October Newsletter 2023
back to newsTis the season for spookiness! As October ushers in a change of seasons from winter to summer sports, D2N is in the midst of the NRL and AFL wrapping up, while our attention shifts to the imminent Bathurst 1000. Our dedicated team will be on-site for the entire week, providing support to all our Motorsport customers.
With Christmas just a few months away, it’s a crucial time to reflect on our accomplishments over the past three months.
Let’s begin with Jason and Mackenzie’s whirlwind D2N Europe trip. Over the course of two weeks, they embarked on a journey that took them to the IBC show in Amsterdam, visits to Calrec in the UK, and numerous meetings with our valued customers.
In the ever-evolving world of business, one of our most precious assets remains the network of professional relationships we diligently cultivate and sustain. These connections not only enhance our professional lives but also play a pivotal role in our personal growth and career advancement.
As a heads-up, please be aware that we will be closing for the Christmas break from December 21st to January 8th. Rest assured, customers with active Service Level Agreements will continue to receive support as outlined in their agreements. To ensure a smooth start to the new year, we kindly request that any orders required in early January be placed by mid-December.
They also had the opportunity to visit one of our distributors, Calrec, on their own turf in Hebden Bridge. It was great to see how their company work at a more up-close angle.
Overall the Europe trip was a massive success, besides from the jetlag of course!
As always, you guys are the reason our business is the great company that it is, so thank you! And Happy Halloween 🎃
Staff update:
It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since we welcomed Mackenzie to our team as our marketing assistant. In this short span of time, Mackenzie has not only settled into her role but has also taken the helm of several critical marketing activities, including managing our social media presence, curating website content, and fostering relationships with the brands we support. Her recent overseas trip to Amsterdam for the IBC show was a significant milestone, allowing her to solidify relationships that, until then, existed primarily in the digital realm. As we look ahead, we’re excited to witness Mackenzie’s continued growth and development in this role over the next twelve months. It’s worth emphasizing that the way we market our business directly impacts the influx of new opportunities through our front door.
Kudos to Mackenzie for the outstanding work she’s been doing!
Reach her at mackenzie.owen@d2n.com.au
Product Update:
Kiloview have added several products over the last few months with the standout being the P3, E3 and N5/N6 range of encoders and decoders. The P3 is a 4/5G bonding encoder, the E3 offers both SDI and HDMI encoding on a single device. The N5/6 range offers full NDI encoding or decoding for HD-SDI and HDMI.
AIDA have now fully released their range of NDI3 camera’s.
Riedel have released a firmware update and Pro 1 app for the Bolero range. Adding a host of features including;
Custom audio belt pack filters, charger integration, locate charger/antenna, separate DECT / 2.4GHz RF strength level setting, stacked functions volume behaviour, and some improvements to the web interface. Alongside this with the Pro 1 app you also get quite a handy DECT monitoring app which is invaluable for evaluating the RF space that you are working in. This is a must-have for rental customers.
Launched at IBC, Riedel have released the Mediornet Horizon.
MediorNet HorizoN blurs the line between conventional SDI-based and ST 2110 infrastructures through its comprehensive array of SDI-IP gateways, delivering a remarkable range of video processing capabilities. These capabilities encompass upscaling, downscaling, and cross-conversion, as well as SDR-HDR conversion and color correction.
Contained within a single rack unit, there are 16 autonomous and individually configurable processing engines, offering the potential for handling up to 128 channels of SDI-ST 2110, up to 32 channels of SDR-HDR, or up to 16 upscaling/downscaling/cross-conversion operations. Complementing this functionality, SFP-based baseband video I/O rounds out the package, rendering it an exceedingly versatile solution suitable for addressing even the most demanding challenges encountered in contemporary production environments.
Clear-Com® is excited to introduce the HXII-DPL™ Powerline Device, a cutting-edge IP interface that provides both power and digital audio to HelixNet® beltpacks, speaker stations, and remote stations within an Arcadia® Central Station System (or the legacy HMS-4X Main Station). Arcadia-based systems usher in a new era of digital audio connectivity for HelixNet users, offering IP transceivers, seamless integration with third-party devices through Dante, and comprehensive support for the entire range of FreeSpeak® Digital Wireless Systems.
The HXII-DPL Powerline Device has been engineered for straightforward operation, serving as a “plug-and-play” interface. It effortlessly connects to any existing Arcadia system or XLR cabling infrastructure via its dedicated network port, enabling Powerline connectivity through standard 3-pin XLR connections across the network. Users can expand their HelixNet User Station capacity and enhance user density per system by adding multiple HXII-DPL Powerline Devices.
Supporting up to seven HelixNet beltpacks on a single line, encompassing all available HelixNet channels and program audio, this Powerline device allows the passive splitting of audio cabling, akin to traditional analog partyline systems, without introducing any unwanted humming or buzzing often associated with analog communication. Additionally, the system incorporates visual indicators to promptly address upstream and downstream cabling concerns and overload issues. This distinctive architectural option, rooted in HelixNet’s legacy as the pioneering digital partyline system that leveraged traditional analog cabling structures, continues to serve as a highly valuable choice for specific applications, empowering Arcadia users to tackle specialized communication challenges in their operations.
