It appears that the digital switch is coming either next month or later. My Sony UWP C1 set up transmits in the 758-806 MHz section of the band. I researched the new digital spectrum in my state and there is not a TV station proposed in this part of the spectrum.

Will I still be allowed or able to use my wireless set up?.. When I contacted Sony they were not longer offering wireless transmitters and on camera receivers working on this part of the band. I asked if they could be converted to a lower frequency and they said that they did not offer this service. To replace my wireless setup with a lower frequency set will be right at $1,000 from B&H.

Thanks
Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

Ronnie, your wireless will still work, but does risk the chance of interference.

The interference that you might experience won't be from tv stations, but rather emergency usage. As the frequency ban from the 700 mhz range was done to set aside a portion of the airwaves for emergency usage only.

So, while your wireless will still function, you can't guarantee that you won't get interference. Also, if you are found that you interfered with an emergency broadcast, you are open for prosecution. Although it's highly unlikely that your system will be powerful enough to interfere, rather the other way around, you still can be prosecuted if this happens.

This is a bummer, but for these low-budget systems, it isn't financially feasible to reconfigure their operating frequencies.

Hi Marco,

Shure, Sennheiser and AKG have competitive trade ins. Each are a bit different. Check 'em out.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Hi Marco,

Shure, Sennheiser and AKG have competitive trade ins. Each are a bit different. Check 'em out.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Since my wirless set up is Sony... do you know if they are offering any trade ins?

Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

Correct me if I am wrong, but did these companies use this bandwidth illegally? Shouldn't they have been licensed to operate in these freq ranges?

What companies?

Ty Ford

Sorry. I'm referring to the companies who manufactured these wireless mics. They never had a license to use those frequencies, did they?

I would assume that if a company like Sony makes and sells a product that it would be a legal product. I had no idea that my wireless set up would be illegal. How do we know that the wireless products that they are selling now are or will be legal in the future. Something like this is probably not an issue to large production houses but to the small guy like me it is an issue. As a group collectively the small companies do purchase a good bit of products. Don't get me wrong, I am a loyal supporter of Sony Products. Every video camera that I have owned over that past 15 or so years has been a Sony along with my decks and wireless on camera system.

It looks like to me that Sony would be wise to have some type of trade in program to those of us that bought the wireless systems that operate in the banned spectrum.

For the first time I am looking at other wireless systems. A couple of companies are offering trade ins of their old systems that operate in the banned frequency spectrum.

Thanks guys for letting me vent.

Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

Sorry. I'm referring to the companies who manufactured these wireless mics. They never had a license to use those frequencies, did they?

They make mics to use all over the planet. Not all frequencies are legal all over the planet. It's up to the user to know what they are buying.

Regards,

Ty Ford

You mean, "Let the Buyer Beware?" Not in this country Ty. Working for WBAL, you certainly know that.

Sony knows about FCC licensing standards. Every product Sony sells fall within FCC's purview. IMO, these companies probably decided to ignore the proper procedures for licensing. Now, many of us will suffer for it.

Um, Paul,

It's a big planet. Not every frequency that's legal in the US is legal elsewhere and vice versa. Those frequencies are legal in some countries, not be legal in other countries. The FCC didn't say, don't make mics in this range. They've never said that. They never will. That's not their job.

The wireless mic makers knew about the FCC's plans for DTV and splitting off the spectrum was coming a full ten years ago. Audio-Technica dropped out early making mics that operated in 798-806 then. At that point, the FCC was in serious denial. I personally attended a meeting of wireless mic makers, interested parties and the FCC at NAB ten years ago. The guy from the FCC said he didn't expect any problems based on "our list of registered users." (meaning TV stations, and networks and maybe some theaters.)

I popped up and suggested that if he were to look at the mfgrs. sales figures he'd know that the number of licensed users was probably about 1/10 of the user base. He shrugged his shoulders and said the FCC would wait to hear complaints from registered users.

Hey, any wireless user out there now who hasn't registered his or her wireless system by filling out the card and sending it in is operating illegally. You don't see the FCC smacking heads do you? It is illegal for anyone to fire up anything on a TV channel within 50 miles of the tower. If that were enforced, the jails or the treasury would be full.

Since then, the industry trade magazines have covered the story pretty well. I've had several stories published about the shift myself alone and I've seen it talked about on forums for more than the last 5 years. No one knew exactly how it was going to play out, and quite frankly there are still some questions.

It's not like you can't fire them up after the 17th. You can, but just like now, you don't have the right of way. No one knows how long after the 17th it'll take before those parts of the spectrum begin to be used, where any holes may be.

Jeeze Paul, I understand you're upset, but I don't think you have the right target.

Regards,

Ty Ford

That part of the frequency spectrum was being used legally by the users of the products. To manufacture a product in that range was not illegal, not was its registered use at any time in the past. As Ty notes, no one did anything wrong, but true to current form for a lot of folks, we kept our heads in the sand until the last moment.

My guess is that depending on where you live and use your 700 MHZ band wireless, you may not ever see any problems EVER. Some, in more metro areas may see problems very soon. Lots of emergency providers are currently sharing too few frequencies... those with money for the capital outlay for new systems will probably be switching into clearer airwaves very soon... but in this economic climate, I bet a lot have to wait. Buying a quantity of new systems to out fit an emergency responder department of any type will not be cheap... trust me, I have seen some of our procurements where I work and WOW. PRICEY.

