HME DX200-series Wireless Intercom
Communication. I think everyone would agree that it’s a wonderful thing. Yet, how many churches give much thought to internal communications for their Sunday services or special productions?
I’m sure most of you have been here before: a change needs to be made during the service or event, and someone has to try and communicate that change to all concerned: the audio, video, and lighting techs; the pastor; the worship leader; the ushers. Nothing like someone running around through the service with little pieces of paper to facilitate discrete communications. Or, you’re putting on your Easter or Christmas production, and no one is quite sure whether everyone is in place and ready for the lights to come up.
While production intercom systems have been around for a while, those that you might be more familiar with tend to be on the pricey side. However, HME, a company that’s been producing wireless intercom systems since 1979, understands the need for cost-effective communications systems. Here, we’ll take a look at HME’s DX200 series wireless intercom system.
Live Testing
The test environment for this product was Apex, North Carolina’s Triangle Community Church’s (TCC’s) 2007 Christmas production, Scrooge. TCC partnered with Angier, North Carolina’s Spiritual Twist Productions to put on this classic Dickens’s story with a strong delivery of the gospel message added in (look for a feature article on Scrooge in the CPM November/December 2008 issue). Typically, Spiritual Twist would use inexpensive consumer-grade, two-way radios for their technical production communications. While it functions, to a point, drop-outs due to range restrictions or building interference, plus a nasty burst of static injected into the ear each time the transmit button is pressed, makes such a low-cost solution almost intolerable. Therefore, the opportunity to use the HME system for Scrooge was highly welcomed and anticipated.
The system consisted of a DX200 base station; three BP200 beltpack systems; and two WH200 headsets. The WH200 headsets have the radio system built into the headsets, eliminating the need for a beltpack and the accompanying wire to the headset. The base unit was used by the lighting tech; the beltpacks and headsets were used by the stage manager; stage hands; spotlight operator; and audio tech. Each base station can support up to 15 beltpacks/headsets; if more than 15 are needed, multiple base stations can be utilized. Up to four of the beltpacks/headsets can transmit at one time.
Setup of the system was quite easy. Each beltpack or headset needed to be registered with the base station (they can’t communicate without doing so), which provides for more secure communications and eliminates the possibility of interference from others using a similar system nearby (as you would have with unlicensed, consumer-grade, two-way radios). Once registered, the base station and all headsets can communicate with each other.
The HME base station also has the ability to connect into an analog wired intercom system, such as a ClearCom system. Each station/headset has the option of talking to the entire intercom configuration, or isolating the communications to just the HME system. Each beltpack/headset can be configured in a push-to-talk mode, or a hands-free mode.
Each unit can have their microphone gain and headphone volume adjusted independently, ensuring that the user can hear everyone, and everyone can hear them, without a problem. For the beltpacks and headsets, all took the same model of rechargeable battery, simplifying battery logistics. The batteries charged quickly, and the charging system can charge four batteries at a time. Battery life was not a problem—one charge got us easily through an entire evening’s usage. HME states that you can expect about 20 hours of use when in push-to-talk mode.
Observations
The first thing we noticed is that the system is very clear, with no static introduced when someone toggles the transmit button—a welcome relief from the consumer radios we normally would use. There was a very slight background noise, but nothing objectionable or distracting. The headsets were very comfortable, and none of us reported any fatigue from wearing the units for several hours at a time.
Range of the wireless units was excellent—there was never an issue of drop-outs while the headsets remained in the building. However, when a stage hand would go outside to take a short-cut from one side of the stage to the other, the headset would lose communications as soon as the door shut behind him. We attributed this to the building being a steel building, and the shell of the building essentially routing all transmissions trying to pass through its skin to earth ground. Once an exterior door was opened even as little as an inch, communications resumed.
When a headset looses connection with the base station, you aren’t left wondering what’s happening—the headset itself starts giving you an audible warning about being out of range. Additionally, audible warnings are given if you are trying to increase the volume of the headset beyond the maximum of its range.
There was what appeared initially to be one drawback to the headset system (not the beltpack system), which is a set of very bright status lights at both the end of the microphone boom and on the headband. The light at the end of the boom is to indicate when the unit is in transmit mode. This seemed unfortunate, as stagehands should be invisible, and attaching “anti-collision lights” to their heads defeats this concept. We made a point of giving the beltpack units to those most likely to need to go on stage. What we learned after the fact from HME is that these status lights can indeed be disabled by holding down the “IC2” button while powering up the unit. Instructions on this capability come with the instruction sheet when you buy one of the headsets, which weren’t included in our evaluation system. HME reports that these instructions will be added to the overall system manual on a future revision of that manual.
We appreciated the beltpack construction—the pouch that the beltpacks are held in are made of a rubber-like material with no sharp edges. Very comfortable and extremely light. Controls were intuitive and easy to use. The headsets that accompanied the beltpacks were very comfortable, but could only be worn over the left ear. HME reports that new headsets are being made available that can be worn on either side of the head.
However, these are minor complaints. We loved the functionality and the excellent audio quality of the headsets. There was never a problem of the tech crew understanding the stage manager, even when he was whispering. And that, my friends, is the whole point. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the system, and it’ll be high on my list of equipment for my church’s next sanctuary.
Jim Kumorek is the web editor/director of online operations for Production Media Inc., and the lighting director for Scrooge.
