Getting a good wireless signal in an arena.

[DVX100Shooter]

I just got hired to do a shoot in an college arena where the basketball games are played and other events are held. Ive done a shoot there back in April and although everything went smooth I did have some hiccups with my wireless. Audio cutting in and out or just taking hits period.

The audio board was located way up front beside the stage. My camera was waaaay up in the stands behind the last row of seats. I am not sure the exact distance between camera and mixing board but its a good distance.

One of the guys at my job (a television station) told me to get a light stand and mount the wireless receiver to the top of it and raise it as high as I can get it. I would then run a cable to the camera from the receiver.

Does that sound correct. He said something about how the wireless signals bounce around in places like that arena that I would have to raise my receiver as high in the air as possible to get a good clean signal. I've never heard of that but he swears by it. He claims they do it at work all the time when we air big events live on location.

I have a Lectrosonics wireless.

 

[Alex H.]

It's more than antenna placement. That's important, but there's another huge issue here.

You're in a location that is saturated with RF, and you need to coordinate your frequencies with the arena. The arena office should be able to put you in touch with the right person to coordinate radio signals, so that you aren't receiving or creating interference.

Many arenas and stadiums won't even let you in the door with a wireless system unless you've coordinated your signals ahead of time.

 

[DVX100Shooter]

Well the College has hired a company that does the audio, lighting and builds the stage. So I met with them the last time and it went well. I told them what I was using and that I needed my transmitter plugged into their board. I understand what your saying too....hmmmmm

Now what if I placed a shotgun microphone high on a stand then had that running through a field mixer that would be next to my camera and then run a cable out of that and on to the camera? I know it won't sound as good as the audio coming out of the board...just a thought.

The shoot is not till November so I have time to troubleshoot this.

 

[Alex H.]

Well, you should be doing both, really. Take a board feed and set up a room mic.

But make sure that your wireless frequency is safe around all the others in that room.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Does that sound correct. He said something about how the wireless signals bounce around in places like that arena that I would have to raise my receiver as high in the air as possible to get a good clean signal. I've never heard of that but he swears by it. He claims they do it at work all the time when we air big events live on location.

I have a Lectrosonics wireless.

You really need to do an RF survey, or ask if there is other RF equipment, and what frequencies they are operating at.

If you are pluging into a control board, that is not a handheld mic, or person wearing an RF transmitter pack, where is your transmitter located... underneath... out of view... RF at these frequencies is 'line of sight', and so anything that prevents line of sight, will impact the quality of the signal. So, both transmitter and receiver antennas should be placed so there is 'nothing in between'. Or if there is some 'aesthetic' need, making the transmitter antenna as inobvious as possible while still getting it 'visible' to the receiving antenna.

In addition, buildings, especially arenas are made with metal everywhere. And so, the other issue in RF is 'multpath', that is 'echos', bouncing off RF reflective material and arriving at the receiver in different phase relationships. For an audio analogy, think of a canyon with hard surfaces... and yelling... steel and concret make for RF 'canyons of confusion'...