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AD-HOC Telex Setup, party of 3+
I am trying to figure out how to wire some sort of cheap system to talk to other camera operators within a theater that records live events. I’ve been having a problem with shots and having either three people getting the same thing or three people not getting anything. I was thinking about wiring up three phones with headsets and creating some sort of junction box, and having sort of a single local line like a Telex system. I believe I just need a low-voltage power source, made possible by a transformer. I just don’t know how to wire everything. Any suggestions/alternatives?
“Filmmaking is such a collaborative medium.” -Daryl Hannah
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3 Replies
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There are wiring diagrams for that on google, however, if you hardwire three telephones that way, they are all duplex, (i.e., you can hear and speak simultaneously). In a theater setting, that means your cameramen’s mics will be feeding ambient noise of the house and audience and performance back into your system. I love my crew, but it is rare that I need them to talk back to me during a show, and more important that we all hear clear audio of my so-called camera directions.
For that reason, I advise against the telephone hookup. You can try using FRS radios on a shared channel, which is cheap, and can keep the mic problem at bay. There will be RF issues maybe. You’ll have to test it.
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I’ve used FRS radios with headsets, professional radios with headsets, Telex wireless and Clearcom wired, never had any interference issues, although different venues have different issues. If you want a really inexpensive solution and wired is no problem, try using a small mixer with a headphone distribution amp plugged into the headphone out jack of the mixer, and regular old headphones with extension cables. Any mic plugged into the mixer will do and voila, you’re talking to everyone (but with no talkback). Simple and cheap.
Joel Servetz
RGB Media Services, LLC
Sarasota, Fl
videobyjoel@aol.com -
Alright. Well, my budget’s not exactly high. I’m willing to spent $20 max, so I’m probably going to try the phones. I’ll probably add a switch to turn off the talkback, but I still want the option to be able to talk with my guys, not just to them. Anything I should know?
“Filmmaking is such a collaborative medium.” -Daryl Hannah
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