Wireless System Licensing Guide

[G.D.]

Cheers - any idea from then on ?

GD

[Noisyjon]

After this year it all changes but the de-reg (free to use) Channel 70 and the licence required Channel 38 equipment will be OK.

[Bassmanc]

very interesting read, butI wonder if any one out there in Bass Chat land could tell me what would be a best buy transmitter system given the current state of play. I used to use a NADY system at 175 too, but the tansmitter got irreperably damaged by a dropped bass bin - but I was never entirely happy with the bass frequency response from these oler units - bass end started around 80HZ if I recall - not much use for my Chapman stick or Sei 6 where I get important harmonics at half those frequencies!

So do any of the newer digital kits cut the mustard whilst operating in legal unlicensenced frequency ranges, or do I have to continue wiring myself directly to main connected gear and test my earth connections rigorously (as I have been doing for years)?

All useful info welcomed.

[Noisyjon]

Info refresh BUMP.

[BigRedX]

I have an ancient (circa 2000) Sure wireless system that uses 174.5 MHz is this still legal to use? AFAICS it is but information on this frequency is hard to come by and difficult to see if it is the most up to date.

Can anyone give me a 100% definite yes or no on this?

Thanks.

Edited January 15, 2015 by BigRedX

[crez5150]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421323340' post='2659796']
I have an ancient (circa 2000) Sure wireless system that uses 174.5 MHz is this still legal to use? AFAICS it is but information on this frequency is hard to come by and difficult to see if it is the most up to date.

Can anyone give me a 100% definite yes or no on this?

Thanks.
[/quote]


Yes still legal.

De-reg frequencies in UK below for VHF - 173.800 174.000 174.200 174.400 174.600 174.800 175.000

[BigRedX]

Thanks!

How come the frequencies go up in 0.2 MHz increments and 174.5 MHz isn't specifically listed though?

[crez5150]

Anything between 173.8 and 175 is fine.... they are just the usual fix points... varies on manufacturer

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421332478' post='2659981']
Thanks!

How come the frequencies go up in 0.2 MHz increments and 174.5 MHz isn't specifically listed though?
[/quote]

Here's the web page with that info BRX: [url="https://www.pmse.co.uk/equipment/wireless-microphones-and-monitors.aspx"]https://www.pmse.co.uk/equipment/wireless-microphones-and-monitors.aspx[/url]

[obbm]

I've just been asked to make a cable for a Takstar WGV-601 wireless system ( [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/TAKSTAR-WGV-601-GUITAR-WIRELESS-SYSTEM/dp/B006AZDN3A"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/TAKSTAR-WGV-601-GUITAR-WIRELESS-SYSTEM/dp/B006AZDN3A[/url]) which seems to be sold by Amazon for about £50, and on Ebay from the Far East.

The spec says that it operates in the 220MHz-270MHz band. Surely this is not legal in the UK?

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1446297977' post='2898430']
I've just been asked to make a cable for a Takstar WGV-601 wireless system ( [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/TAKSTAR-WGV-601-GUITAR-WIRELESS-SYSTEM/dp/B006AZDN3A"]http://www.amazon.co...M/dp/B006AZDN3A[/url]) which seems to be sold by Amazon for about £50, and on Ebay from the Far East.

The spec says that it operates in the 220MHz-270MHz band. Surely this is not legal in the UK?
[/quote]

Hi Dave,
Sorry to be late to the party but you're right - That kit isn't [u]freely[/u] usable legally but there seems to be a window of [font="Arial"][size="2"]224.00625 - 224.49375 MHz [/size][/font]that could be licensed from OFCOM on a non-interference basis.
The frequency range of that kit clashes with the stuff below (quoted from OFCOM's website):
[font="Arial"][size="2"][b]217.5-230.0 MHz[/b]
BROADCASTING[/size][/font]

[font="Arial"][size="2"]Band allocated to T-DAB.
The band 225-230 MHz agreed for civil use in the NATO band of 225-400 MHz.
PMSE occupies 224.00625-224.49375 MHz on an NIB (non-interference basis) basis.[/size][/font]


