Comments on: Looking to broadcast audio a short distance

Question: Looking to broadcast audio a short distance

warhol — Sun, 08 Aug 2004 23:23:27 -0800

I design museum exhibits. Is there an off-the-shelf product that'll broadcast at least 4 channels to 20 or so headphones over a range of not more than a few hundred feet (or some variable distance)? Importantly, the headphones would allow the user to choose which channel to listen to. I'm looking for something far easier than setting up my own FM broadcast station...

There are things that get close, but I haven't seen a single solution that covers all the bases.

By: trharlan

trharlan — Sun, 08 Aug 2004 23:57:07 -0800

What would be the problem with buying four low-power FM transmitters at $100 each, and as many FM stereo headphones (with digital tuners) as necessary?

By: Kwantsar

Kwantsar — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 01:14:03 -0800

It would probably be rather difficult to do this with bluetooth basestations and headsets and a linux server. But some hacker here should try.

By: armoured-ant

armoured-ant — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 02:42:32 -0800

Thinking expensively, what about some wireless stage monitor headphones?

By: warhol

warhol — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 06:13:52 -0800

What would be the problem with buying four low-power FM transmitters at $100 each, and as many FM stereo headphones (with digital tuners) as necessary?

Well, I as hoping to avoid having any commercial radio interference. I don't want the headphones to be able to be used for non-exhibit purposes -- restricting their functionality helps prevent them from being borrowed for the long-term by visitors. The way these will be used preclude monitoring by staff and any formal check-in/check-out procedure.

what about some wireless stage monitor headphones?

That's a good suggestion and what I was ultimately thinking along the lines of. I just don't know what some of the other alternatives are, hence my question. Any particular brands with which you've had experience?

By: jeb

jeb — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 06:47:47 -0800

There was an ask slashdot about this some time ago. Probably worth searching there.

By: piskycritter

piskycritter — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 06:54:10 -0800

Listen, these people may be able to sell you something: "Listen Technologies Corporation is dedicated to helping a venue improve the experience for their guests."

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 09:43:07 -0800

The Revelstoke Dam in Revelstoke, British Columbia, has 1970's technology radio sets for visitor's use. I think they'd be cheap and certainly no one would particularly care to steal them (butt-ugly and useless without the transmitter).

Maybe you could write 'em and find out what they're using.

By: mmoncur

mmoncur — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 10:51:20 -0800

An art museum in Las Vegas uses little "audio sticks" that contain digital memory and a keypad so you can get them to play messages 1-20 on command.

Considering how cheap flash memory is, these might be cost-effective depending on your situation. I found the speaker at the end of the stick (hold it up to your ear) a bit more comfortable than headphones, and since the device only plays your 20 recordings, it's worthless if stolen.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 13:12:23 -0800

Could you set up the low-power FM transmitter and then just take all the receivers and epoxy the tuning setting in place? That way it'd be useless to steal 'em, since they'll only tune in one frequency.