How to convince the top dog we need new wireless?

[Blah067]

Our facility owns 6 VHF wireless sytems. They work OK...but for a summer event, I want to rent 10 Shure UHFR systems (costing around 1200 dollars).

They will probably try and tell me the VHF work and have worked fine in the past, and won't wanna fork out 1200 bucks. How can I get the money for the rental?

[cdub260]

When it comes to asking the powers that be for money, I find that writing out a detailed and well thought out proposal really helps. Go point by point, detailing the limitations or issues of your current system and how renting the new wireless systems will address those issues. Be as clear and succinct as possible. Make the proposal as detailed as you can while at the same time keeping it simple enough that your technophobic grandmother can understand it. And most importantly, limit your proposal to a single page. I guarantee that the folks who control the purse strings don't want to read through a ten page packet on why you need new toys.

Will this get you what you want?

Maybe. Maybe not. I can tell you though that I have had a very good success rate getting our board of directors to approve expenditures when I write proposals for them.

[CHACHI]

a senior this year wanted to have a sound booth built and he wrote a letter to the superintendent and the principal as well as the crew managers to get this booth... it worked so try writing a letter as well as meet with the decision making people and give good reasons why they should get those mics...

[Blah067]

I guess I need more of a "from a sound standpoint"...WHY these UHFR are so much better?

[cprted]

You need to make sure you are making the distinction between a need and a want. If you can do the show with your existing gear, you don't actually need the rental.

We all want more/better gear, but money doesn't grow on trees and it is up to the PM to ensure that the show gets the most bang out of the always limited bucks. What you need to figure out is not just how the rental will improve things in audioland, but how it will improve the overall production values of the show. Then your PM will have to decide if the tech budget has an extra $1200 dollars, and will renting mics be the best use of that money.

[museav]

I agree, if the existing ones work, then why do you need to rent the UHF-R? Is that the best use of that $1,200 of the production's budget? I'm not saying it isn't justified, but you haven't really presented any justification for it or problems you are trying to address and without that it is probably going to be difficult to convince anyone. So maybe first build your case to us and then we can work from there.

[gafftapegreenia]

Well, I was able to convince the powers that be that we needed new wireless because ours are about to become illegal. Thank you FCC.

[Blah067]

Thats my problem. I don't HAVE a case yet!

That's why I need your help.
About the only arguments I can think up are...

VHF is lower grade and quality.
VHF band is very crowded.
simple stuff like that...no actual arguments at all.

[howlingwolf487]

What problems have you had with your VHF wireless system?

Frequent dropouts? Lack of frequency agility? Noise in the RF transmissions?

List the problems here and we can help you (and potentially the "top dog") see what about a newer system would be advantageous.

Wireless technology has come a long way from VHF and continue to improve.

[museav]

Originally Posted by Blah067

Thats my problem. I don't HAVE a case yet!

That's why I need your help.
About the only arguments I can think up are...

VHF is lower grade and quality.
VHF band is very crowded.
simple stuff like that...no actual arguments at all.

I would actually disagree somewhat with those points, in fact one could argue that due to all the digital TV transition, White Space Device and 700MHz band issues, VHF mics are the least negatively affected and most likely to have more open spectrum in the future. These also seem to be very generic points, can you out together some examples of how they specifically relate to your systems or would negatively affect the production?

At least in my experience, to be successful your case will likely have to address one of two factors; resolving specific existing problems or providing definitive increased performance or functionality. If there are no specific problems with the existing units then that is probably not a good approach, in which case it comes down to improved performance or functionality. What specific performance or functionality do you see being improved? How would it be improved and how would that benefit the production?