RF PA Extension Kit
RF Venue is introducing its RF PA Extension Kit, designed to eliminate the hassle of adding satellite loudspeakers to AV and PA setups. “Running bulky cables, fighting with gaff tape, or navigating crowded conduits and cable trays are now a thing of the past,” says Chris Regan, RF Venue Chief Innovation Officer. “With the RF PA Extension Kit, users can wirelessly deliver stereo or two independent audio signals anywhere in a venue—quickly, cleanly, safely, and cost-effectively.”
Composed of one rack-mount transmitter and two compact receivers, the kit extends two channels of high-quality audio wirelessly via analog FM in the 470-506 MHz UHF band. By operating outside the crowded RF bands conventionally used for wireless microphones and monitors, RF PA avoids competition for RF spectrum. The 1RU transmitter independently converts two line-level analog input channels to separate RF signals. Hardwired audio pass-throughs leaves the primary signal path unchanged while feeding the transmitter circuitry on demand.
The RF PA RX4 portable single-channel receivers, powered by 12 VDC, output line-level audio to feed loudspeakers or other devices.
The RF PA RX4 portable receivers, powered by 12 VDC, output line-level audio to feed loudspeakers or other devices. The diversity receivers are IP54 rated with weatherproof connectors for outdoor use. For use with satellite loudspeakers and delay towers in large venues, the receiver units have up to 800 milliseconds of built-in digital delay to allow satellite speakers to be time-aligned with the main PA’s propagation (timing adjustments can be set in milliseconds, or by distance in feet or meters). While frequency and delay can be configured at the receiver, the parameters can also be set up at the transmitter and sent to the individual receivers via a 2.4 gigahertz synch signal.
“When we’ve shown the system to live event pros, DJs, A/V integrators, and house-of-worship techs,” says Regan, “they immediately see the possibilities—whether it’s feeding audio to breakout rooms, green rooms, lobbies, cry rooms, or powering delay towers at festivals and parades. The use cases are nearly endless.”
The expanded RF PA 8PACK Extension Kit bundles a dual channel transmitter with eight receivers to feed additional loudspeakers.
One early use example of the RF PA facilitated the deployment of a weatherized battery-powered EV Everse PA system at the NFL New Orleans Saints’ training camp. New Orleans-based Tim Kilbride, owner of The Sound Source AV firm, popped RF Venue CP Beam antennas onto the transmitter to test extending its range of the system. He explains, “We got approximately 330 feet on one run and 450 feet on the other run with no issues whatsoever. The RF meter on the receivers were pegged at those distances, with good audio quality. We made custom power cables to connect the RF PA unit to the DC output of the Everse. We get about 10 hours at 98-100db audio output on a fully charged Everse with the RF PA receiver unit.”
The RF PA Extension Kit is available now from stock. The base kit, including one transmitter and two receivers, has a MAP of $1,999 (USD). A transmitter with eight receivers is offered at $4,999, while individual add-on receivers are available at $549 MAP.
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