Tech Geek

February 17, 2009 has come and gone and the sky did not fall. That is the date that the government had proposed all analog TV stations switch to digital broadcasts. Recently, they called a time-out and postponed that date to June 12, 2009. In either case, however, the day is soon coming when the old rabbit ears won't pull in a TV signal to an old TV. While this has caused some confusion, it is well covered in lots of places around the net. One possible set of mis-adventures is here.

Actually, an antenna will still pull down programming and you might be surprised at how good it looks. At my house, northeast ofKalispell , MT, I can get some of our local stations on my TV. They are fuzzy at best. Last summer, after I got a brand new HDTV, I was surprised to find that our cable company didn't carry the NBC affiliate inHD. There advertising manager was a member of our church and had told me they were broadcasting in HD . So I bought a $20 antenna that said it was for HDTV. I ran the channel scan on my TV and there it was. Channel 9, analog, is fuzzy and just about unwatchable. Channel 9-1, digital, is crystal clear and made the Olympics a joy to watch.

The reason I'm writing about this change isn't really to talk about TV at all. Last week I was catching up on GeekBrief.tv episodes and Cali Lewis brought something to light that I wasn't aware of. With the transition, the government is going to be reallocating some of the radio spectrum to new uses. This could impact wireless equipment, like microphones or wireless guitar pickups, that you use in your congregations.

Cali writes, at http://www.geekbrief.tv/wirelessmic

A lot of of wireless equipment operates between the frequencies of 698 to 806MHz. After the digital transition, in some cases it will be illegal to use those devices like you’ve been using them for years. They’ll continue to work, and over time, they’ll be subject to interference from new devices using the old frequencies. If you’re going to continue to use one or more wireless mics operating in the 698 to 806MHz range, you may have to register that use with an FCC database.

Both Shure and Sennheiser are offering trade-in plans to help you transition to equipment that is safe and legal. It doesn’t seem to be quite as scary for those of us using Lectrosonics Mics.

It’s complicated and here are some links that might help you navigate the change:

White Spaces Explained
Audio-Technica White Spaces Fact Sheet (PDF)
Shure - “The Truth About Wireless Microphone Technology” (PDF)
Lectrosonics - “The Sky is Not Falling”

I'd definitely recommend reading through the first guide, White Spaces Explained, as it helps make this whole issue more understandable and also has information about which of the major manufacturers have equipment that is likely to be impacted. If you're interested in learning more or if you have equipment from Audio-Technica, Shure, or Lectrsosonics, read those articles as well. Check out what is in your sanctuary or gym and see if you have equipment in that 696 to 806 MHz range. If you do, it looks like contactingSennheiser or Shure might be a good idea. Shure has some additional information about White Space.

Don't you just love when things change and break all by themselves! I don't know what this may mean, but I wanted to pass along a "head's up" to some of the folks that are going to get the questions about why things stopped working.

Pastor Andy
techgeek (at) elcaymnet (dot) org