Rattletrap, a convocation of owners of classic pre-1941 hot rods and motorcycles that’s held on the beach at Crowdy Head, New South Wales, Australia, saw Tom Benson of Port Macquarie, NSW-based integrator In Phase Productions deploy RF Venue CP Beam directional antennas to overcome an increasingly challenging environment for the wireless microphone systems serving the event.
Benson, who’s the general manager of In Phase, says he had been struggling with dropouts and interference with his older omni antennas, having to use line amplifiers to boost their signal. Many of his events, such as Rattletrap, require a large coverage area and wireless mics to be further away from antennas, which themselves had to be constantly moved around to keep the announcers’ microphones from being overwhelmed by engine noise. After consulting with RF Venue, he decided to upgrade with a pair of CP Beam antennas, which also enabled him to eliminate the old line amplifiers.
With the new approach, Benson was able to successfully deploy his rig utilizing multiple wireless mics for Rattletrap 2022. He notes that at distances of as much as 400 meters — more than 1,300 feet — all things RF went went well from beginning to end.
“We set up early and built the perfect mix position and antenna placement in the lifeguard tower,” Benson explains. “It was high tide and the beach was covered so we had to dodge the waves to set up, but by 10 a.m. the tide was out and there was enough beach to start. The event finished about 3:30 p.m. when the tide came back in, and everything worked extremely well, including — and especially — the CP Beam antennas. They made all the difference.”
