Cordless Microphone Issues.

[letitrip]

I just got informed they are only selling off the uhf frequencies. All VHF should be alright.

Almost all professional level wireless transmitters are UHF these days. VHF is much more rare and becoming even less common.

BD as far as the quality of the Mic, I'd actually be more concerned about the cheap ones. It's the cheap ones that usually only have one channel that they operate on and cannot switch. The higher quality wireless transmitters typically have a wide range of channels and many have diversity receivers which is also going to significantly reduce any possibility for interference.

Now that being said, given the current technologies being discussed and the overall direction of the talks regarding this situation, I'm not worried about any devices having issues. The FCC and Manufacturers are bending over backward to make sure that current devices aren't affected. Seriously, take a look at some of the recent articles and other documentation coming out of these discussions and I think you'll feel a lot more at ease.

[Bigdog]

175-216 MHz television channels 7 - 13, known as "Band III" internationally
174–216 MHz: professional wireless microphones (low power, certain exact frequencies.

The large technically and commercially valuable slice of the VHF spectrum taken up by television broadcasting has attracted the attention of many companies and governments recently, with the development of more efficient digital television broadcasting standards. In some countries much of this spectrum will likely become available (probably for sale) in the next decade or so (currently scheduled for 2009 in the United States).

These are the VHS bands. This is what all the microphones I have use. They are not rare. And they are the bands that everyone is interested in. If you are too close to a TV broadcasting tower you will get interference.

My microphones have a 1500 foot range.

Will a broadcasted digital signal cause more or less interference?

[letitrip]

175-216 MHz television channels 7 - 13, known as "Band III" internationally
174–216 MHz: professional wireless microphones (low power, certain exact frequencies.

The large technically and commercially valuable slice of the VHF spectrum taken up by television broadcasting has attracted the attention of many companies and governments recently, with the development of more efficient digital television broadcasting standards. In some countries much of this spectrum will likely become available (probably for sale) in the next decade or so (currently scheduled for 2009 in the United States).

These are the VHS bands. This is what all the microphones I have use. They are not rare. And they are the bands that everyone is interested in. If you are too close to a TV broadcasting tower you will get interference.

My microphones have a 1500 foot range.

Will a broadcasted digital signal cause more or less interference?

OK You've said it enough times so out with it. What mics are you using? Neither Sennheiser nor Shure makes a VHF microphone and neither makes a handheld transmitter that advertises anything over about 500ft of range. The only microphone systems I'm aware of with that type of range are bodypack transmitters which operate at about 100mW (Handheld transmitters operate in the range of 30-50mW) and even then the 1400-1600ft range is only outdoors under ideal circumstances, indoors it is about an eighth of that range under ideal line of sight circumstances. Oh and those mics and receivers cost in the 1000's of dollars so not consistent with your $600 range.

Audio Technica makes a couple of very entry level models in VHF, none of them costs more than $300 and none have close to the advertised range you keep touting.

The only other makers I'm aware of that produce VHF wireless systems are Hisonic, Azden, Pyle, Vocopro and Nady. None of whose products could considered "professional level".

So either your Microphones are older models and in which case their a meaningless example of what is rare or not these days or your buying a cheaper brand that isn't professional quality model. Either way, my statement remains true "Almost all professional level wireless transmitters are UHF these days".

So clear up the confusion BD, what Brand and model are you using?

[DanG2006]

Samson also makes VHF microphones- I own two of them and use them in separate systems. Mainly becuse I can't tell the difference between the two enough to use it with my main system.
I won't spend more than I make for a mike that might get dropped by a drunk. Been there and found out the hard way it's just not worth the cost of the mike. I had a nice sennheiser that normally would have costed $499 and it got dropped and now has something loose in the head area of the mike. May eventually get it repaired but won't let anyone but me use it if I do.

[letitrip]

Dan, personally I'm with you. I have Vocopro UHF5800 vocal mics for my singers for the exact same reason. That's the one piece of equipment that leaves my possession and is in the hands of people I don't trust. I also have a Shure SLX with the Beta 87A head however, that's the one that I use and keep aside strictly for my own use.

I did forget about Samson, of course your right but again not what I would call professional grade. Doesn't mean their bad, hell I'm happy with my Vocopro's, but again my point was about professional grade mics (i.e. something you'll see in the hands of a national act).

[Bigdog]

The old Audio Technica micrphones use the VHF band of 174 -216. These were single band (one) frequency units. Unswitchable.

My Shures use the bands below. This is taken off of the box. 572-596 UHF. They are in the TV band width.


512–698 MHz: TV channels 21–51 (channel 34 used sometimes for radar, channel 37 used for radio astronomy)


The 1500 ft range was told to me by the store salesman. So I was going by what he said. The box says 300 ft. That is a football field. Right? That's still pretty far.

It also says that an FCC license may be required.

So I could have some interference with the old microphones. Depending on how powerful and how close the TV transmission tower is, there could be some issues with the Shures too. According to the frequencies listed above. But that's why you want to have multiple frequency microphones.

[letitrip]

Aren't salespeople great?? Yeah 300 foot range is much more typical, and yes for what we do, way more than enough. You're Audio Technica is certainly more likely to have an issue than the Shure (obviously) but the cool thing is the FCC is actually on our side in this. The plans getting the most traction right now all include forcing any new types of devices operating in these frequency ranges to ensure that they don't interfere with existing devices operating in the same range.

For my purposes, I'm not concerned. I'm reasonably comfortable that even my cheap Vocopro's will be fine and I extremely sure my SLX will handle it well.