wireless clear com??

[Van]

Um no wireless com is not licensed by the licensed by the FCC.

They just like wireless mics are not licensed. CB radios on the other hand are.

I would love to know where you get your information Sharyn?

JH

Most wireless systems are not licensed. Typically handhelds ie Motorola, type walkie talkie with the cool mic / speaker setup are licensed on the Commercial band as they are very powerful and often used in "Mission Critical" apllications. Wireless "clear com" types are usually not licensed. So depending on who and where you are and who might have setup your original systems it is possible that you might be using Licensed frequencies.
Like Sharyn said Blanket statements are a bad thing, but I'll stick by my guns on this one. Most wireless mic systems are operating ion the 800 Mhz range wireless clear com operates in the 440 - 740 Mhz range the possiblity of interference is simply not possible. Now there might be a case where some Bizarre set of circumstances causes a harmonic to be picked up in a seperate frequency, but those sorts of things are usually taken care of in the stepping of the operating ranges, or channel, frequencies.

I didn't mean to start an argument when I responded to lighttecchie with my " do the research and think about your answer." statement. It simply sounded, to me as if he was making an extremely un-informed statement, and judging by Koncepts response this un-informed opinion seemed to makes sense, That's not ok. While I hate to deal in generallities, genereally, sometimes we have to do that. It's like the Genie lift/harness thing. Should you always wear a hraness when in a genie ? , Yes. Do I always where a harness when in a genie ?, No. I apply the same logic here. It it possible that, if you set your transmiter up then run the DMX line out of the lightboard and loop it around the antenna, that it might just generate spome spurious voltage onthe dmx line that might be interpreted by the digital decoder as a possible data signal thus resulting in a intermittent flicker ? Yes it is possible, Likely ? No.
Hey I've made blanket statements without checking facts before. Like how I used to always Hate Apple computers, Then I was forced to use one for a while and realized how wrong I was. I detest Macintoshes, but I was wrong in my original statement because I was not truly expirienced.

 

[Van]

Um no wireless com is not licensed by the licensed by the FCC.

They just like wireless mics are not licensed. CB radios on the other hand are.

I would love to know where you get your information Sharyn?

JH

Oh yeah one other thing, CB radios are not licensed anymore, that restriction was removed sometime prior to 1979 I know, I have a license from 1974.

 

[jonhirsh]

Ah good thing time to break out the old CB's then
JH

 

[SHARYNF]

Um no wireless com is not licensed by the licensed by the FCC.
They just like wireless mics are not licensed. CB radios on the other hand are.
I would love to know where you get your information Sharyn?
JH

If you look at http://www.beltpack.com/half-duplex.htm the Icom UHF FM repeater the IC FR4000 Is licensed. The systems that use the standard walkie talkies are not. If you are in an area with a fair amount of radio traffic in the unlicensed bands, typically you need to move to the UHF FM system. It is not like the wireless mics, specifically because the people who were putting these systems together did not want to interfere with wireless mics, and monitor systems> I think if you look carefully you will see that mics typically in the us START above the 400 mhz bands that the FM repeaters use. Also the the power level can make a difference also

Here is another link, http://www.motorolacomparables.com/thumbnail.asp?offset=0&deep=1&cat_id=144
Also keep in mind that some bands are ok for personal use only and NOT business use. It is a lot more complex than many people might guess. Are you likely to get caught, probably not, but then again, most of the time it is a paperwork deal and a small fee.

Main advantage is that the FCC then checks to see if anyone else is using the same frequency, so you can avoid getting someone's radio traffic over you intercom.

I get my information from experience, usually knowing the products and then checking the specs ;-)



Sharyn

 

[gafftaper]

Back to the original topic...

Has anyone used EarTec's add on wireless Clear Com? (WWW.EARTEC.COM) They've got a cool adapter that simply plugs into any Clear Com jack and sends a signal to a transmitter. The system also works without the Clear Com system as an independent full duplex walkie talkie system with a 1/4 mile range. The sales rep at LDI said you can get a complete set including three headsets and belt packs for about $2200. I was pretty impressed.

Anybody actually used them?

 

[jonhirsh]

Sharyn,
These are the units we use. As well i have used multiple other ones all with no license. I find Clear Com products are most standard though.

http://www.clearcom.com/Products/wireless/wireless_index.html

"Operates above the UHF band; license-free in over 100 countries"


Your not the only one who knows there products.
JH

 

[SHARYNF]

Jon
I agree that the Clearcom product operates above the UHF Band, as they state and does not require licensing. And it is a great product, and was certainly designed with all these issues right from the start.

The issue here, as I understood it, was taking an existing clearcom system and adding wireless functions to it. In this situation, some of the add ons are non licensed, some are, and as I mentioned above, the licensed versions have an advantage of typically not having anyelse on the same frequency.

My experience has been where groups decide to add a few wireless stations, use the conversion to walkie talkie, and find that in reasonably busy radio traffic areas, that it does not work well, since there is traffic from other users in the geographic location, and the intercom traffic is also being broadcast externally. TYPICALLY, you wind up using wireless intercom to get to those areas in a facility that are out of the normal path, and so you wind up with either the need for higher power radio, or antenna in wierd places, which make the problem worse.

Granted it is a hassle of some sorts, but the licensed units, after you go thru the hoops can be a good alternative, since the whole benefit of licensing is to get the frequency that you are using clear for use.

It is also a situation today as has been mentioned elsewhere, that the very bands that are being used for wireless mics etc, are possibly going to be under attack from new legislation changing what frequencies can and cannot be used, and how much control is there.