Clear-Com® is thrilled to unveil exciting enhancements for the Arcadia® Central Station, introducing the I.V. Direct™ feature—an IP interface that fosters seamless connectivity between Arcadia and the LQ® Series of IP Interfaces, the Eclipse® HX Digital Matrix System (via E-IPA card), and other Arcadia systems across LAN, WAN, or the Internet. This update brings a significant boost in capacity for FreeSpeak® beltpacks, transceivers, and HelixNet® endpoints, solidifying Arcadia’s position as the most powerful 1RU intercom device available, capable of supporting a remarkable 285 input/output connections within a single system.
I.V. Direct connections empower the transfer of intercom audio, logic controls, and call signals between independently managed Clear-Com systems, allowing for seamless integration into channels, groups, and keys within each system. Notably, this integration is easily configured to accommodate various levels of network quality of service and incorporates internet-friendly security features.
By interfacing with LQ, Arcadia users can expand their analog connections via 2-wire, 4-wire, and GPIO ports, facilitating support for Clear-Com’s Agent-IC® and Station-IC™ virtual clients, two-way radios, and SIP telephony—all without the need for multiple audio and control cables. This seamless integration ensures that all team members requiring communication are fully integrated, fostering efficient and effective collaboration.
Other updates from Clear Com include a new version of EHX 13.1, the addition of Bluetooth for FreeSpeak II packs. More details to follow….
Looking for headsets? We now have received a shipment of both Riedel and Raytalk..
Brand Update:
We are proud to announce they we have signed on as the exclusive distributor of Science Image who are a manufacturer of NDI and IP encoders and decoders. With stand alone and rack mount variants we are sure these will be a popular range.
Science Image was established in 2011, with its founding team originating from the core R & D team at Thomson in Beijing. In August 2018, we embarked on the design of our NDI product line, achieving a significant milestone by introducing the industry’s first 4K full NDI encoder and decoder in March 2019. Our commitment to innovation continued as we launched the NDI HD Mini, a mass-produced product, at IBC2019 in Amsterdam in September 2019. It’s worth noting that our products earned high praise from NewTek for their quality and performance.
To date, we have successfully developed a comprehensive NDI series of Bidirectional Encoder/Decoder units tailored specifically for the Broadcast market. These products have found homes in numerous countries across the globe, a testament to their reliability and effectiveness. Additionally, we are proud to be recognized as an official third-party hardware development company authorized by NewTek, further underscoring our commitment to delivering top-tier solutions to our customers.
Over the coming weeks, their entire range will be added to our e-commerce platform. In the mean time if you have any questions please reach out.
Sales Update:
Sales of PunQtum have been really consistent with over 100 packs sold into venues and AV companies over the last few months alone. Two way radio sales remain strong across Hytera, and Kenwood and with the entire range of ICOM and Tait coming online in the near future we expect these brands to improve as well. In 2024 we will be adding the Motorola accessory range to e-commerce as well.
We have recently taken delivery of a large Raytalk order so we are holding stock of everything we range.
Reseller pricing is now also available for Systems Integrators and the AIDA range, please contact the office to get pricing.
Interest in wireless intercom is definitely on the rise. Customers are seeing the benefits of multi-channel wireless devices for both a replacement to conventional two-way radio, but also as a part of a more flexible comm’s package that can include radios, remote users, wired and wireless devices.
Lastly we have been working very closely with the Sunswift team from the University of NSW developing a custom radio package to cover multiple vehicles in their convoy. Competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge for 2023 in the Cruiser class, they will be racing Sunswift 7 over 3000km from Darwin to Adelaide through the red Australian Desert starting the 22nd of October.
Rentals Update:
Finals season is upon us and supporting JPJ for the NRL series has been a major focus for us. Add into that endurance rounds for Supercars has seen us grow our Kenwood NX-5000 rental fleet exponentially. Rentals to motorsport teams continues to grow across multiple categories. This could be a few additional radios and headsets or a complete repeater package. We also provide comm’s packages to multiple NRL, NRLW and AFL teams across the season. Schools, Theatre and Corporate shows, plus supplying the largest AV companies in Australia means our rental fleet enjoy a very high utilization.
PR Update:
You can read our article on the Walkinshaw Andretti United technology package we put together here;
Mackenzie and Jason attended the IBC show in Amsterdam recently. Shows like this provide an opportunity to meet with current supplies and also to discover new ones. Keeping that face-to-face relationship strong is key to being able to support each other. The show was very well attended and with Amsterdam being such a great city to work and play it was a fantastic opportunity for the team.
MD’s report:
The last three months have seen a solid start to the new financial year. With five years of consistent growth, I have opted for a more conversative approach to FY24. My reasons being that I would like to consolidate our gains, bed in new people and brands and prepare for the next push in FY25. Time and experience tell me that one of the key skills to running a successful business is knowing when to push and when to consolidate. There are some of our suppliers who have gone over and above supporting us recently, you know who you are so thank you.
A personal highlight for me has been to take my daughter Mackenzie (our marketing assistant) to Europe for her first trip overseas. Travel has long been a passion of mine and one that I firmly believe everyone should undertake at some stage in their life (the earlier the better). Visiting other countries gives you the opportunity to learn more about other cultures, how people live, and what their challenges are. This is particularly useful when dealing with overseas suppliers as it gives you context as to what makes them tick.
We are recruiting at the moment; I expect to make that announcement in the coming 3-4 weeks.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Paul Sweeney for ‘The Business Behind Your Business’ podcast. I really enjoyed sharing my learnings, thoughts, and passion behind being a business owner. Please feel free to listen and share, especially if you are a small business owner or know someone considering starting a business.
https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/podcasts/124-building-relationships-a-key-to-business-success/
Thank you!
#eyesforward
