Lectrosonics SMV-941 Series User manual

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Guide
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This guide is intended to assist with
initial setup and operation of your
Lectrosonics product.
For a detailed user manual, down-
load the most current
version at:
www.lectrosonics.com
SMV-941 Series Transmitters
SMV-941 SMQV-941
30 November 2018
Digital Hybrid Wireless®US Patent 7,225,135
For FCC Part 74 licensed operators

LECTROSONICS, INC.2
Controls and Functions
Battery
Compartment
Thumb Screw
Battery
Compartment
Cover Plate
Audio
Input Jack
AUDIO Button FREQ Button
Modulation
LEDs
PWR LED
UP Arrow
DOWN Arrow
Antenna
Jack
LCD
LCD Screen
The LCD is a numeric-type Liquid Crystal Display with screens for adjusting
power, frequency, audio level and low frequency audio roll-off. The transmit-
ter can be powered up with or without the RF output turned on. A countdown
appears in the LCD when powering on and off, allowing the transmitter to be
turned on without RF for adjustments, and to prevent accidentally turning it off
with momentary button presses.
Power LED
The PWR LED glows green when the battery is good. The color changes to
red at a midpoint of the runtime as the battery voltage drops. When the LED
begins to blink red, there is usually less than 30 minutes remaining with a
lithium battery.
The exact point at which the LED turns red will vary with battery brand and
condition, temperature, and the output power setting. The LED is intended to
simply catch your attention, not to be an exact indicator of remaining time. The
illustration below depicts typical behavior with a lithium battery in the single
battery model at 50 mW.
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
.8
2468
Hours
Voltage
Varies
Green Red Blink
A weak battery will sometimes cause the PWR LED to glow green immediate-
ly after the transmitter is turned on, but will soon discharge to the point where
the LED will turn red or the unit will turn off completely.

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Power LED Off Feature
In normal operating mode, the UP and DOWN arrow buttons may be used to
turn the PWR LED indicators off and on. This setting does not persist through
a power cycle nor does it affect the LCD backlight.
Audio Input Jack
The Servo Bias input circuitry accommodates virtually every lavaliere, hand-
held or shotgun microphone available, plus line level signals.
Battery Compartment and Thumb Screw
The large knurled thumbscrew is used to release or secure the Battery Com-
partment Cover Plate.
Modulation LEDs
Proper input gain adjustment is critical to ensure the best audio quality. Two
bicolor LEDs will glow either red or green to accurately indicate modulation
levels. The input circuitry includes a wide range DSP controlled limiter to pre-
vent distortion at high input levels.
It is important to set the gain (audio level) high enough to achieve full modu-
lation during louder peaks in the audio. The limiter can handle over 30 dB of
level above full modulation, so with an optimum setting, the LEDs will flash red
during use. If the LEDs never flash red, the gain is too low. In the table below,
+0 dB indicates full modulation (-20 LED just turns red).
Signal Level -20 LED -10 LED
Less than -20 dB Off Off
-20 dB to -10 dB Green Off
-10 dB to +0 dB Green Green
+0 dB to +10 dB Red Green
Greater than +10 db Red Red
AUDIO and FREQ Buttons
The AUDIO button is used to display the audio level and low frequency roll-off
settings. The UP and DOWN arrow buttons adjust the values.
The FREQ Button displays the selected operating frequency and toggles the
LCD between displaying the actual operating frequency in MHz and a two-
digit hexadecimal number that corresponds to the equivalent frequency switch
setting on legacy transmitters.
Pressing both buttons simultaneously enters the standby mode and turns the
unit on and off
UP/DOWN Arrow Buttons
The UP and DOWN arrow buttons are used to select the values on the vari-
ous setup screens and to lock out the control panel.
Antenna
The transmitter uses a whip antenna with a flexible woven, galvanized steel
mesh cable and a standard SMA connector.

LECTROSONICS, INC.4
Battery and Battery Eliminator Installation
Note: Standard zinc-carbon batteries marked “heavy-duty” or “long-
lasting” are not adequate.
The battery status circuitry is designed for the voltage drop over the life of
lithium batteries.
To install new batteries:
1. Turn the battery cover plate thumbscrew counterclockwise a few turns
until the door will rotate.
2. Insert the new batteries into the housing. Polarity is marked on the back
of the housing.
3. Align the battery cover plate and tighten the battery cover plate thumb-
screw.
Two battery
compartments
(SMQV)
Gore-Tex® covered vent
Polarity engraved
into housing
Do Not Cover Vent
Cover plate
thumbscrew
To install the battery eliminator, loosen the
thumbscrew completely and remove the battery door. Insert the battery
eliminator and tighten the thumbscrew.
Install plastic cap
on dual battery
model to cover
the open battery
compartment.

