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Buying multiple SRb... Choosing blocks... Already reading "archives" New thoughts? 06/14/2015


MattinSTL

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Okay... my eyes (and brain) are glazing over. I just read an old thread where a member says he wired 40 people in ONE block! Wow... maybe I'm over-thinking my new bag(s). The gist is... I have a little trepidation about putting so much into SRb... with the LR/LT now available (only because of the difference in 1 block vs. 3 blocks)... HOWEVER... I still think the SRb is the defacto bag choice (or Wisy, etc.)... basically, that form-factor wins IMO... and, I fully understand Rado's obsession with weight-reduction. Anyway... so... choosing blocks!

From what I've read, and experienced, here in STL... 19 is a good choice here. The common logic I get over and over from other soundies is go as low as you can on new purchases. 19 has been working well in STL... so... 2 SRb down in 19 (Thank you DVestore, for the great service)... and 1x 21 for hops to news cams.

With the SL6 eminent... I'll definitely have 3 in there... and probably stack a couple more on top in a dashboard. These 5 SRb will alternate between the big reality 688 rig... and 2 at a time will go down into the little 633 (with dashboard) news/efp/small-gig-rig.

Right now I'm trying to decide between 3x 19, and 2x 470... or 2x 19 and 3x 470... while still keeping them a full block away from the hops on 21.

Thoughts so far? From what I've read on the archives here... and on the Lectro pages I think I'm heading in a solid direction. I feel like Lectro should have a clear, "pre-sales page" which sort of insures these choices, but so far I can't find it, if it exists, which is why I'm posting here.

I've also got some G3 units that I use as both DSLR (or other economy hops)... and IFB. Bottom line on that is people aren't getting SRb hops if they're not paying for it, or unless the overall gig pays so well that it's covered... i.e. magazine shows and/or other high-end production... THAT'S when the G3 is handy. They're good enough for scratch hops (too good almost)... and pretty good at IFB... all from a single TX. My G3 TX is "A"... so here is the kit(s):

Talent:

4x470 (or 6x470)   473.300 - 485.700   (470 can be tuned into block 19 manually, almost half-way at 495.500... does this increase the value of 470 enough to get 2 extra 470 and 2 less 19s?)

6x19   (or 4 x 19)   486.900 - 511.100

Cheap HOP and IFB

Block "A"                515.000 - 558.000

SRb Hops

Block 21                 538.100 - 562.500

So... if you care to comment. I feel like this is a pretty good plan. Which, based on experience and reading Lectro charts for here, and other cities... should be good, but I'm wondering if it's a poor choice to have 10 wires (and likely 12 eventually) in only two blocks, 470-19... or if I'm right on the money? Needless to say... some major burning on the CC... I was hoping to find something on Lectro's site to reassure my plan... and from there, the archives here.

My current bag is a hodge-podge of blocks... and models, 411, 211s, 210d, and 201s in blocks 21, 22, 24, and 25. I've done well with this kit, but there are days where it makes me work harder than I think I should have to (getting all the blocks to play nice through the numerous talent, IFB, and hop TX.

I'm really hoping that my current plan will streamline all of this... and take some of the coordination stress out of reality gigs. Typical max on reality (for me anyway) is 8 wires... but if they're willing to pay for each wire after 2 or 4... I'm happy to load 'em up to the max ISO channels, but I would like to make it easier on myself than it has been.

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You mentioned WisyCom so I'll just throw in that I've been using WisyCom exclusively for my talent wireless for the past year. Reliability has been excellent along with build quality and ease of use. 

If you are so concerned about block choices why not seriously look into the wideband options that are available now? WisyCom and Audio LTD both offer wideband choices in the form factor that you are looking for. 

Not trying to make a sales pitch or disway you from Lectro, it just sounds like you're into the form factor a lot so offering alternatives that might relieve your other concerns. 

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You might want to consider spacing out your hop tx more than one block from your talent. Especially if you're going to be crowding the upper block with a few talent tx. I used a very similar set up to the one you're heading towards, 470 and blk 20 for talent, but went with a blk 26 hop after i experienced some pretty bad bleed from a blk 21 hop a dp wanted to use. The bleed was really bad, and i did a proper intermod/scan walk test. Never had a problem with my blk 26. Also, it does seem to be best practice to go with lower blocks due to bandwidth sell off concerns, but being that it would be your hop system, you can get away with a bit more. Even if the block starts to get crowded.

