FAQ: SWM6000 – 7000 Series Wireless Microphones

1. Have your guns loaded: Download the latest software and firmware before the meeting. Make sure the software works on your computer. Put a cable in your kit to connect to the receiver and a USB-232 convertor. Gold-X is best. Sometimes other brands don’t work.

You won’t need the convertor if you have RS232 on your computer.

Once you get there, check the antennas first:

1. Call Sabine support if you are hearing interference clicks and pops.

2. Dropout and swooshing that happens with multiple transmitters but not with one alone is most likely caused by IMD (Inter-Modulation Distortion). You can usually fix this by properly adjusting the antenna gain. Another common cause is one that or more transmitter is located close to the antennas and other transmitters are proportionally farther away. The best way to eliminate this is to move the antennas to the back of the auditorium, farther away from the stage. This may be counterintuitive at first, but moving the antennas away makes all the transmitters proportionally about the same distance from the antennas no matter where the actor is on the stage. (For example, if the antennas are on the side of the stage, one actor may be standing 5 feet away and another may be 25 feet away. The proportion is 25/5 = 5 (too big). On the other hand, if the antennas are in the back of the auditorium, the closest actor might be 80 feet away and the farthest actor may be 100 feet away. The proportion is now reduced to 100/80 = 1.25. IMD is an inherent problem of wireless microphones. I believe all microphone manufacturers recommend this arrangement.

3. The antennas must be in the line of sight from the stage. There should be no bodies or objects blocking the line of sight. The antennas should be at least 15 feet apart (farther is better), and the plastic side of the antennas should be orientated toward the stage.

4. Checking the cables: Put a transmitter on stage and tune one transmitter and receiver to channel #3 (30 if shifted down). Hook up a computer to a receiver and fire up Sabine Remote. Any receiver will work if there is an antenna distribution amp. Run a scan from channel 1 to 5 (28 to 32 if downshifted) for a minute or so. If there are two tall green lines not quite clipping on the scan, everything is good. If there is only one green line, move the transmitter two feet in any direction and try again. You may just be in a null. If you still see only one green line or a tall and short line, something’s wrong. (This would be a good time to call me.) In this case, the problem could be with the antenna adjustment, antenna placement, cables from the antennas to the ADA, cables from the ADA to the receiver, the antenna hardware or the ADA hardware (listed in descending order of likelihood). The way best way to hone in on the problem quickly is to switch components on the left side with components on the right side until the problem follows the switch.

1. Set the channels at the ends of the spectrum. For example, set a 10-channel system to following channels: 1,2,3,4,5,70,69,68 67,66

2. Open the scanner and follow the antenna tuning wizard. This is critical. A very small change on the antenna’s pot makes a big change (yes, we are going fix this …in two weeks!). Resist the temptation to add too much gain. It is best if the green bars don’t quite clip the scanner.

FAQ: How do you check the battery life?

Put in fresh batteries, or fully charge NiMH batteries. Turn on the transmitter and let it run dead. Put in fresh alkaline batteries or plug in the charger if you have NiMH batteries. Press the select button on the transmitter until you see the run time hours (the number of hours that the system ran before the batteries died.)

You can reset the run-time clock two ways: 1) put in HiMH batteries and let them recharge; 2) press the select button until the run-time hours show in the display. Then press the up or down arrow.

FAQ: NDR Option Master and Slave Dipswitch Settings?

Hooking NDR receivers together. Dip switch #7 controls. Up is slave, Down is master. Power off and on after change. Connect computer to Master.

FAQ: How do you debug a system?

1. Turn off all the receivers except one

2. Turn off all transmitters

3. Run a scan.

4. Are there a lot of red interference

5. Are there two green lines. How high? Are the more or less equal? Move the mic if there is a big disparity to eliminate the possibility of a null.

6. If there is only one green line, test the cables and antennas.

FAQ: Can’t Change the Range of the RF Scan:

Solution; Stop the scan.

FAQ: Does a DPA or Countryman mic work with SWM7000?

