Marti Remote Question

[CZA]

Older beige RPT30 w/all mike inputs.

Thinking about using a xformer to pad the line level to an input on this so I could use my standard mixer for audio. Never done it before. Seems most remotes are "call ins" with cells now. The Marti at this location is very seldom used.

My question...anyone ever use one to do a live show with all audio from remote site? I have on AM but not FM. AM was live music so we just used the mics. Don't know if the Marti would like program modulation for 4+ hours. I remember them getting pretty warm. These spec at freq. response to 7-10khz best I can remember.

I think people have pressed these into last resort STL service too.

Your comments...

[Big Media]

Seems most remotes are "call ins" with cells now. The Marti at this location is very seldom used.

Chaps my ass real good. Why, oh why, do program directors, general managers, whoever, allow this? If you don't have a Marti shot, grab a Comrex or something....


Stop the cell phone madness.

It sounds like shit.

[Arp2]

I despise it, too. Take note of those who do it and forever label them lazy.

As to the Marti, I recall those things already having a line-in....at least the ones I remember did. A 1/8" or 1/4" jack on input 4, I believe.

Well, now I'm not sure...maybe that was just some of them....

[sportsvoice]

I've used the RPT-30 quite a few times before, but I've never used the line input. I think on some of them, the 4th input may be line level. I think you can get PDF scans of the RPT-30 manual from www.martielectronics.com under the "downloads" section.

As far as what audio bandwidth you'll get, it depends on what channel width your Marti is set up for. If it's for 25k bandwidth, you'll have about 7kHz of audio response, if it's for 50k, I think it's about 10kHz of audio response, and 100k gets you close to 15k of audio bandwidth. The Part 74 rules allow you to use the RPU as a last resort STL option for up to 30 days, IIRC.

I don't know if the heat output is modulation dependent, but I've seen Martis used regularly for high school sports feeds (2-3 hour broadcasts with the thing transmitting constantly) and they seem to do fine. I would wonder if the old tube type "bread box" units could handle it though.

I consider cell phone remotes as a last resort, but I have had to use them many a time to do baseball games (you're lucky to find AC power at some of these high school fields, much less a phone line).

[sportsvoice]

Follow up:
The manual for the SR-30 (the new frequency synthesized version of what was the RPT-30) says that Input 4 is line-level by default. There's a mic-line switch inside the unit just behind the #4 pot. I would imagine that the same may be true for the RPT-30 unit.

[Tom Taggart]

On the RPT/30/RPT-40 the fourth input is the line input.

The RPT 30 is UHF, and would normally have from 7.5 to 11 KC response, although you may have to eq on receive as you tend to get a fair amount of hiss unless you have an exceptionally strong signal.

For talk, even the RPT-40(VHF) with around 5~7 kc response sounds just fine on FM. The biggest problem is the compressor in these things. If you are going to do a lot of programming over this unit, run your mix into an external compressor, such as a symetrix or some other more modern PA-type cruncher, then the final mix into the line level input.

Then set your gain reduction on the RPT 30 to no more than -1 or -2 on peaks.

[Tom Taggart]

On the heat... As long as you allow ample ventilation around the heatsink on the back, it will run forever.

Years ago, at WSPD, we had a tube-type Marti unit that I found in storage from some long-forgotten Civil Defense grant. I salvaged it and used it for the Mudhens broadcast. Supposed to be a 30 watt unit, put out around 15 watts, but despite our 12 mile path we could almost see the receive antenna, up on a downtown building. But that's Toledo--flat as a pancake.

We put the Marti on a shelf in the back of the broadcast booth and ran mike cables to the tabletop. The antenna was mounted on the roof of the press box.

The PBP guy was contract, he came in with his headset-mike, plugged into the mike cables, plugged the headphones into a portable radio, flipped the Marti on, and did the game. After three or four hours, he flipped the Marti off and went home. Ran two or three seasons this way with no trouble at all.

[CZA]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll crack the case on this and look for the switch on #4. At one time I was told that the Input #4 Line/Mic Combo was an add on option and guess what...they didn't buy it. Looks like wrong info filters now to end user again. Thank goodness for the internet and d/l's on manuals. I'm trying to plan a live show so I can do everything on-site. All the person at the station does is flip the switch and pot it up.

Sounds like some "program tests" in the future.

Quick story:
Used a Marti at a bowling alley once to do live remotes from some special event. Bad weather prompted the antenna to be inside. (It was a yagi mounted on a speaker stand-would have blown away-still had a heck of a shot-audio sounded good so we roped off around the antenna and rolled) Everytime the Marti would go to transmit, it would F-up all the arcade games. It was quite fun to watch. Some would lock up, others would screech, and some acted as a receiever and you could hear audio. Nobody was playing them anyway.

[Tom Taggart]

Here's the link to the manual, in case you haven't already found it:

http://www.martielectronics.com/downloa ... /RPT30.pdf

Both of my units are a dark blueish black, and have the switches mounted just behind the xlr and pot for the channel 4 input.

On my units, you can also go in high level through the D connector on the back. This is one way you can use the transmitter as a repeater with a suitable cable from another receiver.

If it isn't there, you could try a couple of 100 k resistors on the input leads.
Sometimes works, sometimes not.

[Tom Taggart]

Pin 2 & 3 on the 9 pin D is balanced audio in.

Solder neatly, one of the adjacent pins has 12 vdc on it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Solder neatly, one of the adjacent pins has 12 vdc on it.

[Cameron]

Pin 2 & 3 on the 9 pin D is balanced audio in.

Solder neatly, one of the adjacent pins has 12 vdc on it.

Is that the one that makes the sparky-spark when one carelessly plugs in one's D-connector that he's sniffing voltage to run through his outboard relay?

That the one?

Tom. Check out the Marti site's contests. They've got a "oldest picture of the Marti product in use", "biggest pile of Marti's" (I think I could take that one), and "you make up the Marti-related contest".

The prize is - your favorite - an HD swish-machine.