Wireless Microphone Problems

NON-DIVERSE RECEIVER ANTENNAS

PROBLEM: Receiver antennas are one of the most misunderstood areas of wireless microphone operation. Mistakes in antenna selection, placement, or cabling can cause short range, dead spots in the performance area or low signal strength at the receiver that leads to frequent dropouts. Modern diversity receivers offer much better performance than single-antenna types, but the right antennas must still be put in the right place to maximize the performance and reliability of the system.

SOLUTION: To ensure good diversity performance, space antennas apart by at least one-half of a wavelength (about 9 inches at 700 MHz). The receiver antennas should be angled apart in a wide “V” configuration, which provides better pickup when the transmitter is moving around and being held at different angles.

If the receiver will be located away from the performance area (in an equipment closet or a closed rack, for example), ½-wave antennas or directional antennas should be remotely mounted (ideally above the audience) in order to have a clear line of sight to the transmitters. (Short ¼-wave antennas should never be remotely mounted, however, because they use the receiver chassis as a ground plane.) Extra distance between the antennas will not significantly improve diversity performance, but may allow better coverage of a large stage, church, or meeting room. If the antennas will be far from the stage, use directional antennas to improve reception by picking up more signal from that direction and less from other angles. If the antennas will be connected to the receiver with a length of coaxial cable, in-line antenna amplifiers may be required to overcome the inherent signal loss in the cable.

The amount of loss depends on the exact length and type of cable used, so follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Total net loss should be limited to no more than 5 dB.