Antenna Mast

[studiomprd]

James Stauffo, once sales manager of Vega Wireless and later founder of consulting firm Professional Wireless Systems in Florida, much like Wolfie here in SoCal "invented" his version of the Helical antenna, the circularly polarized antenna for his clients, and was not really a manufacturing-marketing  company with dealers. His company is now owned by Masque Sound, in NYC; they are principally a PA-Theater sound company. Sennheiser began offering their version, and recently Shure has licensed the Stauffo design from Masque and is now manufacturing their version and actively marketing it, including showing it at trade shows, etc.

[Paul Ledford]

Jeff ... I would like to chime in here on the Stauffo design PWS antenna Dan Izen and Mike Michaels spoke of.  In my use, they are all the things Dan wrote about. When faced last year with a job involving many moving cars and dialogue, I researched the issue of antennas with moving transmitter and receiving antennas. Helicals turned out the way to go and that brought me to web site for PWS and their kit of helicals.

I rented the kit from PWS in Florida for a test. They not only  worked great, but scared all the local high schools kids off the their cell phones one afternoon while we drove around the neighborhood checking out ranges and off block reception ... that means we were separated by a block or two moving in the same direction.  I bought the kit  right then to use on the project 12 Rounds directed by Renny Harlin. Many cameras moving fast.

We convinced production to let us build out a chase van for sound and video and mounted the antennas up on top of the van. I have pictures somewhere.  The signal range  we got kept us out of the action either way back or off on a side lane, so we could still have continuous contact with the actors in the cars while we drove all over the streets of New Orleans. The stunt drivers loved us for not being too close and yet the director, DP, AD, script and producers could see and hear everything. This also worked great for the Streetcars there on Canal Street for almost six blocks from a static receiving position. The line of sight is amazing. Note to others .. there is little to nowhere on the Streetcars to hide the sound department.

I had a mixture of 100mw and 250mw Lectro units. Some transmitter units were using antennas on the packs and some were using small mag mounts to get the signal out of the cars and onto the plane of the metal exteriors. They look like small law enforcement style so we were good on camera with them. Got those from Evan Mather at VARK Audio, but any mag mount will do at any angle because of using the helical on the the other end.

The whole kit worked great on the van and on our carts when we were on the ground shooting a foot chase through the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Dan is right about getting them up in the air. Our chase sound cart has a built in mast so we can raise them on a triple header to do just that. I could always work from a distant way out of the “seeing the world”  way and still get all the needed audio.

The video guys ended up buying a bunch to keep up with our range and ended up going microwave. And I also used them to transmit  IFB to the crew. Lectro IFB T1 plugged into that goes a long way crystal clear and we did not get caught with the steadicam or the camera department with a clamshell going out of our range.

So I guess you say I am a fan and they have a place on my carts. Plan to buy more.

--- Paul Ledford

[Jeff Wexler]

Those are pretty fine words coming from Paul, a glowing review for real world use of these somewhat unconventional antennas. I'm convinced.

-  Jeff Wexler

[mikewest]

I have long used a pole sold in hardware stores for window cleaning functions.

Height, well basically to raise aerials above nearby obstructions.

I have often found on a large set that after I have parked my cart, a load of lighting stands, ladders then an army of people appear in fron of me.

For actors in really wide shot I usually raise the pole to max height.

On the pole nowdays, a Yagi originally sold be Lectrosonics, plus their "Swiss Army" foldable dipole.

There's a picture on my website of when I had the aerial pole mounted on the sound vehicle.

Cheers

Mike

www.mikewestgatesound.co.nz

Mike

www.

[FSBELLA]

jw,

you asked some time back on this thread, why don't the tyipcal rental houses in town have them. mainly because they are used in the reality world. I think its about supply and demand, and the film & TV , mixers do not request these particular anntenna's very often.

(the helical or then senn.) but the reality world mixer uses them on every house build setup, and were they have to cover differet floors etc. also, the aviom system is used on many reality shows as well. my buddy uses (6) senn."black domes" and avioms all over there "set" with great rf reception.

Izen- here is a scenario using your Helical 8090's. you are at a horse race track. you are positioned at the finish line with your 411s &  sm tx on the horse jockeys. will it pick up all the way around a track (think the kentucky derby) or would you position another mixer w/redundant 411's and a helical in the center of the track, to help cover the backstretch. then you would pickup the turn of the horses and get them at the finish line.

whats your thoughts?

[studiomprd]

" sold by Lectrosonics, plus their "Swiss Army" foldaway dipole. "

actually it is a "Swiss Navy" antenna!!

[filmfreak]

Greetings Mike

Looked up your site under the equipment section : http://www.mikewestgatesound.co.nz/equipment.html and think I can spot the antenna combo right there but it is a small sized picture to be sure.

Could you please post a clearer picture with the Yagi / Lectro SNA 600 Antenna combo if this picture or a similar one are within reach from your pictures database ?

Would be nice to have a closer and clearer view of this setup.

Thanks

[filmfreak]

Does someone have a pic handy of a dipole + shark/yagi combo to post ?

Aris

[filmfreak]

Thanks Scott