To: Faculty Currently Teaching in Stiteler B6, B21, B26
From: Al Filreis, Chairman, Provost's Classroom Facilities Review Committee
Date: Monday, September 26, 1994
Copies: Members of the Committee; Stan Chodorow

What follows is a list of the type of equipment to be installed in Stiteler B6 and B21. The list is subject to modification based on the comments of the faculty using the facility this fall. On specific issues (especially the wireless microphone), we particularly seek your advice.

Remember, again: B26 will be wholly renovated next summer.

The original classroom technology plan for Stiteler was prepared with the help of the following members of the faculty, aside from me: Mel Hammarberg, Lee Peachey, Holly Pittman, John Sabini, Craig Saper, and Sally Zigmond. Generally the types and function of components parallel existing installations in A-level DRL and Williams 103-105. I urge you to visit these two high-tech classrooms so that you can get a sense of what transformations can occur. Leidy 10, which will be finished this week, will be almost identical to B6 Stiteler, and you might also wish to look at the Leidy installation after the computers are installed very soon.

By the way, there will be a general training session this Friday afternoon in Leidy 10; faculty users of Stiteler are welcome to attend, as a way of preparing for the Stiteler installation. Please note, however: once Stiteler is set up, special sessions will be set up for that facility, as often as necessary to meet the needs of all faculty who teach there.

Send your comments to "classrooms@ccat.sas.upenn.edu".

Here are those details:

1. NEC 9PG Projector is mounted to the ceiling and replaces the much older, obsolete Sony 1030 projector. The NEC can handle any of the three video standards (NTSC, SECAM and PAL) as well as data from VGA screens. It also has the capacity for displaying signals from workstations.

2. NEC ISS-6010 Switcher controls the NEC Projector and switches all programmed modes. Users in both rooms will not actually use the switcher to direct the projector, but will control the Projector through a remote tethered to the rack.

3. Sony SVO-1610 VCR can play standard VHS tapes as well as S-VHS formats. It will be mounted into the rack under the table in B6 and on the rack in B21.

4A. Gateway P55-66 Pentium computer & NEC 4Fge monitor: The computer will be mounted on the rack, and the monitor and keyboard will be located inside the table. The computer will have an Ethernet connection. Note: if you wish to have particular software installed in this computer, let us know.

In B6, we plan to add a simple mechanism for plugging in portable computers to the projector from the front of the rack. It will probably be located next to the microphone inputs and volume controls.

4B. Macintosh PC8100 with Nec 4Fge monitor: This computer will be located in the equipment closet in B21 and can be rolled out on a cart and plugged into the rack system. The computer will have an Ethernet connection.

5. Elmo Slide Presenter EV638 - The Elmo is a versatile digital camera system that handles slides, transparencies, and 3-dimensional images.

6. Elmo Digital Slide TVR-35G Projector - Next to the presenter in B6 will be this digital slide projector. This unit uses standard slide trays and will project the image on the full screen at the front of the room. There will be a digital slide projector available in B21.

7. 2 Kodak Slide Projectors IIIA and AMX Remote will be located at the back of the room in B6 and B21, and will provide quality slide projection controllable from a wireless remote. The slide projectors will be set in such a way to provide side-by-side comparison. In B6, the slide projectors will have special lenses due to their distance from the screen.

8. RAMSA WP 1200 AMP and BES round speakers - High quality speakers and amplifiers will be installed. The amplifier will its settings preset. Faculty will be able to adjust volume on both channels. The new speakers will be inserted into existing speaker housing in the ceiling and should provide high-fidelity sound. Hard wire inputs from microphones will be provided to the amplification system.

Jakc Abercrombie adds this important note: "Wireless system was rejected due to reliability of such systems. A wireless system can be added if needed. Faculty: Please comment. So far, we here that many of you still favor a wireless system despite its known problems. Such a system can be easily added to the installation. I would not favor removing the hard-wire system, though." Please give us your response to this.