Is there a point in buying IEM systems?!?

Hey Cederick, I know how you feel. Here in Europe, we had this situation with 4G, rendering more than a few systems illegal, even expensiove Sennheiser stuff...

Now, first of all, most of those frequenty auctions (where a government owned frequenty band, which was put freely available to microphone and IEM users, was auctioned to mobile phone operators) are planned, years beforehand. So if you read through your local regulator's (here in Belgium BIPT) literature, you'll know what will happen with your planned frequenty band.

I'll give you some examples about Belgian regulations:

At this point the 5G-frequenties will probably be the next major worldwide auction. Research showed me that EU UHF channel 27 and 29 (which are free in belgium) are not affected by 5G, and that there are no plans to auction this band, at this moment. But offcourse, I have no rights in this band whatsoever.. But if you would use your set intensively, the cost would be justified, given that your investment pays off in like, 5 years...

In Belgium there is talk however on moving the "free" to use" channels around, but those arent concrete plans yet. What does this mean? You have 3 kinds of frequenties: those unsuited and illegal to use, because someone else has a license (like your telecom operator), those free to use, and those not free to use but which are able to be licenced to you. So, even if BIPT moves the free to use channels out of reach from my wireless kit, I will still be able to license frequenties within that band. I also looked up the price, and despite I don't remember them correctly, the prices are OK. If you are a band which performs more than 10 times a year, I would without a doubt license some frequenties, because they will give you the right to keep your own wireless kit turned on, and have anyone elses equipment turned off, in case there would be interference....... Remeber that that free to use band can get crowded quickly (at a festival or so...)

So yes, doing al this legaly and correctly requires some research and planning, and you'll only have guaranties within a political timeframe (I mean, what frequenty bands will they auction after 5 years???)

BUT, I have to admit, I'm one of they few musicians who are that technical. I see (second hand?) wireless kits run in 'illegal' bands around me all the time, and nobody seems to care. They tend to work, even in the middle of a 4G band...

Also: do you really need wireless? A drummer for example just sits in his throne. Can he live with a cable? As a guitar player, do you play guitar wired? Are you able to tape the wired IEM to your guitar cable? In the end wired allways sounds better...

Well I know a 4 headed band which is doing it like that, and they dont really seem to complain: the behringer beltpacks are taped to their amps, and they taped the 3,5mm jack jack lead to their guitar cable. They only have to plug in the guitar and their in ear set.

The alternative is more convinient, but more expensive, and doesnt give you much guaranties in the long future. But if you stay out of the 5G range, you will be safe for at least 5 years or so

I dont now where you live, but here in west europe, the 832MHz to 865 band is filled with 4G... offcourse theres a 9Mhz duplex gap, but thats a quite limited range + telecom providers dont use it for a reason

Hmm, it seems that indeed, in all those 3 countries the duplex gap is the only free to use band... but that'll leave you with only 9MHz for frequenty planning, if you're the only user that'll be fine, if there are many transmitters in that range that might be a problem.

I found this file: https://www.apwpt.org/download…requencies2018.pdf#page10
Licencing prices for the non free ranges are mentioned. Something to think about... but in general it seems that we are just spoiled here in Belgium with those 500MHz free bands

With 4G and 5G I mean the data connection your mobile phone uses for internet. That lives in the 832 MHz to 865MHz range in most european countries, details are here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik…of_LTE_networks_in_Europe
There is a small duplex gap between 823 MHz and 832MHz which seperates upload and download frequenties for 4G (not doing this would cause intermodulation issues in the radios of our phones). Because that gap is abandoned by mobile phone operators, and is useless for any other pro radio use, the EU has designated this to be free to use for wireless mics...

Well, there is one advantage about the E band: you will probably be safe for a longer time than 5 years, as 4G is a rather new technology and wont fade away that quickly And 5G is around the corner to eat some other UHF frequenties, probably around 700MHz.

So anyhow, if you're not planning to use this E band transmitter together with more than 6 other users (concurrent musicians and rental firms in the neighbourhood included), than that'll probably be fine. The alternative is to pay for a licence for a transmitter in another frequenty band, but it seems youll have to do that in 3 countries! Ouch!

Congrats allways looks nice, such IEM/X32 rack

Tie wraps and made to length cables!

I use a wired Shure P6HW IEM pack. Works great , no interference or drop outs and its easier on batteries.

https://www.thomann.de/ie/shure_p9hw.htm

@Cederick, where did you find that cable?

That is a TC Helicon cable that comes with the Voicelive products. You can find it in amazon. But the construction is awful and they always break.

It´s a great idea but badly executed. It´s just better to make one yourself if you want it to last.