bigmaho

For what it's worth, I've done a few shows that used auto sync. Our setup was extremely simple. Deva was the tc master (23.98), feeding the IFB xtr. We set the cameras to external TC and fed them with Zaxcom ERX receivers (also set to 23.98). We also jam the slates with the ERX. Works flawlessly. On the first day of the first job (Season 1 of The Big C) we discovered a glitch in the way the ERX would bounce between receiving tc and resyncing itself to the received code which would lead to a glitch every 30 minutes or so. Howy quickly re-wrote the software and from then on it's been golden. Very accurate, very simple,very lightweight and very fast to set up. Billy Sarokin

"Finally robustness, a radio mic transmitter is the one product, you have to rely on others to care about, I'm already building my vitriol defences from the angry Zaxcom sect but I'm sure anecdotal evidence would back up my suspicion that Zaxcom would make more trips back to the service centres and have a shorter shelf life." I've had Zaxcom transmitters sweat out. I now wrap them in ziplocks for heavy sweat scenes (basketball players, joggers, etc). Other than that I find them incredibly robust. And my gear takes a beating!

btw, I'm concerned about people reporting 25' range. That would usually be caused by rf interference on that frequency. While I usually work off the cart with shark fin antennas, I do often go handheld with whip antennas. Range drops a lot, but even in Times Sq I can get 100-200' with just the whips. One caveat, I am not as familiar with the QRX receiver in dual mode, so I am not sure if there is something specific to that.

That's a different situation and will affect any type of radio. I have a spectrum analyzer on my cart and the higher the general rf noise floor the shorter your range. Though the analyzer is a great help in finding the quiet parts of the freq block. I use block 26, from 662-692 mHz. I can almost always find empty spaces, but if I'm out doors in TImes Sq and have to run 8 radios it can get tough!!

More than with analog radios since there is no IM interference. As with digital TV stations you can butt digital transmissions up against each other (as long as there is open space in the spectrum). Zaxcom recommends 600K between xtrs (ie, 686.0; 686.6; 687.2; etc). With analog radios you have to take intermod interference into account which cuts back on the # of freqs you can use. btw, when the band is very crowded, at times I've used 500K separation with my Zaxcoms with no noticeable reduction in range.

Whips work fine in over the shoulder mode, but for the best range, with either analog or digital radios, high gain antennas are a great help.

Many ways. Sometimes you'll do many takes without cutting and the director will say 'scream it this time', sometimes you hear the actor himself say it just as cameras roll, sometimes you can tell by the breath.... sometimes it's too late for one line but you can catch it for the next. Whatever the case, having the capability to control transmitter gain or change transmitter freqs from the cart, is invaluable. Nothing against Lectro, they make great gear, and I still use a couple of Audio Ltd radios in my rig, but once you've used the digital transmitters and their extended recording and playback capabilities via Zaxnet, you won't go back. Billy Sarokin

I've had the 742 for a few months and love it. It lives on the 2nd boom pole (on the base mount) and I also use it for plant mics. I have 2 of the older MMT's but I sorely missed not being able to control the gain remotely or playback via Zaxnet. The 742 solves that. The only drawback is minor. As mentioned, the SD card is in a vulnerable spot. But I'm going to epoxy a small piece of plastic in front of it for protection. So far I only have the 3 pin connector, but I also intend to get the stereo and digital mic bases. Overall it's a great piece of gear!

When I work on motion pictures and tv I get NY / Local 52 scale which ranges from $48-55/hour. When I work out of town in ASA contract areas I usually negotiate to NY or LA scale. I work the big films and the little. Rates are about the same. The only wiggle room is in equipment rentals. LA mixer rates are a bit better.

What a great interview! Thanks Jan and all the best for the Emmy!

I'm an early user of almost everything Zaxcom has made. There have been issues, but most are minor and quickly fixed through software upgrades in the field. The hardware issues have been few and far between. After 13 years of experience with this gear I can easily say the the benefits FAR outweigh the negatives. Just the other night we were doing a Steadicam shot. It was a tough scene. The actors were having trouble with their lines, the shot itself was complex and it was late Friday night after a long week. After numerous attempts we had a perfect take when suddenly there was a radio drop out. If it weren't for the Zaxcom recording radios I would of had to tell everyone the take was no good, Instead I remixed it afterwards from the onboard sd cards (and did a better job on the mix too). Chris, if you are worried, buy a few extra lavs. You will never regret using this system.

