Recommendations for using antennas

Rod antennas (included in the delivery)

The EM 6000 can be operated throughout the entire frequency spectrum with the UHF rod antennas included in the delivery.

For optimum range and reliability, we recommend using remote antennas because antennas directly on the device do not have the optimum distance from each other and cannot be aligned with the transmitters.

Remote antennas

We recommend using remote antennas instead of the rod antennas supplied. Remote antennas achieve better reception.

The antennas are connected to the receiver using coaxial cables and mounted on a conventional microphone stand. They should be positioned so that at least one antenna always has a free line of sight to the transmitters. The distance between the antennas should be approx. 1 to 2 m (3.3 to 6.5 ft) to ensure a good diversity response from the receiver.

For information about the antennas and accessories recommended by us, see Antennas and accessories.

Active vs passive antennas

Passive antennas do not require a power supply and do not have any electronics. Active antennas have a fitted amplifier and require a power supply.

If you are using active antennas:

If you are using passive antennas, you can use them as active antennas by using an external antenna amplifier.

General recommendation

Generally, passive antennas should be used. The EM 6000 is designed for this type of application.

Active antennas are used to balance the attenuation in the coaxial cable and supply the receivers with a sufficiently strong signal. However, this is not required with the usual cable lengths of up to approx. 10 m (32 ft).

When active antennas are used incorrectly, there is a risk of overloading the receiver. In addition, noise signals are always amplified as well as the wanted signal, which eliminates the benefit to the levels.

Types of remote antenna

Antennas with different types of pick-up pattern are available:
  • Omni-directional antennas receive the signals from every horizontal direction equally and are not directed.
  • Directional antennas amplify signals from a specific direction while the remaining signals are attenuated. If you want to receive only transmitters from a specific direction, for example, if the antennas are next to a stage, we recommend using this type of antenna because it can significantly improve the reception quality.

Losses due to cable properties and length

The antennas must be connected to the receivers using coaxial cables with BNC connectors.

The quality of this cable can vary greatly. The impedance must be 50 ohm and meet the RG58 standard at minimum. The cable must be mechanically undamaged and must not be kinked.

All coaxial cables have attenuation that increases with the length. Therefore, the length should not be greater than necessary and a length of 10 m (32 ft) should not be exceeded whenever possible.
  • With longer cables, ensure the attenuation levels are good or use active antennas.