Technomad DragonFly Instruction Manual

Technomad LLP • Made in USA
www.technomad.com • 800 464 7757
[e-mail]
Owner’s Manual and Operation Guide
DragonFly
All Weather Portable High Power PA System
military.technomad.com

5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com
Technomad DragonFly PA System
Owner's Manual and Operation Guide
Overview
The DragonFly is a full range, PA system designed to provide high quality, battery powered audio
while offering Technomad’s unsurpassed combination of audio quality, product flexibility and
ruggedness. Fully weatherproof, the DragonFly can easily be transported and set up by one per-
son. A molded in stand-mount socket on the bottom of the unit and inserts on the sides for yoke
mounting give the DragonFly a range of deployment options. With a high quality 6.5” neodymium
coaxial driver coupled with a powerful 200W amplifier, the DragonFly is capable of producing high-
ly intelligible audio at 120 dB SPL.
The DragonFly is highly expandable with an available expansion bay for use with a modular ver-
sion of Technomad’s Schedulon MP3 player/recorder, a CD player module, a second wireless mi-
crophone receiveror a audio distribution option, including wireless, Ethernet and twisted pair con-
figurations. Extended operation time is available with an external battery pack option. Whether
you need a self-contained, complete PA unit for field deployment or to expand or build an existing
PA system with additional, compact output units, the DragonFly can meet your requirements.
Physical Construction
The DragonFly has a single piece rotomolded cabinet, making the unit extremely durable. When
the clear hatch covering the upper control surface is closed and latched, the unit is rated IP56.
The hatch should not be left open in rain or snow conditions. The front lid is designed to be re-
moved during operation. Similarly, the access panel for the wireless microphone programming
buttons should not be opened in rain or snow conditions.
The DragonFly now features a PVC grill and high-density polyurethane rear panel. This is to im-
prove the range of the wireless microphone system as metal can impact transmission.
Standard Features
Compact, rugged design
Handheld wireless microphone system
Expansion bay for MP3 player/recorder, CD player, ethernet, twisted pair, or wireless interface
Stand–mount socket on bottom
Threaded inserts for yoke mounting
Low profile handle for easy carrying
Microphone / balanced line level input (parallel waterproof tiny-XLR input)
Unbalanced line audio input (parallel waterproof tiny-XLR input)
Aux. speaker output
AC power input (120-240 VAC)
DC power input (12-24 VDC)
Two way ducking switch
6 hour battery operation, 20 hour stand-by capacity
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5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
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Rear panel overview
1) Microphone/Balanced
Line Input - XLR pins are mic
input, 1/4 TRS pins are bal-
anced line.
2) Line Level Input
3) Expansion Bay Available
installable options include
Schedulon mp3 player/recorder,
CD player, second wireless mi-
crophone system, ethernet in-
terface, wireless interface,
twisted pair interface.
4) Level controls for four
audio sources.
5) Ducking switch This sets
which input (mic or wireless
mic) ducks other inputs
6) Clip indicator
7) Power source LED
Red = Internal battery
Green = external DC
Blue = external AC
8) Battery charger LED
Green = full charge
Blue = charging
Off = charger off
9) Wireless Microphone ac-
cess panel
This panel can be removed to
access microphone controls
for pairing handheld transmit-
ter or changing the broadcast
channel.
10) Power Button
11) Aux. speaker output
Allows a DragonFly expan-
sion unit to be powered from DragonFly
12) DC power input - 12-24VDC power, SwitchCraft 502-L712AS
13) AC power connector - 120-240VAC Neutrik PowerCon
14) Line Level output, sealed - Tiny XLR, 3 pin
15) Mic Input - Tiny XLR, 4 pin
Note: DragonFly is shown without clear protective hatch for audio control surface for clarity.
4
1
2
3
78
9
11
12
13
15
MIC AUX WIRELESS EXP. BAY
MIC IN
LINE IN
POWER
CLIP
INPUT LEVEL CONTROLSAUXILLIARY INPUTS
5
6
SPEAKER OUT
120-240VAC
12-28VDC
14
10
Power Source Battery Charge
OFF - CHARGER OFF
GREEN - FULL CHARGE
Technomad • 800.474.7757 • www.technomad.com • Made in the USA
WIRELESS MIC. PROGRAMMING ACCESS
RED - Internal Battery
GREEN - Ext. 12-28VDC
BLUE - Ext. 110-240VAC
All Weather Portable High Power PA System
BLUE - CHARGING
DragonFly
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5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com
Basic Operation
The DragonFly can be run from the internal battery pack, external 120-240VAC power or external
12-24VDC power. The DragonFly is designed to automatically detect the preferred power source
and to use that source on start-up. The default source is external AC, followed by external DC
then the internal battery back. When the unit is first powered on, the unit will cycle through the power
options to determine which source will be used. If the unit is running from a source that becomes
unavailable, then it will automatically switch over to the next available default power source. If the
unit is running from the internal battery and the battery gets depleted then the unit will simply shut
off.
After the unit is operational, you can set the volume level for whatever audio source you are using
by adjusting the appropriate level control knob on the upper panel of the DragonFly. You can use
all four audio inputs simultaneously.
