I know this may be a little low end for this forum but I do weddings and I got a 325upr system when the government hanged their standards for wireless. I used to have the higher end 1000 system because I had a full shoulder mount camera. Up to this point I have had nothing but good things to say about Azden. I dont know if I got a bad one but this 325 is a P.O.S. I am BARELY getting 75 feet line of site. I have sent it 3 time in the past year the first time if they did anything it was to clean the output connector. then the last time it actually sounded like they did something. They replaced the output connector and tweeked the body packs anntena. Its a little better but today I had a groom standing 15 feet from me on the other side of a glass door and I started getting dropouts. Anyone else have this system? Am I asking too much from it? I have sent Azden a number of Youtube videos showing the problems feel like I had to twist their arm to even watch them.

Thanks
Randy

If you're using a wireless rig to make money by recording weddings without any problems like this, you need to be using a Sennheiser or similar grade.

IMHO you'll continue having strife till you do.

Cheers.

Hi Randy

Yep the 325 system is way down on Azden quality!!! My sucks too..my 100LT system is WAY better I get dropouts on the 325 consistently sometimes even when the groom is only 20' away!!!

Maybe there is a trick to using this model????

Chris

Hi Randy and Allan

I have the 330 system as well as the 100ULT and despite being cheaper I have to end up using the older unit for groom audio cos the newer dual channel system keeps getting dropouts!! Now I have ascertained that it's not the transmitter because I can use the 10ULT body pack with both systems as it works great with it's own receiver but has dropouts with the 330 dual pack.

The audio quality is great!! It's just that now and again we get dropouts from the receiver....maybe someone else has also experienced the same and has a solution??? Anyone done any mods??? maybe antenna mods??????

Tossing out your system and replacing it is a little drastic if a fix is available!!

Chris

Thanks Chris I have been doing this for like 25 years I have had Samson DJ systems that I had to strap onto my battery belt ive had samson on camera systems plus the Anton/bauer Azden system and I have never had such a lack of confidence in a system. Its fine at the reception for interviews but at the ceremony where I am demanding any kind of range its sketchy at best. heres a video I sent them.
azden.avi - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSFgKh9UAx0)
frank - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEg5xHIAn9I)
and boy you should hear the one from this past saturday!

every time I call them they say "just send it in" they dont realize that I do 1. cost me money to chip 2. every time I test I put someones wedding at risk 3. it takes me out of my game because now I need to under mind what I do to compensate for a crappy wireless. I dont know what to do its not like I can get my money back now I bought this thing because of the FCC changes here in the states but im going back to my "illegal but working" wireless system.

Chris,
Do you think its possible that we both got lemons? If I call Azden after all this I suppose they will offer me a replacement system. I dont know if its worth taking.

Hi Randy

It's weird cos my 100ULT is awesome.. I was at a park once and the groom's mic was on and I had left the receiver on and was up the hill about 300' away at least and the audio was clear and no dropouts!!

Now, using the 10BT transmitter with the 330ULT dual receiver STILL gives me issues so I think it's the receiver that's the problem!!! My 100ULT antennas are 90mm long and the 330 antennas are only 65mm long...receivers SHOULD have antennas that are 1/4 of the wavelength and they achieve this in the transmitter by having a short stubby antenna but it has coiled wire to make up the correct length...the 330 receiver however just has short rods. I might try increasing my receiver antennas length and I'll let you know what happens. Either that are the receivers are just not sensitive enough!!!

The other alternative is eBay!!!!! I doubt whether a replacement will help... I think they have a design fault...my 100ULT uses the same frequencies and not one single dropout!!!

Is yours a single or dual receiver??????

I'll keep you posted later

Chris

Right !!

