Sennheiser SZI 1029 Operating and maintenance instructions

SZI 1029
IR Audio Transmission Technology | Modulators/Radiators
Recommended Accessories
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BNC-BNC co-axial cable
GZA 1019 A 1 (1 m) Cat. No. 002324
GZA 1019 A 5 (5 m) Cat. No. 002325
GZA 1019 A 10 (10 m) Cat. No. 002326
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GZV 1019 A BNC coupler Cat. No. 002368
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GZP 10 mounting plate Cat. No. 003193
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GZG 1029 swivel joint Cat. No. 003226
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MZT 100 anti-vibration table stand Cat. No. 001883
Product Variants
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SZI 1029-EU: High-power radiator, Euro mains cable,
5 W radiating power, black housing Cat. No. 003664
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SZI 1029-UK: as SZI 1029-EU, but with UK mains cable Cat. No. 004077
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SZI 1029-120: as SZI 1029-EU, but with USA mains cable Cat. No. 004078
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SZI 1029-EU-W: as SZI 1029-EU, but with white housing Cat. No. 004076
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SZI 1029-24: as SZI 1029-EU,
but with operating voltage of 24 V DC Cat. No. 004100
Technical Data
IR diodes............................................................... 132 GaAlAs
Average radiating power ............................................... 5 W
Operating voltage.......................... 85 – 260 V, 50 – 60 Hz
Current consumption
– operation.................................. 350 mA (120 V: 610 mA)
– stand-by.....................................................................50 mA
RF input ................................................................. BNC socket
Input impedance ..............................................approx. 5 kΩ
Max. coverage area..................................... approx. 800 m2
Threshold voltage for
automatic on/off function ...................50 mV (RF signal)
RF output .............................................................. BNC socket
Weight ..............................................................approx. 2.1 kg
General Description
The SZI 1029 is a 5-W high-power radiator for use with all wideband and narrow-
band modulators. The radiator is automatically switched on by the RF carrier and
can cover areas of up to 800 m2in single-channel operation. High-quality GaAlAs
transmitting diodes have been arranged in 12 independent groups to ensure
reliable transmission. A malfunction indicator is triggered when the radiating power
is reduced by more than 30 %.
Features
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High-power radiator with a maximum coverage area of 800 m2
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RF output for connecting additional radiators
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Automatic on/off function
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Versatile installation due to 5/8“, 3/8“ and 1/2“ threads
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Excellent reliability due to 12 independent groups of transmitting diodes
and malfunction indicator
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Delivery includes: 1 radiator
1 mains cable
Dimensions of the SZI 1029
180 mm
250 mm 80 mm

SZI 1029-10
IR Audio Transmission Technology | Modulators/Radiators
Recommended Accessories
j
BNC-BNC co-axial cable
GZA 1019 A 1 (1 m) Cat. No. 002324
GZA 1019 A 5 (5 m) Cat. No. 002325
GZA 1019 A 10 (10 m) Cat. No. 002326
j
GZV 1019 A BNC coupler Cat. No. 002368
j
GZP 10 mounting plate Cat. No. 003193
j
GZG 1029 swivel joint Cat. No. 003226
j
MZT 100 anti-vibration table stand Cat. No. 001883
Product Variants
j
SZI 1029-10-EU: high-power radiator, Euro mains cable,
10 W radiating power, white housing Cat. No. 004005
j
SZI 1029-10-120: as SZI 1029-10-EU, but with USA mains cable
and 90 – 130 V operating voltage Cat. No. 004006
Technical Data
IR diodes............................................................... 264 GaAlAs
Average radiating power ............................................. 10 W
Operating voltage........................ 170 – 260 V, 50 – 60 Hz
Current consumption
– operation.......................................... 700 mA (120 V: 1 A)
– stand-by.....................................................................50 mA
RF input ................................................................. BNC socket
Input impedance ..............................................approx. 5 kΩ
Max. coverage area.................................. approx. 1,600 m2
Threshold voltage for
automatic on/off function ...................50 mV (RF signal)
RF output .............................................................. BNC socket
Weight .................................................................approx. 3 kg
General Description
With a radiating power of 10 W, the SZI 1029-10 is the most powerful Sennheiser
radiator. Like the SZI 1029, it is fitted with an automatic on/off function, indepen-
dent diode groups and a malfunction indicator – but with twice the amount of IR
diodes, the SZI 1029-10 is able to cover areas of up to 1,600 m2in single-channel
operation.
Features
j
High-power radiator with a maximum coverage area of 1,600 m2
j
RF output for connecting additional radiators
j
Automatic on/off function
j
Versatile installation due to 5/8“, 3/8“ and 1/2“ threads
j
Excellent reliability due to 12 independent groups of transmitting diodes
and malfunction indicator
j
Delivery includes: 1 radiator
1 mains cable
Dimensions of the SZI 1029-10
288 mm
250 mm 80 mm

