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Pushbutton-integrated speakers
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Glossary
 
Pushbutton-integrated speakers

Specifications for pushbutton-integrated speakers
Engineering drawings should show the location and orientation of the pushbutton and speakers of pushbutton-integrated devices.

Sound dispersion from pushbutton-integrated speakers
The speaker is usually built into the pushbutton-integrated device. Different devices have slightly different speaker locations, which may affect the volume settings and mounting of the device.

If possible, particularly in a location with audible beaconing, the devices should have speakers oriented toward the street as well as the sidewalk and pedestrian waiting location. Beaconing is unlikely to be successful when provided by a device without speaker openings on the curb side. The addition of a pedhead-mounted speaker may need to be considered in that situation; some manufacturers sell optional add-on speakers. One manufacturer provides baffles for use to control direction of sound, when needed.

Photos of speaker grilles on different devices
Speaker grilles may be on the side of the device (left), on the back near the pole (middle), or on the front and side of device (right).

H-frame for pushbuttons
An H-frame is used for mounting pushbuttons in some northwestern states. Some APS devices will not work properly when mounted in that configuration. The type of device and location of speaker components should be considered. The arrow of the APS is often part of the pushbutton and will not be oriented properly in the H-frame. In addition, the design of the frame makes it difficult to hear the sound of the locator tone from both the approach direction and the crossing direction.

It can be helpful for pedestrians who are blind to hear the locator tone as they complete their street crossings (the WALK indication is seldom still sounding by that time). In this type of mounting, the pushbutton locator tone is not audible from the street because the speaker is aimed back toward the building line.
The speaker for the locator tone is oriented toward the building line, rather then toward the street [in the location shown in the photo, the walk indication comes from an overhead speaker]; and

One of the arrows points toward the pole and the other device, as well as toward the street, but it would be hard to use the arrow for direction when standing on the sidewalk side of the pole.

If two pushbutton-integrated APS in H-frames are mounted on a single pole, they will provide ambiguous WALK indications because the APS closest to each crosswalk will be indicating the perpendicular crosswalk, not the closest crosswalk.

Drawings: Location of pushbutton-integrated devices and speakers
The drawings on the following pages illustrate proper and improper positioning of pushbutton-integrated devices and speakers.

Ideal placement of APS
Ideal placement for pushbutton-integrated APS.

Acceptable placement of APS
Acceptable placement for pushbutton-integrated APS.

Acceptable placement of speakers when separation cannot be achieved
Acceptable placement for pushbutton-integrated APS, retrofit only, if APS cannot be separated. Need speech Pushbutton information message and walk message to prevent ambiguity.

Acceptable placement for retrofit only
Acceptable placement for pushbutton-integrated APS, retrofit only, if APS cannot be separated. Need speech Pushbutton information message and walk message to prevent ambiguity.

Unacceptable placements of speakers
Unacceptable placement for pushbutton-integrated APS
(provice ambiguous information).

Unacceptable placement
Unacceptable placement for pushbutton-integrated APS
(not reachable from level all-weather surface).

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