www.lectrosonics.com 5
Attaching and Removing the Microphone
The flexible sleeve over the 5-pin plug on the microphone helps prevent dust
and moisture from getting into the input jack, and provides additional strain
relief. The flange around the rim of the connector on the transmitter creates a
splash proof connection and keeps the sleeve securely attached.
The following procedure simplifies the attachment and removal of the micro-
phone to assure the sleeve is seated securely.
Align the latch on the plug and jack and insert the connector. It is easier to
attach the microphone when the sleeve is pulled back as shown in the Step 3
photo below.
1If the sleeve is pulled down and covering
the connector, squeeze the end of the
sleeve so you can feel the connector inside
and press it into the jack until it latches.
Pinch and
squeeze the
sleeve on this end
to work it down
over the flange.
2Pinch and squeeze the sleeve near the
flange and work it down with a kneading
motion over the flange all the way around
until it stays in place flush with the housing.
Pull on the connector to make sure it is
firmly latched.
3
Release button To remove the connector, pull the sleeve
back to expose the black release button.
Press the button to unlatch the plug.

LECTROSONICS, INC.6
Operating Instructions
Power Up and Boot Sequence
1) Ensure that good batteries are installed in the unit.
2) Simultaneously press and hold the AUDIO and FREQ buttons until the
power on boot sequence is initiated.
The count will progress from 1 through 3 and the
unit will then power up with the RF output turned
on. During this turn on sequence, the modulation
and power LEDs all glow red, then green, and then
revert to normal operation. If the buttons are released before the count is
complete, the unit will boot up into the standby mode (see below).
The LCD displays the following information during the boot sequence:
Company Name: LECtro
Frequency Block and
Firmware Version (rX.X):
941r1.1 (typical)
Compatibility Mode: CP nHb (typical)
Power Level Pr 100 (as set)
Audio: Aud 22 (as set)
Power Down
Initial Power Off
Timer Screen
1) Simultaneously press and hold the AUDIO and FREQ buttons while ob-
serving that the word “Off” appears in the LCD along with a counter.
2) When the counter reaches “0”, the unit turns off.
Note: If the AUDIO and FREQ buttons are released before the LCD
goes blank at the end of the countdown, the unit will not turn off.
Instead, it will stay energized and the display will return to the previous
screen.
Standby Mode
Standby Screen
With the power turned off, pressing the AUDIO
and FREQ buttons briefly places the unit in
Standby Mode.
In this mode the RF output is turned off so all
setup adjustments can be made without interfering with other systems operat-
ing in the same location. The screen displays “rf OFF” to remind the user that
the unit is not transmitting.
While the unit is in the standby mode, access the setup screens using the
AUDIO and FREQ buttons and make adjustments using the UP and DOWN
arrows.

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Menus
Setup is accomplished using menus and setup screens accessed by holding
the UP and DOWN arrow buttons at turn on, and by pressing the AUDIO and
FREQ buttons when the unit is turned on.
Hold UP arrow at turn on.
Hold the UP arrow button in while pressing both AUDIO and FREQ buttons to
access the setup screens below. It’s easier if you lay the unit on a flat surface
and use two hands to press all three buttons at the same time. After the first
screen loads, press the AUDIO button repeatedly to switch between the set-
tings. Press the UP and DOWN arrow buttons for the desired selection.
After the settings are made, press both AUDIO and FREQ buttons together to
exit and turn the power off.
CP (compatibility modes)
Allows the transmitter to be used with 941 Series receivers or IFB systems in
the 941 MHz band.
nHb new hybrid mode (ETSI compliant)
IFb Lectrosonics IFB systems
NOTE: The nHb compatibility mode is the same as the NU HYBR
mode in the SRc-941 receiver.
Pr (power output)
Can be set at 100 for slightly increased range or at 50 for longer battery life.
50 50 mW output and longer battery life when
maximum range is not necessary
100 100 mW for slightly increased range
NOTE: See battery life table in the specifications
bL (backlight settings)
Adjusts how long the LCD stays lit after pressing buttons.
55 minutes
30 30 seconds
on Stays on
StP (Frequency step size)
Sets the increments of frequency adjustment.
100 100 kHz steps
25 25 kHz steps

LECTROSONICS, INC.8
Hold DOWN arrow at turn on.
Hold the DOWN arrow button in while pressing both AUDIO and FREQ but-
tons to access the setup screens below. It’s easier if you lay the unit on a flat
surface and use two hands to press all three buttons at the same time. After
the first screen loads, press the AUDIO button repeatedly to switch between
the settings. Press the UP and DOWN arrow buttons for the desired selection.
After the settings are made, press both AUDIO and FREQ buttons together to
exit and turn the power off.
rc (remote control with mobile app)
Allows the transmitter to respond to remote control “dweedle” tones from a
mobile device, or from tones generated by the Lectrosonics RM and RM2
devices.
on Enables the remote function.
oFF Disables the remote function.
NOTE: See page 10 for details
PbAc (auto power restore)
Sets the transmitter to automatically turn back on and return to the previous
state after a battery change or power interruption when it is in the operating
mode. This is convenient when the transmitter is powered by an external
source.
1 Restores power automatically
0 Does not restore power automatically
AUDIO Button
When the unit is turned on in either the Standby or Operating Mode, pressing
the AUDIO button repeatedly switches between the available settings.
• LF (XX) adjusts the low frequency roll-off of the audio signal.
• AUD (XX) adjusts the input gain
LF (XX) - Adjusting the Low Frequency Roll-off
Repeatedly press the AUDIO button until the LF roll-off adjustment screen
appears. Then press and hold the AUDIO button while selecting the desired
roll-off frequency with the UP and DOWN arrows.
The roll-off frequency can be set to 35, 50, 70, 100, 120 and 150 Hz.

