Channels 12,13,&14 and antennas

[Digitalman42]

I just read an article stating the following:

 

• A Wi-Fi router can operate on channels 12 and 13, but only in a “low power” mode.  
• For this reason, routers don’t normally offer it as an option, and you’ll rarely see channels 12 and 13 in the USA. It’s not illegal to use channels 12 and 13, but it is illegal to do so in full power mode.
• Channel 14 is banned in the USA and throughout most of the world but is allowed in Japan.

 

I'm wondering if it's even worth the extra $100 for the v75 vs. the v55.  I found the comparison guide between the two and it seems the only differences are channel 13/14 and encryption - I'm not even sure why I would want to encrypt the communication. Also, is it even legal/possible to operate channel 14 in the US on the v75.  Also wondering if there is any point to operating in channel 12 or 13 since they are both lower power channels and would be more subject to interference.  

 

Another thing this article stated was: 

 

• If you have a lot of wireless congestion, just switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi. That’s your solution. It has many more channels and you can avoid a lot of congestion.

 

This makes me wonder why Line 6 hasn't swapped out the 2.4GHz radios for 5GHz radios in this product line.  It sure would seem like the best option to avoid dropouts.

 

My current dilemma is that I need 8 wireless channels.  My research leads me to two different 2.4GHz systems, Line 6 XD-V and Audio-Technica System 10 Pro.  With the S10Pro I would be running 8 Cat5 cables around my stage and positioning the receivers just above the talent.  That's a lot of cables to run (I have to set up and tear down once a month).  With the XD-V, I could use the P180 pair positioned at the corners of my stage pointed in towards my talent giving me great coverage, but I would probably need an AD8 since daisy chaining 8 XD-V systems is not recommended (I read this somewhere).  I certainly would prefer running two cables vs. eight each month. 

 

I've also seen many comments in this forum from people bailing on Line 6 due to dropouts, etc.  Could it be that they just don't understand how to get the most out of the XD-V systems?  Or, is the 2.4GHz band just too saturated these days to be usable by these products anymore?  

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Digitalman42
found comparison chart

[silverhead]

If you plan to rack mount the systems (and iirc from another post you do) you would definitely need the AD8 unit with the V55 systems since they do not support antenna daisy chaining. For that reason alone I chose the XD-V75 for my 5-system setup. The additional cost of the 5xV75 systems was less than the 5xV55 plus the AD8. In addition, the V75 systems include a mic case; the V55 do not.

 

All things considered I think the V75 is better value, at least for 5 systems. 8 might be a different cost equation. You're right about the maximum recommended systems for daisy chaining. I find 5 is OK but you might need 2 pairs of P180 antennas for 8 systems.

 

EDIT: I updated to reflect that I am using 5 systems, not 4 as originally stated.

[Sheriton]

First things first. The Line 6 channel numbers are in no way related to WiFi channel numbers. This is a very common source of confusion. Each Line 6 "channel" uses either four (RF1) or two (RF2) different frequencies spread around the 2.4G band whereas the WiFi channel numbers refer to a reasonably logical set of frequencies evenly spaced across the band. What you've read about lower power modes in WiFi channels 12 & 13 is also irrelevant to Line 6 equipment.

 

5GHz is much more "line of sight" than 2.4G so wouldn't be a good choice for radio mics as they will inevitably be blocked by multiple bodies during use.

 

I too have seen lots of comments from people struggling to use L6 systems effectively. For those who I've been able to help, it's always been user error; I suspect in many other cases it is too. Radio mics (of any type) are never plug & play - you always need a reasonable understanding of RF to get the best performance out of them. I regularly use up to 10 V75 systems together without issue, even in the presence of powerful WiFi access points. (I should note that that's in the UK; the ambient RF environment will doubtless be different in different countries.)

[Digitalman42]

9 hours ago, Sheriton said:

First things first. The Line 6 channel numbers are in no way related to WiFi channel numbers. This is a very common source of confusion. Each Line 6 "channel" uses either four (RF1) or two (RF2) different frequencies spread around the 2.4G band whereas the WiFi channel numbers refer to a reasonably logical set of frequencies evenly spaced across the band. What you've read about lower power modes in WiFi channels 12 & 13 is also irrelevant to Line 6 equipment.

 

 

After posting I did some more reading and was beginning to figure out the two were not the same (channels).  It's probably unfortunate that the term "channel" was used by Line 6 as this just exacerbates the confusion.  It's a good term, just easily confused with "WiFi channels."  The way Line 6 uses the spectrum is really impressive.

 

 

9 hours ago, Sheriton said:

5GHz is much more "line of sight" than 2.4G so wouldn't be a good choice for radio mics as they will inevitably be blocked by multiple bodies during use.

 

 

Yeah, I sort of figure this might be the case.  The smaller the wavelength, the less able it is to penetrate walls (such as human bodies).  Within the TV studio that I use for my show, I can sometimes get a signal for the 2.4GHz router radio, but the 5GHz radio is never accessible.  

 

 

9 hours ago, Sheriton said:

For those who I've been able to help, it's always been user error; I suspect in many other cases it is too. 

2

 

That's always my first impression too.  

 

Thanks for your insights.  It was very helpful.