Logitech Mic Pod Pendant Mount Configuration Guide

MIC POD PENDANT MOUNTS VS SURFACE MOUNTING

Adding Mic Pods to a Rally Bar, Rally Bar Mini, or Rally video conferencing system extends the flexibility of the system to accommodate larger rooms. The built-in microphones in Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini both support a mic pickup range up to 7 meters (23 feet). However, adding more microphones can be beneficial in certain situations and room configurations, including rooms with U-shaped tables or especially long tables.

When adding Rally Mic Pods to a meeting space, you may choose to mount them on the table or directly in the ceiling for a clean install. Adding pendant mounts expands your options even further for rooms with atypical configurations.

Logitech Mic Pod Pendant Mount allows you to hang Rally Mic Pods in rooms with tall ceilings, rooms with tables that can't have mics attached, and rooms with unique setups. Hanging mics from the ceiling helps ensure everyone can be heard equally even in your largest spaces.

RECOMMENDED USES OF MIC POD PENDANT MOUNTS

Mic Pod Pendant Mounts are strongly recommended when mounting mic pods to table surfaces is not feasible and ceilings are too high. For high ceilings, pendant mounts bring mics closer to the participants for optimal performance. Another situation where pendant mounts are ideal could be a meeting room with a unique furniture configuration; for example, a room with movable tables, a room with couches, or a standing meeting space with high ceilings.

With the Pendant Mounts, sound will be comparable to Mic Pods mounted to the table or ceiling, but room acoustics can vary due to room layout, furniture, wall materials, etc. For these reasons, Logitech recommends that you always test the Mic Pod configuration before permanent installation.

In summary, the Mic Pod Pendant Mount is recommended in, but not limited to, the following situations:

• When in-table mounting isn't desirable
• When ceiling height is greater than 3 meters (10 feet)
• In modular meeting spaces - meeting spaces with tables that move around and spaces that lack permanent seating
• In rooms that lack furniture or that feature unusual configurations; for example:
  • A brainstorming room with limited table space
  • A lecture hall that lacks traditional mounting surfaces

TYPICAL CONFIGURATIONS AND RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES

For the optimal number of Rally Mic Pods for a given space and optimal Mic Pod placement, refer to the Rally Mic Pod Placement Guide.

Generally, Logitech recommends that Mic Pods be placed a maximum of 3.6 meters (12 feet) from the Video system, and a maximum of 2.4 meters (8 feet) from other Mic Pods. Again, refer to the guide for layout specifics and examples. When using Mic Pod Pendant Mounts, Logitech recommends the maximum height of the mic pods from participants be no more than 2 meters (6.5 feet).

For a meeting room where participants are seated and using a Pendant Mount, Logitech recommends a maximum hanging distance measuring 2.7 meters (9 feet) from the floor to the grill surface of the Mic Pod. This will ensure maximum voice pickup of participants in the room. Greater distances from the floor could compromise pickup performance.

In a meeting rooms where participants are standing and no seating, Logitech recommends having the Mic Pods at a height of 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) measuring from the floor to Mic Pod grill. Anything higher will impact performance negatively.

* Measured from the floor to the Mic Pod grill

For an easy formula for knowing how far you can hang a Mic Pod:

D = 2.6 meters - H

Where H is the total hanging height of the Mic Pod in meters, and D is the total distance from the Mic Pod connection point (the plug of the Mic Pod) to the ceiling rose.

Figure 1 - A Mic Pod with Pendant Mount. In this image, the mic pod cable is connected to a Mic Pod Extension Cable, which is connected to Rally Bar Mini under the TV. Note: Image not to scale.

For any configuration with a Mic Pod Pendant Mount, a Rally Mic Pod Extension Cable is recommended. Without the Extension Cable, configuration options are limited as Mic Pod cables are 2.9 meters (9.6 feet) in length.