Sharyn

 

[Eboy87]

A quick slighty askew question. Anybody know what their prices for the handsets are? I couldn't find any, then again, it's been a trying day, and my eyes are going cross-eyed.

 

[Van]

A quick slighty askew question. Anybody know what their prices for the handsets are? I couldn't find any, then again, it's been a trying day, and my eyes are going cross-eyed.

Double check the production intercom website. They offer two versions of handsets, both keyed and non-keyed options.
BTW it doesn't take much at all to convert a standard telephone handset install a 5 pin xlr on it and plug it in to a clear com pack or outlet. I'll see if I can find the wiring diagram on my machine at work. I made one earlier this year to interface with my P.I. system in our second stage. It was the best solution for our house managers.
< it's amazing what you can find lying around the prop storage room>

 

[Chris15]

Double check the production intercom website. They offer two versions of handsets, both keyed and non-keyed options.
BTW it doesn't take much at all to convert a standard telephone handset install a 5 pin xlr on it and plug it in to a clear com pack or outlet. I'll see if I can find the wiring diagram on my machine at work. I made one earlier this year to interface with my P.I. system in our second stage. It was the best solution for our house managers.
< it's amazing what you can find lying around the prop storage room>

In 4 pin comms, pins 1 & 2 are microphone, 3 & 4 are headphones. On the RJ11 connector found on most telephone handsets, the outer contacts are the ears and the inner contacts are for the mic. So inner conductors of the RJ11 to XLR pins 1 & 2 and outer conductors to pins 3 & 4. Hope that makes some sense. The only problem you would probably find would be the lack of PTT switch, though the beltpack should have that anyway.

 

[Van]

In 4 pin comms, pins 1 & 2 are microphone, 3 & 4 are headphones. On the RJ11 connector found on most telephone handsets, the outer contacts are the ears and the inner contacts are for the mic. So inner conductors of the RJ11 to XLR pins 1 & 2 and outer conductors to pins 3 & 4. Hope that makes some sense. The only problem you would probably find would be the lack of PTT switch, though the beltpack should have that anyway.

Gig Jumper !

 

[Chris15]

Gig Jumper !

Hoping I can write this off to the American / Australian difference, but what did you mean by that?

 

[Van]

Hoping I can write this off to the American / Australian difference, but what did you mean by that?

Hmm it might just be a local colloquialism. A Gig Jumper, is like when say you get a really fun project in the shop, something your looking forward to. Somebody else comes along and starts in on that job before you get a chance to get started. that person just jumped on your gig. Gig Jumper. See I wanted to be the hero and take the credit for providing cool info like how to convert a regular tele handset into a clear com handset and he posted it before I could come up with the info. He jumped my gig. I was just teasing though.
Is gig a term used down south ? Gig mean a job,or show as in, " Dude I worked that Black Sabbath gig at the colliseum last night it was excellent !"

 

[koncept]

i know the term gig is used here (norther ohio) in the sense of a concert or other event, but i have never heard it used like that before...

 

[SHARYNF]

The word has been hijacked a bit the use as a concert etc was from the perspective of the artist, I have a gig at ....., the idea of working or performing so the use as going to a gig was originally from the active participants side and in some cases now is just used as a slang for the event itself

Sharyn

 

[Chris15]

Gig is certainly used down here. Never heard Gig Jumper though so it threw me.

 

[Van]

Gig is certainly used down here. Never heard Gig Jumper though so it threw me.

Does that mean, when it catches on down there, that I get to claim sole resposnsibilty ? I get to be responsible for the dissemanation of an entirely new form of slang amongst the Aussies ? Sweet !
It's a great term, I use it in the shop all the time and it works real well for someone who undercuts your rates and steals your gigs in the professional world too. Maybe I should file a Wikkipedia article on it.

Gig Jumper < gig jum-per > n> one who jumps a gig.

 

[gafftaper]

Back to Len's original question and bumping my own reply/question...

Has anyone used Eartec? They make a really slick little system. It has a transciever that plugs into clear com jack and communicates in full duplex between their wireless headsets and your wired system. That's it. Really simple. It comes in an analog and digital version. The digital system runs $900 for the transciever and $450 for a belt pack (headset extra) there is a maximum of 3 wireless units on this sytem. The analog version is $425 for the base trasnciever and a required companion radio. Additional radios (and yes they look like a walkie talkie) are only $125 each (headset extra) with a maximum of 40 wireless units on the system.

I saw a demo at LDI and was really impressed. It's also pretty affordable. Anyone used Eartec? www.eartec.com

 

[sobenson]

I know this is about a year old, but has there been any new info anyone can pass on? I am looking to supplement my current wired clear-com system, but clear coms wireless for 4 belt packs is around $12,000.

 

[soundlight]

If you can go VHF (depends on venue size - I get fine reception with a Telex BTR200 system all over a 480-seat house, in the booth, backstage, and in the lobby, and outside the theatre for a good ten yards), then get a Telex VHF radiocom system. A BTR-300 system, with a base station and 4 beltpacks goes for under $6K. Looks like a BTR-700 UHF system goes for around $8-9K. I've used various Telex Radiocom systems (BTR200, BTR300, BTR800), and they're all rock solid systems. They're very nice and have an amazing range. Just for reference, I included Clear Com lightweight headsets in the price - so you might be able to subtract a few hundred if you already have the headsets that you'll need, or you might need to add more of you want a more substantial headset model.