Wireless Microphone Systems Abroad

Wireless microphone systems can be a traveling filmmaker's nightmare. We stumbled upon a crucial piece of advice from Shure Microphones: don't take them outside the US without researching your destination's laws first.

Wireless systems are often illegal or mandate the purchase of a license. It all depends on the local government's regulation of UHF versus VHF radio frequencies. To give you a taste of the severity of penalty, using an unregistered wireless mic in England can set you back $75,000. That's a small house... or an enviable car.

It's not just your money at stake, either. Because wireless mics can interfere with military broadcasts in many Middle Eastern countries, you can spend up to 5 years in prison if you use yours incorrectly there. (Shudder.)

Bottom line: check legalities of systems before leaving. Buy a license if needed, or rent a system when you arrive... worst case scenario, be prepared to trip over those wires.