Any microphone that works on Shure with a TA4 will work on the SWM6000/7000

FAQ: What Antenna Cable And Connectors Do I Need?

Sabine receivers, distribution amps, extension antennas, use the TNC female connectors. Receiver dipoles (sometimes called whip or rabbit ears) and our 15’ and 30’ RG58 antenna cables use TNC male connectors. We recommend Belden RG8, RG8X, cable or equivalent for antenna runs that are greater than about 30 feet.

http://www.radio-ware.com/products/techinfo/coaxloss.htm

This RG8 wire is too big for the TNC connector, so you should specify the N-Type male connectors and Sabine’s SWATNC-N kit for connecting N to TNC. The part number for the male N-type connector from LComm is ANM2400 N-Male clamp connector. This connector is designed for wire that have a 0.400” diameter.

The follow companies supply connectors and hardware.

www.rfconnector.com

www.lcom.com

FAQ: Wireless connection of a mixer to a power amp:

Case study. A high school football field had the announcers booth in the south end and the stadium sound system in the north end. They eliminated the need to run a wire from the announcer’s station to the equipment room with the following setup:

1.) The line-level output of the mixer is connected to an SW75-T wireless transmitter using the SWT70G-TA4, ¼” to TA4 connector. The transmitter stays plugged to the SWCPOWR-U power supply so no batteries are required. (NOTE: the transmitter may be a little noisy for the first few minutes in the configuration until the transmitter figures out that there are no batteries.)

2.) The SW71-R receiver is placed in the north end equipment room. Tight angle yagi antennas are aimed at the transmitter in the south end. (NOTE: Some yagi antenna may not be compatible with the phantom power. They will damage the SW7x-R receivers .) The line level output of the receiver is wired to the power amp to complete the installation.

FAQ: Model Numbers, Serial numbers, Start Date, End Date

C-Cell Handhelds:

SW70-HD3, HD5, HD9 are the old C-Cell Handhelds

Serial Number are seven digits

AA-Handhelds:

SW70-HD13, HD15, HD19 are AA Handhelds

Serial Numbers start with HH

FAQ: Error Codes

There is only one Error Code. It shows in the LCD window when you turn the system on. Error Code 1 means dip switch #1 is up. Push it down to fix it.

Standard Letter – Repair of Discontinued Equipment

I understand you have an SW300 series wireless mic system that you want repaired. Please note that this series was discontinued in 2002 and they are no longer officially supported. But, we are here to help when we can. If your customer approves, we will attempt to fix it. Our bench fee is $95 per hour with a two-hour max. If we cannot fix it, you will be charged $95 per unit as our minimum bench fee.

If you wish to proceed, please use the attached RA.

FAQ: Hard Reset

SWM7000 Receivers:

Hold in the Contrast “A” and “Bypass” buttons at the same time and then turn on the receiver. Release once the boot up starts.

FAQ: Hand-held SW60/70 transmitters always defaults to channel 1 when it is turned on.

These transmitters need to come back for a firmware upgrade. We have not seen this problem with belt-packs.

FAQ ECO Timeline

4-24-2001 thru 4-9-2003 multiple releases for 2.4 Ghz handheld transmitter, serial Numbers in form 500xxxx

4/27/2004 production release of HH2 rev 1.22 and start of serial numbers in the form HHxxxxx

6/8/2005 release of rev 1.25 introducing snap in shields SN start at HH2500

5/17/2006 “To reduce cell phone interference and improve manufacturing by eliminating shielding tape and conductive silicone” this has been the basis of replacing bodies of a rev lower than 1.25

After the introduction of the 1.25 board the only lingering hardware problem was the squeal all other problems were firmware fixable.

12/15/2008 1.26 board to change regulator and cure the squeal noise problem

01/02/2008 All SW70-HXX handheld microphones shipped on or after 01/02/2008 have had the lower case metal sleeve undercut to accommodate the new lower O-Ring. Reference: ECO# W2HHC-125-003.

