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F.C.C. Orders Wireless Mike Modifications
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moxham123
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 Post Posted: Saturday Jan 16, 2010 
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F.C.C. Orders Wireless Mike Modifications

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/technology/16wireless.html?th&emc=th
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Saturday Jan 16, 2010 
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Hell, that's an order to confiscate all the frequencies between 698Mhz and 806Mhz and sell them at auction. It will essentially render any wireless device in this range useless next June.

Do you have any idea how many musical wireless systems are in this range?

Millions!

I know of at least one Mad

Everybody better check their wireless system frequencies.
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songsmith
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 Post Posted: Sunday Jan 17, 2010 
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Capitalism is a perfect system. Wink

Next they'll take our 1/4" patch cords, Big Business needs them to tie the gates shut on closed American factories. Very Happy --->JMS
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Sunday Jan 17, 2010 
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songsmith wrote:
Capitalism is a perfect system. Wink

Next they'll take our 1/4" patch cords, Big Business needs them to tie the gates shut on closed American factories. Very Happy --->JMS


Capitalism? Where do you get this stuff? This is the government seizing these frequencies and selling them with total disregard for the people using them.

I don't use this word very often, but I believe this is an excellent example of fascism.
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JackANSI
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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It was Bush era policies (post 9/11 though) that was the primary mover for this. Mainly during the course of events on 9/11 they discovered how much communications traffic goes through 911/control operators and interdept patch systems

In reality it wasn't that the systems were so incompatible and had no patching system, its that the patching system was in the one trade center tower (and no suitable replacement could be brought in on such short notice).

But a money grab is a money grab, so the government went ahead and took it while they could. I'm sure they made it sound like a good idea at the time (some people may have even thought it was).

The idea was to push analog TV off as the primary users of much of that spectrum, and auction it off to wireless companies for development of 4G technology and other private/licensed systems using more efficient modulations. The side benefit being public services would be able to piggy back on some of that at a very reduced cost and have systems so close in frequency that they could be reprogrammed quickly, rather than replaced, when the system had to be moved.

Those wireless mics/units were mostly only secondary users of that spectrum anyway. (if you cared to read the manual, they should have told you that in there. Along with the fact that the FCC or the primary license holders for those bands had the right to stop you from using your equipment). But that was always the consumer's choice to purchase a wireless system in that band, and the consumers responsibility to know the rules of the band before they purchased, don't blame the government.


Besides if the FCC didn't lay out bandplans for wireless and keep users/manufacturers in line with them, you wouldn't have technology that works as well as it does today.

Also, if people stayed on top of things and listened when this all started with the DTV change over that was all over the news, many manufacturers of unlicensed wireless devices had really good "trade-in/trade-up" deals that would have netted the consumer an upgrade for less cost than a rebanded replacement. If I were a wireless mic company, I'd be jacking my prices up a bit right now and making the investors happy Smile
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Ronnyd
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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I remember when Radio was free,T.V. was free,You could talk to your buddie on a walkie Talkie,and gas actually ran in your car,motorcycle etc...
Money to made ...How sad.
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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JackANSI wrote:
Also, if people stayed on top of things and listened when this all started with the DTV change over that was all over the news, many manufacturers of unlicensed wireless devices had really good "trade-in/trade-up" deals that would have netted the consumer an upgrade for less cost than a rebanded replacement. If I were a wireless mic company, I'd be jacking my prices up a bit right now and making the investors happy Smile


The notice of intent for this policy wasn't even released until 8/15/08.

Keeping on top of FCC things (yeah, right, roflmao) wouldn't do much good for those who had devices in this category before then.

See section XIX, subsection 5:

http://www.fcc.gov/oet/spectrum/table/FAHF.pdf
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JackANSI
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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They (the manufacturers) knew that operating in that particular unlicensed band meant the FCC could take it away with little to no notice. No matter what the date. Thats part of the deal, just like it has been for many moons before wireless microphones didn't require a license....

Don't be ticked off at the FCC, be ticked off at the manufacturer for using part of the spectrum they didn't have exclusive rights to. Especially since there were other frequencies they could have used and are almost impossible to take away from them. (they just might have had to endure a more complicated/expensive FCC test proceedure)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/United_States_Frequency_Allocations_Chart_2003_-_The_Radio_Spectrum.jpg
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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JackANSI wrote:
They (the manufacturers) knew that operating in that particular unlicensed band meant the FCC could take it away with little to no notice. No matter what the date. Thats part of the deal, just like it has been for many moons before wireless microphones didn't require a license....

Don't be ticked off at the FCC, be ticked off at the manufacturer for using part of the spectrum they didn't have exclusive rights to. Especially since there were other frequencies they could have used and are almost impossible to take away from them. (they just might have had to endure a more complicated/expensive FCC test proceedure)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/United_States_Frequency_Allocations_Chart_2003_-_The_Radio_Spectrum.jpg


What's to stop them from seizing any other unlicensed band in the name of public safety or national security?
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JackANSI
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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Nothing, thats the price you pay for operating unlicensed. You can get your card pulled with little notice.