www.lectrosonics.com 9
AUD (XX) - Adjusting Audio Level (Gain)
The control panel modulation LEDs marked -10 and -20 indicate the audio
level and limiter activity. Once adjusted according to the following procedure,
the transmitter’s audio level setting should not be used to control the volume
of your sound system or recorder levels. This gain adjustment matches the
transmitter gain with the microphone’s output level, the user’s voice level and
the position of the microphone. The audio input level (gain) should be adjusted
with the unit in the Standby Mode while observing the LEDs.
It is generally best to set the LF roll-off before adjusting the gain, since low
frequency energy can affect the input level to the transmitter.
It is desirable to to set the gain so that some limiting occurs on louder peaks.
The limiter is very transparent over a 43 dB range, and its effect is not audible
until the system is close to overload. In other words, don’t be shy about turn-
ing up the gain.
It is actually a good idea to turn the gain up to maximum and listen for distor-
tion or compression to get a feel for how much headroom is available.
Signal Level -20 LED -10 LED
Less than -20 dB Off Off
-20 dB to -10 dB Green Off
-10 dB to +0 dB Green Green
+0 dB to +10 dB Red Green
Greater than +10 dB Red Red
Note: If several different people will be using the transmitter and there is not
time to make the adjustment for each individual, adjust it for the loudest voice.
1) With the transmitter in the Standby Mode, plug in the microphone and
make sure the connector is firmly seated.
Warning: If the wireless system is powered up while connected
to a live sound system, be careful to turn the sound system level
down first or severe feedback can occur.
2) Position the microphone in the location where it will be used in actual
operation.
3) Observe the modulation LEDs while speaking or singing into the micro-
phone at the same voice level that will be used during operation. While
holding the AUDIO button, press the UP or DOWN arrow buttons until
the both the -20 and -10 LEDs glow green, with the -20 LED flickering
red during louder peaks in the audio. This will maximize the signal to
noise ratio of the system with full modulation.
4) If the unit was set up in Standby Mode, it will be necessary to turn the
transmitter off, then power it up again in normal operation so the RF
output will be on. Then the other components in the sound or recording
system can be adjusted.

LECTROSONICS, INC.10
FREQ Button
The operating frequency can be adjusted according to the frequency in MHz
or a two-digit hexadecimal code. Press the button repeatedly to switch be-
tween the two displays. The display switches when the button is first pushed;
push and hold the button in the desired mode and use the UP and DOWN
arrow buttons to make the adjustment.
In this example, the same frequency is displayed in MHz and the equivalent
hex code.
The hex code is a hexadecimal sequence that progresses upward from lowest
to highest frequency using the numerals and letters from 0 through F. When
the frequency is on a 100 kHz step, the hex code is only two digits, as shown
above, which is easy to remember. When the step size is set to 25 kHz, addi-
tional characters are used to denote the exact frequency with four characters.
Locking/Unlocking the Control Panel
Simultaneously pressing and holding both the UP
and DOWN arrow buttons during normal opera-
tion starts the Lock timer. The timer starts at three
and counts down to zero.
When the timer reaches zero, the buttons on the
control panel are locked.
With the controls locked, the AUDIO and FREQ buttons can still be used to
display current settings. Any attempt to change a setting by pressing either
the UP or DOWN arrow button will result in an on-screen Loc reminder that
the controls are locked. Remove the batteries to unlock the control panel.
Important: Once the transmitter is locked, it cannot be unlocked or
powered off using the buttons.The only ways to unlock a locked
transmitter are to remove the battery or unlock it via the RM remote
control.

www.lectrosonics.com 11
Remote Control Operation
Remote Control Screens
The transmitter can be controlled by signals from
audio “dweedle” tones generated by a mobile
phone, or with the Lectrosonics RM and RM2
devices.
The remote function is enabled in the UP arrow
power on options (see previous section). If a
remote control signal is detected but the function is no enabled, the message
rc oFF will be displayed briefly on the transmitter’s LCD.
Remote functions available are:
• Tx Input Gain
• Sleep/Unsleep
• Lock/Unlock
• Frequency
• Tuning in 25 kHz steps
• Changing the low frequency roll-off setting
• Turning on/off the PWR and Audio LEDs
• Input gain functions
In sleep mode, the transmitter uses about 20% of the normal amount of battery
drain. Sleep mode can only be invoked with the remote control, and can only be
revoked with the remote control or by removing the battery. When in the sleep
mode, the PWR LED blinks green every few seconds to indicate that the trans-
mitter is asleep and not turned off.