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Well I was able to locate specific information about the FCC's decision on Super Wifi and other TV Band Devices (TVBD's) and it's impact on wireless microphone users. You can find the complete order here http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily ... -174A1.pdf but since it's very lengthy and dry reading, I'll try to summarize what is important to us here as mobile users of wireless microphones.

* The FCC will be setting up a database that all TVBD's will be required to register with. They will have to register their location and the frequencies in which they're operating. All TVBD's will have to check with the database before they begin transmitting to ensure that they will not interfere with other devices in the area. Protections for distance between devices on the same frequencies is defined.

* Wireless microphones will not be required to register with the TVBD database. However, as such, no protections against interference from other devices will be afforded (this is no different than how things are today). Venues with extremely large numbers (> 100) of microphones may request registration with the database and will then be afforded interference protection.

* The FCC will reserve two TV Bands in each market specifically for Wireless Microphones, no other TVBD's will be allowed to operate in these bands. Wireless microphone users who wish to operate in these bands to avoid interference will have to check with the manu or TVBD database to confirm which channels are reserved in their area.

* In each market there will also be additional TV Bands in which TVBD's will not be permitted to operate. Wireless microphones will also be able to use these areas without fear of interference from TVBD's.

* The FCC continues to urge Wireless Microphone manufacturers to develop technologies that would result in more efficient use of radio bands. Currently, 2 reserved TV bands would be enough to accommodate approximately 16 wireless mics.

So the end result here is that many of us, especially those with wireless mics that are not frequency agile, could find ourselves with devices that only work in the protected TVBD bands. When considering purchase of a wireles mic in the future, you'll need to consider what bands are reserved in your area and buy a device that operates in those bands. Frequency agility will be more important than ever in ensure that you can not only operate in those reserved bands but also to ensure you can work around the increase in interference that will result from compressing more mics into a smaller frequency band.

I can see this getting to the point where small DJ and KJ folks like us, especially those without a strong technical understanding of this, may find that wireless just ain't worth the hassle. Hopefully, Shure, Sennheiser and others can respond with improved devices (possibly similar to the Line6 digital line) that make more efficient use of the radio bands and continue to make it as easy as it has been to operate wireless microphones.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Gee, more and more crap to face. Thanks for the info Tony

This new TVBD thing is exactly the reason that my next wireless purchase will be Line 6.

While technically sophisticated users may find that technology unacceptable, those of us with just a few channels of wireless for karaoke or bands do not have the resources to deal with ever-changing wireless rules. People who just invested money in getting out of 700MHz may have to spend money again very soon to obey these new rules.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Who says that isn't going to happen again with the Line 6 in the future? They aren't immune to any changing FCC rules.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Two important differences. First, the Line6 operate on a band (2.4 GHz) that's already assigned and they use legally (instead of the technically illegal use of white space by our wireless mics). Second, because they're digital they are far more bandwidth efficient and can employ additional technology to help avoid interference.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

To expand on Tony's post a bit, the 2.4GHz band used by the Line 6 mics is used by such a huge number of devices that it is very unlikely the FCC will reclaim that spectrum for any other purpose in the near future, and also, that spectrum is not of much use for longer-range services like cell phones, which are the driving force in basically all of these rule changes.

All bluetooth devices and most 802.11 wireless routers use 2.4GHz. Getting rid of these devices to free up that spectrum for any kind of licensed use would take many, many years and represent a much larger cost to the public than updating a much smaller number of wireless microphones.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Another good reason to not use wireless mics, only wired for me till the end of time.