Hi Senator, AFIK There are 2 other types of digital radios out there. As I mentioned in my post, Zaxcom came up with a digital (meaning it transmits ones and zeros) that operates on our UHF band, has excellent range and battery life and is fairly small. Sony duplicated that feat (albeit, after many years), but I believe any other digital radios out there are either 2.4 gig and have very short range, or, like the Lectro digital radio, are VERY broad band and need a few mHz to transmit a signal that Zaxcom and Sony do in 200 kHz. Billy

I'm also wondering how a Deva (or any digital recorder) could record over a take. These machines all create a unique file for each take and write it to a hard drive or CF card. I guess it's possible if you go around the software and create a duplicate take name it could replace the original with the new on the mirror copy, but I believe the MARF (Master drive) drive would still contain both files. I'd be interested to hear more details of what happened in your case.

In 2000, one of the top professional audio magazines (REP) ran an article saying that digital radio mics were the holy grail of rf design, but they were in effect, impossible. The article said that allowable bandwidth would render digital radios ineffective since they would have to have a very low sampling and bit rate, the range would be terrible, and they would be large power hungry beasts. At the time I read it I had just purchased my first Zaxcom product, a Cameo digital mixer. I knew that Zaxcom was working on digital radios so I faxed the article to Glenn. His answer came a few months later when he demo'd his first fully digital radio to me on the set of 'Brown Sugar' in the fall of 2001. Glenn and his engineers figured out how to make digital work within the FCC constraints. It took an additional 8 years for a competitor, Sony, to figure out what Zaxcom did. As far as I know no other manufacturers have been able to duplicate that feat. There are a new generation of digital radios that use 2.4 gig. As of now, they don't have the range or professional capabilities we need but new technology might find a way to provide better range for high ghz gear. Maybe some new designer will come up with an app that turns Iphones into re-transmission nodes :-) While most of this thread has been about the 'gravy' features - zaxnet and recording capability, the first hurdle for manufactures is coming up with a reliable digital radio. That is the most difficult hurdle by far, and as far as I know, the algorithms that make this possible are not patented. Billy Sarokin

btw, if I read your post right you are having issues with range past 10' and clear line of sight. If so you may have other issues. My first guess would be the frequencies you are using are already occupied. Another possibility is the rack has a problem. Have you tried using a receiver without the rack? Billy Sarokin

Here's my next rig....

Will a Cat5 balun work with SDI HD?

Just curious what they would have wanted included or removed from the plan?

It won't be repealed. They would have to get the presidency and 60 Senate seats to even make a stab at it, plus they would have to come up with an alternative which they have no intention of doing. In any event it would be politically impossible to take away what has already been given (no more lifetime caps, no dropping people for pre-existing conditions, etc). I have no doubts the law will be modified in the coming years. As it is implemented its strengths and weaknesses will become apparent. If the Republicans ever decide to re-join the political process (as opposed to my way or the highway) they may actually have some creative future input.

The medical establishment doesn't have lobbyists? MD's didn't write their congressmen and senators? or letters to the editors? If there weren't so many people involved it wouldn't be a 4000 page bill. It's a mess, but so is democracy. Big money medical can buy their way in, smaller money medical and the patients they deal with made their voices heard via their representatives or the voting booth. I'm curious what your doctor friends who weren't listened to would have told their representatives if they took the time to contact them (or were they such important doctors that they were waiting for President Obama to call them. Maybe he did but couldn't get an appointment).

If you go with the Schoeps check if it's a newer model CMC6. The old ones were sometimes susceptible to interference from AM sources (digital radio mics, Canatrans transmitters and Neon lights). The newer models are extremely rfi resistant. The newer ones have a gold backing on the xlr connector. The older ones have a dark grey plastic xlr.

What makes you think they weren't?

Mirror, the government "will not give you health care for a nominal penalty". You have a fundamental misunderstanding of the program. It is NOT (that's not as in not) a government health plan. Health insurance will still be provided by private industry as it is today. You pay a penalty if you can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it. The reason for that is because younger healthier people might say 'I'm in great shape, why buy insurance'. Well, it's like car insurance, you're in great shape until you are not and then when you are sick everyone else has to pay. Ever notice the part of your auto insurance bill for 'uninsured motorist coverage'? That's the part where everyone pays for the deadbeats who drive around without insurance. And private industry in many cases provides or chips in for medical insurance as part of their contract with their workers. It's all part of the pay package that includes medical, retirement, IRA contributions, etc. Dropping any part of the package is the same as reducing wages. It does not go over too well with the workforce. Have a great vacation and don't post while driving. Best, Billy Sarokin

C'mon Mirror, NASA? They spent 50 years doing the testing and research. Of course private industry can come in at this point and do the basics for less. Speaking of NASA, what planet do you live on anyway? It seems to be full of mean selfish people who do not understand the concept of government, insurance or a little something called 'the common good'.

