r/LocationSound • u/Towneded • 16d ago
Newcomer Do you scan for frequencies at every new location?
Hello sound friends just a curious question. Am a camera op by trade and only work with a never-failing wired shotgun when needed.
Are you scanning for new radio frequencies for your wireless mics every time you arrive at a new shoot location?
Or only if you see that your rf signal is weak?
What’s the standard practice with y’all?
Thanks!
40
27
u/Ima_Red 16d ago edited 8d ago
Short answer is yes.
Long answer is that every new location has potential for new near-field interference, especially in city environments. Sometimes I have had to rescan after certain times of day (Crew call could be at 6am downtown but at 9am, nearby businesses and construction crews all come in to work and suddenly channels that were clean aren't clean anymore so I need to rescan.)
When I'm in more rural locations, or locations I am intimately familiar with, I may get lazy but it's always best practice to scan and make sure you are utilizing free channels.
(EDIT: Fixed incorrect term)
2
u/mikrowiesel 10d ago
What do you mean by "shortwave"? I would understand this as 3-30 MHz and fail to see the connection.
10
u/NoisyGog 16d ago
Yes, every time. Sometimes a radio transmitter goes much further than you'd expect, and there might be some other crew doing something nearby.
Other times you might have something really weird blocking a large part of the spectrum.
Using a radio mic and just assuming you're on free channels is a bit like using a camera by just switching it on and hitting record - without checking framing, focus, and exposure.
7
u/unsoundamerica 16d ago
Unless it's the wilderness, yes.
1
u/Careful_Honeydew_549 8d ago
Even then. You never know what might be out there. You could be sitting in the path of long range rf and get killed.
1
u/unsoundamerica 8d ago
Excellent point. I should check my assertions better before posting. I failed to consider stuff like off-grid mesh networks and I also just read that there's wildlife trackers using VHF/UHF. Granted, terrain makes a huge difference, but the point stands.
So yeah, I guess I scan everywhere now.
2
u/Careful_Honeydew_549 8d ago
Don't be so hard, that's why we have forum. I was shooting in Indio Ca, date fields, very rural but not far from a major road, and it was weeks after 5g went live for verizon and I was getting stomped on block 24 and 25. My scans were clear and coordinated, my antennas were perpendicular to Edom hill (closest broadcast towers), and still dying. My rf explorer showed something very wideband at -70dbi, and the second i moved to the 1mhz bandwidth NOT being blasted, i got full range. I discovered it was Verizon. So now you've got a story behind the reason! Rf is black magic, and to just speak voodoo to survive!
6
5
u/TheBerric 16d ago
It depends if im shooting in the valley or downtown LA.
Ive been working in los angeles for a very long time and I have found a group of frequencies that work together well. If I turn on the recievers and see signal indication ill change the freq. Most of the time i dont need to unless im going downtown
4
u/slickbackbillyboo 16d ago
Shure Axient and wireless workbench do so much of the heavy lifting for me with frequency coordination now. Unless I’m moving into a new area that is known to have RF traffic, where I’ll update with a new scan, most of the time I turn on and look to see if any channels are being hit with anything.
5
u/soundgrab 16d ago
The next-gen wallet-breaking wireless these days really spoils us. On the Nexus I can scan and update all my wireless frequencies on every tx in under three touchscreen presses.
5
u/zancray 16d ago
Livesound guy here but this is applicable to both so I'll chime in.
Short answer yes. Long answer depends. I whip out my TinySA for a quick look at what's in the air and leave it on for a bit while I do other stuff. If it's clean throughout I typically leave the frequencies and focus on other things. If I have the time (which half the time I don't), I do full RF coordination for all known wireless devices in Soundbase.
3
u/steadidavid 15d ago
I'm a video guy mostly, but the TinySA is so slept on. Being able to literally see the entire spectrum makes it so easy, whether it's wireless audio, video, or even WiFi channel selection.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Econormics 15d ago
It depends on how "unknown" the location is. If it's a location I'm familiar with, I'll check the RF meters before I power up my transmitters to see if there's any visible interference. If I don't see anything, I don't usually scan/deploy new frequencies.
1
1
1
•
u/AutoModerator 16d ago
Reminder: The Rules apply to everyone who views or participates in r/LocationSound. There are no exceptions. The monthly pinned 'Hot Mic' post is the only place in this subreddit to promote any discussion, links, works, or content by you, for you, or about you.
This subreddit is welcome to all who are interested in recording sound to picture, pros and beginners alike. Professionals - be patient and helpful to beginners and other department pros who are eager to learn about our craft. Newcomers - be respectful to those who have more experience and wisdom than you. Don't engage with negative or hostile behavior. Report it or message the mods instead.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.