FAQ: How do I transfer programs from one receiver to another:

Connect a computer to the "master" receivers. Save the program to the receiver as a preset. Then go to "File/Save Configuration" in the top ribbon of the computer screen to save the program to your hard drive. Now connect to the next receiver. Go to "File/Load Configuration" to recover the setting from the hard drive. Save it to your reciever as a preset.

FAQ: Where do I find the serial number and date code?

The serial number and date code are found on the right side of the receiver and inside the battery compartment of the transmitters. You can also find the serial number of a receiver by connecting to a computer. The serial number pops up on connection. You can also find it in the ABOUT button on the top ribbon.

FAQ: What channels work when I shift down?

The transmitters were not originally designed to be shifted down but they all seem to work if you use them between channels 30 and 43 after the shift down.Most of them work on lower channels, too.The new transmitters automatically find the lowest frequency that you can use.

If you select a channel that is too low for you transmitter, the LCD will freeze.Here is how to fix it:Turn the transmitter off (inside switch must be in the on/off position).Pull the batteries out and then put them back in.Press the UP button.Turn the transmitter on.Set the channel to a higher channel number.

FAQ: Technical Descriptions of the various antennas

SW70-H and SW75-T transmitters use ¼ wave monopoles

SW72-R whip antennas are ½ wave dipoles

SW60-H and SW65-T transmitters use ¼ wave helical

SW62-R whip antennas are ½ wave dipoles.

FAQ: Output A is 180 degrees out of phase with Output B

Push dipswitch #2 up. Reboot.

FAQ: Can my SW72-R receiver be upgrade to the SW72-NDR (network & digital I/o) option?

The digital option must be installed on the motherboard when it is originally built. There is no practical way to upgrade the motherboard later.

FAQ: Does Sabine Remote software run on a Mac?

Sabine Remote runs on MS XP and Vista. It runs on a PC partition on a Mac.

FAQ: Unexpected sources of interference

Cell phone:

Security cameras:

Light sensors:

Light controllers:

FAQ: How do you increase the power output of a transmitter

Turn the unit off. Press and hold the Down button. Turn the unit on. Wait a few seconds and you will see a screen that lets you toggle the power up or down (PH-Power High or PL-Power Low).

FAQ: My changes to the transmitter settings are lost when I turn the transmitter off.

Wait 3 to 5 seconds after your change before turning the transmitter off.

FAQ: Transmitter Default Settings:

SW75-T Beltpack

Channel: 1, 2, 3,….

PAD: 00, -03, -06, -10, -14, -17, -20, -23, -26, -30, -34, -37, -40

LCut: 0, 75Hz

Input: MIC , Ins

Mic or Instrucment. Need a special cord for the INS

Time: 0 Sec

Countdown clock. The time used since the last recharge. Press up and down to reset to 0 sec.

SW70-HXX hand-held

Channel: 1,2, 3…

PAD: 00, -03, -06, -10, -14, -17, -20,

LCut:0, 75Hz

Time: Sec

Countdown clock. The time used since the last recharge. Press up and down to reset to 0 sec.

Head: Hold the select and turn on: Toggle through the heads.

FAQ: Parts List

Belt-clips for the SW75-T $4.95 ea

Minimum order: $25.00

FAQ: My receiver shows the channel mutes when I turn on my transmitter. Other times, the system is OK until I start talking. Then it mutes.

This happens when you overdrive and clip the microphone input circuit. Simply reduce the pad. SW75-T beltpack transmitters usually operate best when the pad is set around -30dB, but this varies depending on the microphone. The SW70-T operates best around -14dB.

FAQ: Can you fix my OLDER broken wireless equipment?

There was a major redesign of the wireless systems in 2005. Some of the older units have parts that are no longer available and they cannot be fixed. Even if they can be fixed, they cannot be brought up to the current performance standards.

The cost for an estimate and up to one hour of labor is $95. If the unit is not fixed within the first hour, we will call you with a firm price for the repair. If we cannot fix it, or if you do not wish to pay the cost of the repair, you will be changed $95 plus freight for the estimate and the unit will be returned.

Alternatively, Sabine offers a special upgrade price to replace these older units. Contact CustomerService@Sabine.com.

