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Who's using IAS Freq Co-ord software and digging it?


Philip Perkins

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I've looked at their demo, and downloaded and test-driven the app.  It's a little balky but seems to work ok.  Does anyone have some real-world stories of using this thing?  It is supposed to be able to recalc an existing coordination to a new zip code or Lat/Long location--which it seems to do by supplying a new list of freqs it likes in the blocks/types already specified.  So far though, it always seems to want me to refreq every wireless I have even for a move of only a few miles…..??  How do you make this work on a multilocation day?  Have you had better luck with this app than with FreqFinder on an iPhone (what I've been using)?

 

 

philp

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Let's say you have all your fqy plotted within IAS underneath their own "Zone" and sub-category for ZIP 94103, which is downtown SF.  When you need to move to another location with a different zip or remote area, for example 95814 for downtown Sac, you go to the "TV Data Wizard" icon and input your new zip and it will confirm for auto recalc.

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This is where it gets a little more confusing based on the new recalc fqys.  When you enter the new zip, you would possibly get a few red-colored strikethrough listings (bad fqy, cannot be auto changed to another fqy) and yellow italicized (fqy auto changed by IAS).  So you'll need to go in manually on those red-colored fqys and find new ones based on your wireless family.

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I've been using IAS on reality shows for years. For all that I've tried to make FreqFinder ubiquitous, I can't make FreqFinder as suitable to large installs as IAS is. Bringing around a computer on set for multilocation work (even a much smaller netbook) was cumbersome though, and that really inspired the creation of FreqFinder. IAS definitely has been a standard for large precoordinated shows. I would definitely say that I dig it.

In case you're looking to use it on a mac: http://newendian.com/index.php?title=IAS_for_Mac

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Thanks.  So you've found the app useful, use it?

 

philp

I use it whenever I get the opportunity to.  My laptop always come with me to all gigs even when I'm simply helping load in, and always bring a spectrum analyzer so that you can scan the area and import the file into IAS before you start plugging in your wireless.  This way, IAS can use the area scan to calculate more precisely.

 

There have been instances where I'm at some loc w/o my scanner and start plugging in fqy into IAS, but the turnout potentially comes up with fqys that are actually ON some interfering channel with lots of RF.  So it's better to bring the scanner along and use that as your guideline.  One good example was back with the SF Fiddlers playing at Holy Names U. and they had a last min situation which prompt us to use add'l wireless.  The in-house crew didn't have any kind of scanner nor fqy calc prgram to troubleshoot.  Luckily, I told my guy Gary that I could help scan and punch out a number for the gig.  Whelp, that was a good learning experience.

 

No, I haven't DL'd FreqFinder not because I didn't find it useful, but I haven't the chance to use it on my phone since IAS is with me all the time.  Though, one or two times have bit me when I didn't have my workstation and did NEEDED some kind of app for last-min day of the mill wireless calc.

 

On another note, IAS is playing the Mac field soon, so we won't be needing VM/Bootcamp/Parallels for running it on our Mac laptop (if you are using a Mac).  Oh yeah, an app for it is also in the works (so I've heard). As already mentioned above.

 

Hope you find it useful Mr. P.

A.

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I have used Freq Finder to coordinate up to 30 Frequencies for reality shows. No problem. IAS is good, and many times I will call Lectrosonics to have an IAS Coordination done for a show. I have however plugged in IAS freq's into FREQ Finder and get conflicts. I have had no issues with freq finder.

To be sure, FreqFinder is more conservative than IAS. Dialing down FreqFinder's settings does bring it much closer to IAS's protection level, but still won't let you squeeze as many channels in as IAS.

Rob, I would be very interested in hearing about any limitations you've found in the workflow on larger reality shows.

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FWIW I have used IAS for years with very good success. It pulls the local TV channel data by zip code, and the re-calculate feature is really handy for making as few changes as possible to your frequency list based on the new locale.

 

The default settings are quite good, but I've found that if I need to squeeze more channels into a given block, I can relax the restrictions a bit and still get excellent results. To do this I usually go to Tools>Options and un-check 5th order and 3tx 3rds. Then I can get far more coordinated channels into the list.

 

As with any coordination tool, experience counts. And capturing all the RF sources is important, too.

 

If anyone has specific questions about IAS, I'm happy to help.

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  • 1 year later...
On 30/08/2014 at 10:03 PM, Alan H. Chang said:

My laptop always come with me to all gigs even when I'm simply helping load in, and always bring a spectrum analyzer so that you can scan the area and import the file into IAS before you start plugging in your wireless.  This way, IAS can use the area scan to calculate more precisely.

What kind of Spectrum analyzer do you use that has this ability to export/import to IAS?

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