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What are my options?

There are a number of different wireless microphone options for community users, depending on how they are going to be used, the level of reliability required and budget.

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Identify the option that best fits your requirements and click More info. Or just browse all the tables below to explore their price implications and pro's and cons for the user.

Installed system	Portable system	No of mics	Licence required	Cost	Risk of interference	Option
Yes	Yes	Typically low but high possible	No	Nil	High	Licence Exempt	More info
Yes (but not preferred)	Yes	Medium	Yes	Low	Medium	UK Shared	More info
Yes	No	High	Yes	Low to Medium	Low	Coordinated	More info

Licence exempt (VHF band):

Description	For low-cost and consumer applications anywhere in the UK without a licence
Band	174 MHz VHF More info
No for mics	Typically up to 4 microphones
Pro's	No need to buy a licence
Cons	Can be subject to interference from other near-by wireless microphone users
Annual Cost	Nil

Licence exempt (UHF band):

Description	For low-cost and consumer applications anywhere in the UK without a licence
Band	864 MHz UHF More info
No of mics	Typically up to 4 microphones
Pro's	No need to buy a licence. Wide range of low-cost equipment available.
Cons	Can be subject to interference from other near-by wireless microphone users and domestic equipment including baby alarms and wireless loudspeakers
Annual Cost	Nil

Licence exempt (WiFi band):

Description	For low-cost and consumer applications anywhere in the UK without a licence
Band	2.4 GHz WiFi band More info
No of mics	50+
Pro's	No need to buy a licence. Can potentially support many microphones at same location.
Cons	Spectrum is shared and heavily used for numerous short-range applications including wireless networks in the home and in business. Successful use is likely to depend on the density and proximity of other uses.
Annual Cost	Nil

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UK Shared Licence (VHF) :

Description	For professional and semi-professional applications anywhere in the UK
Band	200 MHz VHF. More info
No of mics	Typically up to 8 microphones
Pro's	Inexpensive to buy. Roaming throughout UK permitted. As frequencies are for professional users, there is less risk of interference. Choice of all 15 frequencies provides you with some flexibility to avoid any interference from other nearby users. Some users suggest that the band is less congested than UHF. Band unaffected by DSO.
Cons	A licence is required! Other users such as TV and film production crews share these frequencies so there is a risk of transient interference. There is less choice of equipment than at UHF.
Annual Cost	For all frequencies: £75 (online) or £85 (office). More info

UK Shared Licence (UHF) :

Description	For professional and semi-professional applications anywhere in the UK
Band	860 MHz UHF (also known as "Channel 69"). More info
No of mics	Typically 6 to 14 microphones.
Pro's	Inexpensive to buy. Roaming throughout UK permitted. As frequencies are for professional users, there is less risk of interference. Choice of all 14 frequencies provides you with some flexibility to avoid any interference from other nearby users. Less prone than VHF to interference from other equipment such as computers and lighting controllers etc.
Cons	A licence is required! Other users such as TV and film production crews share these frequencies so there is a risk of transient interference. Equipment that operates in these frequencies is often usable on licence exempt frequencies in 864 MHz band, providing you with more choice or additional capacity.
Annual Cost	For all frequencies: £75 (online) or £85 for one year (office). A discounted 2-year licence is available. More info

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Co-ordinated Licence (VHF) :

Description	For installed professional applications.
Band	200 MHz VHF. More info
No of mics	Typically up to 8 microphones
Pro's	Provides you with exclusive use of the frequencies at your venue. This reduces the risk of interference significantly. Cost effective for smaller systems of just 1 or 2 microphones. Band unaffected by DSO.
Cons	Not suitable for roaming; the frequency licensed can only be used in the venue specified on the licence. More expensive than ‘Shared’ licence for larger capacity systems, but is prone to interference from other equipment such as computers etc. There is less choice of equipment on the market compared to UHF.
Annual Cost	£28 for each frequency. More info

Co-ordinated Licence (UHF) :

Description	For installed professional applications.
Band	Between 470 - 862 MHz (UHF TV Band). More info
No of mics	Depends on location
Pro's	Provides you with exclusive use of the frequencies at your venue. This reduces the risk of interference to your systems significantly.
Cons	Can be more expensive than a Shared licence. The frequency licensed can only be used in the venue specified on the licence.
Annual Cost	Typically £28 for each frequency. More info

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