SZI 1029
SZI 1029
The SZI 1029 is a high-power radiator for wideband or narrow-band signals from
any modulator. Its mains unit automatically adapts to mains voltages of 85 – 265 V
and mains frequencies between 50 and 60 Hz, the individual product variants only
differing in the type of mains cable supplied. The only exception is the SZI 1029-24
which operates on 24 V DC. For 24-V equipment, mains voltage regulations are no
longer applicable, thus making installations by audio-visual companies much easier.
All controls and connectors of the SZI 1029 are on the base. A 5/8“ thread with an
adaptor for conversion to 3/8“ and 1/2“ threads makes for versatile mounting. If
the radiator is to be stand-mounted, its cables are guided unobtrusively down the
stand. For ceiling mounting, the SZI 1029 is simply turned upside down (the bottom
faces the ceiling) and the cables are guided along the ceiling.
The 132 IR diodes of the SZI 1029 are arranged in independent groups of eleven.
The operational status of the diodes and the radiator is indicated by a green and a
red LED at the front. If only the red LED is lit, the radiator is in stand-by mode and
a mains voltage is present, but there is no RF carrier. If only the green LED is lit, the
radiator is operating and transmitting an IR signal. The radiator switches on auto-
matically as soon as it receives an RF signal of at least 50 mV. When the RF signal is
no longer present, the radiator switches back to stand-by. If both the red and the
green LED are lit, the radiator indicates a malfunction: more than four diode groups
fail to operate. The radiator will continue to operate at a reduced radiating power
but it should be repaired as soon as possible.
The sockets and controls are on the base of the SZI 1029 (see diagram on the left).
On each side, the radiator is fitted with a heat sink. When installing the radiator,
care should be taken that these sinks are not covered and that the radiator is not
mounted horizontally. The optimum position is vertical or almost vertical so that
air can circulate freely through the cooling fins and heat is dissipated quickly.
The modulator signal is fed to the BNC RF input. An automatic modulation control
compensates for cable losses and ensures an optimum modulation level for the IR
diodes. At the RF output socket (BNC) the signal can be daisy-chained to additional
radiators.
The mono/multi switch increases the radiating power by 3 dB when set to “mono”.
Thus, the coverage area is approx. 50 % larger, but at the same time, the THD
becomes greater, which would lead to interference with higher channels in multi-
channel operation. For this reason, you should only switch to “mono” for single-
channel applications and use the “multi” position for multi-channel operation. The
SZI 1029 radiator has a 5/8“ thread and is supplied with an adaptor for conversion
to 3/8“ or 1/2“ threads. You will find suitable attachments such as mounting plates
or table stands in the chapter “Accessories”. The radiator’s IEC mains connector can
be secured by a steel clamp. The SZI 1029-24 variant is equipped with an XLR-4
connector as power supply socket.
SZI 1029 radiator
LED indicators of the SZI 1029
Green LED:
operation
indicator
Red LED:
stand-by
Red and
green LEDs:
malfunction
indicator
Bottom view of the SZI 1029 with sockets and controls
MONO MULTI
CHANNEL
OUTPUTINPUT
1 Heat sinks
2 RF input, BNC socket
3 Mono/multi switch
4 RF output, BNC socket
5 Thread for mounting the radiator
6 IEC mains connector
7 Steel clamp for securing the mains connector
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
IR Audio Transmission Technology | Modulators/Radiators

