For those who use wireless mics...

We had always referred to places like NYC as "RF Hell" and now we know why!

The Commission will make the 600 MHz Band guard bands available for unlicensed use, thereby making spectrum available for unlicensed devices nationwide. Depending on the amount of spectrum repurposed through the incentive auction, a total of 14 to 28 megahertz of guard band spectrum will be available for unlicensed use. In addition, the Commission will make an additional six megahertz of spectrum available by allowing unlicensed use of channel 37 at locations where it is not in use by channel 37 incumbents, subject to the development of the appropriate technical parameters to protect the incumbent Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (“WMTS”) and Radio Astronomy Service (“RAS”) from harmful interference. Following the incentive auction and the post-auction transition, TVWS devices may continue to operate on channels allocated and assigned for primary television services, consistent with our current rules. The Commission anticipates that there will be at least one channel not assigned to a television station in all areas at the end of the repacking process, and the Commission intends, after additional notice and opportunity for public input, to designate one such channel in each area for shared use by wireless microphones and TVWS devices. The Commission expects a significant amount of spectrum to be available for continued TVWS use, particularly outside of the central urban areas of the largest television markets. Any other unused television channels in a market following the incentive.
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-327099A1.pdf
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FIY: Channel 37 is 608-614 MHz
 
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I've written so many letters to my representatives I'm sure I'm on more than one watch list.

This is what happens when corporations can buy elections. We all know this, but persist in thinking that bad things happen to the other guy. Well news flash people, this time we're all the other guy. This spectrum sell off that Big Telecom has demanded of "our" government is going to hurt anyone who uses a wireless mic, or who tries to use wireless transmission of video from cameras to the "video village".
 
I recall the auction has been pushed back (previously from 2014 to 2015) now to 2016, so the 600MHz block should be (legally) usable for a while.
'RF hell' and me. I frequency work in TS and other mid-town locales.
 
Rick R said:
I recall the auction has been pushed back (previously from 2014 to 2015) now to 2016, so the 600MHz block should be (legally) usable for a while.
'RF hell' and me. I frequency work in TS and other mid-town locales.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's been bounced around, but given the bucks behind the 'incentive'... eventually I'm sure it will be allocated.

Given this happened just a few years ago for the above 700 MHz band, what provisions did wireless mic manufacturers make in their 'new' products so that it would be a 'simple' conversion for users?

Or will it be yet another brief rebate/recall and then have to buy new to switch?
 
It looks like the FCC is promising some limited bandwidth available across the country (Channel 37 and the "600 MHz guard bands", whatever that means).
But the remainder of the promised unlicensed space appears to vary from one area to the next depending on "white space" between local TV stations.

That is rather a moving target for manufacturers.
It would seem prohibitively expensive to sell gear that was capable of using all (or even most) of that crazy-quilt patchwork of white spaces.
 
Richard Crowley said:
It looks like the FCC is promising some limited bandwidth available across the country (Channel 37 and the "600 MHz guard bands", whatever that means).
Click to expand...

Channel 37 is 'locked out' at present for Radio Astronomy purposes. I think there is only one or two radio telescopes located in the US that use Channel 37...

The 600 MHz 'guard bands' will be between LTE up and down link channels. I'm not at present familiar with the cell frequencies to give more details on that.

I would imagine that it is not a 'pretty' spectrum due to the cell usage...
 
Wow, this is not good. Crowded frequencies has always been the case here in NYC (especially mid-Manhattan). I shot a red carpet event at Lincoln Center a few years ago with a ton of media around and I remember desperately scrambling for open channels...
 
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