I did a few tests using both of my systems (they are in the same frequency range so I set both to the same so I could swap and change both transmitters and receivers!! I set the receiver up in my home office and then walking around the house making life as difficult as I could for both transmitters (in my pocket and also put in inside an oven mitt so it was attenuated) With the 100ULT receiver both the 10BT and 35BT transmitters work well ...I went out to about 100' which is out the house, down the driveway and to our mailbox so there was trees, exterior walls, motor vehicles and the house walls all in the way of the signal.
I had no drop outs from either transmitter at any stage. Now with the 330ULT Dual Channel...it worked fine with both transmitters up to 100' BUT at one area on the patio I had a drop out and the signal "bars" on the receiver also dropped down from a steady 4 bars right down to just one bar!!! It was just one area. The 100ULT signal was strong everywhere. Having found a "dead spot" I then cable tied two strips of metal to the annennas of the 330 and the signal was way better..it dropped to 3 bars only visually but there was no audible drop out at all.
The weak link is definately the receiver here. The anntenas get the correct "wavelength" with a coil around the antenna stem so I'm going to make up some new solid antennas the same length as the 100ULT and I bet there will be a BIG improvement. MY antennas can swivel and the actual length is 2" so I will remove those and drop in a 3,5" rod in their place.

If it works I'll let you know!!!

Chris

Before you go changing antennae, look up how length of antenna depends on frequency you are using. just having bigger antennae because its longer may actually hurt the reception if its not a proper divisible of operating frequency.

Which one is the 100ULT? Maybe I can just get Azden to trade me one of those for my 325.

o.k. Chris I just got off the phone with Azden...Again and they are sending me a 310 reciever. Apparently the 325/330 is NOT a true diversity system which MAY be the cause of our grief. I will let you know how my system goes. I have to say I am a little put off I had a old 1000urx reciever in for service and the bill was $60 after all my grief and now taking a bit of a downgrade like $100 worth. I thought they would wave the service charge.

Hi Randy

Great let me know if it's better!! Seriously if you can find a 100ULT receiver they are excellent!!! I suspect they are no made anymore by Azden by eBay should have a few around!!

Thanks Gerry...I have built transmitters before and know about antenna loading ...Randy is getting a replacement unit ...all I'm doing is replacing the stubby antenna with a solid one so the extra length of antenna rod simply replaces the coil on the stubby antenna...the effective length will still be close enough to 1/4th the wavelength so the output will be loaded correctly!!!

Unfortunately it's just a poor receiver design compared to the older models ..however the specs seem much the same.

Chris

I could be the new frequencys mixed with the fact that its not a diversity? I dont know we'll see.

Hey Randy

I think you are right!! My 100ULT specs say "Antenna Diversity" but the newer 330ULT doesn't say that!!!

I'm running from 794mhz thru to 805mhz on both systems .... !!!

The 100ULT look cheaper and don't have an LCD display and use 9v batteries but they work pretty darn well.... If I can find another 100ULT receiver I might just stay with them and toss the fancy 330 on eBay!!!

Something else I did notice to is that the older system is a lot more powerful with the same mics..on the 35BT system I have to turn to gain almost to 3/4 but on the 10BT transmitter it's down near 1/4!!!

Keep in touch and tell me if the replacement works oK?????

Chris

Chris,
IF I have good luck id be willing to bet if you make a big enough stink Azden will let you trade your 330 in for a 310 also. I mean it is a technicllly a downgrade but if you dont need the dual recievers it would be worth your while.

Hi Randy

Mine is dual channel and not diversity!! Now I went back to the older 200ULT Dual receiver and guess what it's also not diversity either..with diversity you need two antennas so when they make the dual channel unit the diversity system goes out the window!!!

It seems like it's better to have two single channel systems and then strap the two receivers together on the back of the camera and then both are true diversity!!!

I have a single channel set so I think I'll put the dual one on ebay and use two singles rather and get good audio. My single channel diversity set has been running close on 5 years now and not ever a drop out!!!!

Chris

I am using mine this weekend I will let you know.

o.k. I got my 310 today. I didnt give it a full test but what I did seemed VERY promising. I set the body pack with a lav up in my garage I have a 2 story house. I walked with the camera out of the garage down the steps and into the basement. I didnt see or hear as much as a hicup it was rock solid. 2 things I noted about my camera that you may already know. 1. If I am in ALC and I hit the external shotgun mic on my AG-hmc 150 it clips my primary channel also (weird shouldnt do that) 2. the input level that works best is -50 in the menus -60 is too much. i'll report again in Friday after my wedding.

