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Why do some people "suck up" RF?


chris_bollard

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At the risk of getting "it depends" - does anyone have a logical explanation as to why some people "suck" the RF for a radio mic Tx?

Certain people, from experience, will have measurably lower RF on the receiver; trying alternate Tx, frequencies, and body placement does not seem to make a measurable difference.

Larger bodied people exhibit this - and is understandable. It's this phenomenon on more regular sized people that I'm wondering about b

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Larry Fisher of Lectrosonics has said on more than one occasion that humans are basically big walking bags of water, and unfortunately, that's not a friendly environment for RF transmissions. 

 

In some cases, if you can just avoid having the antenna touch the body, that seems to help a bit -- but it's not always avoidable.

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I had one actress tell me, as I prepared to mic her, that I "Wouldn't have much luck" with getting a good signal from her.

Normal sized woman. She clearly had enough experience with this phenomena to warn me ahead of time.

It was, indeed, quite weird. I should have chatted with her some more, since she was friendly and forthcoming, to try to get some scientific explanation.

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I often work with a dude that's an RF sucker, seems I'm not the only sound op to experience his unique talent.

Seriously, after fiddling with the channels/placement/etc he told me it often happens.

He's a skinny guy too, probably about 70kgs. I asked and he confirmed that he drinks a lot of water/fluids, maybe connected?

 

Grant.

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I had one actress tell me, as I prepared to mic her, that I "Wouldn't have much luck" with getting a good signal from her.

Normal sized woman. She clearly had enough experience with this phenomena to warn me ahead of time.

It was, indeed, quite weird. I should have chatted with her some more, since she was friendly and forthcoming, to try to get some scientific explanation.

 

Clearly she was a Cylon

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I had a director that could not recieve the comtek broadcast. Everyone else at the village got good reception. After giving him the third reciever with no reception, I finally moved the transmitter to the village cart. As long as he was within five feet of the transmitter he could hear. He kind of sucked as a director, too.

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