Sponsored by Earphone Connection
By Courtney Levin, Police1 BrandFocus Workers
With regards to communication expertise, officers may be simply overwhelmed by the plethora of choices in the marketplace. In any case, when officer security is on the road, it’s essential that each transmission is clearly despatched and obtained.
These in search of easy-to-use tools that gives peace of thoughts throughout each shift are more and more turning to speaker microphones. These units include a lot of options and may be configured with varied equipment to create a communication system that’s personalized for an officer’s distinctive patrol wants.
However what if that you must talk utilizing your smartphone or in-car radio in addition to your speaker microphone and don’t need the trouble of coping with suggestions from competing units? The Interceptor speaker microphone by Earphone Connection has solved this drawback due to its new voice instructions characteristic.
“We had an additional button on the microphone and wrote firmware into it so if you press it, it mutes the speaker,” defined Ruben Scheimberg, proprietor of Earphone Connection. “Now that speaker microphone just isn’t challenged by the in-car cell unit.
“However we took it a step additional and added voice instructions to make sure the mute really occurred. Whenever you press the button, the microphone will say ‘mute’ and if you depress it says ‘unmute.’ We continued writing extra voice instructions that can guarantee the consumer that these capabilities are occurring with out having to have a look at the system.”
Watch the brand new voice instructions demonstrated right here:
LONG-STANDING FEATURES MAKE USE EASY
Whereas the voice instructions for the Interceptor speaker microphone assist make the system simple to make use of, the design of the microphone itself gives a wealth of further advantages.
It’s configured for push-to-talk use, permitting officers to attach each their two-way radio and smartphone to the system for seamless communication. It additionally pairs with Bluetooth units and affords as much as 20 hours of discuss time, guaranteeing you gained’t run out of battery life mid-shift.
The Interceptor additionally promotes security with the location of its microphone aspect. Whereas many different merchandise home the aspect on the entrance of the system, the Interceptor’s sits on prime. This permits officers to talk into the microphone with out having to tilt their heads down and lose situational consciousness.
For patrol or tactical operations, the Interceptor is a flexible possibility. Officers can connect the rotating physique clip to their shirt and benefit from the system’s light-weight really feel or can pair it with an earpiece for conditions that require discretion.
MAKING IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH USER FEEDBACK
The impetus for making these current modifications is basically attributed to the suggestions officers present to Earphone Connection. Whether or not exploring choices at a commerce present or utilizing the merchandise whereas on shift, officers have been instrumental within the enchancment of lots of the firm’s microphones and equipment.
One such product that went by means of a number of rounds of modifications was the Fin Extremely ear ideas, which can be utilized with the Interceptor and different Earphone Connection merchandise. In years previous, most officers utilizing an earpiece could be restricted to choices that have been onerous and uncomfortable to put on for lengthy durations. Earphone Connection noticed the chance to develop a brand new kind of earpiece and refined its design by means of consumer suggestions.
“We designed our personal with a softer silicone that won’t go into the ear canal so far as a conventional earpiece,” mentioned Scheimberg. “It introduced a brand new consumer expertise the place the suggestions is on the spot. Each time we go to a commerce present and pop them in somebody’s ear, their first response is, ‘Is it in my ear?’ That’s what we need to hear – in case you can’t really feel it which means we’re doing one thing proper.”
The Fin Extremely ear ideas went by means of a number of rounds of design modifications as suggestions from officers got here in. Initially, whereas many appreciated how tender and comfy the earpiece was, officers regularly commented that there wasn’t sufficient ambient sound.
“We went again and sculpted the mould down – there should have been not less than six iterations,” described Scheimberg. “With that being mentioned, we’ve by no means raised the worth. All of the R&D prices us some huge cash and with one little change you need to change the entire device of that product.”
Together with the Fin Extremely ear ideas, Earphone Connection manufactures a variety of different equipment that may be simply switched out based mostly on an officer’s wants. Initially dubbed their “quick-release system,” this product too has been enhanced due to consumer feedback.
“The fast-release system advanced into Straightforward-Join,” mentioned Scheimberg. “Despite the fact that customers beloved the fast launch as a result of it made it so you might change equipment simpler and also you didn’t must take the adapter off the radio, they nonetheless would fumble round with it. The pins would break typically, so officers could be going by means of adapters rather more rapidly. We added arrows that assist for fast alignment and save officers time and cut back the variety of replacements they want. Simply including the arrows alone lowered our fee of returns by 70% to 80%.”
Scheimberg and the workforce at Earphone Connection pleasure themselves not solely on providing the best high quality microphones and equipment in the marketplace however on their degree of customer support and innovation. They encourage officers to achieve out with options for bettering the consolation and performance of any of the corporate’s merchandise.
Go to Earphone Connection for extra data.
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