Guest afewmoreyears Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Due to the government sell-off of the RF spectrum above 692 MHz, effective January 1, 2008, Lectrosonics will no longer build wireless in blocks 27-28 for stock. These blocks will become special order items only and will be phased out completely sometime before the February, 2009 transition. Location Sound will special order block 27-28 product for our customers until the 2009 change over with the clear understanding that it very well may be illegal to use these blocks after February, 2009. This was pulled from the Lectrosonics posting on the LSC website regarding the freq. situation. Now, We have all posted about the new freq. rules that will go into effect concerning our wireless blocks 27 and 28... But the part about "very well may be illegal" strikes me..... Where? in certain cities..... What the FCC will start showing up on sets in LA for example.... Checking out the freqs.... citing us or worse.... The "May" is a strange way to explain this.... could it be a cleaver way to get people to run out and buy different blocks.... not a bad sales strategy if that is in fact what it is.... Or is it just a blanket way of covering the subject without any way of knowing what will shake out of all this.... is the situation really that much in flux? So now we are somewhere between " your blocks will probably be useful for years to come" to " you may be breaking the law could be subject to who knows what, and we need to invest thousands more in new gear.... ( if your on 27 and 28). Rant on guys.... what do ya think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I think they mean illegal in the sense that tuning one of your wirelesses to an existing TV channel freq. today is technically illegal, since you could (somehow) interfere w/ someone's reception of that station. It is sort of a moot point since our weeny little TX are slaughtered by TV stations to the point that we'd never do this on purpose. So I guess it is illegal in the sense that suicide is illegal--against the law but rarely punished? Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest afewmoreyears Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I took it as.... it would be illegal to USE these units as they may create interference to others given the permission to view tv for example on these freqs. But I agree with your point.... if there is TV on a given freq..... why would we tune into that particular freq..... that makes sense.... but how do THEY look at it....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 They got to catch you first. The way our Government has been gutted, New Orleans will be rebuilt before the FCC has the staff to scan the airwaves looking for sound men n women gone bad. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Lewis Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 The wireless systems we use are technically supposed to be registered by the end user (us) with the FCC, but because we are so low power we don't even exist in the bigger picture? They are selling off the spectrum because they don't see our uses as a threat to the bigger picture, so unless they put some massive high power thingy in the spectrum, I doubt we have much to worry about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 INT. MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON - DAY Three grizzled CONVICTS lounge about a dingy cell. CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #2) What're you in here for? CONVICT #2 I counterfeited twenty dollar bills and distributed them over a fifteen state area. What're you in for? CONVICT #1 Ran a string of hookers, a protection racket, numbers... the usual. (TO CONVICT #3) You? CONVICT #3 I murdered my wife and her parents. What's it to ya?! CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #4) How 'bout you, newcomer? CONVICT #4 Sound mixing. The other three shrink back in fear. FADE TO BLACK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 John, one problem. you started with 3 grizzled CONVICTS lounge about a dingy cell. then you ask the #4 convict what he is in for? you did not introduce #4 at the start, audience is confused. here is a thought: three grizzly CONVICTS lounge around a dingy cell as a fourth convict in chain restraints and shackles (think Hannibal lecter in silence of the lambs) enters the cell escorted by 2 big and burly prison guards. then his line should be: sound mixing using freq, blks 27 & 28 just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Thanks for the "notes." I'll get on the rewrites right away. Whoops, is the strike officially settled, yet? Maybe I should have waited. JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 INT. MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON - DAY Three grizzled CONVICTS lounge about a dingy cell. The bars CLANG open and a fourth CONVICT in chain restraints and shackles is shoved into the dank interior by two burly PRISON GUARDS. The door CLANGS shut and the guards leave. CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #2) What're you in here for? CONVICT #2 I counterfeited twenty dollar bills and distributed them over a fifteen state area. What're you in for? CONVICT #1 Ran a string of hookers, a protection racket, numbers... the usual. (TO CONVICT #3) You? CONVICT #3 I murdered my wife and her parents. What's it to ya?! CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #4) How 'bout you, newcomer? CONVICT #4 Sound mixing. They nailed me for a block 28 infraction. The other three shrink back in fear. FADE TO BLACK. NOTE: Alternate CONVICT #4 line: "When's lunch break." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Hey John, now that the writers strike is over, come on out to L A. I've read worse scenes written by the Pros. Who knows what will sell in this day n age. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 The Modulus and other video transmitters always has been, and still is, illegal to sell/buy/use in the United Sates. Anyone every seen the FCC stop by to halt their use, or arrest any video or camera guys or rental houses for buying and renting and using these units? I'd expect your Block 27/28 systems to become harder to use, but I wouldn't worry too much about FCC fines or a week of picking up trash on the side of the freeway. And as the others have said, if you're close enough to a TV frequency to interfere with its reception, then your channel is useless to you anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I remember hearing a few years ago of a major production (I believe in NY) shut down by the FCC because of unlicensed video assist transmitters. Legend? Don't know. glen trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Glen, its true, it was a spike lee joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 INT. MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON - DAY Three grizzled CONVICTS lounge about a dingy cell. The bars CLANG open and a fourth CONVICT in chain restraints and shackles is shoved into the dank interior by two burly PRISON GUARDS. The door CLANGS shut and the guards leave. CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #2) What're you in here for? CONVICT #2 I counterfeited twenty dollar bills and distributed them over a fifteen state area. What're you in for? CONVICT #1 Ran a string of hookers, a protection racket, numbers... the usual. (TO CONVICT #3) You? CONVICT #3 I murdered my wife and her parents. What's it to ya?! CONVICT #1 (TO CONVICT #4) How 'bout you, newcomer? CONVICT #4 Sound mixing. They nailed me for a block 28 infraction. The other three shrink back in fear. FADE TO BLACK. NOTE: Alternate CONVICT #4 line: "When's lunch break." JB, thanks for the re writes. but please try the following. ALL the convicts turn to #4 and then deliver there lines in unison. and, then #4 says "whats for lunch" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisboom Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 INT. MAXIMUM PRISON - Seconds Later A guard comes in and yells " GRACE ! " . ( offscreen dialogue ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 he might as well say " abby singer" or better yet- dead man walking lunch. ohh. (think andrew dice clay) ohh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 back to the original posting... we are in a transitional period, and depending on who wins the auctions, the exact specifics of a number of issues are still "undecided" what is "illegal" may be a moot point; the wireless manufacturers have been selling FCC approved equipment for many years, though it may frequently be used "illegally". there are many users of wireless system that are not in full compliance with the laws, strictly interpreted. As productions, we are allowed to use unused TV channels with our "approved" low power devices. We are secondary users (and supposed to be licensed, too) of these frequencies and the conditions are that primary users have preemptive permission on the frequencies they are licensed on, and higher power (!), too. We may not create any interference to them, and we must accept (deal with it!) any interference they cause to us. Depending on who and what (where, too!) get the frequencies. we may get to continue to use many of them with similar restrictions, or not! By Feb, '009, all full power TV stations will shut down their analog signals, and give up one of the 2 channels they currently use. Note that many will move their Digital signals to their previous Analog channel, often freeing a UHF channel by reverting to their VHF channel assignment! this means that it is definitely going to get better, before it gets worse!