Cheney, Washington – November 2024… Eastern Washington University (www.ewu.edu) is a public polytechnic university that shares a location in Spokane, Washington with Washington State University and has partnerships with various community colleges within the state of Washington. The university primarily awards four-year degrees in vocational education and focuses on career pathways for its students. As part of its Hybrid Learning Project, the University recently deployed a large amount of electronic equipment across 17 buildings and 85 classrooms, with the bulk of the equipment being drawn from the catalog of Raleigh, NC-based Alfatron Electronics.
Carl Combs, Classrooms and Labs Team Supervisor, Dave Stewart, Senior IT Audiovisual Design & Engineering Specialist, and Adam Klinger, IT/AV Specialist of the Classrooms and Labs Team are the three key people at Eastern Washington University who designed and oversaw the deployment of the new Alfatron equipment. Over a 3-year period, the team began testing various hybrid learning solutions, after which they started implementing the various setups. The Alfatron products were gradually placed into service and after fine-tuning the system configurations, the equipment was deployed campus wide.
According to Carl Combs, “The Alfatron equipment has made a dramatic improvement in video quality, features, and functionality. We did not have a standard for in-room video conferencing prior to Alfatron. Before Alfatron, we would temporarily set up webcams, Logitech Group systems, and/or Logitech Meetups in the various classrooms, conference rooms, and meeting spaces.”
“Installing Alfatron technology was a great solution from an engineering perspective,” Combs added. “Only two ethernet cable runs were needed for each camera—providing power, video, and IP control. We did not need to involve our Electrical Shop and/or external electrical contractors, which saved significant time and money. The combined Alfatron <-> Extron classroom control system integration proved successful, thanks to EWU-Alfatron-Extron engineering collaboration.”
Dave Stewart discussed how the various Alfatron Zoom / HDBaseT / PTZ cameras were deployed. “The Alfatron equipment is used for hybrid distance learning classes, Zoom meetings, live and recorded sessions of professors’ lectures, student presentations, VIP meetings (i.e., Board of Trustees), guest presenters, in-house staff employee training, and more. We implemented 5x, 10x, 20x, and 30x zoom cameras for rooms of various sizes (classrooms, conference rooms, meeting rooms). FOV (Field Of View) was important to factor in during the engineering phase. The 5x cameras were implemented where a wider FOV was needed (primarily front of room cameras). The 10x, 20x, and 30x cameras were implemented where additional magnification was needed.”
Adam Klinger shared his perspective on the Alfatron switchers that were installed, “The ALF-SCK41TS has enabled professors and presenters to quickly share different cameras and camera views. We utilized the IP control of the ALF-SCK41TS to integrate into Extron systems. From the Extron touch panel, we can quickly select to view either the front or back camera or combine the cameras into different views like PIP (Picture in Picture) and Side by Side view—using both front and back cameras. The cameras have location presets which have been helpful for quickly changing views to show different locations in the room, like whiteboards and teaching materials.”
Stewart also discussed how the ALF-TPBK70R HDBaseT receivers were integrated into the systems. “These receivers, along with the HDBaseT cameras, enabled us to eliminate a transmitter and dedicated power at each camera location, all while extending the HDMI video signal longer distances. Our initial testing with USB extenders and cameras was not as successful for long distance runs.”
When designing systems of this size and complexity, questions inevitably arise. Hence, manufacturer support during this crucial period is essential. When queried about the support services Alfatron Electronics provided during this time, Klinger offered the following, “We started looking into different hybrid learning camera solutions and had to find something that was easy, facilitated longer cable/HDMI signal runs, and did not require electricians. One Diversified, a systems integrator EWU frequently uses for projects of all sizes, recommended looking into Alfatron Electronics. Our experience with Alfatron Electronics has been top notch. Kevin Gelman at Alfatron has been invaluable to our process for knowledgeable support and troubleshooting. The support we received during the project, and still receive currently has been consistently fast, friendly, and accurate.”
With the project completed and fully operational, Combs shared these final thoughts regarding EWU’s experience with Alfatron Electronics, “Here at Eastern Washington University, IT and faculty have been very pleased with the Alfatron Electronics equipment. The camera quality and clarity are superb, the equipment is easy to set up and use, and the support has been extraordinary. We are glad we found Alfatron Electronics and will recommend them to anyone.”
To learn more about Eastern Washington University, visit www.ewu.edu.
About Alfatron Electronics
Alfatron Electronics is a manufacturer of innovative products specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the audio-visual market. The products have been developed by people who are driven by excellence and customer satisfaction. Our products are carefully designed to meet our clients’ requirements while providing intuitive operation and ease of installation. Through dedication and attention to detail, we have been able to achieve simplicity while still meeting top industry and consumer standards—making us a leading choice within many industries. To learn more about Alfatron Electronics, visit www.alfatronelectronics.com.
Picture caption: From left to right: Adam Klinger, Carl Combs, and Dave Stewart
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