Chris Durfy Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Lectrosonics SMQV: First Impressions Super Miniature Quarter-Watt Variable Transmitter Street Price: $1325.00 I’ve been using SMD/a style transmitters from Lectro for a while now and have found them to be a very valuable tool in my sound arsenal. While they aren’t as small as the SMa’s, but they do offer a better balance of size and battery life for the type of jobs I tend to do. Enter the SMQV The SMQV is Lectro’s latest offering. A variable power transmitter that is in the same form factor (and in fact replaces) the SMDa, SMQa (as well as replacing the UM450). Now, most people are now familiar with the SM line of features, so I’m going to point out what is new in this transmitter. I will say that the SMQV performs just like the SMa series except for the following differences: 1. Variable Power: this transmitter can switch to various output levels. The standard being 100mw, the full output at 250mw and the smallest level at 50mw. While in 250mw mode, the battery is of course drained much quicker. I’m told you’ll get about a 40+% boost in range along with a much stronger ability to punch through other competing frequencies. It is important to note that in 50mw, there is no power savings over the 100mw output due to internal circuitry but is offered for those who wish to use that output level. 2. Removable Antenna: Now sports a standard SM Antenna (UM style). 3. Auto-on feature: A long requested feature of mine which helps cut down a few seconds of battery change time in the field, the SMQV’s BIOS remembers it’s “on-stateâ€. When a battery is removed while powered on, the unit automatically turns back on when new batteries are put into the unit (similar to the changing batteries on a UM style unit). 4. SMKIT-TA5: The SMQV ships with a kit for wiring most lavs to the SMa servo bias wiring. It comes with a TA5F, back strain relief, a rubber dust boot, some resistors and an instruction booklet for those of you savvy enough to do your own wiring. All in all, I really like the new SMQV. While I like the option of variable power settings, in reality, I bet I’ll keep it at 100mw 99% of the time, but it’s nice to know it’s there when I do need it. My favorite features are the auto-on and the removable antenna. I know that will come in handy more often. Good job Lectro! Pics on my blog at: http://blog.chrisdurfy.com/?p=90 For more information visit http://www.lectrosonics.com/hybrid/sm/sm.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I'm still waiting on mine that I ordered 2 months ago, some problem with some circuit board that's no longer made. When did you get yours? I wish I had waited to get my SMQa, I would much rather have had 2 SMQVa. Interesting though, and kind of odd, that the tx still uses the same batt power on 50mw or 100mw. Isn't that kind of the point, to save battery? I LOVE the removable antenna, I didn't know they added that. I always worry about the SM antennas coming off or getting bent... Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 " Isn't that kind of the point, to save battery? " actually, this has been addressed, and I believe it is in a FAQ on the Lectro site, it was discussed in the Lectro users' forum, too... it has to do with physics, and involves some math, but basically, reducing the power in these circuits also reduces their efficiency. certainly the 100 mw saves battery over the 250 mw, but the use of the 50 mw is more about reducing interference than saving much battery life. the LM TX's are a bit better on battery, but they are basically untweaked versions of the 100 mw TX's, and they usually are around 70 mw actual power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Durfy Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I got mine about two weeks ago. Love it. -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 That's strange because my Zax TX900s are 50mw and they were just as good on range (or even sometimes better) than the 100mw Lectros... 250mw blows them out of the water though! Also - anyone notice that you can't use the 250mw on a person? It gets hot enough to scald! But it's great for distant plants or camera hops. Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 About distant plants: now if a company could make a 250mW unit that's as small as can be (like the SMQV) and with phantom power (thinking about a shotgun or a CUB-01 as plant mic)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Graff Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 fyi, you can put a TA-5 breakaway on a CUB-01 and run it off a beltpack without additional power. PG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 actually, when planting mic's, it is often possible to get a decent antenna placement on the TX, compared to the relatively poor placement that wearing the pack TX usually provides (the body ends up absorbing a lot of the RF)... that is why hand held, including plug-on TX's perform so well, even with low power. When Phantom power is needed, I usually am able to get the Plug-on TX's into a position for relatively efficient RF radiation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 CUB-01 ; when using my MixPre to feed it, I have to turn phantom power on so I figured it needed it on Txs too (specs say: 48 volts +or- 4 volts)... I'd have to adapt it to lemo connectors (using Zaxcom 900 Txs) I'll sure check it out with more attention, thanks for the pointer Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan chiles Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Hey boomboom The CUB 01 is an electret condensor and only needs low voltage to power it, the barrel power supply provided converts 48v phantom to electret voltage. If you can fit male and female inline lemo connectors on the cable, you could use it with a Tx and with the 48 Volt powers supply. Jon Chiles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Guys, you just made my day... :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I love the idea for this thing. I swear to god, I told (an unnamed Lectro exec) about two years ago at NAB that