Ahuja ABW 400 UL UHF Wireless Microphone

Ahuja ABW 400 UL UHF Wireless Microphone

The Ahuja ABW-400UL is a single-channel UHF wireless microphone system for hands-free public address work, supplied with a bodypack transmitter and two condenser microphone options: a tie-clip microphone and a neck-band microphone. The receiver is the distinctive part of the design. It is a compact unit with a built-in 6.3 mm plug, so it plugs directly into the microphone input of a PA amplifier, mixer or powered speaker, with no receiver rack, no separate power supply position and almost no setup time. For speakers, teachers and presenters who move between venues and PA systems, that plug-in format is the whole point of the product.

Key features

• Single-channel UHF wireless system for hands-free PA speaking
• Bodypack transmitter with tie-clip and neck-band condenser microphones
• Omnidirectional microphone pickup for natural speech capture
• Compact plug-in receiver with built-in 6.3 mm plug
• Receiver volume control with power and RF indicator LEDs
• Receiver switch with ON, STANDBY and OFF positions
• Transmitter microphone ON/OFF and volume controls with red ON indicator
• Bodypack and receiver each run on two 1.5 V AA cells

Two wearing options, one bodypack

The system includes both microphone styles because different speakers prefer different arrangements. The tie-clip microphone pins to clothing for a discreet look suited to formal functions, religious services and video recording, while the neck-band microphone holds its position close to the mouth regardless of clothing, which suits teachers, fitness and aerobics instructors, demonstrators and performers who move energetically. Both are condenser microphones with omnidirectional pickup, so head turns change the level far less than they would with a narrowly directional microphone, and speech stays even while the speaker looks across the room. Swapping between the two is simply a matter of connecting the chosen microphone to the bodypack transmitter.

The plug-in receiver

Conventional wireless receivers are separate boxes needing power and a cable to the amplifier. The ABW-400UL receiver instead plugs straight into a compatible 6.3 mm PA input and runs on its own two AA cells, so the complete system can be carried in a small bag and working within minutes on almost any PA setup already installed in a hall, classroom or venue. The receiver provides a volume control to set the output level for the amplifier it is plugged into, power and RF indicator LEDs so the operator can see at a glance that the transmitter link is active, and an ON, STANDBY and OFF switch. Ahuja specifies the receiver’s unbalanced output at -10 dBu with a frequency response of 50 to 15,000 Hz, a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 90 dB and distortion at or below 1 percent, figures well matched to speech reinforcement. The transmitter’s frequency response is 80 to 15,000 Hz.

Power, setup and use

Both halves of the system are battery powered: the bodypack transmitter and the plug-in receiver each take two 1.5 V AA cells, four cells in total for the system, so keeping a spare set covers a long event. The transmitter provides its own microphone ON/OFF control and volume control, with a red indicator showing when the microphone is live, which lets the wearer manage their own level and mute without walking back to the amplifier. Setup is deliberately short: fit cells, plug the receiver into the PA input, switch on, set the receiver and amplifier levels with normal speaking volume, and walk the room to confirm coverage before the audience arrives. An external PA amplifier or powered speaker is required, since the system supplies a microphone signal rather than sound by itself.

For presentations, seminars, classes and functions where the speaker needs both hands free and the venue needs a system that sets up in minutes on existing PA equipment, the ABW-400UL is a neatly judged package: two microphone styles, a receiver that plugs straight in, and controls kept to what a working speaker actually uses.