Wireless Rackmount Transmitter/Receiver set???

tech2000

Active Member
I am trying to set up an audio feed to our greenroom as well as to our lobby and was wondering if there were any wireless transmitter and receiver sets that were both rackmount or had a power supply on each end that plugs into the wall. I have been using wireless mic packs for transmitting and their receivers to pick up the audio, but it eats batteries very quickly.
The reason I ask is because I want this set up to be somewhat permanent so I can leave it in place and worry about running cables or replacing batteries.
I know this may be a strange question, but any info would help me a ton!
Thanks!
 
Have you thought about an FM transmitter in the FM broadcast band? These are allowed to operate unlicensed with very low power under the FCC part 15.

An extra benefit to this arrangemant would be that the hard of hearing could bring along their fm & earphones and hear the program with ease!

Ask if you want more information or recommendations.

D
 
Alternatively, you might look at a transmitter for IEM duty and a matching-series receiver (sold for microphone duty). That ought to work.

Broadcast-band stuff would work too, as would an ALS transmitter and some sort of receiver tuned there.

How impossible is copper? Copper is cheaper than radio, and usually more reliable too.
 
Alternatively, you might look at a transmitter for IEM duty and a matching-series receiver (sold for microphone duty). That ought to work.

Um... consider one small impediment. IEM feeds in many cases are stereo and few mic receivers are. Thus with the same carrier frequency, you may not pick up audio because you can't be sure where the 2 audio signals are being modulated onto the carrier.

You seem to be violating the golden rule, use copper wherever you can, FAR less room for error.

You might find some of the 2.4 gig AV sender stuff works for what you want, but then you are relying on the fickle beast that is 2G4.

Alternate options include dummy batteries for your beltpack - transmitter or IEM receive, or wiring a power cable straight onto the board, but the warranty will likely void if you do that. If outside the US, one could consider the Shure UR1H transmitter, if you are in the league of R series in terms of budget and need. The 1H has an external power socket and requires RF licencing in most jurisdictions because of a 250mW transmit power.
 
What is your budget? Lectro IEM transmitters are 100% compatible with their mic receivers.
 
If your theatre has an assistive listening system and the transmitter is RF (as opposed to infrared), many of the system manufacturers offer AC powered receivers. They are often used in church nurseries and listening rooms. I've used three tabletop powered receiver/speakers to provide program audio to dressing rooms for seven years & they work very well. Systems operating in the 72-76 mHz band with an external antenna attached to the transmitter seem to work very well in a large concrete & steel building. I've never tried this, but you might be able to pick up the transmission with a consumer scanner-type receiver locked onto your transmit frequency. Doing so would have the advantage of an audio out jack to feed external amps and speakers. Most of the assistive listening tabletop receivers I've seen don't have audio out.

If changing batteries is your concern & you want to keep using what you've got, pick up an AC to DC power supply at an electronics store. You'll also find all the necessary adapters for hook up. 9 volt would be the easiest to connect, but as Chris15 suggested, a dummy battery pack would be easy enough to put together for equipment using AA batteries.

I would steer clear of 2.4 gHz equipment. You will not get sufficient range if you need to transmit any distance through concrete & steel and you'll likely get all sorts of interference if there's WiFi or cordless phones in your building.
 
Um... consider one small impediment. IEM feeds in many cases are stereo and few mic receivers are. Thus with the same carrier frequency, you may not pick up audio because you can't be sure where the 2 audio signals are being modulated onto the carrier.

I thought they used the conventional pilot-tone stereo, where the 'baseband' modulation is L+R and the 19k subcarrier contains the L-R difference signal. If so, it is completely compatible, presuming both are same deviation and use same companding circuits.

But yes, use copper unless you absolutely can't.
 
Shure's website has tons of information on this...

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Point-to-point wireless. And they actually "advise" how to do it and what products to use.

Personally, I'd use an IEM (I've actually rented my 1400 dollar system out to a guy who wanted to use it for a lobby feed once). PSM systems employ higher power output, and could be better if line-of-sight isn't perfect. Wireless mics do have the advantage of diversity, but if both ends are in a stationary spot, there's not a high need for diversity.

But like others have said, use copper if possible.
 
I thought they used the conventional pilot-tone stereo, where the 'baseband' modulation is L+R and the 19k subcarrier contains the L-R difference signal. If so, it is completely compatible, presuming both are same deviation and use same companding circuits.

But yes, use copper unless you absolutely can't.

One notes in the Shure stuff linked that to use a PSM700 TX and an SLX RX, you have to crack open the receiver and short a nominated jumper to bypass the tone key squelch...

