Noob question about wireless mic

Yes, typically wireless receivers have their own internal battery power, or some external connection to power. I've never seen a wireless receiver that uses phantom power.
 
The wireless element is confusing you - Wireless transmitters don't normally supply phantom power, which is 48V, and requires the mic to device connection to have 3 conductors - normally a screen and two conductors for the audio. The power is 'piggybacked' onto these two. The more usual microphones connected to wireless transmitters do not use phantom power at all, they use a different system. If your camera connects to a microphone with an XLR cable, and needs phantom power, then to convert this to a radio link is more tricky. You can purchase plug in transmitters that have an XLR female connector, so you could connect to a normal microphone. Some, but not all, can deliver phantom power. In practice, if your camera has XLRs and phantom, then when you connect a radio system to it, you should turn off the phantom as it's not needed. At the other end, then, if your microphone cannot work without phantom, you are stuck unless you buy a less common system. Plug on transmitters are bulk and heavy, and to use them on normal lav mics involves lots of gaffing about with adaptors to get you the low voltage power a lav needs. In practice if you need to use lavs AND condensers that need phantom, you have to buy an extra TX.
 
When you are using a wireless system, you are NOT connecting a MICROPHONE to your camcorder, you are connecting the wireless RECEIVER.
In a wireless system, the microphone is connected to the TRANSMITTER which is a completely separate piece of gear.
While a few wireless transmitters provide "phantom power", most do not because they are used with clip-on lavaliere (or headset) mics.
These small mics typically use a different power scheme sometimes called "plug-in power", which is not compatible with "phantom power".
As Paulears says, if you are connecting a wired mic with XLR, then you are probably dealing with phantom power, at least for condenser mics.
Dynamic (magnetic) mics do not require power of any kind.
 
One other point is that the receiver may not output a "mic" level signal. Most do but some output line level. Check the manual.
 
If Phantom Power is engaged with a receiver connected that has a 'balanced' output, there should not be any problem. (hence the word "Phantom" ) OTOH, there is a district possibility of damage or other unfavorable condition with an unbalanced receiver connected to a preamp/mixer or receiver. Same goes for unbalanced mics and other unbalanced devices.
 
Rick R said:
If Phantom Power is engaged with a receiver connected that has a 'balanced' output, there should not be any problem. (hence the word "Phantom" ) OTOH, there is a district possibility of damage or other unfavorable condition with an unbalanced receiver connected to a preamp/mixer or receiver. Same goes for unbalanced mics and other unbalanced devices.
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Sennheiser G2 portable RX units DO NOT like phantom sent into them, I had to send 2 of my units back for repairs.... I have heard the G3 units are better but im not prepared to take the risk
 
I have mistakenly had Phantom Pwr. engaged to both a G2 & G3 on a SD mixer. No damage to the receivers, but it drained the mixer's batteries rather quickly.
 
And in the case of most portable mixers, you can't switch phantom power individually for each input. So if you are using some electret wired inputs and some wireless, you don't really have any options (except maybe to make yourself a phantom-blocker kludge from a couple of capacitors).
 
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