These frequencies are now being used by public safety entities (such as police, fire and emergency services) and by commercial providers of wireless services (such as wireless broadband services).
The actual band ranges allocated for civil services are extremely narrow. Truth is, the 700Mhz band was sold for hundreds of millions to the highest bidders (cell and broadband providers) a few years ago, and it was their lobbying that got wireless mics bumped off. It will many be years, if at all, before commercial congestion on that band would be high enough that wireless FM transmitters would even have the potential of causing trouble. It's all a crock. That being said, our "C" band Sennys went out the door when the new whitespace rules were created.
Gov makes millons seling public airwaves, I get to buy new microphones. What a deal. jm
The correct way to say it would be "Gov makes millions selling public airwaves so people get wireless internet, better emergency communications, more services that give people jobs, I get to buy new microphones".
Also important to note that nobody's allowed to use certain channels in portable radio transmitters w/o license, but the FCC doesn't hunt people down who do. complaints are needed first, and that's normally because someone's being a jerk.
I have a Sennheiser Evolution wireless set that is smack dab in the middle of the 700 range. Anyone know if you can get the frequencies changed of existing equipment?
Former user
wrote on 1/19/2010, 7:04 PM
I would hate to think that the emergency equipment they are referring to is so sensitive that somebody with a microphone can interfere with it.
It's like when you used to see jobsites that said "turn off 2 way radios-explosives in use". How would you like to be the guy handling the explosives waiting for somebody on their CB radio to drive by and set them off
Sorry Laurence but I think you're SOL :-(
Following the link John gave brings you to the Sennheiser section.
Sadly, none of the ones listed can be modified.
Take solace in the fact that very few manufacturers' 700 MHz wireless mics can be modified.
Nope. In fact, if you send it in for repair, the manufacturer is REQUIRED to destroy it.
There is more to the discussion than "big bad goverrnment" but given that it's a done deal, discussing it has about as much impact as telling Henry Ford that automobiles won't replace the horse.
For future needs (well within all of our lifetimes ((assuming I don't bounce again)) ) the need for the bandwidth is there. It's already allocated.
It's not as though it was an "unknown" and it's been heavily marketed for several years so that people have had time to make the transition. We haven't been able to buy a 700MHz wireless from a manufacturer for several years now.
Sucks, but that's progress.
A license from the FCC is required for use of wireless mics on the 700 MHz band, and I'll bet that most of us, maybe all of us, don't have the requisite license. So, before screaming "foul", remember that *we* wireless users are the trespassers in the spectrum.
Spot, just where did you hear that the manufacturer was supposed to destroy private property? I have about as much experience and knowledge of the FCC licensing as you do in music production and I have never heard of such a ruling for any unlicensed service - even the kilowatt CB radios.
Sometimes I think we have "lost the plot" on values?
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones/FAQs.html#faq4I read these FAQs concerning seizure?[/link] There is a couched possible breaking of law, yes, but having a seizure implementation? But then again, would a reputable company go ahead and "repair" ( ie CHARGE $$$) a 700mhz device without firstly informing the customer that the device had fallen foul of the legislation? Actually I'm wondering if the company would actually need to inform the client? If there is NO legislation for that, then, kinda like a tiger without teeth?
Well if I had one, I'd just try to sell it to a buyer in another country, like the UK, where draconian government regulations don't exist, as long as it's legal.
Just checked my mic (Sony UTX-B2), and it's safe... I got lucky and without knowing bought the upgraded version of the B1.
If you did use a mic in the 700 range at a wedding/etc, what would happen? Someone's cell phone picks up the audio? A nearby ambulance operator hears the vows?
LOL! Yes, I don't think that a SWAT team will come screeching up to the wedding, bash the door with their ARs, .45s and M60s telling everyone to get down and confiscate the wireless equipment just because you're using a mic on the "banned" band.
It could be far worse! The bride gets an audio track of her vows filled with the static and cross talk of those ambulance operators and/ or cell phones calls.
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
> If you did use a mic in the 700 range at a wedding/etc, what would happen? Someone's cell phone picks up the audio? A nearby ambulance operator hears the vows?
Actually, the concern is the other way around. Right in the middle of wedding vows you get an ambulance operator making a call. Try explaining that to the bride!
Except that emergency communications are 99% digital transmission. They could wipe out the carrier on a FM wireless system but you wouldn't actually hear any communication. This has happened to us plenty of times when the folks from the cop shop key their mics in the parking lot next door to the theater.
Actually, the concern is the other way around. Right in the middle of wedding vows you get an ambulance operator making a call. Try explaining that to the bride!
It can happen. I picked up subtle emergency services interference during a recent wedding. The bride and groom's mics were on the banned frequency and the minister's mic was on a proper channel.
The last study I read said that less than 1 % of this new spectrum has been used by emergency, mostly because most of it has been bought up by the big boys, including Google and MS.
As of now, most of the emergency units can't afford to replace a complete system at one shot. The can buy a new handset or a new ambulance unit, but can't afford to upgrade the whole system.
I've heard CB'er come thru church systems. I've also heard garbled police calls come thru my wireless system.
I think it will be some time before you can expect a lot of problems. I wouldn't advocate using the old systems, but I don't advocate using copyrighted music either.