[font="Arial"][size="2"][b]230.0-328.6 MHz[/b]
FIXED
MOBILE
Radiolocation
Radio Astronomy
Mobile Satellite
S5.111, S5.199, S5.254, S5.255, S5.256[/size][/font]

[font="Arial"][size="2"]Government
Radio Astronomy uses the band 232.0-236.0 MHz at Darnhall, Defford, Jodrell Bank, Knockin, Pickmere, and Wardle. The band 326.5-328.5 MHz is used at Jodrell Bank.
EPIRBs operate on 243.0 MHz.
Mobile Satellite Services operate in the band 312.0-315.0 MHz on a secondary basis.[/size][/font]

[Chienmortbb]

With the plethora of UHF mics on 863-865 and 2.4Ghz, are the free VHF bands now less crowded with less interference? Is the equipment good enough?

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1461001692' post='3030558']
With the plethora of UHF mics on 863-865 and 2.4Ghz, are the free VHF bands now less crowded with less interference? Is the equipment good enough?
[/quote]

Hi Chienmortbb,

If you can find some good quality gear there's nothing wrong with VHF at all. The only downside is that you can only use 3, possibly 4, frequencies at once in the available RF spectrum.

ATB,
Jon

[Chienmortbb]

Thanks Jon. Are we talking old Shure, Sennheiser, Trantec etc rather than the cheap new ones n EBay?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Chienmortbb

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1461020365' post='3030802']
Thanks Jon. Are we talking old Shure, Sennheiser, Trantec etc rather than the cheap new ones n EBay?
[/quote]

Yes, that stuff is all good. I'm not sure of any newer VHF stuff but I have heard that there's digital systems being developed in the VHF range so that will be an interesting development.

[Chienmortbb]

Numark are about to release a digital system I'm the 863/865 MHz band, I will let you know how it performs.

[SH73]

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1463089421' post='3048594']
Numark are about to release a digital system I'm the 863/865 MHz band, I will let you know how it performs.
[/quote]
Surely if I play at home wireless know will ever know?

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1467403418' post='3083538']
Surely if I play at home wireless know will ever know?
[/quote]
?

[SH73]

[quote name='Noisyjon' timestamp='1467405851' post='3083550']

?
[/quote]
Predictive text. If I played with wireless system at home, surely the licence law does not apply. Or does it?

[icastle]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1467443014' post='3083675']
Predictive text. If I played with wireless system at home, surely the licence law does not apply. Or does it?
[/quote]

Yes

You may own your home, but you don't own the frequency spectrum.

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1467443014' post='3083675']

Predictive text. If I played with wireless system at home, surely the licence law does not apply. Or does it?
[/quote]

Ha ha, fair enough!

If you're transmitting lower than 862 MHz then legally you need a licence of some kind, regardless.

Cheers, Jon

[SH73]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1467453588' post='3083761']


Yes

You may own your home, but you don't own the frequency spectrum.
[/quote]

Disagreed, nothing but electromagnetic waves as they occur in space and in the everyday environment.They are not tangible and not manufactured.

[EBS_freak]

Reading back, I don't think anybody has mentioned 823-832 and 1785-1805 that are now included in the 606-614 shared mic license (as of March 2015)

Edited July 2, 2016 by EBS_freak

[icastle]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1467456177' post='3083783']
Disagreed, nothing but electromagnetic waves as they occur in space and in the everyday environment.They are not tangible and not manufactured.
[/quote]

No point in arguing semantics with me, I'm just telling you how it is.
If you think it's wrong or unfair then its OFCOM you need to take it up with.

[SH73]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1467459173' post='3083821']


No point in arguing semantics with me, I'm just telling you how it is.
If you think it's wrong or unfair then its OFCOM you need to take it up with.
[/quote]
No intention to argue. It's like the government wants to charge to breath air. No idea who IFCOM are but reckon it's an agency that had the electromagnetic field pattended.