T.Bone IEM system

[pshughes]

Does anyone have any experience of, or advice regarding, the T.Bone IEM 100 system here

 

1. It's going to be used open-field with clear line of sight between transmitter and receiver. Will it do 100m?
   
2. It's to my budget but at the inexpensive end of the price line. Is this therefore 'cheap kit' to be avoided?
   
3. I'm assuming 863Mhz is UHF channel 70 and therefore unlicensed and will not change past 2012?
   

 

My google foo has failed me. Has anyone spotted PDF manuals for these receivers and the transmitter?

 

Thanks.

[paulears]

Saw somebody last year with a set - they were quite happy. However - 100m range often quoted on all sorts of brands, and is always:

On a good day

With the wind in the right direction

Downhill

 

Seriously though, I run in ears regularly at their extreme ranges, and find them pretty unpredictable. Doing a half turn can take the signal from full, fully quieting to choppy or totally gone. Somebody standing next to the transmitter can suddenly wipe it out, and there's nothing you can do. However - move back towards the transmitter just a short way and it becomes stable again. Outdoors, in the open, then as soon as you get to the range limits it gets bad quickly, indoors although the range is less due to the building - concrete walls with rebar are trouble - often there will be places a long way away that are somehow 'good' - I guess it's reflections to blame. Indoors, using Trantec or Sennheiser IEMs I can do pretty well anywhere in or around the auditorium and foyer in typical venues. Outside, I've gone as far as a couple of hundred feet when the IEM TX (not a mains one this time - a standard radio pack) was at the top of a cliff and the talent was on the beach. Probably worth pointing out that stereo IEMs seem to have a little less range than a mono normal radio system.

 

As Thomann will happily let you send it back, why not give it a shot?

 

As an aside, I note that Trantec, as in BBM are now no more and everything is now TOA, who up till now have been fairy low key as the parent company. I wonder if Trantec, as a brand name, will eventually vanish?

[Pete Alcock]

You could use a directional antenna on the transmitter (it would need to be a simple passive one, such as a Group E TV aerial). There is the possibility that you will get greatly improved reliability at the range you're talking about.

 

There is also the possibility that you could exceed the legal ERP permitted within the license-free band. :D

 

Pete.

[paulears]

I wasn't aware there was an EIRP restriction on license exempt kit - As far as I know they all normally 10mW - but this is on the spec sheets as power output, and the JFMG info also refers to output power as 10/50mW. Antenna gain isn't mentioned anywhere I can see?

[boswell]

You could use a directional antenna on the transmitter (it would need to be a simple passive one, such as a Group E TV aerial). There is the possibility that you will get greatly improved reliability at the range you're talking about.

 

Pete.

Or even on the receiver, then ERP does not come into it :D

 

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

I wasn't aware there was an EIRP restriction on license exempt kit - As far as I know they all normally 10mW - but this is on the spec sheets as power output, and the JFMG info also refers to output power as 10/50mW. Antenna gain isn't mentioned anywhere I can see?

 

 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/99093003.htm

 

Limits Ch70 to 10mw ERP (if it is still in force)

[Brian]

Make a note of Thomann's product code (137793) in this case. Go to Thomann's German language version of their website and stick the product code into the search box. The product page will appear in German. Down the bottom are user reviews (in German) and 'star' ratings. Also, you'll sometimes find PDFs here as well.

 

You can even use Google to translate from German to English.

[pshughes]

Thanks for your input. It looks like I might suck it and see. There is always the possibility of using a directional antenna if I get drop-outs.

 

Just to confirm... Am I looking for something like the Shure PA705 Directional Transmitter Antenna?

[paulears]

Limits Ch70 to 10mw ERP (if it is still in force)

Thanks for that - I'd not seen that, and assumed a little gain was ok. Bit of a shame, actually - with a long yagi, 10mW goes probably goes quite a way.

[andyg_prs]

Hi,

 

I'm a noob so I apologise in advance for how stupid this question is going to sound. For context, I'm looking to purchase a T.Bone IEM so that I can have in ear monitoring of my guitar sound vs the whole band when playing live on stage.

 

Can I assume that I can plug two inputs into my T.Bone transmitter...one from my guitar and one from the desk where I have to ask the sound engineer to give me a mix of the front of house sound for the whole band?

 

Would both of those go in as XLR connections?

 

Would I then have a mix control so that I could set my personal mix of guitar to band for my in ear monitors?

 

Thanks in advance,

Andy

[peza2010]

You wouldn't put 2 inputs into it. You just get the sound engineer to give you the mix you want (x amount of guitar, x amount of drums etc) this then will come out of then desk

and into your wireless sender, and then to your ears

[J Pearce]

Actually quite a lot of IEMs can do two inputs, they can be switched between stereo or A/B mix mode.

A could be mix and B could be ambient, or A could be you and B everyone else. Some video people use IEMs with A as programme feed and B as camera calls.

[peza2010]

Sorry I didn't do my research on this unit! But how much does the volume of your guitar need to change in your ears throughout a set ?

[andyg_prs]

Sorry I didn't do my research on this unit! But how much does the volume of your guitar need to change in your ears throughout a set ?

 

I guess it depends how good the sound guys are with the mix....the whole reason for me considering this is too many occasions where I can't hear myself, I ask to be turned up...they turn me up too much, I ask to be turned down...you guessed it, can't hear myself again....so the point is to be able to create my own monitor level....

 

Cheers,

Andy

[peza2010]

Well something similar to what I spoke about earlier having a little control unit on a separate aux send with only guitar in it, get the engineer to send a lot down that send then use the control to set the level you want. I don't know then size of venues (or quality) that you play in, but I can imagine smaller venues possibly not having the facilities to give you an independant guitar mix, as well as x amount of mixes for the rest of your band

[Nickedm]

Hi, I've just joined Blue Room.

 

I bought a 2nd hand T-Bone IEM 100 about a week ago, after using one of the ultra cheap Takstar systems that are sold on e-bay.

 

The takstar produced a lot of static noise and was a bit unstable (i.e. the connection would drop from time to time requiring re-tuning - which is not good in mid song) - but was plenty loud enough

 

The T-Bone gives good sound and is very stable - but it's very quiet! Does anyone else find this?

 

Is there a solution of any kind to bump up the total volume a bit? I use Skullcandy ear-bud head phones with it, which normally give pretty good output .

 

I'm singer/guitarist in a rock band - we play moderately heavy stuff (Hendrix, Who, Nirvana etc).