Well I took it on a job, its hard to tell if all is well because the job was so small. It was outdoors with only 100 people so I was like 20 feet from the groom although when I saw the groom approaching he was up to 100 feet away and the signal was fine. It did however drop out at 50 feet indoors but I was walking around from room to room. I dont have any more jobs until December but I when I do I will report. for now I will keep the 310 series.

Hey Randy

Did a wedding tonight (it's Saturday here) with the 330 and I was never more than 20' from the groom in the Church so it was fine. However while he was still outside it was breaking up like crazy. I find that people not walls cause the chaos!!!

I have bought another 100ULT system from the USA via my buddy Chip so it's going from Georgia to Wisconsin and then to Australia!!! My current 100ULT punches thru anything so I'll make a bracket for the two 100UPR receivers on the camera (so I have a dual system) and then put the 330 system on eBay!!

The problem is definately in the receivers!! The transmitters work great with the 100upr receiver!!!

My 330 works great at home I can go outside so the signal needs to go thru maybe 4 walls of the house plus twists and turns and furniture and works fine!! Put it in a Church with 100 people and it dies!!!

I certainly hope your 310 works out fine!!!

Chris

Its a shame how that works, you test like crazy at home but once you go into the field it all turns to crap. As I do more work I will send more updates. BTW here in the states we had a law making digital signals the law and when they did they changed our frequencies are the systems in your country the same frequencies as ares? I didnt start having issues until the new ones kicked in.

Just to follow up I did a wedding in real world conditions last week and the 310 worked fine I was in a small greek orthodox church it was about 18 pews I went to the back and out the front door and went about 50 feet further before I started getting dropout. So I can definatly say there is something wrong with the 325 series.

This is an interesting thread, especially the part about "diversity" reception. I have the Azden 325 system too, and have experienced intermittent dropouts with it. This thread got me started reading. It looks like not being a true diversity receiver is the source of the problem, not the transmitters at all.

So, not wanting to waste money, what receivers should I consider to work with my current three transmiters? I have two 35BT Body Pack transmitters with lavalier mics, and one 35XT Plug In transmitter that I use with various hand held microphones.

Randy, how's your 310 receiver holding up?

Has anyone tried a Sony URX-P2 receiver from the Sony UHF system with the Azden transmitters. Specs say it runs on channels 30/32 like the Azdens? Is is easy to set them to the same frequency? I have a chart that shows frequency vs. channel number. Azdens display channel number. If sony shows frequency instead of channel numbers, just use the chart?

To address some comments about antenna length, a 1/4 wavelength antenna at 800 MHz would be quite close to 3.5" in length.

At that frequency, you will get significant RF attenuation from human bodies. It might be helpful to have the antennas elevated above floor level, so the signal has a relatively clear shot from transmitter to receiver. Doing that would require proper low-loss coax cable, and also an antenna with some sort of ground plane... you can't just put a "stick" antenna on the end of the coax, as a 1/4 wave is only half of a dipole and you need some ground plane elements to mirror the other half.

You will also get plenty of reflections inside a building, and when the distances are just right (or actually just wrong) you will get destructive cancellation between the direct and reflected signals, causing a big null in the RF signal level at the receiver. That's when it's really useful to have a diversity system, ideally with the antennas separated by many wavelengths.

Of course with a true diversity receiver, you would want the two antennas in different physical orientation... typically one leaning 45° to the right of vertical, and one leaning 45° to the left. That's because the receive antenna should be parallel to the transmit antenna, and as the transmitter moves around, the "talent" assumes different postures and positions, that antenna polarization will be constantly changing.

Hey Roger

If you look at the specs the dual receivers are not true diversity one antenna is for one receiver and the other for the second. My solution was to get two 100ult receivers and mount then side by side..they span the same frequency range as the 325 and 330 but each are true diversity!! They also seem to have a lot more output!!!

The 35 series transmitters are great with no issues at all.....don't fall for the dual 200 series receiver either!! That's not true diversity and only has two antennas. You could check and see if the 300 series single receiver has two antennas and then find two of them!!