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I was tempted to go with the oddball Block 23... but 21 has been a good Block... and I've read a lot of endorsements for 21 around the country. Again, in the archives... 21 is popular in Vegas, NY, etc. Most of the big cities. For better or worse... I've already got it, so I'll have to see how it goes. In past threads I've read that keeping them one block away was enough, and that still keeps my whole kit in the lower blocks. (Fingers crossed now, I guess)... I told Guy at DVestore that I was planning to move my kit towards 21 a while back... and being the cool guy he is... he came across some decent SMa in 21 and gave me the head's up (even though it wasn't DVestore getting the sale)... and I let that influence me to call the hops 21, and (hopefully) be done with it. Considering the cost of everything else... I'm hoping that wasn't a mistake.

I already own 22 here... and it's been okay, but the times I've used 19 I've been surprised at how solid it's been here... and honestly, 21 is typically pretty good too. I hate to use the word "invested" in G3... but I have a pretty big G3 kit (mainly 300 series IEM)... which, in Block A, is basically on the edge of 21 also (lower power) and it has never given me any issue as a hop TX... even right next to 21s in the bag. Of course that's a single 35mW Tx... vs. 2x 100mW Lectros.

Hopefully I don't regret letting "serendipity" influence that hop choice... but my gut says that should be fine. I guess what I'm wondering most, is about 19 vs. 470... maybe I should have made the original question; "If you were buying 5 SRb in the choice of 470-19, how many would you get of each?" :-)

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As someone who just bought a used hop system with SMas I would suggest that, if you can, choose SMv for the transmitters.

For one, they allow you to dial down the RF power which can help minimize interference into your other receivers in the bag. Not being hidden on a body makes 50 mW totally adequate for camera duty in my opinion. Especially with thethe short range needed in most ENG/reality situations.

Two, with an SMv you can set it so that it will power up automatically when external DC is applied (using battery eliminators). With my SMa I have to turn each one on by hand every time I power up the rig.

I didn't realize that was an SMv only feature but it is.

 

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It just depends on what the  rf strength is,  in the particular area(s) that you consistently work in. I use 23 in Detroit and have zero issues. Fast forward to working in Anaheim for a job last month, and I had all kinds of issues. Might have had to do with other broadcasters in the same house, but I never usually have any serious problems with 23. To the bag I'm running Block 26 and 470 along with a LT/LR combo that covers parts of 19, 470, and 20.

 You do lose a few Mhz to radio astronomy  bandwidth per FCC, but 23 is pretty reliable in most situations I encounter. I pretty much use it exclusively for my camera hops because it IS an odd ball block that most other mixers do not use. But I'm usually the sole provider /rf transmitter when I'm on a job. I do on rare occasions encounter other crews for the sports and news type events I work. I agree with going for SMVs for all of the reasons Derek mentioned. Ask other mixers in your area what blocks are strong for them as starting point. 

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Pam at Lectro said that it doesn't matter if you use 100mW TX for hops in the Block DIRECTLY NEXT TO your talent wireless. She said it shouldn't have any affect at all as long as we use the normal coordination of frequencies just like we would for talent.

Will this prove to be the case? I guess I'm going to find out.

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Pam at Lectro said that it doesn't matter if you use 100mW TX for hops in the Block DIRECTLY NEXT TO your talent wireless. She said it shouldn't have any affect at all as long as we use the normal coordination of frequencies just like we would for talent.

Will this prove to be the case? I guess I'm going to find out.

She may be speaking more to intermod than to receiver de-sensitization.

 

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I guess we'll see, John... I'll post about the results. Considering Lectro said I could transmit in the adjacent block to the Rx... Wellll... Basically... this bag better play together as well or better than any other kit I've used!

For the past couple days I've been using a bag full of 411s... 19-20-22 for talent... hops sending on 21 and 26 w/ um400a (also 100mW)...  The 26 I understand but the 21 could be stepping on 20 and 22 easily, but everything has been working well.  This is a bag that I did not set up and I can understand the 26 but the 21 right in the center had me scratching my head about that choice.

So... whatever.  For the money invested I expect "perfection" ( and now everyone laughs because we're talking about wireless ) 😄

Edited by MattinSTL
Posting commentary about same bock srb
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've seen threads other than mine  asking about having transmitters in a close block... close to receivers in the bag.  I just wanted to follow up with my experience so far.

Using 470 and 19 with block 21 hops off the front of the bag is working okay in my initial testing.  I was planning to keep a block 22 for an optional stick mic...  But having two of the 21 transmitters at 100 mW is killing the 22. 

Right now I'm thinking the advice to separate by at least one full block is a good idea. 

 

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