653-663 Duplex Gap usable in Chicago?

[Philip Perkins]

Chicago-area mixers: is the "duplex gap" 653-663 usable at all downtown, or has it been stepped on?

 

thanks!!

[Derek H]

Here’s a fresh scan. Indoors at Cinespace studios. Pretty useable. 
 

But it’s very location dependent. This morning doing a scene outdoors about 3 miles from downtown but with an unobstructed view of the skyline and we were getting intermittent hits across multiple frequencies in the DG simultaneously. 
 

It’s pretty bad here. I’d bring options!

[Michael Capulli]

I was successfully running my IFBs in this band last year when I was there. I have a UM400A in BL25 and Its been at 658.300. I also have two other programmed channels in my IFBlues at 652.700 and 664.500. What I did was drive around the city to different areas with an RF Explorer in Peak Hold and I felt that between these 3 channels I would be ok. I ran some tests at cell tower sites in the area that I knew of and did some walk tests. I'll say that the guard band is not clearly defined when you look at scans. My notes say roughly 648-656. But I was getting great range just off the UM400A with a whip. I'm not sure how many channels you can run however, I wouldn't think more than 2 would work.

[Philip Perkins]

I only need 2 TX, with a required range of about 25 ft, indoors but downtown.  The equipment that's available can only legally work in the DG, not that it would probably work very well outside of that range anymore in an urban setting.

 

That scan was Lectro B25?

 

thanks dudes