Teradek User Guide / Bolt 6 / Wireless Best Practices

Wireless Best Practices

Updated on Aug 05, 2024

Maintaining optimal wireless image quality during production can often present challenges, akin to unraveling a complex puzzle. Signal and image quality are invariably influenced by your unique surroundings and the RF (radio frequency) landscape. Fortunately, Bolt provides a range of solutions tailored to optimizing performance in your specific production environment.

Follow these suggestions to optimize and tailor Bolt to your specific environment.

Clear an RF path
1. Optimize your Bolt’s location
  1. Stay above the fray and keep your TX and RX within line of sight
  2. Minimize obstructions (especially humans and foliage)
  3. Position antennas VERTICAL to the ground
    1. Image
  4. Separate from other devices
    1. TX should never be closer than 3 ft / 1 m from the RX
    2. Try to keep all wireless hardware (multiple Bolt pairs, wireless sound, or wireless lighting) at least 3 ft apart as well
    3. Keep RX units 18” or further apart
  5. Consider panel antenna w/ directional pattern
    1. Image
2. Avoid the following:
  1. Saturation from many co-located devices
    1. Up to 4 systems should be fine without needing additional configuration
    2. When using 5 or more, consider putting some receivers on 5GHz and some on 6GHz to spread them out
    3. If too many systems are powered on at once in ‘auto’ they may struggle to select a frequency.
  2. Frequency polluters
    1. Improperly designed devices. Many low-end wireless video devices do not follow FCC or CE regulations.
      1. They often operate on illegal channels
      2. They push power output over legal limits, which can bleed into other frequencies and decrease image quality
    2. Overpowered w/ bad frequency response
  3. Environmental Obstructions
    1. Humidity
    2. Electromagnetic/harmonic interference
  4. Badly-shielded electronics
    1. Poorly built wireless devices
    2. Broken BNC cables
Manage your frequencies
1. Use the Spectrum Analyzer in the Bolt app to see which frequencies around you have a lot of interference and which have the least amount of interference
2. Bolt offers the ability to automate all frequencies, automate specific frequencies, or define exact frequencies.
  1. [Menu > Wireless Settings > Enable Fixed Frequency]
  2. Auto - Deselect some frequencies to allow Bolt to scan and jump channels only on the selected frequencies
  3. Fixed - Can connect quicker, but cannot jump frequencies if there is interference, there are fewer frequencies to select (in 5GHz)
    1. When you are really struggling to maintain a strong signal, set Bolt to fixed frequency and choose a frequency that has the lowest interference based on the spectrum analyzer
3. Change the frequency Mode to check all available frequencies
  1. [Menu > Wireless Settings > Mode ]
  2. 5 GHz - Maximize range in noise-free environments
  3. 6GHz (only available in certain regions) - Minimize interference (Less congestion, No DFS requirements, increased number of frequency options compared to 5GHz)
4. Change Bandwidth
  1. [ Menu > Wireless Settings > Bandwidth]
  2. 40 MHz - 24 Channel options, supports 4K resolution
  3. 20 MHz - 36 frequencies to choose from, only supports HD resolution, narrower band allows you to potentially minimize interference
Adjust Image Quality with Bolt Image Quality Modes
1. [Menu > Wireless Settings > Video Quality]
2. Reference the following list to choose your own Mode:
  1. Longer Distance (Normal Quality): Best for when trying to maximize range
  2. Better Quality (Mid-range): Better quality mode for medium distance and when there are many walls, buildings, or other objects (water, humans, etc.), off which the signal will reflect (bounce).
  3. Best Quality (Short-range): Best quality mode for close range and indoor use
  4. Low Power: Best at extremely short distances (3 to 15 feet). Note: Low Power Mode must be enabled manually. Auto Mode will never switch into Low Power Mode.
3. Static Video Area Optimization
  1. [Menu > Advanced Settings > Static Video Areas]
  2. On the TX only, adjust the “Static Video Area” Optimization: Navigate to Menu > Advanced Settings > Static Video Areas. To learn more about Static Video Areas, click here.
    1. Select Enable to improve sharp, high-contrast lines. Frame Lines, camera overlay information, etc.
    2. Select Disable if image quality is reduced or becomes pixelated. Disabling can improve details in gradients, particularly for LOG video formats
If you are still experiencing issues:
1. Conduct an Antenna Test, RX only
  1. [Menu > Tools > Antenna Test]
  2. The Antenna Test option allows you to evaluate the performance and ability of Bolt's antennas to receive and transmit signals efficiently. Before beginning the Antenna Test, ensure there is a good link between the RX and TX, and that all the antennas are attached correctly.
  3. If any of the antennas or power amplifiers has an "X" instead of a checkmark, please take a picture.
  4. More info about the antenna test can be found here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
2. Update your Bolt
  1. Use Bolt Manager for Mac or PC to update your Bolt’s FW
    1. Latest FW can be found here: Bolt 4K / Bolt 6
3. Learn even more from our Teradek Guides
4. Contact Teradek Support
  1. Please provide the following:
    1. Photos of the video signal
    2. FW version of both TX and RX
    3. Diagnostic Logs
      1. [Bolt App only, Menu > Advanced Settings > Logs]
    4. Description of set up (power and video cables, environment, etc)

Bolt offers powerful hardware and software tools to automatically switch to the best frequency in your environment, but as with any professional tool, manual operation can give a user a tailored and more robust experience. Bolt offers all the tools you need to be successful, even in the most challenging RF environments.

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