Technomad Firefly Owner's Manual And Operating Instructions

FireFl

y

TACTICAL PA SYSTEM

TM

Owner’s Manual and Operation Guide

Technomad LLP • Made in USA

military.technomad.com • 800 464 7757

[e-mail]

Technomad FireFly Tactical Micro PA System

5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA

Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

TM

Owner's Manual and Operation Guide

Overview

The FireFly is a self-casing, portable PA unit designed to meet the requirements of a man pack PA
system while offering Technomad’s unsurpassed combination of audio quality, product flexibility
and ruggedness. Fully weatherproof, the FireFly can easily be transported and set up by one per­son. Compact and rugged, the FireFly can easily fit in an ALICE pack or similar large rucksack. A
molded in stand-mount socket on the bottom of the unit and inserts on the sides for yoke mounting
give the FireFly a range of deployment options. With a powerful compression driver coupled with
a highly efficient horn, the FireFly is capable of producing highly intelligible audio at 125 dB SPL.

The FireFly is highly expandable with an available expansion bay for use with Technomad’s Su­perConductor MP3 player/recorder, a CD player module, a second wireless microphone or a

TM

Link Kit interface, including wireless, Ethernet and twisted pair configurations. Extended operation
time is available through either internal or external battery pack options. Whether you need a self­contained, complete PA unit for field deployment or to expand or build an existing PA system with
additional, compact output units, the FireFly can meet your requirements.

Physical Construction

The FireFly 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 removed
during operation. Similarly, the access panel for the wireless microphone programming buttons
should not be opened in rain or snow conditions.

Standard Features

Compact, rugged design
Handheld wireless microphone system
Expansion bay for MP3 player/recorder, CD player, ethernet, twisted pair, or wireless interface
Storage pouch in lid for power cords, microphone
Stand–mount socket on bottom
Threaded inserts for yoke mounting
Low profile handle for easy carrying
Microphone input
Line audio input
Aux. speaker output
AC power input (120-240VAC)
DC power input (12VDC)
4 hour battery operation, 20 hour stand-by capacity

Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com

FireFly rear panel overview

5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA

Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Technomad LLP • 800.474.7757 • military.technomad.com • Made in the USA

FireFly

TACTICAL PA SYSTEM

WIRELESS MIC. PROGRAMMING ACCESS

Power Charge

GREEN = FULL CHARGE

RED = CHARGING

WIRELESS

MIC LINEEXP. BAYMIC IN LINE IN

INPUT LEVEL CONTROLSAUXIlLLIARY INPUTS

AC/BATT.

ON

EXT. DC

ON

OFF

120-240v AC 12v DC

Expansion Bay

4

1

2

3

5

6

7

8

10

11

12

1) Expansion Bay Available installable options include SuperConductor mp3 player/recorder, CD
player, second wireless microphone system, ethernet interface, wireless interface, twisted pair interface.

2) Microphone input

3) Line level audio input

4) Level controls for four
audio sources.

5) Power indicator LED

6) Battery charger indicator

Green = full charge
Red = charging

This panel can be removed to
access microphone controls for

7) Microphone access panel

pairing handheld transmitter or
changing broadcast channel.

8) Aux. speaker output Allows
a FireFly expansion unit to be
powered from FireFly

9) AC power connector

Amphenol 10SL-3P.
120~240VAC

10) On/Off switch

Left= on from battery or AC
Center= off
Right= run from external DC

11) DC power connector

Amphenol 10SL-4P. 12VDC

Note: FireFly is shown without clear protective hatch for audio control surface for clarity.

Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com

Basic Operation

5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA

Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

The FireFly can be run from the internal battery pack, external 120-240VAC power or external
12VDC power. To operate the unit from the battery pack or external AC, flip the power switch to
the left position. The unit can operate while the battery is being charged, but the time needed to
achieve a full charge may be longer than if the unit was not being used during the charge period.
To operate the unit off of 12VDC external power, flip the switch to the right position. Note that the
FireFly cannot be charged from external DC power.

Note: when the unit is first powered on, it will take 15-20 seconds to initialize.

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 FireFly. You can use all
four audio inputs simultaneously.

Wireless Microphone operation

The wireless microphone system integrated into the FireFly 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 micro­phone 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 but­ton. 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’.

Battery System

The FireFly has a 5AH NiMH battery which is charged by the integrated battery charger. Depend­ing on the program material being reproduced by the FireFly, the battery should provide up to four
hours of operational time. If the battery has become fully discharged, it may be necessary to
power the unit off for 5-10 minute to allow the battery pack to recover sufficiently for the battery
charger to optimally recharge it. The battery charger is a smart charger design, meaning that it
can quickly charge the battery pack to full charge within 1-2 hours without harming the cells.

Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com

Troubleshooting

Problem

Solution

The unit will not power on from battery pack

Check that the battery pack is charged by
connecting the FireFly 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
oʼclock 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 FireFly 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.

5 Tina Drive, South Deerfield, MA 01373 USA

Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Expansion Bay Modules (one module can be installed per system):

SuperConductor MP3 player/recorder CD player
Wireless Microphone, lapel system Wireless Microphone, handheld system
Twisted Pair Link Kit Ethernet Link Kit
Wireless Link Kit

Available Accessories/Options:

Optional color: olive drab, desert sand, white, gray External battery pack (14AH SLA battery)
FireFly Expansion Unit (aux. passive loudspeaker) Tripod Stand
Yoke mount DC power cord

Email: [e-mail] Web: http://www.technomad.com