April/May 2024 Purchasing Guide - 81

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Audio Excellence
With increasing use of music in athletics
If you've ever been outside on an extremely hot day, you've probably felt the impact of heat index-the combination
of air temperature and humidity that makes you feel hotter than the temperature of the air itself. While this is a useful
indicator for getting a sense of general hot weather conditions, wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) tells a better story
of the effect of heat stress on the human body in a specific environment.
Heat stress is a serious issue for people in a variety of jobs, sports, and recreational activities. Reducing the likelihood
of exertional heat stress can save lives. It all starts with monitoring WBGT.
WHAT IS WBGT?
WBGT isn't as well-known as heat index but it's a more accurate measure
of the heat stress present in the environment. WBGT is a measure
of the heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account: temperature,
humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud cover -- also known as
solar radiation. When compared to heat index, WBGT offers a comprehensive
picture of how location-specific weather conditions can impact
the level of heat stress risk.
WBGT INDEX & ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
WBGT is the preferred method for monitoring heat stress whether it's
for work, competitive sports, recreational activities, or training and conditioning.
" The WBGT index encompasses all of these environmental causes of heat stress into one number that is used to characterize
the potential effects of hot environments on runners. "
-The WBGT Index: A Primer for Road Race Medicine. Endurance and Sports Medicine Fall/Winter 2018; Samuel N.
Cheuvront, PhD, RD, FACSM and Yuri Hosokawa, PhD, ATC.
programs and the need for clear,
easy-to-understand announcements, quality
audio is becoming a priority for athletic
facilities. Octasound speakers provide full,
warm sound that projects in all directions
giving your facility a sound system that delivers
clear announcements and great sounding
music.
For almost 50 years Octasound products have
been designed and built in Canada by a small
group of dedicated pros. Every unit is carefully
tested before leaving the plant.
Recently Octasound introduced the RABX2
Bluetooth and Aux Mixer. This unit fits into a
standard single gang electrical box which can
be flush mounted into a wall or table and is
available with a lockable closure. Operating the
unit is so simple there is no need for training or
even a manual. Simply pair a Bluetooth Class
3.0 device with the RABX2 or plug an MP3
player, laptop, iPod or CD player into the Aux
input and turn up the volume.
HOW WILL WBGT PROTECT ATHLETES FROM
EXERTIONAL HEAT STRESS?
Heat safety starts with monitoring the conditions.
WBGT monitoring is the most effective first step in
preventing exertional heat stress illness. Following
the recommended guidelines for activity modifications
helps to protect athletes and workers.
Depending on the WBGT reading, the actions on
the table to the right should be followed.
HOW TO MONITOR WBGT
Monitoring WBGT is easy and reliable when relying
on Kestrel®
comes down to the following elements:
* Humidity
* Temperature
* Wind Speed
* Sun Angle
* Cloud cover
With a Kestrel weather meter on-site, like the Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker, you can feel confident about monitoring
for heat stress risk and preventing heat-related illness and injuries. All units are reprogrammed with multiple
established national and state guidelines for fast, convenient set up and use: ACSM, NATA, GA, NC, NJ, and VT.
For unbeatable accuracy and reliable readings, rely on Kestrel Heat Stress Trackers for WBGT readings and heat illness
prevention.
Heat Stress Trackers. Measuring WBGT
Late in 2018 we released the new RAAX2
amplifier. This 100 watt miniature amplifier can
be mounted together with an input mixer
selector such as the RAMX2 into a box that fits a
standard double gang electrical box. It's an
amazingly compact and user-friendly system.
The newest addition to our speaker lineup is the
OS2X8, a scaled down version of the company's
OS2X12 Subwoofer. The OS2X8 uses two top
quality eight-inch speakers to provide extra
depth and bass power to the overall sound of
your Octasound system.
The combination of our proven loudspeaker
systems and rugged electronics modules is the
ideal solution for great sound in your facility.
Octasound Speakers are built to handle the
tough conditions present in athletics settings,
such as temperature and humidity fluctuations
and impacts from anything from basketballs to
hockey pucks. The electronics modules are simple
to use, built to last, and immune to the
headaches associated with software based
systems. For more information, visit
www.octasound.com or call 800-567-6282.

http://www.HeatStress.com

April/May 2024 Purchasing Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April/May 2024 Purchasing Guide