Radio Mics
 

Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got no direct
experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a replacement body pack
radio mic. Just for the minister. These days they wander round the kirk
rather than remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps three times a
week for about 2 hours each time, and finding someone with reasonable
skills to change batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister being able to mute
it for hymns - for obvious reasons. Although I'm willing to modify it for
that if it isn't possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct frequency. The
current one is VHF.

--
*What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Radio Mics
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got no direct
experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a replacement body pack
radio mic. Just for the minister. These days they wander round the kirk
rather than remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps three times a
week for about 2 hours each time, and finding someone with reasonable
skills to change batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister being able to mute
it for hymns - for obvious reasons. Although I'm willing to modify it for
that if it isn't possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct frequency. The
current one is VHF.


I've bought several low-cost body-pack radio mics over the years, for very
much that sort of application. They have been mostly Chinese made, with
brand names that meant nothing to me and bought from the likes of Maplin.
They all seem to work well enough but use replacable batteries, either AA
types or PP3 style. Although rechargable batteries can be used, they need to
be removed from the mic for charging. I'm not aware of any mics with
body-packs that can be "popped into a charger", but maybe the better class
(and more expensive) offerings from the well-known brands offer that
facility.

David.

Radio Mics
 

In article , David Looser
wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got no direct
experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a replacement body
pack radio mic. Just for the minister. These days they wander round
the kirk rather than remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped
into a charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps three
times a week for about 2 hours each time


I'm not aware of any mics with body-packs that can be "popped into a
charger", but maybe the better class (and more expensive) offerings from
the well-known brands offer that facility.

FWIW I tend to modify items that use batteries by soldering in some leads
to a dangling plug I can then attach to a recharger. Not pretty, and may be
problematic for an RF TX, but might work easily. Certainly bypasses the
pest of having to keep opening the item and remove batteries for
recharging.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

Radio Mics
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message
Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got
no direct experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a
replacement body pack radio mic. Just for the minister.
These days they wander round the kirk rather than
remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps
three times a week for about 2 hours each time, and
finding someone with reasonable skills to change
batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister
being able to mute it for hymns - for obvious reasons.
Although I'm willing to modify it for that if it isn't
possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct
frequency. The current one is VHF.

Wireless microphones?

Major sources are Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio Technica. Over there, AKG has
more of a presence than here.

I won't hazard a guess as to which is the best, but they are all entirely
servicable.

I believe that AKG recently announced a reasonbly-priced unit with an
alleged CD-quality digital link.

The last set I purchased for my church was a Shure SLX system which we use
with a Countryman E6 microphone.

Radio Mics
 

On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:27:54 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got no direct
experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a replacement body pack
radio mic. Just for the minister. These days they wander round the kirk
rather than remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps three times a
week for about 2 hours each time, and finding someone with reasonable
skills to change batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister being able to mute
it for hymns - for obvious reasons. Although I'm willing to modify it for
that if it isn't possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct frequency. The
current one is VHF.

Can he be persuaded to wear a headset mic? Though initial reaction is
often against the appearance, a demonstration of the enormously
improved clarity usually brings people round.

These things are commonly sold to e.g. dance teachers. Surprisingly,
I can't see anything in the Maplin catalogue.

Some must have a mute switch as well as a power switch. Battery life,
or the chance of a clunk? Your choice.

I wouldn't recommend rechargeable batteries, for several reasons. And
with 2-hour sessions you're going to need a replacement schedule, not
just "change when the light goes dim". I suggest the mic becomes the
ministers personal responsibility. He's the one who really CARES if
he's heard, after all. And he's not an idiot.

Radio Mics
 

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply got no direct
experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a replacement body pack
radio mic. Just for the minister. These days they wander round the kirk
rather than remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used perhaps three times a
week for about 2 hours each time, and finding someone with reasonable
skills to change batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister being able to mute
it for hymns - for obvious reasons. Although I'm willing to modify it for
that if it isn't possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct frequency. The
current one is VHF.


