Recrystalizing Wireless Microphones

"steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:59su641bveha79te4vii3h5t8n30rcanso@4ax.com...
> by way of introduction, i have a small production
> company focused on theatrical roadshows.
>
> I have 18 Audio-Technica 7000 series wireless
> microphones in the 728-740 MHz range. Recently,
> the U.S. FCC auctioned off the 732-744 MHz range
> to AT&T, with no clear winner in the 720-732 range.
> with AT&T's investment in the billions of dollars,
> it seems to me that I will lose use of most of
> my range starting Feb 19, 2009, per the 'rule'.
>
> I would like to retain my investment here,
> if at all possible.
>
> i wonder if anyone has had experience recrystalizing
> wireless mics to alternative frequencies.
>
> thanks,
> -steve

Interesting question. Modern silicon rf units, like the hidef tuner on a pc
card that's the size of a thumb, are very freuency agile, but these are
probably not. Even the latest wireless offerings from Lectro and Zaxcom
have only limited frequency agility. None of them offer in-field
modification ability. sIn addition to changing crystals, there would likely
be tuned circuit adjustments. And slug tuned inductors may not be able to
go as far as necessary. Inductors and caps will probably require swapping.

It's more of a remanufacturing operation. Your best bet is to look for a
small business that might pop up specifically for retuning these things.

Bob Morein
(310) 237-6511

"Soundhaspriority" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:59su641bveha79te4vii3h5t8n30rcanso@4ax.com...
>> by way of introduction, i have a small production
>> company focused on theatrical roadshows.
>>
>> I have 18 Audio-Technica 7000 series wireless
>> microphones in the 728-740 MHz range. Recently,
>> the U.S. FCC auctioned off the 732-744 MHz range
>> to AT&T, with no clear winner in the 720-732 range.
>> with AT&T's investment in the billions of dollars,
>> it seems to me that I will lose use of most of
>> my range starting Feb 19, 2009, per the 'rule'.
>>
>> I would like to retain my investment here,
>> if at all possible.
>>
>> i wonder if anyone has had experience recrystalizing
>> wireless mics to alternative frequencies.
>>
>> thanks,
>> -steve
>
>Interesting question. Modern silicon rf units, like the hidef tuner on a pc
>card that's the size of a thumb, are very freuency agile, but these are
>probably not. Even the latest wireless offerings from Lectro and Zaxcom
>have only limited frequency agility. None of them offer in-field
>modification ability. sIn addition to changing crystals, there would likely
>be tuned circuit adjustments. And slug tuned inductors may not be able to
>go as far as necessary. Inductors and caps will probably require swapping.
>
>It's more of a remanufacturing operation. Your best bet is to look for a
>small business that might pop up specifically for retuning these things.
>
>Bob Morein
>(310) 237-6511

thanks for your reply.

you're correct, there are numerous adjustments.
and no tech manuals to say how.

Audio-Technica made two versions in the 7000 series:
the standard sries in the 700 MHz band, and the x
series in the 600 MHz band. Unfortunately,
I only bought three in the 600 MHz version before
they were discontinued. I've got to imagine there
is either a chip-swap or configuration that can
convert the 700 MHz into a 600 MHz unit.

-steve

steve wrote:

> Audio-Technica made two versions in the 7000 series:
> the standard sries in the 700 MHz band, and the x
> series in the 600 MHz band. Unfortunately,
> I only bought three in the 600 MHz version before
> they were discontinued. I've got to imagine there
> is either a chip-swap or configuration that can
> convert the 700 MHz into a 600 MHz unit.

Have you asked the obvious question to the obvious company? Or is this
mic so old that it was discontinued long before the recent changes in
frequency allocations?

I hope whoever deals with wireless mics at A-T is sharper than the guy I
was talking with at the Summer NAMM show. He noticed my Groove Tube pin
(a miniature vacuum tube used in microphones) and said "what's that?" -
not in a way that suggested that he was asking why I was wearing a tube,
but rather that he didn't recognize a vacuum tube.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me here:
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
([email protected])

Mike Rivers <[email protected]> wrote:

>steve wrote:
>
>> Audio-Technica made two versions in the 7000 series:
>> the standard sries in the 700 MHz band, and the x
>> series in the 600 MHz band. Unfortunately,
>> I only bought three in the 600 MHz version before
>> they were discontinued. I've got to imagine there
>> is either a chip-swap or configuration that can
>> convert the 700 MHz into a 600 MHz unit.
>
>Have you asked the obvious question to the obvious company? Or is this
>mic so old that it was discontinued long before the recent changes in
>frequency allocations?

i've tried, but imo, A-T support is an oxymoron.

the 7000 series is not that old, and at one time
it was their premium line of wireless, with 200
frequencies to select from across two bands;
of course, only one band for a given unit.

not surprisingly, i think the decision to dump
the 7000 series coincided with the FCC frequency
announcements, and may well have been the cause.
of course, those idiots like me that had invested
in 18 of the 700 MHz series and 3 of the 600 MHz
series were left stranded on my/our investment.

>I hope whoever deals with wireless mics at A-T is sharper than the guy I
>was talking with at the Summer NAMM show. He noticed my Groove Tube pin
>(a miniature vacuum tube used in microphones) and said "what's that?" -
>not in a way that suggested that he was asking why I was wearing a tube,
>but rather that he didn't recognize a vacuum tube.

sad, but true. I've seen the same thing from them.

i guess the reason i stick with A-T is that their
hirose 4-pin configuration on the unipak is
extraordinarily reliable and standard across
all of their transmitters. i've not had as
good of experience with the reliability of the
mini-xlr on the shures and vegas i've owned--
they're all on the shelf now.

thanks,

-steve

"steve" wrote...
> Mike Rivers wrote:
>>Have you asked the obvious question to the obvious company? Or is this
>>mic so old that it was discontinued long before the recent changes in
>>frequency allocations?
>
> i've tried, but imo, A-T support is an oxymoron.

No wireless microphone vendor knows for sure what the
future looks like.

> the 7000 series is not that old, and at one time
> it was their premium line of wireless, with 200
> frequencies to select from across two bands;
> of course, only one band for a given unit.

A-T is not at the top end of wireless microphones,
and the 7000 series is not exactly high end compared
to what people use for serious, high-stakes apps
(like feature film/TV production, Las Vegas live
shows, etc. etc.)

> not surprisingly, i think the decision to dump
> the 7000 series coincided with the FCC frequency
> announcements, and may well have been the cause.

No wireless microphone vendor knows for sure what the
future looks like.

> of course, those idiots like me that had invested
> in 18 of the 700 MHz series and 3 of the 600 MHz
> series were left stranded on my/our investment.

You and millions of other wireless microphone users.
Most wireless mic users are unlicensed, but the "licensed"
users are no better off than anyone else. We're all
essentially screwed. Join the club.

Just keep using your equipment until the interference
becomes intolerable. I expect it will be several years
before the bands are fully utilized. By then those
plastic mics will likely have failed from other causes.
And hopefully there will be some clear next step for
wireless mic users by then.