Wideband Wireless
Over the last several years, the FCC has made vast changes to the wireless spectrum that have had detrimental effects on the operation of wireless microphones. These changes began an evolution in wireless gear that many sound professionals were already heavily invested in. Over time much of the
In the past decade, sections of the wireless spectrum have been sold off and TV stations have digitized and been moved around primarily to the same parts of the spectrum that we sound mixers use. This has created less space for us operating wireless equipment professionally to broadcast. Add to this the amount of wireless consumer equipment is out there polluting the airwaves and you can see the need for technology changes. And don’t get us started about wireless camera and lighting gear!
Today RF environment requires Wideband Wireless
Unfortunately, every location a video shoot takes place today encounters a different set of challenges. TV stations, wireless data, consumer equipment emitting RF noise. Wireless companies, like Lectrosonics, Zaxcom and others, answered the problem by developing a new generation of equipment called wideband. Wideband enables operators to use a larger range of the wireless spectrum to limit the effects of the more crowded space.
Just a few years ago, mixers were limited to single-channel blocks. These blocks are shared with digital TV stations and private radio operations. Now, users can utilize far more frequencies with wideband equipment. Today, in some smaller cities it’s still possible to rely on single blocks but overtime TV channels move and more “blocks” become off-limits. One day soon, it will be almost impossible to work in