However the rest of the government that you elected can prevent the FCC from doing anything at all. I'm sure those who stand to loose a lot of money from many types of revocation have lobbyists that will prevent it from happening anyway.

Then tack on the fact that certain bands just aren't well suited for reassignment due to the massive interference issues that already reside on the band. (ISM)

BTW, Obama extended the cutoff date, Cheney provided the winning vote, Bush signed it into law. Most republicans voted yes, most dems no (was 50-50 till the VP said yes). Just so anyone still reading knows who to blame.
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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JackANSI wrote:
Nothing, thats the price you pay for operating unlicensed. You can get your card pulled with little notice.


So it really doesn't matter what frequencies a company picks, the government can yank them any time they want. All a company can do is figure on a probability that it will happen and hope the government thinks like they do. I wish them luck on that. With the government, probability works about as well as a crystal ball.
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JackANSI
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 18, 2010 
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Or they can pick bands that have been set aside with unlicensed transmitters as the primary users and have almost no chance of being changed thanks to the international community.

Its not like the FCC changes things every week.

Its not the government's fault here really. Much of the TV spectrum was unused or inefficiently allocated (for today's world). Blame cable and sat TV for killing a good portion of the consumer interest in OTA broadcasts. Blame the wireless mic makers for not thinking ahead (its not like these manufacturers didn't know those frequencies were used for the upper range of the UHF TV spectrum and nothing was set in stone to make it permanently available for unlicensed use). Blame the consumers for not looking into things before they purchased something. The FCC is just making the best usage of the limited spectrum that is available.
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lonewolf
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 Post Posted: Tuesday Jan 19, 2010 
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JackANSI wrote:
Or they can pick bands that have been set aside with unlicensed transmitters as the primary users and have almost no chance of being changed thanks to the international community.

Its not like the FCC changes things every week.

Its not the government's fault here really. Much of the TV spectrum was unused or inefficiently allocated (for today's world).


The allocated UHF TV spectrum is in the 470-698Mhz band. If the government misallocated this band and it is being under used, why is that a reason to take the 700MHZ band as well?

From a technical standpoint, the slightly higher carrier frequencies essentially make no difference in transmission capability. They aren't any better "for today's world."
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JackANSI
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 Post Posted: Tuesday Jan 19, 2010 
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You're not really getting this. I'll try again.

The current digital cell phone primary band is up in 1800-1900Mhz area. To higher frequencies, the air is more and more opaque, at higher frequencies metal has a much higher tendency to reflect RF energy (thats why radar is such a high frequency, and its power output so high as well). The lower frequencies (even just a Ghz lower) will increase range and increase penetration into modern buidings. Thats the technical reason why they want 700Mhz for communications, so yes it is better for todays world.

This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last time, the FCC will do this. Even FM radio got moved a long time ago. If you're gonna use wireless devices, its best to know the theory and laws (both kinds).

And really, why set aside good spectrum for (maybe) a few hundred thousand people, when millions can benefit?

Since its not frequencies I use anyway, just keep using your gear, think of it as "stickin' it to the man". Smile (they have to FIND you, then they have to send you a warning first before they fine you)

*Edited for length... Take things one at a time.
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LHSL
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 Post Posted: Monday Jan 25, 2010 
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JackANSI wrote:
You're not really getting this. I'll try again.

The current digital cell phone primary band is up in 1800-1900Mhz area. To higher frequencies, the air is more and more opaque, at higher frequencies metal has a much higher tendency to reflect RF energy (thats why radar is such a high frequency, and its power output so high as well). The lower frequencies (even just a Ghz lower) will increase range and increase penetration into modern buidings. Thats the technical reason why they want 700Mhz for communications, so yes it is better for todays world.

This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last time, the FCC will do this. Even FM radio got moved a long time ago. If you're gonna use wireless devices, its best to know the theory and laws (both kinds).

And really, why set aside good spectrum for (maybe) a few hundred thousand people, when millions can benefit?

Since its not frequencies I use anyway, just keep using your gear, think of it as "stickin' it to the man". Smile (they have to FIND you, then they have to send you a warning first before they fine you)

*Edited for length... Take things one at a time.


In addtion to all this (which is good info) it's actually illegal for any of us to use the TV spectrum for wireless devices. Technically you need to be registered and lisenced to use them, and the only way to get the license is to be a TV station or a big company (due to the fees and regulations involved). There have been some excellent posts about the issue on ProSoundWeb (srforums.prosoundweb.com).

The thing to note is that violations in the 700Mhz band can yeild fines of up to $15,000 per incident.
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