Which Radio Mic?
 

I volunteer at our local Hospital Radio station, and we've just been given a
license as a Community Station. We've had an old very cheap VHF radio mic
which has worked sort of Ok for us in the past, but that's now become
unreliable and the audio quality was never great so I'd like to replace it.

I've seen radio mics at £50, even Sennheisers at about £100 and others at
around £400 for a single handheld transmitter. I can't tell from the specs
what the differences are, and I have little experience of speccing radio
mics, as it was something that I very rarely got involved with
professionally.

Can anyone here advise me what the differences are between cheap mics and
expensive mics, and recommend any favourites. Is it sound quality, range,
reliability or what? I don't have a budget in mind, but even as a Community
Station, we have limited funds, so a £100 would be better than a £400 one if
the cheaper one will do the job. Sadly being based in rural Suffolk, there
aren't any dealers round here I could go and talk to, but anyway, what
dealer would actually give me impartial advice?

Thanks

S.

--
www.radiowestsuffolk.co.uk

Which Radio Mic?
 

"Serge Auckland" wrote in message
...
I volunteer at our local Hospital Radio station, and we've just been given
a license as a Community Station. We've had an old very cheap VHF radio mic
which has worked sort of Ok for us in the past, but that's now become
unreliable and the audio quality was never great so I'd like to replace it.

I've seen radio mics at £50, even Sennheisers at about £100 and others at
around £400 for a single handheld transmitter. I can't tell from the specs
what the differences are, and I have little experience of speccing radio
mics, as it was something that I very rarely got involved with
professionally.

Can anyone here advise me what the differences are between cheap mics and
expensive mics, and recommend any favourites. Is it sound quality, range,
reliability or what? I don't have a budget in mind, but even as a
Community Station, we have limited funds, so a £100 would be better than a
£400 one if the cheaper one will do the job. Sadly being based in rural
Suffolk, there aren't any dealers round here I could go and talk to, but
anyway, what dealer would actually give me impartial advice?


OK Serge, you are talking about *volunteer work* for a *hospital* - the
right mic is the one someone like Digital Village will give you FOC/pro
bono/ whatever (and then will claim against their annual tax bill as a
charitable donation) once you have given them the spec.

Cost to you and Radio West Suffolk - a few phone calls and a few grateful
mentions on air!

Start he http://www.dv247.com/page/Stores#cambridge

(Get a smart girlie wiv a *schweet* voice to phone round for you! ;-)

Which Radio Mic?
 

"Serge Auckland"

I volunteer at our local Hospital Radio station, and we've just been given
a license as a Community Station. We've had an old very cheap VHF radio mic
which has worked sort of Ok for us in the past, but that's now become
unreliable and the audio quality was never great so I'd like to replace it.

I've seen radio mics at £50, even Sennheisers at about £100 and others at
around £400 for a single handheld transmitter. I can't tell from the specs
what the differences are, and I have little experience of speccing radio
mics, as it was something that I very rarely got involved with
professionally.

Can anyone here advise me what the differences are between cheap mics and
expensive mics, and recommend any favourites. Is it sound quality, range,
reliability or what? I don't have a budget in mind, but even as a
Community Station, we have limited funds, so a £100 would be better than a
£400 one if the cheaper one will do the job. Sadly being based in rural
Suffolk, there aren't any dealers round here I could go and talk to, but
anyway, what dealer would actually give me impartial advice?


** OK - the very cheapest radio mic systems operate in the VHF band, have
only one fixed frequency and are flimsy in construction with a mediocre to
poor sound quality.

The ones to go for these days operate in the UHF band, have several
switchable frequencies, are of much sturdier in construction and have an
essential feature called " true diversity " built into the receiver. Without
this feature, a radio mic systems suffers from severe signal "drop outs" as
you move the mic around a room.

It is also a good idea to go for one of the major brand names, like Shure or
Sennheiser.

Have a look at the Sennheiser " Freeport " system - has all the features
I mentioned and is still inexpensive at around 130 UK pounds.



....... Phil

Which Radio Mic?
 

Did I dream this or not, I seem to recall that the government proposed to
move the radio mic band at some point, and wondered if this might have some
impact on the choices. Like others have said, not into the radio mic scene
myself, so have not kept up.