(Btw, the 700MHZ band is broken into 5 bands, C only being one of them. Verizon bought C for around 4 Billion as I recall... I dount they plan to wait to work their investment.)

Sorry. I'm referring to the companies who manufactured these wireless mics. They never had a license to use those frequencies, did they?
Manufacturers of radio gear have never been the party responsible for obtaining the licenses to use a certain frequency. Having the proper licenses has always fallen to the user so the manufacturers didn't have licenses because they didn't need to, they weren't doing anything that required licensing. If you had wanted to go on the air with a new AM radio station using a transmitter built by Collins, it was up to you, not Collins, to obtain the station and operating licenses.

There is an FCC type acceptance process for equipment that is required before it goes on the market to certify that it's operating on the frequency it's designed without emissions on other frequencys, is within power limits, etc, but that's not an operating license. The law did permit unlicensed operation in various bands and for various purposes -if you have a laptop with a wireless network card, a cordless phone, or if you have a cellphone, you have an unlicensed radio transmitter yourself.

I understand your point, but I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. People who bought wireless lav from Sony had a right to expect they were not simply "renting". Thes mics were squatting on bandwith that were not desginated for such a purpose and now the consumer is left holding the bag. The so-called trade-in programs are inadequate IMO and I would not be surprised to see a class action suit.

Paul,
If you want to take that approach, the same could be said of every wireless maker except AT. I own AT wireless that are on those frequencies. Should I complain to them? I bought them over ten years ago.

Regards,

TY Ford

I got about 10 hours on mine.

Here's Sennheiser's rebate program.

Trew Audio: Sennheiser's 700MHz Wireless Mic Rebate (http://www.trewaudio.com/news/200901/)

Interestingly, they are applying it to non-Sennheiser brands as well, presumably to grab even more market share.

Here's Sennheiser's rebate program.

Trew Audio: Sennheiser's 700MHz Wireless Mic Rebate (http://www.trewaudio.com/news/200901/)

Interestingly, they are applying it to non-Sennheiser brands as well, presumably to grab even more market share.


Since my system was from Sony who do I buy the Sennheiser system from and at least get the flat rebate of $40? That would be $80 and would help a little with the new purchase.

Thanks for all the excellent advise that we recieve on this forum

Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

I understand your point, but I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. People who bought wireless lav from Sony had a right to expect they were not simply "renting". Thes mics were squatting on bandwith that were not desginated for such a purpose and now the consumer is left holding the bag. The so-called trade-in programs are inadequate IMO and I would not be surprised to see a class action suit.

Actually they were designated for such uses - specifically that band was allocated to analog broadcast television and unlicensed low-power devices were specifcally allowed within the vacant frequencies between channels in a given area. It's been legal for years, until the FCC decided to change the allocations. Hasn't been the first time they've redone the rules - the present 11 meter CB band was previously assigned to ham radio until sometime in the early 60's, for example.

If that's the case, then I agree that my frsutration may be misplaced. I was under the impression that the manufacturers of these devices acted alone. Thanks.

It appears that the digital switch is coming either next month or later. My Sony UWP C1 set up transmits in the 758-806 MHz section of the band. I researched the new digital spectrum in my state and there is not a TV station proposed in this part of the spectrum.

Will I still be allowed or able to use my wireless set up?.. When I contacted Sony they were not longer offering wireless transmitters and on camera receivers working on this part of the band. I asked if they could be converted to a lower frequency and they said that they did not offer this service. To replace my wireless setup with a lower frequency set will be right at $1,000 from B&H.

Thanks
Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

Ronnie,

Now that all of this has been hashed out, my advice is to keep doing what you're doing.
The 798-806 frequencies have not be designated solely to emergency service. Nobody knows who will win those auctions and how widespread the use of any particular frequencies will be.

It may take hours, months or years until the spectrum near you is used. Be a good citizen and keep up on the subject. If it looks bad then consider changing. The first DTV signals on the air in, (was it Dallas or Houston) came on the air and screwed up the wireless heart monitors at a major hospital. What a shock! The station powered down for a fgew days until the hospital could sort it out and get off the frequency of the DTV station.

Anecdotes will continue.

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: To live outside the law you must be honest - Bob Dylan

The only problem is that this spectrum 700 and up is designated as emergency frequency and there are really no TV stations in this part of the band. If the FCC finds you transmitting on this frequency they will prosecute you. I don't know what the fine is but from what I have seen in the past with the FCC it could be rather large and not worth the risk. I have an Extra Class Ham License and what usually happens if you get into trouble with them they revoke your other FCC licenses also. It is just not worth the risk.

Thanks for all you suggestions

Ronnie Martin
Page 1 (http://www.dirtracingvideo.com)

Seems like a very small part of that spectrum could have been kept open for the old electronic stuff out there, so even if the selection of frequencies would not be as great, the stuff would not be 100% obsolete.

Seems like a very small part of that spectrum could have been kept open for the old electronic stuff out there, so even if the selection of frequencies would not be as great, the stuff would not be 100% obsolete.

Well you are being logical but logic and common sense died long long ago.

Take care

Ronnie