Figure 2 - Two Mic Pods with Pendant Mounts. Both Mic Pods are connected to a Mic Pod Hub, and the Mic Pod Hub is connected by a Rally Mic Pod Extension Cable. Mic Pods are spaced 2.4 meters (8 feet) apart, with the Mic Pod Hub in the middle to maximize cable usage. Note: Image not to scale.

For a room with two Mic Pods with Pendant Mounts, any configuration will require a Rally Mic Pod Extension Cable and a Rally Mic Pod Hub. When placing a Mic Pod Hub between Mic Pods, it's recommended that you locate the Mic Pod Hub centrally between Mic Pods to get the most pick up coverage by the Mic Pods. Using maximum spacing as noted before (2.4 meters or 8 feet between Mic Pods), the maximum length that Mic Pods can be hung will be 1.3 meter (4.2 feet) from the ceiling tile to the Mic Pod in the Pendant Mount.

If more length is needed to bring the Mic Pods closer to the participants, the Mic Pods will need to be placed closer together. For example, if 2 Mic Pods need to be hung to 1.8 meters (6 feet) from the ceiling, this means that you have 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) of spacing between the Mic Pods. This also means that the Hub needs to be placed 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) from a Mic Pod.

When connecting three or more Mic Pods, more Mic Pod Hubs are required. Assuming an evenly distributed setup of Pendant Mounts, use the following formula to determine how many Mic Hubs you will need:

Number of Rally Mic Pods ÷ 2 = number of Mic Pod Hubs needed (rounding down)

For example:

• 6 Mic Pods require 3 Mic Pod Hubs
• 5 Mic Pods require 2 Mic Pod Hubs

For more than two Mic Pods in a linear configuration, more Mic Pod Hubs or another Extension cable will be required as it is not possible to daisy chain Mic Pods in Pendant Mounts. For adding a third Mic Pod in a configuration using Rally Bar/Rally Bar Mini, an extra Extension Cable could be used, as noted in the image below. For a Rally Bar system with four Pendant Mounted Mic Pods, the third and fourth Mic Pods will need to be connected a second Mic Pod Hub and second Extension cable, respectively. If the room is using a Rally/Rally Plus system, one Mic Pod Hub will be needed for each additional pendant mounted Mic Pod. Meaning, for two extra Mic Pod in Pendant Mounts, two Mic Pod hubs will be needed, and so forth.

Figure 3 - Three Mic Pods with Pendant Mounts. The first two Mic Pods are connected to a Mic Pod Hub, and the Mic Pod Hub is connected by a Rally Mic Pod Extension Cable to a Rally Bar/Rally Bar Mini system. The third Mic Pod is connected to the Mic Pod Hub with an Extension Cable. Mic Pods are spaced 2.4 meters (8 feet) apart, with the Mic Pod Hub in the middle of the first two Mic Pods to maximize cable usage. Note: Image not to scale.

Again, when considering the maximum number of Mic Pods and/or Mic Pod Hubs you'll need when designing a space, refer to the Rally Mic Pod Placement Guide for more guidance.

ACCESSORY SPECIFICATIONS

Rally Mic Pod Extension Cable

A 10 meter (33 feet), plenum- and ECA-rated cable that allows Mic Pods to be placed farther away from the video bar. Up to two Extension Cables can be used with Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini, and one can be used with Rally and Rally Plus.

• With Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini, the two Extension Cables can be placed anywhere in the sequence of Mic Pods and Extension Cables.
• With Rally and Rally Plus the Extension Cable must be connected to the table hub.

Rally Mic Pod Hub

Includes three connectors and a 2.9 meter (9.5 feet) cable that provides installers the flexibility to customize microphone placement.

Note: Rally Bar supports one Mic Pod Hub and two Mic Pods. Rally Bar Mini supports one Mic Pod Hub and one Mic Pod. With Rally and Rally Plus, seven Mic Pod Hubs and seven Mic Pods can be used.