I agree about diversity though, some terrible nulls occur just where you
need them to work I understand. its that chap Murphy.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Phil Allison" wrote in message
...

"Serge Auckland"

I volunteer at our local Hospital Radio station, and we've just been given
a license as a Community Station. We've had an old very cheap VHF radio
mic which has worked sort of Ok for us in the past, but that's now become
unreliable and the audio quality was never great so I'd like to replace
it.

I've seen radio mics at £50, even Sennheisers at about £100 and others at
around £400 for a single handheld transmitter. I can't tell from the
specs what the differences are, and I have little experience of speccing
radio mics, as it was something that I very rarely got involved with
professionally.

Can anyone here advise me what the differences are between cheap mics and
expensive mics, and recommend any favourites. Is it sound quality, range,
reliability or what? I don't have a budget in mind, but even as a
Community Station, we have limited funds, so a £100 would be better than
a £400 one if the cheaper one will do the job. Sadly being based in rural
Suffolk, there aren't any dealers round here I could go and talk to, but
anyway, what dealer would actually give me impartial advice?


** OK - the very cheapest radio mic systems operate in the VHF band,
have only one fixed frequency and are flimsy in construction with a
mediocre to poor sound quality.

The ones to go for these days operate in the UHF band, have several
switchable frequencies, are of much sturdier in construction and have an
essential feature called " true diversity " built into the receiver.
Without this feature, a radio mic systems suffers from severe signal "drop
outs" as you move the mic around a room.

It is also a good idea to go for one of the major brand names, like Shure
or Sennheiser.

Have a look at the Sennheiser " Freeport " system - has all the
features I mentioned and is still inexpensive at around 130 UK pounds.



...... Phil

Which Radio Mic?
 

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:15:33 GMT, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

Did I dream this or not, I seem to recall that the government proposed to
move the radio mic band at some point, and wondered if this might have some
impact on the choices. Like others have said, not into the radio mic scene
myself, so have not kept up.

I agree about diversity though, some terrible nulls occur just where you
need them to work I understand. its that chap Murphy.

Brian

Part of the "digital switch over" will see the radio mic band move
from an analogue system in the TV UHF TV channels to a digital system
in the 1790 to 1798 MHz band. At the same time their status drops from
primary to secondary. What that means is that in the new band the mic
user must ensure he causes no interference to other services. The
current user of this higher band is the Home Office,

Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.

For best advice I would recommend the OP to read an Ofcom statement:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond.../statement.pdf

This lays out the timings and concession on the UHF band.

d

Which Radio Mic?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a4dad2d.1475276390@localhost...
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:15:33 GMT, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

Did I dream this or not, I seem to recall that the government proposed to
move the radio mic band at some point, and wondered if this might have
some
impact on the choices. Like others have said, not into the radio mic
scene
myself, so have not kept up.

I agree about diversity though, some terrible nulls occur just where you
need them to work I understand. its that chap Murphy.

Brian

Part of the "digital switch over" will see the radio mic band move
from an analogue system in the TV UHF TV channels to a digital system
in the 1790 to 1798 MHz band. At the same time their status drops from
primary to secondary. What that means is that in the new band the mic
user must ensure he causes no interference to other services. The
current user of this higher band is the Home Office,

Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.

It's all that is available. But I don't agree that it would be money wasted.
Just keep on using it regardless, there's very little chance of anyone even
noticing that you are using it whatever the official position. That's what
99% of existing radio mic users will do especially as most of them are
totally unaware of any of these proposed changes.

For best advice I would recommend the OP to read an Ofcom statement:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond.../statement.pdf

This lays out the timings and concession on the UHF band.


That paper was pure bureaucratic gobbledegook, a classic bit of moden-day
waffle that said nothing of any help to anyone. Why radio mic users have
allowed themselves to be treated in the shabby way that Ofcom have for years
is a mystery to me.

David.

Which Radio Mic?
 

"Don Pearce"


Part of the "digital switch over" will see the radio mic band move
from an analogue system in the TV UHF TV channels to a digital system
in the 1790 to 1798 MHz band.

** Shame no radio mics exist for that band - digital or otherwsie.


Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.

