Wireless audio manufacturer RF Venue has released the RF Optix RF to fiber optic conversion system, a powerful new tool for mainstream wireless microphone users that expands the possibilities of antenna distribution and wireless audio design.
“RF Optix brings technology from the world of broadcast and IT into the reach of church, school, and theater wireless users,” says CEO Chris Regan. “Integrators, tour managers, and church technicians are now able to do things with fiber that would have been way out of budget, or downright impossible, with coaxial cable.”
The RF Optix system leverages the low cost, lossless characteristics of fiber optic cable over the expensive, fragile, lossy characteristics of coaxial cables. Fiber cable runs thousands of feet long are possible with negligible in-line attenuation, so antennas can be remoted in venues far away from racks or equipment rooms located elsewhere in the facility.
“One of the main constraints for distributed antenna systems for wireless audio is the cost and signal loss challenges of coax cables,” says Regan. “This is especially true for plenum installs, where plenum rated coax can exceed the cost of the entire audio system. With inexpensive plenum rated fiber cables, system designers can now rethink their equipment layouts without sacrificing the huge performance benefit of using a remote antenna system for their wireless system.”
The RF Optix system is offered as a single channel for connecting to one antenna or in a dual channel package for diversity antenna systems. The Install Package includes wall or rack mountable flanges and the Live Package includes a hard-shell carrying case. Both options include 10′ BNC to SMA adapter cables for connecting to antennas and wireless rack equipment; 9V screw-on power supplies are also provided. Available accessories include 100m single mode plenum fiber cables and 100m indoor/outdoor reinforced fiber cables. Custom fiber cable lengths are available.