I did tons of tests between the 325 and 100 swopping receivers and transmitters and the 35 transmitters are perfect..you just need true diversity receivers to work in tough situations....the attenuation was far greater with the 325 compared with the 100 diversity when the signal had to go thru glass but was the worst by far when the area between TX and RX was filled with people!!! In a Church when the groom was at the door and I was up front at a wedding the signal was almost zero!!!

Chris

Thanks Greg and Chris. I absolutely NEED to get a true diversity receiver. But my present transmitters might be okay. At the least, if I get a new system, I'd like to be able to use my present transmitters, lavs, and handheld transmitter as spares. They should work with another Azden receiver, and I won't fall for the twin antennas on a dual receiver looking like a diversity receiver. I'll make sure to buy a "true diversity" model this time.

What I'm wondering about though, is mixing and matching with different manufacturers? The Sony model is attractively priced right now and seems to work on the same frequencies as my present Azden 325 system. The current special on the Sony comes with one transmitter too, and it's the same price as buying just the Sony receiver, or an Azden 310, receiver only. And the Sony say's "true diversity."

IF I had plenty of money now, I'd buy two Sony systems. I still might try to scrape up the cash. But other business expenses are looming, taxes etc.

Opinions?

Chris:
I'm surprised you mention glass. Glass should provide no attenuation to RF signals, since it is non-conductive. However, if it's a tinted glass with a metalized layer, or metal film adhered to one face, then it could indeed provide some attenuation. (Of course metal insect screen on a window frame would attenuate greatly.)

Roger:
Unfortunately, different manufacturers' systems are not necessarily compatible, even if they are the same RF frequency.

Unlike broadcast FM, where the specs were determined years ago by the FCC (or whoever your local compliance division is), wireless mics have no universal modulation standards.

Some might use no pre-emphasis, some might use a proprietary pre-emphasis curve. Many wireless systems use some sort of companding to improve the S/N ratio, but again there's no standard so one transmitter might seem to produce bad gain pumping with a different brand receiver.

Greg, thanks for the heads up on mixing products from different manufacturers.

A little while after posting this, I found a really good price, $269 with free shipping, on a new Azden 310 receiver, so I ordered it. Hoping it gives me far fewer dropouts. At least I know it's compatible with my transmitters, since they are the same ones sold with the full kit.

Hi Greg

Quite correct ..however the receiver being that poor means that any attenuation might cause a drop out..the door frame was aluminium.....With both systems I walked from the office down the passage and thru the living room to the sliding glass door and out into our driveway. The 330 dropped out everytime at that point yet the 100 didn't falter once!!!

Chris

Hi Chris,

Yes, an aluminum door or window frame could cause some attenuation and/or unwanted reflections.

For that matter, more and more construction these days is done with metal studs, rather than wood, and a wall full of metal studs could certainly cause some problems. Another insidious problem is the foil-faced foam insulation that's being used in a lot of wall construction these days. If your wall is full of 4' x 8' sheets of aluminum foil, then the room is pretty well shielded, depending on the frequencies in use... and the same foil could cause a lot of destructive reflections inside the room, too. It's an ugly world out there.

Hi Greg

My biggest issue with the system still was people!! Put 80 guests between the transmitter and receiver and the RF level visually drops drastically and that's inside one big Church. In fact even at outdoor weddings I used to get dropouts pre-ceremony if people were between the groom and the camera!!

The problem disappears with a diversity receiver!!

Chris

So far so good with my 310 I think if you call Azden and pitch a big enough fit they should let you trade in your 325 for a 310 the only think that bothers me is they released a bad wireless but were paying the price because the 325 is a more expensive reciever than the 310 and they wont give you any money back but in the end its worth it because I got a reliable system and I didnt need the 2 recievers anyway.

Hi Randy

Because I already had a 100ULT system, I simply sold the Dual 330 and bought myself a second 100ULT (from the USA actually!) so financially I scored and the two individual receivers mount inside a simple mount made of 1"square aluminium tube at the back of the camera. With Church weddings I need two systems so I can put one on the groom's jacket and then the other one on the lectern for readings and such. The two 100ULT's work very well but I'm pleased that your 310 is working out well too!!!

Chris