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How is the 600MHz spectrum sell off affecting you?


cstauffer

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Morning all. I am a Production Mixer up in Vancouver, Canada who does mostly TV Series work. At the moment, all us broadcast people up here in the sound field are likely looking to the US to see how the sale of the 600MHz Spectrum is going to soon affect us up here, as it did/is down there. Though, there could be differences in how big it will, or could, affect our jobs, and the gear we use. Who knows what the Candian Government will do exactly.

 

As of now, the Canadian Government has indicated it will be at least 2 years until an auction will happen. They are still trying to decide how it will happen, and what the whole process will look like. I plan to send an email, of a sort of impact statement, to the Canadian Government. I have just discovered canadians, and canadian companies have until November 2nd to submit comments about how the sale will/could affect them, if held. So all you canadian sound guys may want to start emailing fast!

 

Anyways, after all that, I would like to hear from our US counterparts, their comments on how the 600MHz spectrum sale has/is/will affect them in terms of their gear changes, or otherwise.

 

As an example, I sat down, and listed all the wireless gear I possess in the 600MHz range. I found that if I had to change it all to new blocks it would cost approximately $55,000 CND. Scary! None of my stuff is reblockable, as I have found out from Lectrosonics. I would have to buy straight up all new gear. Lots of boat anchors. Yes, I would be getting the latest and greatest, but the stuff I have now is still doing the job quite nicely thank you.

 

So would love to hear from you. Thanks...

 

CRAIG

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The moment I heard about the spectrum sell off, I sold all my 600mHz gear and purchased new gear in safer parts of the spectrum. That was maybe two or more years ago. I knew that by now the market would be flooded with 600mHz gear and they would be going for really cheap. So in order to make my money back I sold it right away. 

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I did the same as Jon. Sold it as soon as I heard it was probably going away. There is a lot of 600mhz gear for sale now and it all sells for less than something similar in a lower block. Start selling now and if you buy used gear it helps offset some of the pain. 

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I have some gear in the 600 range that is not re-blockable. Luckily for me, I have re-couped the cost of what I payed for these units, and will use them as long as possible. Then I'll likely sell them for peanuts to someone overseas on ebay, or in WTB-WTS.

But, who knows if all other countries will follow suite and auction off these frequencies to their phone companies as well.... 

 

- Lectrosonics has some kind of a "buy back" program, where they give you a rebate on new gear, in exchange for sending in old gear in the 600 MHz range.

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   I was all 24-25-26..So...All new SMWB units and Venue2...new Sankens to go with them...It set me back quite a bit, but that's business..

  Re blocking a bunch of 411a's...and a few of my SMQv's and SMv's

Expensive month...

  I may have done this anyhow even if the Spectrum deal had not happened..I always try my best to modernize whenever possible. That Venue2 is nice.

   Good news is.. All new wireless gear...Go Lectro.. Love the new Wireless designer software that goes with the Venue2 by the way..

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On 22/10/2017 at 5:37 PM, Johnny Karlsson said:

I have some gear in the 600 range that is not re-blockable. Luckily for me, I have re-couped the cost of what I payed for these units, and will use them as long as possible. Then I'll likely sell them for peanuts to someone overseas on ebay, or in WTB-WTS.

But, who knows if all other countries will follow suite and auction off these frequencies to their phone companies as well.... 

 

- Lectrosonics has some kind of a "buy back" program, where they give you a rebate on new gear, in exchange for sending in old gear in the 600 MHz range.

Official buy back rates: http://www.lectrosonics.com/US/images/Trade-in-program/Lectrosonics_Trade-in_Value_List_all.pdfj

 

As for me, thankfully I only have a couple wireless kits in the affected range, but I had been holding out on changing over until the new wide band had come out.

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15 hours ago, JWBaudio said:

Official buy back rates: http://www.lectrosonics.com/US/images/Trade-in-program/Lectrosonics_Trade-in_Value_List_all.pdfj

 

As for me, thankfully I only have a couple wireless kits in the affected range, but I had been holding out on changing over until the new wide band had come out.

 

What's with these dates??  Mis-print or am I reading it wrong?

 

"Lectrosonics Products Trade-Ins For "instant credit" towards new units purchased on or after October 1, 2017, up through August 30, 2017 only, from an Authorized US or Canadian Lectrosonics dealer"

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Living in  Arkansas I was able to be on block 21for the last 15 years,  so I was never in the 600 area. I know that was not an option for some people around the country as there was too much congestion in Block 21.   However now that people have moved out of the 600MHZ I have more congestion in block 21 than before.   I am going to start to upgrade my wireless over the next year to a wide band system to get a little more flexibility.

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They said...yes that is the program offered...I simply said with a smile I thought that was ridiculous... But they explained that was also to help compensate much older units not necessarily newer units.. I guess the thinking may have been of course people would sell the more valuable units themselves....

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On 10/25/2017 at 12:06 PM, Mirror said:

 

What's with these dates??  Mis-print or am I reading it wrong?

 

"Lectrosonics Products Trade-Ins For "instant credit" towards new units purchased on or after October 1, 2017, up through August 30, 2017 only, from an Authorized US or Canadian Lectrosonics dealer"

Misprint. I'll send it to Bruce Jones to get it changed.

Thanks,

LEF

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On 10/23/2017 at 11:37 AM, Johnny Karlsson said:

But, who knows if all other countries will follow suite and auction off these frequencies to their phone companies as well.... 

 


I bet it will eventually happen EVERYWHERE in the world. As everyone sources cellphones made from the same general place. So manufactures will want to keep that straightforward. 

But some countries will be slower at changing over, some companies will be much *much* slower in eliminating the 600MHz band (I hope I'm living in the latter!). 

On 10/26/2017 at 2:38 AM, Glen Deakin said:

Did anyone seriously use the trade in program. $100 for a zaxcom zmt3. 

 


I'll pay anyone $101 for their ZMT3! 

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