** Total and ABSOLUTE BULL**** !!!!!!

UHF radio mics will continue to be used by anyone wants to.

In the vast majority of situations, DTV etc will have no effect on the use
of analogue (ie FM) radio mics on the UHF band.

Cos the mics are used INDOORS !!!!!



For best advice I would recommend the OP to read an Ofcom statement:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond.../statement.pdf

This lays out the timings and concession on the UHF band.


** Totally IRREVEVANT drivel.




..... Phil

Which Radio Mic?
 

"David Looser"
" Don Pearce PITA ****** "

Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.


It's all that is available. But I don't agree that it would be money
wasted. Just keep on using it regardless, there's very little chance of
anyone even noticing that you are using it whatever the official position.
That's what 99% of existing radio mic users will do especially as most of
them are totally unaware of any of these proposed changes.

For best advice I would recommend the OP to read an Ofcom statement:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond.../statement.pdf

This lays out the timings and concession on the UHF band.


That paper was pure bureaucratic gobbledegook, a classic bit of moden-day
waffle that said nothing of any help to anyone. Why radio mic users have
allowed themselves to be treated in the shabby way that Ofcom have for
years is a mystery to me.


** For once I totally AGREE, 100% with David !!!!



...... Phil

Which Radio Mic?
 

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:00:08 +1000, "Phil Allison"
wrote:


"Don Pearce"


Part of the "digital switch over" will see the radio mic band move
from an analogue system in the TV UHF TV channels to a digital system
in the 1790 to 1798 MHz band.

** Shame no radio mics exist for that band - digital or otherwsie.


Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.

** Total and ABSOLUTE BULL**** !!!!!!

UHF radio mics will continue to be used by anyone wants to.


Obviously you can do anything you want if you are happy to do it
illegally. That is hardly a cogent comment.

In the vast majority of situations, DTV etc will have no effect on the use
of analogue (ie FM) radio mics on the UHF band.

Cos the mics are used INDOORS !!!!!


Spoken like a true outback dweller. London's theatreland is crammed
with venues just yards apart, all demanding radio mics for their
performers. It doesn't matter that they are indoors when that close to
each other. Interference is still a problem, and Joseph breaking into
a chorus of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is probably only funny once.

d

Which Radio Mic?
 

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:59:44 +0100, "David Looser"
wrote:

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a4dad2d.1475276390@localhost...
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:15:33 GMT, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

Did I dream this or not, I seem to recall that the government proposed to
move the radio mic band at some point, and wondered if this might have
some
impact on the choices. Like others have said, not into the radio mic
scene
myself, so have not kept up.

I agree about diversity though, some terrible nulls occur just where you
need them to work I understand. its that chap Murphy.

Brian

Part of the "digital switch over" will see the radio mic band move
from an analogue system in the TV UHF TV channels to a digital system
in the 1790 to 1798 MHz band. At the same time their status drops from
primary to secondary. What that means is that in the new band the mic
user must ensure he causes no interference to other services. The
current user of this higher band is the Home Office,

Digital switch over is now so close that in all fairness I could not
recommend anyone to but a UHF analogue mic. It would be money wasted.

It's all that is available. But I don't agree that it would be money wasted.
Just keep on using it regardless, there's very little chance of anyone even
noticing that you are using it whatever the official position. That's what
99% of existing radio mic users will do especially as most of them are
totally unaware of any of these proposed changes.

Anyone who goes the official route, using PMSE to find and guarantee
empty channels will be very aware of the situation. I have been
fighting against the move (ok, because I want the digital band they
are moving to) but to no avail. The allocation at 1790 MHz was made at
a European, not national level.


For best advice I would recommend the OP to read an Ofcom statement:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond.../statement.pdf

This lays out the timings and concession on the UHF band.


That paper was pure bureaucratic gobbledegook, a classic bit of moden-day
waffle that said nothing of any help to anyone. Why radio mic users have
allowed themselves to be treated in the shabby way that Ofcom have for years
is a mystery to me.

David.


No clout, I'm afraid. The numbers are just too small. Ofcom doesn't
understand that for each mic in use there are thousands of people
enjoying the result. They just count the units.

d