How to tell of your equipment is fully supported:

SW72-R and SW71-R Reciever: If the 3^rd and 4^th number of the serial numbers (XX16) is 16 or greater, the product is fully supported.

SW70-T Beltpack Transmitter: All obsolete. Cannot be fixed.

SW-75-T BeltpackTransmitter: Sn 6xx2000 and up are current boards and can be fully supported

Sw70Hxx Hand-Held Transmitter: SN HHx2500 and up are current boards and can be fully supported

FAQ: Phantom Power on the SWA6SS- Antenna Distribution Amp

There is a two-pin jumper on the PCB in the back and right side of the board. Remove this jumper if you are using an antenna that does not use phantom power.

FAQ: I cannot upgrade my firmware:

1 Some USB to RS232 convertors are not fast enough so you get an error message and the download stops. We have found the GOLD-X works with our equipment.

2 Sometimes the firmware get corrupted: To fix it, first start the upgrade wizard with the SW7X turned OFF. Make the selections to update the firmware, and when it says ‘your receiver should be turned on now’, leave it turned off. After about 30 seconds, a dialog will pop up with a ‘Recover’ button on it. Click it, and then turn on the receiver when prompted to do so. After that, just follow the instructions in the wizard like normal. That should do it.

FAQ: Hidden software controls Alt C

Pressing the ALT and C keys at the same time opens a popup window that asks for the password:

Type in SQUELCH to see the SQUELCH control with slider for time and level. The system default is 50 & XX respectively. Set time to 0 if you hear a burst of noise when you turn off the transmitter.

Type in RFSCAN to show more than one transmitter on the RF scan. You have to do this everything you restart the software.

FAQ: Digital Delay Sync

The BNC connector labeled “sync input” on the back of the SW62NDR and SW72NDR wireless receivers is a 110 ohm AES3 digital input which has the center conductor connected to the AES3 RXP(+) and the outer conductor connected to the AES3 RXN (-). It is looking for an AES3 digital audio output from the mixing console. It is not a 48kHz word clock sync.

Sabine makes a BNC to XLR cable part number SWC-BNC-XLR. Or you can make your own. Connect the center pin of the BNC to pin2 of the XLR and connect the outer pin of the BNC to pin3 of the XLR. This will yield a 110 ohm differential connection. Pin1 on the XLR does not connect to the BNC, it can be grounded.

FAQ: USB. How do I determine which USB driver I need for my SWM7000 receiver and how do I install it on my computer?

1. Which driver do I need? The SWM7000 series uses one of two possible drivers. The USB driver changed with PCB to rev 1.21. There are 2 ways determine the rev of the PCB.

a. If the serial number is either 30222000 or higher or 40222000 or higher, then the PCB is 1.21 and it uses the new driver.

b. The second (and easier) way is to look at the second line on the serial number sticker. The last 3 digits are the board rev. They will be either 119 (the old one) or 121 (the new one).

2. How do I install the driver on my computer?

a. If the PCB rev 1.21 or greater, copy SWM USB 121.zip to your computer and unzip it. You can save it anywhere but we recommend C:\Program Files\Sabine\USB drivers.

b. If the PCB rev is less than 1.21, copy SWM USB 119.zip to your computer and unzip it. You can save it anywhere but we recommend C:\Program Files\Sabine\USB drivers.

When you connect the computer USB to the receiver, windows will prompt you to install the drivers. Direct the driver search to the folder where they unzipped the files and then OK to install them.

The same USB driver works on both wireless and Navigators.

FAQ: I cannot connect my computer to the receiver

1. Connecting the Software via RS232.

a. If your computer has an RS232 port, use it. Connect the Navigator to your computer with a standard RS232 cable. (Don’t use a cable wired for a NULL modem)

b. Open the Sabine Navigator Remote Software

c. Select Live Mode

d. You must specify the COM port on the next page of the software. The easiest way is to simply select COM1 and try it. If it doesn’t work, try COM2, etc

e. Once you connect, you can open the software and control the Navigator (s).

