Choosing the Right Wireless Intercom System: Budget (Part 8 of 9)

When trying to decide what Clear-Com wireless is right for you, knowing how to fit the features and functionality into you budget may be a concern. Today, we will discuss the budget section of the Choosing the Right Wireless Infographic. 

Download the full Infographic HERE.

Configuring a wireless communications system to meet the needs of a specific production takes careful planning regarding features and functionality, but it also includes how that system fits into your budget. Everyone wants all of the latest features, but the price tag can often limit what you can afford. Finding a supplier that offers budget-friendly options might be critical to your project's success. The need for a communications system that is both easy-to-use, yet powered by the most up-to-date technology is clear, but cost can be a hurdle to overcome, so research is vital.

A house of worship or college AV department might not be able to allocate the same kinds of funds towards a system as a television network production team working the NFL Super Bowl. So, there is a wide variety of wireless product offerings that Clear-Com offers that meet the wide array of applications. Each can be expanded, but why pay for expandability when you don't need it?

Of course, as you need more complexity and advanced features, the price goes up, but so do the capabilities that are included. Entry-level wireless products, like the DX100, cannot be connected to wired or other wireless systems. Put simply, it is wireless beltpacks talking to wireless beltpacks. We see these systems used heavily in reality TV and the movie film industry for camera and dolly communications. 

Taking one step further, the DX300ES system supports two-channel, hands-free, full-duplex, digital conversation with 4-wire interfacing for intercom communications. Its compact design makes it highly portable and very quick to set-up and operate.

As your requirements increase, you'll need to spend money, but again, the features and functionality increase as well. The DX210 and DX410 systems, for example, offer more capabilities at a higher price than the DX100 and DX300ES, but you are getting comprehensive two-channel digital wireless systems that deliver an overall better experience in performance and range. The DX410 system features the 7KHz wideband audio,while both systems feature 2- and 4-wire interfacing, 2-wire auto-nulling for fast integration with Clear-Com or other wired partyline systems.

At the higher end are the FreeSpeak II 1.9 GHz and FreeSpeak II 2.4GHz systems, which both include the ability to operate in multiple frequency bands. These high performance wireless intercom systems are designed for extensive communication in large-scale operations. Their ability to maintain a strong and continuous wireless connection across an expansive coverage area while providing crystal-clear digital audio makes the FSII systems the ideal wireless roaming solution for live events, broadcast, sport production, industrial, military and government applications, to name a few. 

The FSII wireless stand-alone systems can deploy up to 25 beltpacks and up to 10 transceivers from one base station. That's a lot of capacity and totally necessary if you have a large crew dispersed over a wide production area.

Some systems are more expensive than others, but you get a lot more for your money. That's how you have to look at it when you are considering which system to buy. You might also have to consider buying a system that can be used for many different types of projects, whereas the lower cost systems are limited in their scope of applications. So, if you consider your communication system options wisely, using the number of factors that might impact your budget, you can choose the right system that gives you what you need. Remember - you get what you pay for!