8 Things to Check Before Buying a Wireless Conference Microphone System

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8 things to check before buying a wireless conference microphone system

We've been doing this for over 20 years and often find the same issues with Wireless Conference Microphone Systems coming up again and again. So we've got this checklist for you to think about before you make that decision.

Confidea Quad-Band 3rd Generation Wireless Mics

No matter whether it's a small G20 Government meeting at Uluru in Central Australia or a huge multilingual meeting in Brisbane, where tables need to be constantly moved without time to move cables, our wireless table microphones are super quick and easy to bump in, switch on and manage as a 'set and forget' or control from any browser located anywhere on a PC, tablet or mobile phone of any make.

8 Point Checklist

So, you've got the idea of acquiring a wireless conference microphone system. So far so good, but now comes the difficult part: what wireless microphone system should you select out of all systems that are out there?

Before buying or renting a wireless conference system, here are a couple of critical elements you should pay attention to:

Does the system sound natural?
The use of a conference system should improve intelligibility in your meeting room & reduce fatigue for the delegates.

To achieve this, a conference system should produce a natural sound at a comfortable sound level. Make sure to compare various systems, preferably side-by-side, before making a decision. Don’t forget that listening to a bad or unnatural sounding system will annoy the meeting participants, eliminating the original purpose of the system.
Wireless systems need batteries – good batteries
Obviously, wireless means no cables which also means you need batteries. Make sure the batteries of your conference system will last through long meetings, and preferably even more than one. It is important to understand that batteries based on older technology (like NiMH) suffer from a ‘memory effect’ and will degrade much faster over time.

Li-ion is your best bet: it has little or no memory effect and can be recharged before they are fully discharged. In our case over 24 hours use is achievable.
Pick the wireless technology that is right for you.
There are two major technologies in wireless conferencing: RF (Radio Frequency) and IR (Infrared). Depending on how you intend to use the system, the one or the other (or both) will best suit your needs. If you need to set and forget in minutes RF is your only choice.
Will it co-exist with my wireless LAN?
In most instances, RF based systems will offer the highest flexibility. However, from an IT management point of view it is important to understand how well your new system will integrate with your existing (wireless) infrastructure.

Look for a system that offers plenty of frequencies in both the 2.4GHz and the 5 GHz and facilitates your frequency planning. In this way you’ll be sure to run your meetings smoothly without limitations on your wireless LAN usage.
Manageability during meetings
Check what tools are offered to allow monitoring the system without interfering with the meeting. Questions to ask yourself:

Can I see what frequency the system is on and can I migrate to another frequency during a meeting without the delegates noticing?
Can I see the condition of each battery during the meeting without the delegates noticing??
Can I remotely switch off a microphone that has accidentally been left on without the delegates noticing??
Can I control the system via a browser on any PC, tablet or mobile phone, Windows or Mac, from anywhere?
Can I get even more from my system by buying propriety software to control additional facets of my system?
If I buy a system and I need occasional top ups for a big meeting can I rent additional units from my supplier as and when required?
For a simple meeting can a non technical staff member set up the system at very short notice? Click here to see the answer.
Can I plug in a charger directly to a microphone if a technician has forgotten to charge it without the delegates noticing??

Understand the minimum workable configuration
As a minimum, a wireless conference system has an access point or base station, and the wireless delegate units. Some systems however also need an additional central unit and additional software for control. Make sure you understand what the full configuration is for your needs. It will guard you from unpleasant budgetary surprises.

What will it not do?
Spend some time to also understand the limitations of the systems you are considering. Asking for what it can do might tell you all you need to know, but approaching it from the opposite angle might reveal things you haven’t thought of. It can prevent you from running into trouble if your needs change or if you have overlooked important aspects in your initial list of requirements.

How is support when you need it?
We all prefer to ignore it, but let’s be realistic: it’s electronics and it can fail. When it happens, make sure you can rely on impeccable support. Check what you can expect from your supplier. Can you call them 24 hours a day?

Making the right wireless system decision

The above points obviously don’t cover all aspects of a well thought-out selection process. They will however narrow your options upfront. This gives you more time to concentrate on the details of each offering that made it through this first selection.

In the end, don’t we all like to feel confident that we have made the right decision?

So, if you've decided to acquire a wireless conference system & if you need any help from the specialists, feel free to call us on 1800 507 557, send an email to info at bramshaw.com.au or use our "Contact us" form to get in touch. We'd love to help!