2. If your computer does not have an RS232 connector-use USB:

a. Connect the Navigator to your PC using a USB cable

b. Follow the Windows prompts to install the USB drivers from the Sabine CD

c. Now comes the fun part. The USB driver automatically assigns a random COM port number to the driver. You can determine the COM port number by going into the Start-Control Panel, etc (see Appendix II), but the easiest way is to open your Sabine Navigator Remote Software and try connecting with COM1. If that does not work, try COM2 and so on until you connect. You only have to do this once. The software will remember the com-port the next time.

d. Once you connect, you can take advantage of all of the Sabine Navigator Remote Software features. Congratulations!

Appendix I (RS232 wiring)

There is an industry standard for this and all our products follow it. This information is in the Navigator op guide.

9-pin, RS232, male-female

Pin 2: Transmit

Pin 3: Receive

Pin 5: Ground

The other pins are not used.

Appendix II (Big Kids way of finding the com port)

Steps to set up USB on a Navigator or 1.21 or higher SWM and find the COM port using control panel.

Plug in the unit to the PC using the USB cable.

If the driver has not been installed yet, Windows should prompt you to install the driver. Follow the prompts and use the CD as the drive source.
Once its installed, go to Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager
In device manager, open the Ports tab
Find the “Silicon Labs CP210x” device and note the COM port number assigned to it.

FAQ: The receiver knobs are not right

Sabine received a batch of knobs that had defective glue.
The knobs looked fine at the factory, but they melted and crept, distorting the knobs when the receiver got hot. We will replace any of these at no cost.

Old Knobs
Image of old Sabine SWM Receiver buttons

New Knobs
Image of new Sabine SWM Receiver buttons

FAQ: What is the latest software and firmware versions?

Go to www.sabine.com - Pro Audio - Downloads- etc. to find the Sabine Upgrade Wizard. Download it to your computer and run it. Select the product you want to upgrade. The Wizard will show you the latest versions of the software and firmware available for your product. We generally do not recommend that you upgrade the firmware unless you have a specific reason. The old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it applies".

FAQ: What type of power supply do I need?

Click here to find the power supply for your product (.xls file)

FAQ: Wiring diagram for the SWM6000/7000 beltpacks:

FAQ: Connecting a computer to your Sabine SWM6000, SWM7000 and Navigators

If your computer has an RS232 port on your computer, use a standard RS232 cable to connect the computer to the Sabine device. Open the Sabine Remote software. Click the auto search button and the software will automatically determine the correct com port and automatically open the Sabine Remote main control screen.

If your computer and your Sabine device have USB ports, connect USB to USB using a standard cable. Click the auto connect button to automatically connect and open the Sabine Remote main control screen.

If you see"Found new hardware, do you want to install the driver?" your computer probably needs a driver. Put the CD in your computer CD drive and click yes. Follow the prompt to install the drivers on your CD.

If you don't have the CD, go to www.Sabine.com - Microphones - Downloads - Drivers. Click the driver icon and follow the prompt to OPEN the driver and load it on your computer.

NOTE: Older Wireless SWM7000 Wireless Microphone system with serial numbers lower than XX21000, must use a special driver also found at the same location. These only work under Windows 2000 or XP.

If your computer only has USB and your Sabine device only has RS232, you must purchase an USB to RS232 convertor. Follow the instructions for installing your convertor to load the appropriate drivers. Then run Sabine Remote, click the connect button.

Upgrading the Firmware: You must use RS2323. The firmware for Sabine devices cannot be upgraded with USB to USB connection. You must use the RS232 port on your Sabine device. Follow the instructions for using a USB to RS232 convertor above if your computer does not have and RS232 port.

Known Bug: For Vista: Sometimes the Sabine ICON does not appear on your desktop or on your Start-Programs list (yes, we are fixing this ASAP). In this case, go to C:\programs\Sabine and click the exe file. You can create your own short cut from there.