Diversity is useful if you can't get your system up high and risk having punters disrupting the RF propagation...
 
I would definitely try it before investing in a wireless solution. When going between rooms the results can be very dependent upon the intervening construction and any interfering RF sources. If you have to go through masonry walls and stud walls and reinforced concrete floor slabs, etc. then the practical transmitter to receiver distance may be limited. Having spaces like Mechanical or Electrical Rooms or elevators or large vertical trunk ducts directly in the path can also affect the results. So unless both spaces are fairly short and direct paths, you might want to verify a wireless solution is practical before committing to it.

You could also potentially end up dealing with situations where outside groups or vendors bring in wireless gear that conflicts with your wireless systems, especially if using IEM systems, and having to verify the operation and retune your systems if necessary seems to get away from the idea of not having to worry about it.
 
You could also potentially end up dealing with situations where outside groups or vendors bring in wireless gear that conflicts with your wireless systems, especially if using IEM systems, and having to verify the operation and retune your systems if necessary seems to get away from the idea of not having to worry about it.

IMO, it should be the responsibility of the traveling group to avoid the frequencies already in use by the venue...
 
IMO, it should be the responsibility of the traveling group to avoid the frequencies already in use by the venue...

You can argue whose responsibility it is all day long, but in order for it function correctly, (and hence be reliable), you should have a set of frequencies you know it will work on (at least 3). Also, if you are dealing with wireless in house, and a touring group also has wireless units, this should be brought up and dealt with in advance as opposed to just assuming it is dealt with by the incoming group. How many time have we all seen a group just assume that their frequencies will work, do no homework to see it they are ok, and they end up being burnt when a wireles MC mic is turned on at the last minuet, or something of the like.

~Dave
 
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You can argue whose responsibility it is all day long, but in order for it function correctly, (and hence be reliable), you should have a set of frequencies you know it will work on (at least 3). Also, if you are dealing with wireless in house, and a touring group also has wireless units, this should be brought up and dealt with in advance as opposed to just assuming it is dealt with by the incoming group. How many time have we all seen a group just assume that their frequencies will work, do no homework to see it they are ok, and they end up being burnt when a wireles MC mic is turned on at the last minuet, or something of the like.

~Dave

Point taken. I agree, you do need SEVERAL freqs that will work. It should be coordinated ahead of time. But the traveling group should be scanning and checking for interference and bad freqs long before they come, as we all know TV stations aren't all the same nationwide (how easy would that make things?). I'm not trying to argue, but I truly believe the freqs of a house system shouldn't be changed based on a traveling groups freqs (unless of course, they have fixed freq systems and ahead of time they make that clear, and any good traveling group won't have fixed freqs systems).

Whenever I take MY wireless gear into another venue, I always do a TV channel check (including all LP, TX, etc in the area) as well as contacting their sound people, and seeing what frequencies they already have in use.

I think this is kind of a courtesy thing.
 
I agree with you 100%. I think we are on the same page here. My point is that one should never count on them doing it. And it is always helpful to have a back up plan for them.

~Dave
 
...as we all know TV stations aren't all the same nationwide (how easy would that make things?).

Not very easy at all, because it would create free spectrum and we all know that can only mean auction time...:twisted:
 
Not very easy at all, because it would create free spectrum and we all know that can only mean auction time...:twisted:

Good point. It's too bad the FCC won't give us users of professional wireless audio gear some spectrum of our own. Or at least some rights in the stuff we use now...
 
Good point. It's too bad the FCC won't give us users of professional wireless audio gear some spectrum of our own. Or at least some rights in the stuff we use now...

You know the easy solution to that one right?
Move to a jurisdiction that recognises wireless audio as a specturm user and has relevant licencing arrangements in place. Say Australia :grin:.

Think about it for a moment thou... you want your own spectrum. Right, how much spectrum do you need? Take somewhere like Broadway or Vegas, you'll need a fairly big chunk of the spectrum to give everyone intermod free performance...
 
I know, which I why I don't see an issue (beyond the obvious) with having pro wireless users operate in non-active TV areas. Even if that got legally recognized (beyond "secondary users"), I'd be happy. If that could be protected, I'd be happy. I'm not asking for an entirly new spectrum of space. Just some PROTECTION from white space devices (more than they have now). The problem is it doesn't seem to be a big priority for the government.

Just out of curiosity, how much spectrum does Australia give wireless user, and what are the basics of their regulations, (or a link to the specifics)?
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