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Author Topic: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas  (Read 2834 times)

Jon Brunskill

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Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« on: August 10, 2018, 10:04:45 PM »

Hi,

I'm designing a small system to use with my own band and various small local gigs.

I'm considering using Shure GLX-D wireless. I know it's 2.4 Ghz, not ideal, but I recently had the change to compare my current Shure SLX to the GLX, and the GLX sounded vastly better. Also the GXL-D is in the right price range, and this will be a rig for small local events only. Bigger gig I'll do what I've always done, and hire in a real rig.

I'll also have a rack mount mixer, 2.4 ghz wireless router and 2 IEM systems.

Is it realistic to use a simple passive antenna splitter along with a good antenna to split out to both 2.4 wireless, and a WiFi router - or is that asking for a world of trouble?


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Pete Erskine

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2018, 07:04:28 AM »

Hi,

I'm designing a small system to use with my own band and various small local gigs.

I'm considering using Shure GLX-D wireless. I know it's 2.4 Ghz, not ideal, but I recently had the change to compare my current Shure SLX to the GLX, and the GLX sounded vastly better. Also the GXL-D is in the right price range, and this will be a rig for small local events only. Bigger gig I'll do what I've always done, and hire in a real rig.

I'll also have a rack mount mixer, 2.4 ghz wireless router and 2 IEM systems.

Is it realistic to use a simple passive antenna splitter along with a good antenna to split out to both 2.4 wireless, and a WiFi router - or is that asking for a world of trouble?

2.4 wireless is vastly different from wifi.  don't combine them.
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Pete Erskine
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Justin Goodman

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2018, 07:19:04 AM »

Hi,

I'm designing a small system to use with my own band and various small local gigs.

I'm considering using Shure GLX-D wireless. I know it's 2.4 Ghz, not ideal, but I recently had the change to compare my current Shure SLX to the GLX, and the GLX sounded vastly better. Also the GXL-D is in the right price range, and this will be a rig for small local events only. Bigger gig I'll do what I've always done, and hire in a real rig.

I'll also have a rack mount mixer, 2.4 ghz wireless router and 2 IEM systems.

Is it realistic to use a simple passive antenna splitter along with a good antenna to split out to both 2.4 wireless, and a WiFi router - or is that asking for a world of trouble?

Sennheiser G3/G4 100 is basically at the same price point at GLXD ... and also sounds better than SLX.  SLX to GLX is at best a lateral move -- and in many ways a downgrade. 
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Henry Cohen

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2018, 11:48:05 AM »

2.4 wireless is vastly different from wifi.  don't combine them.

Correct. The primary issue is that the WAP is a transceiver; it transmits as well as receives. A passive splitter will not offer sufficient isolation to prevent desensing the mic receiver when the WAP transmits. Furthermore, it's possible the mic receiver could be damaged by the WAP: Looking quickly at the isolation specs for some Mini-Circuits splitters at 2.5GHz, best port to port isolation I see is about 29dB. For a WAP transmitting at +20dBm (100mW), that's -9dBm directly into the mic receiver's antenna port.
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Henry Cohen

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Russell Ault

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2018, 06:22:54 PM »

Is it realistic to use a simple passive antenna splitter along with a good antenna to split out to both 2.4 wireless, and a WiFi router - or is that asking for a world of trouble?

Other people more knowledgeable than I am have pointed out why you shouldn't electrically combine Wi-Fi and 2.4GHz microphone receivers, but I'd like to add that you probably shouldn't practically combine them, either: if you do decide to with a 2.4GHz microphone (don't do it, by the way, regardless of how much better than your SLX it sounds; it will eventually fail on you at the most inopportune times) you'll definitely want to switch to using only 5GHz Wi-Fi. Putting a 2.4GHz WAP anywhere near a 2.4GHz wireless microphone receiver is going to result in some of the desensing that Henry mentioned even without a direct connection between the two.

-Russ
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Jon Brunskill

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2018, 06:33:56 AM »

Thanks for the input, guys. No 2.4 wireless for me. The new Sennhieser G4 is about to come out and if I can find a good price, I'll get it. I love their 945 capsule so keen to give them a try.
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Brian Jojade

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Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2018, 05:39:05 PM »

WIFI antennas are typically both broadcasting and receiving signals.  Most access points use multiple antennas laid out in a very specific pattern to get the best results.

Theoretically, if you are operating within the same frequency ranges, splitting out the signal to the microphone should work.  However, in a practical world, you're more likely to cause a significant degradation in your WIFI signal with any splitting that is done.  In the end, probably not a good idea.

2.4 ghz for wireless mics is a horrible idea anyway.  Way too much to go wrong in a congested band.  While the GLX may sound better than your SLX mics did (pretty much anything will, the SLX is crap) it doesn't matter if they don't sound at all because of RF interference.  The cheap GLX mics are good for a low demand situation, such as in a fitness studio, or something like that.  For any stage performance, they're just not the right tool, no matter what the price!

If you're budget conscious, SHURE is not your brand.  They do offer cheap stuff, but it's pretty much crap.  Their higher end stuff is great.

I've found the Sennheiser G3 series to be a much MUCH better valued system in a very similar price range.

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Brian Jojade

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Combining 2.4 GHZ antennas
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2018, 05:39:05 PM »


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