FAQ: Convert from SWM7000 system numbers to individual components

SABINE SWM 7000ND Series Wireless Systems SKU's to Component SKU Cross Reference Sheet
All recievers include rear to front antenna connectors & RS 485 network cables, all transmitters come with charging pack,
Handheld transmitter comes with charging dock clip
2008 System Part number	Components in System Part Numbers
2008 System Part number	QTY	PART NUMBER	Description

Handheld Systems
SWM7213-NDH-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
SWM7213-NDH-U-M1	2	SW70-H13-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Audix OM3 Element
SWM7215-NDH-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
SWM7215-NDH-U-M1	2	SW70-H15-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Audix OM5 Element
SWM7219-NDH-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
SWM7219-NDH-U-M1	2	SW70-H19-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Condenser Element

Lavalier Systems
SWM7231-NDL-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
	2	SW75-T-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Belt-pack transmitter
	2	SW31L-TA4	AT Cardioid Lavalier Microphone

Headworn Systems
SWM7273-NDW5-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
	2	SW75-T-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Belt-pack transmitter
	2	SWT73W-TA4	AT Cardioid Headworn Microphone

Combo Systems (Handheld + Standard Lavalier Mic)
SWM7213-NDC5-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
	1	SW70-H13-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Audix OM3 Element
	1	SW75-T-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Belt-pack transmitter
	1	SW31L-TA4	AT Cardioid Lavalier Microphone
SWM7215-NDC5-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
	1	SW70-H15-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Audix OM5 Element
	1	SW75-T-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Belt-pack transmitter
	1	SW31L-TA4	AT Cardioid Lavalier Microphone
SWM7219-NDC5-U-M1	1	SW72-NDR-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Dual Channel Receiver w/ Network bus and digital output
	1	SW70-H19-U-M1	Sabine Handheld Transmitter w/Condenser Element
	1	SW75-T-U-M1	Sabine SWM 7000 Series Belt-pack transmitter
	1	SW31L-TA4	AT Cardioid Lavalier Microphone

FAQ: XLR Pin Out-Audio Jacks

1-Shield
2-Plus
3-Negative

FAQ: What is the baud rate of the serial computer connection to the SWM receiver?

SWM software automatically sets the computer baud rate to 57600 bps when it connects to the receiver.

FAQ: The batteries will not seat properly in the belt-pack.

If you put the battery near the LCD in first, then there is no problem. If you load the battery in the hinge compartment first, it pulls the ribbon tight, and that sometimes prevents the second battery from seating all the way down.

FAQ: How do I find the RF frequencies of the individual channels?

Connect Sabine Remote. Go to the scanner. Right-click a channel number on the bottom of the graph for the RF Scan Data History chart that includes the frequency. Clicking subsequent channels on the graph updates the chart and frequency.

FAQ: Installation of SWM Remote software under Windows 7

As with most Windows PC’s, sometimes Administrator settings have to be set to be able to download any type of software or firmware. This is the case with all Sabine software. If your PC settings are power user or less settings please contact administrator to run process. Or right click on the software’s icon and select run as administrator

FAQ: The ADA (Antenna Distribution Amp) is dead. The fuse is OK.

Try disconnecting the antennas. If the ADA turns on, you probably have a short between the antenna shield and signal. Fix the cable.

FAQ: Changing the output power of Belt pack and Handheld Transmitter

Use the following procedure to change the output power of Sabine transmitters:

Turn the Transmitter off.
Open the battery door (belt pack) or unscrew the body housing (Handheld)
Press and hold the down arrow button while turning the power on
Continue hold the down arrow button for 2 seconds, then release

At this time you will see P-L for Low power or P-H for High power on the display.
Press either the up or down button to toggle between settings. After 3 seconds the display will go back to normal function.

FAQ: Viewing more than one transmitter while using the RF scan on the SWM Remote

If you get the message: “there is more than 1 Sabine transmitter in the receivers range....” when running the RF scan,
use the following steps to allow more than one transmitter at a time.

Move the cursor to the main screen by closing or minimizing the RF Scan.
ENTER “ALT C” on the keyboard.
Type “RFSCAN” into the password window.
Open the RF scan and try again.