SZI 1029
When planning and installing an IR system you have to pay attention to use the cor-
rect terminating impedance for the radiator chains. Sennheiser IR modulators have
an output impedance of approx. 50 Ω, whereas the radiators have a much higher
input impedance of > 5 kΩ. This “headroom” allows you to connect many radiators
without any problems. In RF transmission, the output impedance has to be termi-
nated with approximately the same input impedance. If this is not done, reflections
may occur at the end of the RF chain and disturb the transmission. So, for reasons
of reliability, the end of an RF chain should always be provided with a 50-Ωtermi-
nating impedance. Please note that you should not use “T” adaptors in your RF
chain as this would halve the terminating impedance.
For large installations you should use both RF outputs of the modulator and create
two RF chains. This not only increases reliability but also avoids cancelling out
between radiators due to time delay. Please refer to the chapter “Planning Theory”
for more information on time delay and cancellations.
SZI 1029-10
The SZI 1029-10 is Sennheiser’s most powerful radiator. 264 diodes in 24 inde-
pendent groups provide an average radiating power of 10 W. The SZI 1029-10 is
connected and operated like the smaller SZI 1029. The radiator’s higher power is a
special asset when it comes to covering large halls or auditoria with high ceilings,
especially when a large number of channels are used.
The SZI 1029-10 is also interesting for rental companies: due to the higher radiating
power less radiators are required and IR systems can be set up and taken down
again more quickly. Sennheiser high-power radiators are convection cooled so no
cooling fans are used which could cause disturbing noises.
MONO MULTI
CHANNEL
OUTPUTINPUT
MONO MULTI
CHANNEL
OUTPUTINPUT
Daisy-chaining the SZI 1029
50 Ω
50 Ω
50 Ω
Risk of cancelling out!
SZI 1029-10 radiator
IR Audio Transmission Technology | Modulators/Radiators

SZI 1029
Coverage Area and Polar Diagrams
The coverage area of the SZI 1029 and SZI 1029-10 high-power radiators depends
on the number of channels transmitted (see also “Multi-Channel Operation”).
For single-channel applications, the coverage area is up to approx. 800 m2for the
SZI 1029 and up to 1,600 m2for the -10 variant. The chapter “Practical Planning”
has already given you some basic information on the recommended number and
position of radiators. Please bear in mind that the devices radiate directionally, i.e.
reception outside the radiation angle is only possible if the signal is reflected by
walls and ceilings.
The polar diagram on the left is that of the SZI 1029. You can see that the signal-
to-noise ratio decreases the further you go away from the radiator. Eventually,
the noise becomes so loud in relation to the useful signal that the squelch in the IR
receiver mutes the audio output. A signal-to-noise ratio of 26 dB (the outer charac-
teristic in the polar diagrams) gives an intelligible but noisy signal. A signal-to-noise
ratio of > 40 dB, on the other hand, ensures a clear audio signal without the annoy-
ing noise.
To cover a room more evenly, you can mount your radiators at one point and align
them at an angle to one another. In the polar diagram on the left, two SZI 1029 have
been mounted at an angle of 40° to each other. For more information on how to
work with polar diagrams, please refer to the chapter on “Planning Theory”.
Multi-Channel Operation
All SZI 1029 models are suitable for multi-channel transmissions provided that a
suitable modulator is used. The radiator coverage area, however, decreases propor-
tionally with the number of channels the radiator is transmitting. If, for example,
your system transmits eight narrow-band channels, the radiating power is uni-
formly divided between all eight channels. The coverage area is reduced to 1/8th of
the area achieved in single-channel operation and a 5-W radiator, for example, will
cover 100 m2instead of the 800 m2in single-channel operation.
110m
100m
90m
80m
70m
60m
50m
40m
30m
20m
10m
120m
130m
140m
150m
20˚
10˚
30˚
40˚
50˚
60˚
70˚
80˚
90˚
20˚
10˚
30˚
40˚
50˚
60˚
70˚
80˚
90˚
26dB
40dB
Polar diagram of the SZI 1029*
165m
150m
135m
120m
105m
90m
75m
60m
45m
30m
15m
180m
195m
210m
225m
20˚
10˚
30˚
40˚
50˚
60˚
70˚
80˚
90˚
20˚
10˚
30˚
40˚
50˚
60˚
70˚
80˚
90˚
26dB
40dB
Polar diagram of the SZI 1029-10*
Polar diagram of two SZI 1029, mounted at an angle of
40° to each other*
110m
100m
90m
80m
70m
60m
50m
40m
30m
20m
10m
120m
130m
140m
150m
26dB
40dB
10˚
20˚
30˚
4
30˚
20˚
10˚
40°
0
200
400
600
800
121110987654321 Channels
m2
Coverage area of the SZI 1029
0
m2
400
800
1200
1600
121110987654321 Channels
Coverage area of the SZI 1029-10
IR Audio Transmission Technology | Modulators/Radiators
*free field, extraneous light < 100 lx, single-channel operation