Solari board replacement at South Station and Back Bay

[danib62]

DB,

Can't agree with you more on both counts. I hate the pseudo-Solari sound, but the MBTA specified it in the RFP. The automated voice, which is actually a text to voice software application, does sound muffled, primarily because of the way the DSP (digital sound processor) is configured. We're going to try to tweak it a bit, now that it is in use and we can service it, to correct fidelity and volume issues - whether this can improve the pseudo Solari sound or not is doubtful.

(these views are my own and not necessarily those of my employer)

For the love of god please ditch the robo-voice and go back to humans!

EDIT: I just wrote to the top about this and I suggest everyone do so as well.

[Robert Paniagua]

I went thru South Station last night and I was very impressed with the new display board system there plus the new automated train arrival/departures, I like the screens both inside and out on the track level. This is a very positive step forward in the right direction for MBTA and Amtrak so that their customers can see their train status and what-have-you.

Again, a nice system, and it was fully operational, and I could understand the computerized voice, it's just like NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards with this new voice.

[PCC Guy]

I normally take the last train out at 11:59 and I have been watching them assemble this system while waiting. Now that it is working I is pretty inpressive. The clicking noise is anoying though and it does sound like a robot. Next it might say (Run Will Robinson Run.) Ha Ha. Overall it is an other pretty large invesment for Customer Service. They should work the kinks out soon.

[jamesinclair]

Everything working today, but announcements were being made by people. The fake clicking went off alot, but didn't annoy me. I had time to walk around, and noticed a bunch of plasma displays. One in the food court (didnt go up), 3 in the ticket office, one by the information booth and a couple of other random ones.

The outdoor screens were working but I found the size of the station stops to be small.

[Ricky Smith]

Wait are those screens outdoor and exposed to New England weather?!

[e-m00]

Wait are those screens outdoor and exposed to New England weather?!

No, South Station is testing a new invisible climate shield....

[Ricky Smith]

Wait are those screens outdoor and exposed to New England weather?!

No, South Station is testing a new invisible climate shield....

Well I don't know what your level of technical expertise is, however having a LCD screen outdoors unless protected is a bad idea.

[MBTA3247]

Wait are those screens outdoor and exposed to New England weather?!

No, South Station is testing a new invisible climate shield....

Well I don't know what your level of technical expertise is, however having a LCD screen outdoors unless protected is a bad idea.

The track displays are LED screens, which shouldn't have any problems as far as I know. The plasma screen, on the other hand...

[Ricky Smith]

Yeah I was thinking the LED screens should be able to weather it as they're most probably designed for that usage. But the LCD or Plasma screens is what I'm wondering about.

[BW]

Yeah I was thinking the LED screens should be able to weather it as they're most probably designed for that usage. But the LCD or Plasma screens is what I'm wondering about.

Well, Ricky, the TV monitors the LCD displays are replacing are far less suited to the outside climate, in my estimation, and they've ''weathered' the environment pretty well during their tenure. The LCD monitors are actually housed in a very heavy duty cast housing and there is also a PC running Windows XP housed in each one. The things most effected by moisture are in areas designed to provide protection, but only time will tell. ARINC is providing a 5 year warranty, so I hope they have provided product that is durable. Remember that eventually these monitors will be under a 42 story building above the station.

I can tell you the LED signs out at the station platforms are, in some cases, exposed to weather, though ytpically under station canopies when available, but the ones out in the open ( Gloucester and Ipswich as two examples) do OK - they're pretty robust.

[Veristek]

Well, Ricky, the TV monitors the LCD displays are replacing are far less suited to the outside climate, in my estimation, and they've ''weathered' the environment pretty well during their tenure. The LCD monitors are actually housed in a very heavy duty cast housing and there is also a PC running Windows XP housed in each one. The things most effected by moisture are in areas designed to provide protection, but only time will tell. ARINC is providing a 5 year warranty, so I hope they have provided product that is durable. Remember that eventually these monitors will be under a 42 story building above the station.

I can tell you the LED signs out at the station platforms are, in some cases, exposed to weather, though ytpically under station canopies when available, but the ones out in the open ( Gloucester and Ipswich as two examples) do OK - they're pretty robust.

Whoa, what's this about a 42 story building on South Station? I haven't heard anything about this. What will the building be for, when will it be built, what's its design, and so on?

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

Well, Ricky, the TV monitors the LCD displays are replacing are far less suited to the outside climate, in my estimation, and they've ''weathered' the environment pretty well during their tenure. The LCD monitors are actually housed in a very heavy duty cast housing and there is also a PC running Windows XP housed in each one. The things most effected by moisture are in areas designed to provide protection, but only time will tell. ARINC is providing a 5 year warranty, so I hope they have provided product that is durable. Remember that eventually these monitors will be under a 42 story building above the station.

I can tell you the LED signs out at the station platforms are, in some cases, exposed to weather, though ytpically under station canopies when available, but the ones out in the open ( Gloucester and Ipswich as two examples) do OK - they're pretty robust.

Whoa, what's this about a 42 story building on South Station? I haven't heard anything about this. What will the building be for, when will it be built, what's its design, and so on?

they have been talking about building over South Station for years now, a hotel or offices, and nothing more than words has come out of it. When construction finally starts, then I'll believe it.

[Arborway]

Whoa, what's this about a 42 story building on South Station? I haven't heard anything about this. What will the building be for, when will it be built, what's its design, and so on?

Feel free to drop by the 45 page thread underway at the ArchBoston forums.

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

I heard the announcements and the sounds for the first time today at South Station, and I must say I dislike them. They should have kept the old announcers and the new ticking sound, I laughed when I heard it. It sounds terrible

[diburning]

I heard the announcements and the sounds for the first time today at South Station, and I must say I dislike them. They should have kept the old announcers and the new ticking sound, I laughed when I heard it. It sounds terrible

During normal service, they use the automatic announcement, but during rush hours, the announcements are still being done by a person to prevent confusion because the automatic announcement is almost unintelligible.