FCC bans 700Mhz wireless mics

**bfish** · January 16th, 2010, 09:26 AM

Thanks to the DTV switch, the 700Mhz band that many wireless mics use will have to be freed up by June 12;

Operation of Wireless Mics in 700 MHz Band - Frequently Asked Questions

**Panomaniac** · January 16th, 2010, 10:10 AM

Yep. Most companies have already made the switch. And the new wireless mics from Sure are very nice!

Somebody's going to get stuck with a lot of expensive stuff, tho. We used to have a list of UHF stations when traveling anyway....

**Todd W. White** · January 16th, 2010, 11:14 AM

These would be some of the more recent wireless systems, right?

All of my Vega wireless systems are older, so, without checking their frequencies, I'm guessing I'll be OK...

**Panomaniac** · January 16th, 2010, 04:34 PM

The UHF mics were popular at the end of the last century. I think I saw them first in about '95.

You can still use them, as long as there isn't an HDTV station nearby - but it's not really legal to.

**bfish** · January 16th, 2010, 07:24 PM

There's a list of 700Mhz makes/models here;

Operation of Wireless Mics in 700 MHz Band

Originally Posted by Panomaniac

...You can still use them, as long as there isn't an HDTV station nearby - but it's not really legal to.

The re-designated 700Mhz band will no longer be used by any TV stations, the switch merely opened up that band for other uses, which was its' intended goal. Public safety transmissions such as police, fire departments, and ambulances will now be using the band ( in addition to new cellphone traffic). So, continuing to use 700Mhz mics could have far more serious effects than simply messing up your neighbor's American Idol reception.

Say an ambulance or fire truck is heading for your neighborhood. The closer they get to your wireless setup, the more interference and static they get. If it was the police on the way to raid the club you're playing in, maybe that's a good thing. Then again, maybe it's an ambulance looking for the guy that got knifed in the parking lot, or a fire truck responding to the fire in the kitchen...

**LICORNE** · January 17th, 2010, 12:03 AM

That's for the US only. It does not apply to the rest of the world.Tough Banana!

**bfish** · January 17th, 2010, 10:10 AM

And that's a good thing, as it will give users (the consciencentious ones anyway) an option to recoup part of their investment by selling their systems to non-US buyers.

**Panomaniac** · January 17th, 2010, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by bfish

The re-designated 700Mhz band will no longer be used by any TV stations, the switch merely opened up that band for other uses

Oh yeah, I had forgotten that! The room is cleared up for other stuff.
I do wonder just how much a hand held wireless mic would interfere with police radio, tho... The opposite would be more likely.

I remember our parish priest tried a wireless mic back in the 60s. Worked great until it started picking up the local taxi cabs during mass.

**Old Guy** · January 17th, 2010, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Panomaniac

I remember our parish priest tried a wireless mic back in the 60s. Worked great until it started picking up the local taxi cabs during mass.

Wonder how much the fare to heaven would be?:snickerpup:

**bfish** · January 17th, 2010, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Panomaniac

I do wonder just how much a hand held wireless mic would interfere with police radio, tho... The opposite would be more likely...

Absolutely. They're running up to 10W, while most mic systems are limited to 50mw. That's why the FCC says if you notice new interference on your mic system to discontinue use immediately, as it indicates competing local usage. When a competing user gets close enough however, they will get destructive interference too. Maybe it's just a passing teenie texting OMG WABFCYH to her BFF, or maybe it's far more important.