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Lewis Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 I'm starting to see perfectly good 211's, 411's , and IFB systems in 27 & 28 going up on consignment pages. No need to panic yet unless you are ready for an upgrade ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 so how bad is it really? with the Modulus type video transmitters we notice a reduction of the range by 50% if we are on a channel that has something powerful digital on it, even at 30 miles from the digital TX tower. The digital Tx does not kill the analog video. How bad is it really with the typical FM audio stuff? The analog TV tuners give no indication of digital Tx present. Can you tell on a 411 or Venue if there is a digital Tx on the air? and can you tell if its running at full power? I believe most are still playing with their power settings? Did the Shure guys who had that lecture in LA know? is there a little bit of a panic in the air? wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 as a response I got one message: the Lectro's will show the presence of digital (and other) signals when scanning, though if you tune to the space you will not "hear" a signal just as when you tune an analog tuner to a digital signal. the scan also shows the received signal's strength, (at the RX) but has no way to know the power output and or proximity to the TX) soooo.... right but what does this mean in terms of range reduction and interference? I think a digital video TX on freq will reduce range less than an analog video TX. and FM audio Tx will kill you though. I am not so sure of this though as I can't tell what is on my freques. The 411 just shows "something" - I tried the Kaltman scectrum analyzer but i was so awkward to use it gave no useful answers. Lectros intermod software is nice but seems useless. (true???) what does kill me is occasional bursts of energy as if they are from a paging service. (sounds like an RF HIT) They are unpredictable and exist at vastly different intensities and frequencies in different parts of LA. I think I am used to some in west LA now, only because I do a lot of work here. I believe the hospitals have KILLER pager Tx that send bursts of a sec or less... yet how can I be sure? maybe its intermod between taxis?? how to predict this stuff is the work of the devil. Yet when doing live TV in urban or even small towns this is the stuff that kills you, as its so unpredictable and you NEDD long periods of uninterrupted service. Of course most the time now one is "lucky"... how to increase the luck factor seems an intractable problem. still sometimes perplexed wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest afewmoreyears Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Wolf, The short burst gig has got me more than a few times...... you thought you were on a clean freq., only to get slammed by short pulses of crap.... You know it, I know it...... and understand at least that it is in fact unpredictable ...... we do all we can and still sometimes you just have to shrug and say.... "Welcome to wireless". It is trying to explain to others, mostly uninformed..... well... idiots.... that expect everything to work perfectly, ALL THE TIME...that is the real hard part of the job.... the rest I can deal with.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 hey guys, try to remember the phrase, "enviremental" when the producer thinks your wireless systems don't work. it saved my buddy's job when he was in "rf hell" in downtown l.a. when later in the day, they made a company move to the valley and had cleaner rf space. the producers got it, after explaining that each city effects radio mics differently. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 sure on night jobs downtown LA all is very well till 4-5 AM and the stockmarket starts up... by 6 AM Hell has broken loose and EVERYTHING is diffrent.... this is even more obvious for video using broadband UHF TX and RX analog no less. the 900 and 2.4 band are clean till 5 AM... then hell decends.... still I wonder what the short burst stuff really is. wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 As I said! some LA area examples: in Feb 2009 KABC-DTV will leave TV ch 53 (in Bl 27) and reappear on TV ch 7, its former Analog TV assignment. KCAL-DTV will leave TV Ch 43 (Bl 25) and move to TV ch 9, its former analog TV channel. Alas, KCBS-DTV will be moving from the soon to be sold spectrum to TV ch 43, instead of all the way down to its former analog channel 2 !! KMEX will be vacating TV channel 35 (block 23), and will transmit digitally on TV ch 34 KPXN will cease transmitting analog on TV channel 30 (Bl 22) and remain on Ch 38.with a digital transmission. (sorry Bl 22 fans, looks like KTLA DTV will not move to its old analog TV ch 5, but will remain on TV ch 31, right next to KDOC-DTV)... there are more such changes. you can figure out approximately what will happen in your areas and blocks by going to www.antennaweb.org. also, you might figure that signals receivable only with directional antennae using pre-amps will have minimal impact on most wireless mic usage... and this just in: " The FCC may conduct DTV tests in certain markets before the DTV switchover, according to a letter from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps, who requested the trials. "I believe that you have presented some interesting ideas that I am in favor of pursuing, including switching a small number of test markets to all-digital service before Feb. 17, 2009," Martin wrote. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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