I wished they would combine the SMD and SMQ models into a single model that would let the user choose whether they preferred more power or longer battery life. They patiently explained this would be very difficult to do because it'd be a radical circuit board design, that 250mW doesn't really provide more than a few dB more power output, etc., etc. I knew I should have patented this idea! <sigh> --Marc W. <rushing out to buy two very soon> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I think you're not mistaking (I think 3.3 volts is the recommended DPA4063). I check the specs soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel McIntosh Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 The guys at the Lectrosonics booth at AES said that by years end they plan to release the SMV- a variable, selectable power output version of the (single battery) SMa. I see that it is now on the website: http://www.lectrosonics.com/hybrid/sm/smv.htm They also discussed an additional reason for the 50mW setting. The NYC Broadway houses are in agreement to use this limited power setting. For my purposes, I am not sure that I like the upgraded versions which now have the detachable antenna. I believe it degrades the extremely low profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 It's bigger, but the detachable antenna is an azz saver when talent sits in a car; you just plug an antenna extension, fix it on soulder underneath the garment, and you're done for a good decent range... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Hey Boomboom, can you give some details or pics of this antenna extender? Is it a 50-ohm smaM-to-smaF cable? Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 " The NYC Broadway houses are in agreement to use this limited power setting. " " but the use of the 50 mw is more about reducing interference than saving much battery life. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Waelder Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 you just plug an antenna extension, fix it on soulder underneath the garment, and you're done for a good decent range... I'm also curious about how the antenna extension might work. As I understand it, the whip antenna is really only 1/2 of the functioning antenna; the body of the transmitter acts as the other half of the dipole. If one simply spliced in a length of cable as an extension, wouldn't that defeat half of the functioning antenna? Or does the transmitter body continue to work as the other dipole part with a minimal extension of only a few feet? Or, are you attaching a regular dipole like an SNA 600? David Waelder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 " Is it a 50-ohm smaM-to-smaF cable? " extending a whip antenna with coax is a poor way to move an antenna away from the TX, as the whip antenna needs a counterpoise (ground plane or other element) to work well. Even with a counterpoise, another factor will be coax loss. edit: David is correct! the Lectro product is actually a different (remote) antenna, not an extender. if a coax extension is used, (and this applies to RX's as well as TX's!!) there should be a complete antenna at the end of the extension, and not just a partial antenna, like a whip. an SNA is a good example, or a LPDA or Yagi... BTW, there are SMA to BNC adapters readily available... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 So people just wear that antenna extender right up their shirts? Isn't it uncomfortable and isn't there a great margin for error, like if it leans over and gets sat on in a bent position? Might as well just remote the tx and run the lav wire up and out of their clothes right? Unless they have to get up or something. Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 " Isn't it uncomfortable " maybe... but there are a lot of times wearing a wire may be uncomfortable... " a great margin for error, " what exactly do you mean?? error in the antenna remaining perfectly vertical?? I think you may be taking that too OC literally... even when on the TX, the antenna may not always be vertical, but signal polarization really isn't quite that critical... I've been using coax antennae (sic) for years on the shoulder straps of bags, for example... " Might as well just remote the tx and run the lav wire up and out of their clothes right? " been there, done that, too... (I've also mounted TX's on my shoulders... in past years, I've seen newsies at events like political conventions, with antennae (sic) mounted on their headphones!! a coaxial antenna i just another tool, try it, you may like it, Mikey likes it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Okay jeez that's why I asked! Fine, no "great margin for error" that's good to hear! Sounds like I'm remiss in not having a couple of these in the kit. I doubt I'll ever put them on talent though. Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason porter Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 I wouldn't hesitate to use it on talent if the need arises. The ones I have seen are thin and flexible, kinda like an old VHF whip antenna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 try putting a lectro 411 with a sanken cos11 on someone wearing just a speedo..... and then put him into a car and record on a tracking vehicle. I had it doing this recently. just about managed it, just barely. the remote antenna is a great idea. I will definitely get a pair of these, or probably "make" a pair of them. or maybe four. -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel McIntosh Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 It's bigger, but the detachable antenna is an azz saver when talent sits in a car; you just plug an antenna extension, fix it on soulder underneath the garment, and you're done for a good decent range... Azz saving antenna extensions can be accomplished with a UM series transmitter, or with the new SMx series. OTOH it is unclear whether the SMx series will continue to be available without the smaM antenna connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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