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Dockingstations and furniture

5 min readUpdated Nov 2026

The Podcatcher Classic charges and synchronizes in a Dockingstation. This page describes the loose Dockingstation, the ready-made Cabinet Block and Cabinet Tower, and what to keep in mind when you design your own furniture.

Dockingstation

Section titled “Dockingstation”

The Dockingstation is a compact charging and synchronization station for up to 10 Podcatcher Classic devices. You can:

For information and measurements, download the Dockingstation specsheet (PDF).

Cabinet Block and Cabinet Tower

Section titled “Cabinet Block and Cabinet Tower”
UnitCapacityBuild
Cabinet BlockUp to 100 devices10 Dockingstations in one stand-alone unit
Cabinet TowerUp to 300 devices4 Cabinet Blocks: 3 with devices and 1 empty block for the right height

In a Cabinet Block the cables are already connected inside, and the Syncbox sits at the back of the block.

Designing your own furniture

Section titled “Designing your own furniture”

You can design your own (self-service) furniture with loose Dockingstations, or with a Cabinet Block that slides into the furniture. Keep the following in mind.

Capacity

Section titled “Capacity”
  • Plan for the number of devices you need, and leave room for devices you may add later.
  • You receive one Dockingstation per 10 devices.
  • Up to 10 Dockingstations (or one Cabinet Block) connect directly to one Syncbox. One Syncbox serves 100 devices, so larger setups need more Syncboxes. Leave room for them.

Cables and access

Section titled “Cables and access”
  • Each loose Dockingstation has its own USB cable to the Syncbox. Older Dockingstations also have a power adapter. Keep enough space behind the Dockingstations for these cables, and for extension cords where needed.
  • The USB cable from a Dockingstation to the Syncbox is 90 cm long, so the Syncbox must sit close to the Dockingstations.
  • The USB cable also powers the Dockingstation. You cannot use a USB hub to extend it.
  • Place the Syncbox where you can easily reach it, for example to restart it.
  • Make sure you can easily reach the back of the furniture to fix a USB cable, power adapter, extension cord or switch.
  • The whole setup must be connected 24/7 to power and to a wired internet connection.
  • Make sure warm air can escape: the furniture needs enough ventilation.

Height

Section titled “Height”
  • Top row: not too high, or staff cannot see the status lights of the devices.
  • Bottom row: not too low. Every device has a neck lanyard that hangs down while it is docked. Place the lowest row at least 100 cm above the floor. That keeps the lanyards off the floor while children and visitors in a wheelchair can still reach the devices.

Visitor flow

Section titled “Visitor flow”

Think about how many visitors use the furniture at the same time with self-service, and how you guide them. Usually there are two flows: arriving visitors who take out and activate a device, and leaving visitors who return it. Keep these two flows apart.

You can add the four handout symbols from Visitor instructions to your furniture.

Start IDentifiers

Section titled “Start IDentifiers”

Visitors activate a language by pointing their device at a Start IDentifier, so these always sit at or near the distribution point. You can build them into the furniture, or put them on a separate board, for example because of the visitor flow or limited space.

If you build them in, do not place them flat (in a table design) or below the lowest row of Dockingstations (in a wall design). See Installing IDentifiers for more placement advice, including IDentifiers behind glass or in a casing.

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