocks:
    • → Does the new panel’s SCCR meet the AFC?
    • → SmartPacks’ internal 10A magnetic breakers — adequate interrupting rating? (Code & Safety)
  • Bus rating and main breaker sizing (100A in 200A bus vs. 200A main — affects upstream feeder)
    • → Main breaker panel or sub-panel with main lug only? Upstream feeder breaker size?
    • → Feed from main building service: wire size, conduit run, distance. Voltage drop calculation?
    • → Is the upstream feeder large enough for the future LED wall without being replaced?
  • CEC Rule 2-308 working clearances — do SmartPacks in the same closet still allow compliance? (blocked by rack closet dimensions)

Circuits & Wiring

  • Amp breaker sizing — blocked by speaker impedance (blocked by speaker selection)
  • SmartPack circuit requirements at mounting location (2x 12 channels @ 1200W/channel = 28,800W total capacity)
  • Gymnasium fixture circuit sizing — blocked by fixture selection (count and wattage)
  • Paradigm ACP power requirement — blocked by enclosure choice
  • Response 0-10V Gateway power (18-24 VDC via ETC PS-DIN24) — known spec, just needs location and outlet
  • Forward-phase dimmers produce harmonics on neutral — do shared neutrals need upsizing per CEC Rule 4-024? (event layer only)
  • Convenience outlet locations for events (caterer/vendor areas, production table, avoiding floor extension cords)

Code & Safety

  • Type 2 surge protection device at the new panel? (UPS protects rack gear, but amps and SmartPacks are on unprotected dedicated circuits)
  • GFCI: exterior wall in rack closet — if classified as damp location, GFCI on 15A/20A receptacles. GFCI on Class D amps will nuisance-trip on inrush. Confirm classification during permit
  • Minimum illuminance for paths of egress under Alberta Building Code — enforce as floor in AMX/Paradigm programming?
  • Emergency or exit lighting code requirements (Alberta Building Code / NBC)?
  • Inspection stages (rough-in before walls close, final after fixtures) — ceiling is open/exposed, but wall rough-in still needs inspection before closing
  • Single electrical permit for full scope (SmartPack relocation, new panel, home runs, gymnasium fixtures, Paradigm, button stations)?
  • Asbestos survey on existing fluorescent fixture bodies, ballasts, or ceiling materials before demolition?
  • PCB content in existing ballasts (pre-1979) requiring hazardous waste handling?

HVAC / Ventilation

  • Rack closet ventilation approach: passive grille into return air plenum, or active fan?
  • Total rack heat load in BTU/h — blocked by device wattages (need equipment selection first)
    • → SmartPack heat output added to closet ventilation sizing (can be looked up from SmartPack specs)
    • → Realistic sustained amp operating scenario for sizing (blocked by speaker impedance)
  • Static pressure characteristic of the return air duct — passive grille into pressurized plenum could cause reverse airflow
  • Has the HVAC contractor confirmed the return duct has capacity for the additional rack closet heat load?

LED Wall (Deferred — No Time Pressure)

These can wait until the LED wall decision is being actively evaluated. Most are unlocked by selecting a manufacturer/model.

  • Minimum and maximum viewing distances from candidate walls (site measurement)
    • → Pixel pitch for those distances (and whether it produces native 1080p at the intended size)
  • Wall construction at candidate locations (masonry, steel stud, wood frame); structural capacity confirmed?
  • Select LED panel manufacturer/model — unlocks everything below:
    • → Anticipated total weight of panels + mounting structure; stamped structural analysis needed?
    • → Ceiling clearance above panel for mounting frame; conflicts with joists, HVAC, catwalks?
    • → Peak power draw per m^2 at max brightness; single circuit or multiple?
    • → LED panel power supplies: internal or external/rack-mounted?
    • → VX4S signal protocol to panels (Ethernet, fiber, proprietary); max cable run length
    • → Number of data cables VX4S requires for the panel array; conduit capacity at wall
    • → Front-serviceable or rear-serviceable panels? Rear clearance needed?
    • → Manufacturer’s recommended spare module inventory and storage location
    • → On-site warranty service and response time
    • → Ball-impact resistance rating; polycarbonate overlay needed?
    • → Horizontal viewing angle; serves spectators at extreme lateral positions?
  • Distance from each candidate wall to new electrical panel; conduit routing including fire-rated penetrations (site measurement)
  • Ambient illuminance at display wall with house lights on; panel brightness sufficient? (blocked by lighting design)
  • Should LED wall conduit have conductors pulled now, or left empty?
  • How will open conduit stub-outs be sealed during the interim (water, pests, combustion gas)?

Wireless Frequency Coordination

See audio.md — Wireless Frequency Coordination for the full regulatory analysis and recommended operating configuration.

  • Local UHF TV channels for Sherwood Park — 5 UHF stations in Edmonton market documented in audio.md
  • ISED regulatory compliance check — Band 6UA (626-698 MHz) is mostly PROHIBITED in Canada (600 MHz auction). Only the 652-663 MHz duplex gap remains legal. Both receivers should be restricted to band 5UA or 5US. See audio.md for details.
  • Will both ACT-727a receivers operate simultaneously with wireless systems in adjacent spaces (auditorium)? — not a concern; a few hundred feet through concrete/brick walls, signal well below noise floor
  • With 4 wireless channels (2x ACT-727a), is that sufficient for the largest events? Any wireless instrument transmitters or IEM packs sharing the frequency pool?
  • Worst-case distance from rack closet to farthest transmitter location — reliable range without remote antennas?