The Best Hacker Prevention?
Insider posted an article in October 2019 about a digital sign that was hacked on I-75 North in Auburn Hills MI and showed an adult video for 20 minutes to the public. Maybe the best way to deter hackers is to make known there are consequences to their actions. ...Detroit Installs Solar Powered Real-Time Signs with SmartLink Management System at Bus Stops
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART Bus), in Detroit, MI continues to invest in bus stop shelter amenities for its riders. SMART is in the middle of a multi-year deployment of its new FAST shelters that feature a mix of solar powered...Billboard Insider on Cutting Out of Home Utility Costs
Left to right: Dave Westburg (Billboard Insider), Brian Kline (Reliable Electric), PJ Pedroni (OutdoorLink)
Billboard Insider moderated a panel on cutting out of home utility costs at last week’s IBOUSA show. Brian Kline of Reliable Electric and PJ Pedroni of OutdoorLink participated in the discussion. Here’s a summary.
What are the benefits of installing high efficiency LED’s?
- High efficiency lights use 70-80% less power.
- Significantly less maintenance cost because there are no lamps or ballasts to replace. Most common item to be replaced in a LED fixture is the driver
- Copy has much better uniformity
- Higher CRI makes the color on copy more true
- Distinction between colors makes the copy appear to be brighter.
How much will high efficiency LED’s cost?
- Typical fixtures for Outdoor are going to run in the $400 range. The cost has dropped 30-40% since 2012. Many utilities have inventive programs which will allow you to reduce your fixture costs even further.
- Installation cost can vary between fixtures and structure configuration. SmartLink has a full operations management division to support operator partners with projects like this. They can provide you with an estimate if they know what fixtures you have.
What’s the return on investment?
- The return on invested capital is 30-40% which equates to a 2-3 year payback. Insider achieved a 37% return on investment by retrofitting lights at a Clear Lake Iowa billboard.
- The expense savings is risk-free because you’ll achieve it regardless of economic conditions.
What are the benefits of installing SmartLink in connection with an LED retrofit?
- SmartLink systems minimize electric bills by automatically adjusting your light hours based on sunrise and sunset. It allows for multiple schedules should a customer require evening and morning illumination.
- SmartLink increases customer satisfaction by notifying you immediately of lighting outages so you can schedule maintenance trips promptly. The daily monitoring also alleviates any concern post LED fixture upgrade. Would notify you in the case anything should not be performing as expected, i.e. a driver has failed.
- SmartLink reduces maintenance costs by allowing you to remotely turn on and off lights, and manage operational tasks automatically like adjusting the entire plant for daylight savings without having to roll a truck. The diagnostic software allows you to determine most of your issues at a structure before leaving the plant.
- One IBOUSA member has added ”SmartLink control” on their contracts and ride sheets for illuminated panels. It differentiates them from their competition and allows them to maintain a premium price for the inventory.
How do I proceed with a retrofit?
- Inventory the lights which you want to replace.
- Contact Brian Kline at Reliable Electric (866-250-6445, bkline@reliable-electric.com) and PJ Pedroni at OutdoorLink (253-377-8700,pjpedroni@outdoorlinkinc.com) to get a cost quote for the retrofit and for help identifying and securing utility rebates.
- If you wish to do the install yourself the LED’s can be shipped to your office so you can do the install yourself.
- If you want help with the install the LED units will be shipped to SmartLink and their installation crews will handle the install.
KCATA Reduces Carbon Footprint with Digital Wayfinding and SmartLink Remote Management
Kansas City, MO | The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority joins a growing number of transit agencies in reducing their carbon footprint at a maintenance and operations level. The new Prospect MAX stations, located throughout downtown Kansas City, are expected to be completed by the end of November 2019 and will feature KCATA’s latest investments in “smart transit” technologies.
Each MAX BRT station will feature a newly designed passenger waiting shelter, manufactured by Decamil, an integrated wayfinding kiosk, and/or a freestanding digital totem. The wayfinding kiosks, manufactured by REDYREF, provide interactive trip-planning and real-time departure info, eliminating the need for printed maps and schedules. The kiosks feature a capacitive LCD touchscreen, speakers, a microphone, webcam, and an ADA compliant text-to-speech button for audio announcements.
The freestanding digital totem features the MAX station’s name with LED illumination, and a two-sided REDYREF LCD display that provides next-departure times and ridership alerts.
All Prospect MAX vehicles and stations will offer free WIFI to riders via Cradlepoint routers.
Governing all the devices at the MAX stations is a SmartLink management controller, provided by OutdoorLink, Inc. The SmartLink remotely monitors the performance of each device, sends outage alerts to KCATA when devices lose power or connectivity, and provides the ability to reboot them to restore service. Each device operates on its own schedule, which can be changed remotely at any time by KCATA through the SmartLink portal.
“Adding digital devices to transit stops often leads to an increase in time and costs spent to maintain them. SmartLink controllers provide the ability to remotely manage and backup these assets, so we’re able to resolve device downtime quickly and reduce the need for site visits,” says Jenni Evans, VP, Transit Solutions for OutdoorLink. “It’s a simple solution for managing devices at hundreds of stops, and we’re proud to help clients create more sustainable and scalable operations.”
For more details on this project or the technologies referenced, contact Doug Pew with OutdoorLink at doug@outdoorlinkinc.com.
