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If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
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Author:  stogie [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:11 pm ]
Post subject:  If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
Honestly, I couldn't afford it and just couldn't bring myself to spend $500, $600, $700 for a Shure Beta58 wireless, but around 6 or 7 months ago I picked up an OLD Beta58 wireless along with a bunch of other stuff off craig's list for not much money. It's well over ten years old, the base is made of steel, it reall looks ancient, but it works just fine.

I was excited at first when I got it because the mic worked great, but it used up 9v batteries pretty quickly and if you forgot to turn the channel down before you turned the transmitter off you would hear a HUGE blast of static that could knock your head off. So after a little while the mic got put aside and I went back to using wired mics most of the time.

Recently I ordered (4) 2800mah 9v NiMh rechargeable batteries off ebay and decided to try out the old Beta58 wireless again. What a pleasant surprise! The new batteries work great and the mic is AMAZING!!! I only get around 2-3 hours from each battery so far, but we'll see what happens after regular charging and use.

It's the hottest mic I have, the clearest sound and low feedback. The only thing that comes close is my new wired Samson Q7.

The sensitivity-"hotness"- of the Beta58 is a huge blessing for me since I don't have a super powerful voice. I can turn the mic up pretty high before any feedback which is great.

If you can afford it and you need a REALLY good mic, I highly recommend the Shure wirelss Beta58, it's fantastic. It makes me sound really good. :D
Author:  jeffsw6 [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
One big gotcha with older wireless stuff is the frequencies above 698MHz (?) will soon be occupied with new cellular-type services from AT&T, Verizon, and friends. That means wireless mics that operate in the 700MHz bands will stop working. It is already illegal to use them from what I understand. So be careful when you buy older wireless stuff, and make sure you get the frequency band you want!
Author:  stogie [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
It's in the 200mhz range, I checked before I bought it.
Author:  ripman8 [ Tue Dec 29, 2009 6:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
How do you find out the range? I have one of these old ones. It sounds great but if I turn it off before turning the transmitter off, I get the hiss blast.

I bought some nice rechargeables online (I first bought some cheap ones that didn't work worth a crap) and they are fantastic for my newer sm58 wireless but will not work with the older one.
Author:  Alex [ Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
I know exactly what you are talking about. I use three SLX24/Beta 58's and one SLX24/Beta87c for my shows. Love those mics!
Author:  letitrip [ Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
ripman8 @ Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:26 am wrote:
How do you find out the range? I have one of these old ones. It sounds great but if I turn it off before turning the transmitter off, I get the hiss blast.

I bought some nice rechargeables online (I first bought some cheap ones that didn't work worth a crap) and they are fantastic for my newer sm58 wireless but will not work with the older one.


If it's a Shure mic, it would be stated on the bottom or back of the receiver as well as inside the battery compartment on the transmitter. Also, newer Shure systems are labelled on the front with the band code (J1, L3, etc) and sometimes the frequency range as well. Take a look see what you can find. If all you can find is the code, there is a lookup table on Shure's website.
Author:  Murray C [ Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
stogie @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:11 pm wrote:
Recently I ordered (4) 2800mah 9v NiMh rechargeable batteries off ebay and decided to try out the old Beta58 wireless again. What a pleasant surprise! The new batteries work great and the mic is AMAZING!!! I only get around 2-3 hours from each battery so far, but we'll see what happens after regular charging and use.


A 2800mAH NiMh 9V ? Wow, I have never seen any 9V of that capacity around which will fit in a mic. I use the iPower Lithium 9V batteries which have a capacity of 500mAH, which is almost equivalent to the capacity of an alkaline 9V.
Author:  stogie [ Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
You warned me a long time ago to stay away from rechargeable 9 volt batteries and for a while I did, but every time I used up a traditional 9 volt battery it bothered me. I felt it was a terrible waste of materials and bad for the environment and not economical. I searched ebay for a long time and it seems that the 9v NiMH technology has improved.

You won't find high capacity NiMh 9v batteries from Ray O Vac or EverReady or Duracel. The ones making them right now are Chinese companies. They range from 200mah to 280mah. I've had mixed results from a couple I bought a few months ago, but the last batch of 4 that I got a couple of weeks ago seem to be of much better quality and they were relatively inexpensive.

I paid $12.60 including shipping for 4 batteries that theoretically can be charged up to 1,000 each. Even if they last half of that they will have paid for themselves many, many times over and reduced the amount of toxic landfill. Rechargeable 9v batteries are green and I' all for using economical green alternatives. I ordered them from the seller online-jewel on ebay. Hopefully I will not need to buy another 9 volt battery for several years to come.
Author:  Murray C [ Thu Dec 31, 2009 9:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: If you can afford it-A GREAT Wireless Mic!
I don't recall warning anyone to stay away from 9V rechargeables.... maybe I might have advised against the NiMH rechargeables due to the low capacity and one particular brand that I purchased (and returned for a refund) which were of slightly larger dimensions than standard alkalines and would not physically fit into the Shure transmitter I have.

However, I have made a number of posts on this forum in regards to endorsing the iPower Lithium rechargeable 9V batteries, which I use. These, at 500mAh have almost double (and in many cases more than double) the capacity of any NiMh 9V I know of, and come close to the capacity of alkaline 9V batteries, which make them my choice of rechargeable.

That is why I was querying your statement that you had ordered 4 2800mAh 9V batteries. I also far prefer to use rechargeables where I can... saves waste of money as well as keeping batteries out of the landfill!
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