It's been about two years in the making, but the result was worth it. Elacin's new product range to connect hearing protection to walkie-talkies, mobile phones and landlines is a real breakthrough in the audio and PPE sectors. And the applications are endless.
"Wherever there is noise and a need for crystal clear communication, the Elacin RC communication kit is the answer," says Bas Fleskens.
Bas studied applied physics and has been with Elacin, where he is now Operations Director, for more than eight years. In that time, he has sparked a lot of innovations in hearing protection. But he considers this step a very big one. "Anyone who has been in a noisy factory hall with hearing protection knows how difficult it is to communicate there. Using a walkie-talkie or phone, even briefly, is practically impossible. In practice, people sometimes take off their ear defenders or take out their ear plugs 'just for a second'. But we also know from all kinds of studies how extremely harmful it is to be exposed to noise levels above 80 dB, even if it is only for a few minutes. With our new communication kit you are both well protected and you don't have to miss any walkie-talkie contact or phone calls just because you are in a noisy space. In short, you're connected and protected."
How does it work in practice? Very simply. The kit can be connected to Elacin otoplastics with just one click. The connection piece fits the various Elacin RC filters with an attenuation of 15 to 29 dB. This means you can be well protected from too much noise and still communicate with crystal clarity via phone or walkie-talkie. And the term "crystal clear" is far from exaggerated, because by choosing a kit with what we call the "BoomMic", you have a special headset microphone that is extremely lightweight, but above all filters out a lot of ambient noise. Our call with Bas is the living proof. Because while the author of this article asks him a number of questions by phone, he is in his car on his way home from the office. And, indeed, no engine or wind noise can be heard as he drives along the motorway at 100 km/h; the only thing you hear is Bas's voice, it sounds like he is sitting in a sound-proofed studio.
Superior sound quality and reliable protection of vulnerable hearing are by far the key features of this new product. Just as pleasant is the high degree of "connectivity" offered, i.e. the different ways that you can connect it to other devices. "A real nightmare," — that's how Bas describes the previous options for connecting walkie-talkies, regardless of brand, to otoplastics. First of all, there is a jungle of international standards for connecting analogue and digital signals. On top of that, some walkie-talkie manufacturers had seven different adapters for physically connecting of a headset to their device.
The Elacin communication kit will do away with all of this hassle. Bas is proud to tell us that his engineers have now managed to link every PMR (Personal Mobile Radio) to the Elacin hearing protection range within the blink of an eye. "It is literally plug and play, both on the ear plug end and the walkie-talkie end. That's something else that makes it a unique product."
Some customers have already started using the communication system and the initial reactions are overwhelmingly positive, according to Fleskens. And development continues apace. "Based on market feedback, we can make adjustments at any time.
If you are looking for the best solution for hearing protection and communicators then you need Elacin. Contact us NOW
