So the FCC has approved white space devices, but with a number of restrictions. They have not posted the Second Report and Order, which will contain all of the gory details. I'm going to hold off discussing this until the 2nd R&O comes out because there's no
point in speculating.
What I CAN say is that we can do things to protect ourselves, no matter what the FCC does. In no particular order, here are some suggestions to improve performance (with or without white space devices):
- Move your antennas closer to the
stage, preferably right off
stage. Use good, low-loss
coax to get the signal to your receivers (LMR-240, LMR-400,
etc).
- Use directional
gain antennas, such as an LPDA ("shark-fin").
- If you are replacing your systems, look for systems with good RF receivers. Specs to look for are RF
Dynamic Range (>100 dB is good), RF Sensitivity (no more than 2 µV or -100
dBm for 12 dB SINAD),
Image Rejection (>80 dB), Spurious Rejection (>80 dB), Ultimate Quieting (>100 dB). Also look for information on the front-end and IF filtering the
system uses. Many manufacturers do not spec this information, but it is critical for good RF performance. If you can afford it, buy receivers with
tracking filters.
- Make sure your frequencies are coordinated, to avoid causing interference to yourself.
- If needed, put a front-end filter ahead of the receivers to further
block noise. In some cases, you may need to use narrower ones if your receivers are spread over a wide band.
I'm sure I'll come up with more later.