Small headworn wireless mics

[Chris15]

I have in the back of my mind that you need a licence from OFCOM to run a radio mic in the UK. I don't remember where it comes from, but it would be wise to check. Certainly in chunks of Europe you need a licence and they take enforcement seriously - like drilling through illegal transmitters to stop them working...

[Blah067]

Originally Posted by Chris15

I have in the back of my mind that you need a licence from OFCOM to run a radio mic in the UK. I don't remember where it comes from, but it would be wise to check. Certainly in chunks of Europe you need a licence and they take enforcement seriously - like drilling through illegal transmitters to stop them working...

I sure wish somebody would drill through the illegals at my work so I could buy new ones...stupid cheap-skate district people saying "we won't get caught". That may be so, but they won't work very well...

[doive]

We've been running 2 radio mics for several years (since well before i got here) and i made the assumption they were licensed but i'll now check that out.

The theatre is about 3 miles from the city centre and set in 16 acres of it's own land, so you would have to have some some serious transmitters to break it up. As a matter of being proper however, what is the best way to go about checking for problems, other than applying for a license (would i need to do it to put another mic in?)

Also, it looks like we're going for the MM and Audio Technica ATW-T210 as a solid, but cheap option.
Is that a good idea?

[Studio]

Originally Posted by themuzicman

My 2 Cents:

For Bodypacks/Receivers: Either the Shure SLX or Sennheiser 100G3, both are awesome systems.

I love the SLX's IR port that automatically syncs bodypack to the receiver, it was a handy feature when I used this system on a daily basis.

However, I find the Sennheiser bodypacks to be a bit more rugged and well built.

I agree with Themuzicman we have Shure SLX body packs that stop working until you squeeze them then they magically work. Cost us ~150-200 for two new ones (not exactly sure on prices but it was expensive)

[FortMacTech]

We use any lapel mic with surgical tape to tape it to the jawline and behind the ear. Works great and you can get them in various colors or even paint the cord if necessary. Countryman E6 is my favorite with the AT underear second

[Chris15]

Originally Posted by doive

The theatre is about 3 miles from the city centre and set in 16 acres of it's own land, so you would have to have some some serious transmitters to break it up. As a matter of being proper however, what is the best way to go about checking for problems, other than applying for a license (would i need to do it to put another mic in?)

A few miles is NOTHING... TV transmitters are designed to travel for tens or hundreds of kilometres and they are the most likely thing to cause you issues, beyond interference between your own systems...

I may be wrong on the licensing thing - probably your best bet would be to check with your local supplier or contact someone like Shure or Sennheiser in the UK. Or ring Brit Row or someone like that you regularly uses RF at a professional level and just ask. OFCOM's website seems to be difficult to find answers on...

[Soundrew]

I have had great results with the AT microsets. They now have a newer model that is even smaller that I have not used yet but the AT892 was very natural sounding and, coming in several colors, relatively low profile. I also use the Countryman E6 sometimes and have good results with them too (although cable failures seem more frequent). As for lavs, I use the AT 800 series and do wig and hair mounting.

As for radios, make sure you assess TV stations in your area and coordinate frequencies between units. Just because two units are on different frequencies doesn't mean they wont interfere with one another. Most manufacturers have compatability software that can assess your frequency choices and tell you if they are compatibile. Good luck.

[doive]

I've done a quick check around with our current equipment and i'm not having any interference issues so i think it should be alright to run without any major issues.

I also checked with the university who have licenses for 6 frequencies within all university buildings so i just need to hop on one of them :D

Thanks very much for all your help guys!