Chinatown goes 5.8 GHz with W-DMX™

In the heart of the West-End of London, where the theatre district meets the start of Chinatown, a complex W-DMX™ system has been installed by Wireless Solution’s UK distributor – White Light.

The brief came in by a UK based lighting consultant. The company was approached by a property management company who is responsible for refurbishing the flats in the Asian district. The request consisted of giving life to Shaftesbury’s buildings during night-time, making the district come to life and attract theatre goers and business people in the area.

The project consisted of lighting eleven buildings along 200 meters, in what is probably one of the most crowded Wi-Fi areas of the city. The use of Wireless was essential to get data across to different blocks of buildings, and to future proof the installation. There will be three phases of this project, the first being lighting the exterior of the first floor, and subsequently the second and third.

WL’s Business Development Manager Jonathan Haynes was involved from the very beginning: “This was a very complex project from a technical perspective: the first survey revealed that it was almost impossible to use 2.4 GHz in the area. We immediately proposed using 5.8 GHz, and helped the consultants with obtaining the necessary licenses needed in the UK”.

On-site there are thirteen W-DMX™ WhiteBox F-1, twelve of which receive data from the central transmitter. “The furthest receiver is located high on the third floor of building 60, about 150 meters away from the transmitter” says Haynes.

The equipment was prepared at White Light HQ, tested and shipped ready to be fitted by the on-site contractors, who easily installed the kit. “The system just worked”, commented Haynes.

The WhiteBox F-1 was the most obvious choice for the project: its dual-band feature was a major advantage to this project, as it will be functional for many years to come. As the boxes were installed in the façade of the building, the IP65 characteristic was exposed to the unpredictable British weather, as well as the dust and residuals created by the high pollution levels of the area.

The system can be seen working between 5pm and 12am every night at Shaftesbury Avenue just by Piccadilly Circus, in Central London.