If the link doesn't work, here is the actual article from the NY TImes 6/30/12: Consumer Questions on Health Care Act, and the Answers By KATIE THOMAS Q. Now what? The law is upheld, so where does it go from here? A. Now the scramble to enact the law continues. Unless the law is repealed by Congress, most of the major changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. By then, states must have set up health insurance exchanges, where people can buy coverage. Insurers will have to offer policies to anyone who applies, including people with expensive medical conditions. And people who do not qualify for exemptions based on income or religion will be required to have minimum insurance coverage or pay a penalty. Q. In what way was the Medicaid expansion “limited”? What is the meaning of this portion of the decision? A. The Supreme Court’s decision means that the Medicaid expansion is now an option for states, not a requirement. If states do not participate, experts have speculated that it could create a subset of people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid — the exact threshold varies — but not enough to qualify for the tax credits that would help them pay for insurance. States will not have to pick up the added costs of the Medicaid expansion until 2016. After that, the federal government will gradually reduce its contribution until it reaches 90 percent of the costs by 2020. Q. I’m unemployed and can’t afford health care, what does this ruling do for me? A. Beginning in 2014, the law expands Medicaid to cover people who are under 65 and earn income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $30,657 for a family of four in 2012. Families who make between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level — or $92,200 for a family of four in 2012 — will be eligible for tax credits for insurance plans that are purchased through state-run exchanges. Q. My parents are screaming about higher taxes from the Affordable Care Act. Any figures for those who have health insurance through our employers already? What does this mean for us? A. The law imposes tax changes that would affect some people who are covered through their employers, especially those in higher tax brackets. Beginning next year, the law increases the Medicare tax by 0.9 percent on earnings over $200,000 for individual taxpayers and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. It also imposes a 3.8 percent tax on unearned income for high-income households. Q. Does the ruling that allows states to reject the expansion of Medicaid allow states to reject all expanded care in the A.C.A.? A. No. The rest of the law stands. For example, states must continue to set up health insurance exchanges or the federal government may step in operate the exchanges itself. Q. I’ve heard that I’m required to have insurance. When does that go into effect? And what sort of penalties will I face if I don’t comply? A. Starting in 2014, most Americans will be required to have health insurance and could face federal penalties if they do not. Taxpayers will be required to indicate on their tax returns whether they have health insurance that meets minimal benefits standards, according to the Commonwealth Fund. If consumers do not have insurance by 2014, they would owe $95, or 1 percent of taxable income, whichever is greater. The penalty rises to $325, or 2 percent of taxable income in 2015, and then $695, or 2.5 percent of taxable income in 2016, up to a maximum of $2,085 per family. Q. What does the law mean for retirees on Social Security and facing high drug costs? A. The law shrinks the Medicare drug coverage gap known as the “doughnut hole” by requiring pharmaceutical companies to give a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs. Federal subsidies will gradually fill in the rest of the gap until it is closed by 2020. Q. I am now being covered by a plan in New Jersey that covers people with pre-existing conditions. It ends December 2013. What will happen? A. The high-risk pools that cover people with pre-existing conditions are intended to be a temporary measure until the rest of the law takes effect. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, insurers are no longer allowed to turn away customers with pre-existing conditions, and they must charge them rates that are comparable to other healthy people their age. Q. What happens to employees receiving health insurance from small-business employers? A. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from penalties that otherwise will be imposed for not covering their workers. Small businesses with fewer than 25 workers and average wages of less than $50,000 get tax credits to help cover their workers. The state health insurance exchanges, which go into effect in 2014, will also allow small businesses to buy coverage there. Q. Will my insurance premium go up? A. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that private health insurance premiums will increase by 5.7 percent each year, on average, from 2012 until 2022. But premiums would be getting more expensive with or without the Affordable Care Act. The budget office has estimated that, relative to what would happen in the absence of the law, premiums in the individual insurance market will be a little higher, employer-sponsored insurance premiums for big companies will be a little lower and employer-sponsored insurance premiums for small companies will stay about the same. A version of this article appeared in print on June 30, 2012, on page A13 of the New York edition with the headline: Consumer Questions On Health Care Act, And the Answers.