If you are a group, be it full time, part time, one time, whatever, you have until June 12 to make sure your wireless microphones are not above 700MHz.  Not only will continuing to use this frequency band after June 12 be illegal, but you will be subject to a higher risk of interference.  Churches, this goes for you too.  You can and will be slapped with fines and possibly have your wireless equipment confiscated.  Your equipment will be considered to be interfering with emergency responders.  Beyond that, the remaining legal frequency range will much more heavily regulated.  So, if you go to a city and there is a venue or a major touring show there within close proximity and they have applied and obtained a license for the same frequencies that you normally use, you must surrender those channels while in that area.  Churches and groups can apply for licenses and can also input your comments about the changes and how they’ll affect you.  These comment must be submitted by March 1st.  Go to shure.com for more info on how to submit.  Since the 700MHz frequencies are going to be used for emergency use, the FCC is creating a team to patrol the frequencies.  I will be happy to answer any other questions anyone may have about this.

I think the ban is limited to within the 700 band, not above it. 

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones/

That seems to be right. Everything between 698Mhz and 806Mhz is illegal and everything else is fair game.

PrimaryOvertone - 26 February 2010 08:26 PM

That seems to be right. Everything between 698Mhz and 806Mhz is illegal and everything else is fair game.

which is everything “above 700Mhz” that’s usable by this type of device.

Point is a lot of groups and churches are going to be surprised when the get a fine in the mail or someone comes to their concert and demands they change the frequencies in the middle of a show.  Or in the middle of a show, they hear emergency transmissions through their PA

Something else to keep in mind with this is even though your wireless may be within the “legal” range, you could still be subject to more interference than before.  Say you are close to another venue, school, or any other location using wireless.  If they have they licensed rights to the frequencies you are using, they have first dibs and can force you to change your frequencies.  May be an uncommon problem, but something to consider.  Don’t forget to check your in ear monitors too, if you use them.  Also keep an ear out for legislation that would require ALL wireless users register their devices on an annual basis.

I personally know what a huge financial burden it can be to replace your wireless equipment that has been rendered useless as of June 12 due to this ruling.  I figured it up based on retail price, and the replacement cost of all things that I will no longer be able to use in my quartet is roughly $8,000.  That’s a lot of hate offerings there.  ha. 

BUT…there is good news!  First of all, you may be able to sell your old equipment through something like eBay.  Since this ban pertains only to equipment operation in the US, there are a lot of people willing to go to the effort to buy our equipment and take it oversees for either use or resale.  I was able to sell a set of 4 Shure PSM-400 ear monitors in a case with a Shure auxpander mixer on eBay for $1,500.  It all cost me a lot more than that, but I was very happy to get that price. 

Also, I was told in another forum about a site that has unbelievable pricing on pro audio equipment.  The site is http://www.northernsound.net.  I am in no way affiliated with the site or have no motive to send business their way, but you will be hard pressed to find a better price anywhere on anything they offer.  The wireless mics I wanted were listed there for $160 less each than what EVERY other “major” pro audio superstores out there sells them for (Sweetwater, Musician’s Friend, etc.) and $160 less than I could find them new on eBay.  You have to let them charge your credit card $1 to become an account holder before you can see the prices, but if you are in the market for new equipment, it will be worth your time (and dollar!).

Remember most manufacturers also are giving rebates for trading in your old gear.  I’m afraid you may have gotten more out of your gear by trading in than selling.  I’ve used Northern Sound but I normally use http://www.fullcompass.com

Redbird - 02 June 2010 11:26 AM

Remember most manufacturers also are giving rebates for trading in your old gear.  I’m afraid you may have gotten more out of your gear by trading in than selling.  I’ve used Northern Sound but I normally use http://www.fullcompass.com

The “trade-in program” offered by Shure would have offered me $300/ea. rebate on the same four wireless monitor systems.  To qualify for that rebate, however, I’d have had to buy new wireless monitors that are $1,800/ea.  We don’t have a sound guy anyway (therefore, I can’t get the full benefit of in-ear monitoring), so I am going back to floor wedges.  So…I sold them for $300 more than the Shure rebate offers and didn’t have to spend $6,000 (that’s AFTER the rebate!) on new ones.   

Also…Full Compass is also $160 higher than Northern Sound on the mics I bought, but I have done business there, too.  Good company.

June 12th has come and gone.  Let the fines begin for violators of the FCC’s new laws regarding frequency allocations.  If you haven’t already, switch soon.  $10,000 fines are expected to be the standard for violations.  Oh and by the way.  Selling your 700MHz items to some one in the U.S. is also illegal.  So either trade them in or sell them to someone in another country.  If you are being stubborn about switching please understand that those frequencies were purchased for around $20 billion and devices in that frequency range will start causing you troubles as early as this fall.  Besides being illegal, using these frequencies could be life threatening if they interfere with the emergency communications for which they were intended for.  If you are found guilty of interfering with emergency frequencies it is a punishable, criminal act.