Clip light - this LED signals when the inputs to the DragonFly are being overdriven. While it is ac-
ceptable for the Clip LED to flicker during operation, the LED should not stay constantly lit. If the
LED is fully lit, all active inputs levels should be reduced until the light is occasionally flickering.
The audio mixer of the DragonFly does incorporate a limiter circuit to reduce clipping.
Wireless Microphone operation
The wireless microphone system integrated into the DragonFly ships with the handheld transmitter
paired to the receiver inside the unit. To start using the wireless system, you can simply take the
handheld unit out of the storage pouch inside the lid and press the power/mute button until the
green light on the mic is on. To mute the microphone, press the button once. When muted, the
indicator on the handheld transmitter should be red. To shut the microphone off, simply press and
hold the button until the light goes off. !
!
If you need to change the channel that the system is using, you will need to access the micro-
phone receiver settings. First, remove the microphone access panel by undoing the two knurled
knobs. You can now see the programming panel of the unit. Press and release the channel but-
ton. This will scan for an available channel and select that channel. Next, turn on the handheld
unit and remove the battery cover by unscrewing the lower part of the handheld transmitter. Point
the base of the unit towards the microphone receiver and press and hold the sync button on the
receiver. Hold the button until the red lights on the receiver and handheld unit stop flashing. The
receiver ready light should now be lit and the system should be set to operate on the new channel.
Re-attach the battery cover on the handheld unit.
!
The operational range of the wireless transmitter is approximately 300’.
Ducking Circuit
The DragonFly has a ducking circuit built into the mixer. This is controlled by the three position
slide switch to the right of the level controls. When the switch is in the top ‘Mic’ position, then all
other audio inputs to the system will be automatically turned down or ‘ducked’ when the wired mi-
crophone is used. When the switch is in the bottom “W. Mic.” position, then all other audio inputs
to the system will be automatically turned down when the wireless mic is used. When the switch is
in the middle ‘off’ position, the circuit is inactive.
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5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
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Battery System
The DragonFly has a 6AH LifePO battery which is charged by the integrated battery charger. De-
pending on the program material being reproduced by the DragonFly, the battery should provide
six plus hours of operational time. The battery charger is a smart charger design, meaning that it
can quickly charge the battery pack to full charge within 3-4 hours without harming the cells. The
unit does need to be on in order for the battery to charge. The DragonFly includes a LVD circuit to
protect the battery from being excessively depleted in the event that the unit is left on indefinitely.
Tiny XLR connectors
There There are two REAN Tiny XLR connectors on the bottom connector panel. One is a mic in-
put which is parallel to the XLR input on the upper mixer panel. The other is a balanced line level
output from the audio mixer, parallel to the amplifier feed. These can be used to connect a mic to
the system without opening the upper protective hatch or to link the DragonFly system to another
audio system.
Line output connector - RT3FCT-B or RT3FC-B-W. Wiring: pin 1= shield, pin 2= signal, pin 3= neg.
Mic input connector - RT4FCT-B or RT4FC-B-W. Wiring: pin 1= shield, pin 2= signal, pin 3= neg.
Note - pin 4 is not used on the mic. connection.
FCT series connectors are threaded and can be locked onto the DragonFly using the threaded
retaining ring on the connector.
Expansion Bay Modules (one module can be installed per system):
Schedulon MP3 player/recorder CD player
Wireless Microphone, lapel system Wireless Microphone, handheld system
Twisted Pair Link Kit Ethernet Link Kit
Wireless Link Kit
Waterproof Headset Mic system
Available Accessories/Options:
Optional color: olive drab, desert sand, white, gray External battery pack (18AH SLA battery)
DragonFly Expansion Unit (aux. loudspeaker) Tripod Stand
Yoke mount DC power cord
Transport Case
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5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com
Troubleshooting
Reset Function: The DragonFly can be reset by pressing and holding the power button for a full 10
seconds then releasing the button. This will reboot the internal controller board and may resolve
charging or power issues.
Problem
Solution
The unit will not power on from battery pack
Check that the battery pack is charged by
connecting the DragonFly to an AC power
source.
No sound is being produced by the unit.
• Check that a working audio source is being
used.
• Check that the appropriate level control has
been turned up. If you are uncertain if a
source is working, set the level control to 12
o’clock to until you have the source working.
• If using the wireless system, is the handheld
transmitter on? Check that the handheld unit
is not muted.
The unit is temporarily shutting off when used.
Check that the input being used is not being
overdriven. The DragonFly audio amplifier
incorporates clipping protection and will
temporarily shut down. Simply turn down the
level control for that source to prevent this
problem from reoccurring
The unit is not charging properly.
Shut the unit off completely and let sit for 15
minutes, then reconnect to AC power to
recharge the battery pack.
Microphone is causing feedback.
Move behind the loudspeakers when
speaking, if possible. If in front of the
loudspeakers keep the ‘live’ end of the mic
(the part you speak into) pointing AWAY from
the loudspeaker.) Switch the mic off when
you’re not speaking through it.
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