Give Canford Audio a ring,

http://www.canford.co.uk/

They have some very knowledgeable people there in their tech support
dept for that sort of thing....
--
Tony Sayer

Radio Mics
 

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message


Can he be persuaded to wear a headset mic? Though
initial reaction is often against the appearance, a
demonstration of the enormously improved clarity usually
brings people round.

Agreed.

These things are commonly sold to e.g. dance teachers.
Surprisingly, I can't see anything in the Maplin
catalogue.

Try checking out regular pro sound retailers, not electronics parts
distributors.

Do you buy your studio equipment from Maplin? I hope not!

Some must have a mute switch as well as a power switch.

The cheap ones have both, the good ones have only a power switch.
Explanation below.

Battery life, or the chance of a clunk? Your choice.

No such compromise is necessary or even present with anything but the
cheapest gear.

The transmitter typically broadcasts an ultrasonic tone, which must be
received properly to unmute the receiver. Being ultrasonic, its filter
constants can be fast enough to beat the noise burst that would otherwise be
generated in the receiver when the transmitter is powered down.

I wouldn't recommend rechargeable batteries, for several
reasons.

Another controversy. We use non-rechargables. Our cheap sets get a fresh 9v
rectangular battery every public service. Our SLX goes about 4 services on a
pair of AAs.

And with 2-hour sessions you're going to need a
replacement schedule, not just "change when the light
goes dim".

Modern wireless systems have battery condition indicators on both the
transmitters and the receivers.

I suggest the mic becomes the ministers
personal responsibility. He's the one who really CARES
if he's heard, after all. And he's not an idiot.

Most pastors IME are far from being techno-nerds. We care for our worship
staff's equipment for them. Our stage manager manages the batteries.

Radio Mics
 

On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:16:00 +0000, tony sayer
wrote:

Give Canford Audio a ring,

http://www.canford.co.uk/

They have some very knowledgeable people there in their tech support
dept for that sort of thing....
--

I have a terrible suspicion that the budget for this thing is likely
to be around £50. If not - good. Many more options. Can we
confirm?

Radio Mics
 

"tony sayer" wrote in message

In article , Dave Plowman
(News) scribeth thus
Strange for me to ask such a question but I've simply
got no direct experience of this end of the market.

My brother is an elder of the kirk and they need a
replacement body pack radio mic. Just for the minister.
These days they wander round the kirk rather than
remaining in the pulpit. ;-) One which you popped into a
charger after use would be ideal - it's only used
perhaps three times a week for about 2 hours each time,
and finding someone with reasonable skills to change
batteries on a regular basis isn't that easy. A separate
charger would be better than one in the receiver.
It also needs to have a convenient way of the minister
being able to mute it for hymns - for obvious reasons.
Although I'm willing to modify it for that if it isn't
possible. The current one he switches off which isn't
ideal. Although might be ok when moving to the correct
frequency. The current one is VHF.


Give Canford Audio a ring,

http://www.canford.co.uk/

They have some very knowledgeable people there in their
tech support dept for that sort of thing....

They seem to stock Sennheiser and Shure, so they are clearly in the game.

They don't seem to deal in AKG, Lectrosonics or Audio Technica, so they seem
to have their limits.

Oh, and people should know that UHF operation and diversity reception are
the marks of even a minimally-effective system.

For extra money you get ultrasonic tone-based muting and frequency agility.
Both are highly recommended.

Radio Mics
 

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message

On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:16:00 +0000, tony sayer
wrote:

Give Canford Audio a ring,

http://www.canford.co.uk/

They have some very knowledgeable people there in their
tech support dept for that sort of thing....
--

I have a terrible suspicion that the budget for this
thing is likely to be around £50. If not - good. Many
more options. Can we confirm?

For £50 you can't do squat with wireless.

The system our pastor uses is about £500 for the receiver and transmitter,
£370 for the basic mic, and about another £60 for the accessory headband.
Turn the £ into dollars and you're looking at a good estimate of US
pricing. BTW compared to cheaper stuff, it is worth every penny. I've been
down both roads several times.