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A radio mic that has to work first time, in front of an audience. The Sennheiser ew 100 G3 handheld is the UHF system that turned up on stages and in school halls for years, and it earned that place: it sounds natural, it holds its signal, and the controls make sense under pressure. Hire is £20 per day, dry or with one of our technicians.
Sennheiser ew 100 G3 handheld radio microphone kit. A handheld transmitter and a rack-mount true diversity receiver, the pairing that carried speech and vocals on stages for a long stretch of the analogue UHF era.
The SKM 100 G3 transmitter runs on two AA cells for around eight hours, so a full day of rehearsal and show is realistic on one set. It puts out 30 mW and takes interchangeable heads from the evolution 800 range, so the same body can carry a cardioid dynamic for speech or a condenser for a soloist. The EM 100 G3 receiver is a single rack unit with two BNC antenna inputs, balanced XLR and unbalanced jack outputs, and a pilot tone squelch that keeps the channel quiet when the mic is switched off.
Tuning covers 1,680 frequencies across a 42 MHz band in 25 kHz steps, arranged in 20 preset banks plus a user bank. The receiver scans for a clear frequency and passes it to the transmitter over infrared, which makes setting up several channels quick rather than fiddly. HDX companding keeps the noise floor down.
Suits presentations, awards evenings, speech days, panel sessions and solo numbers — anywhere one clear voice has to reach the back of the room. UK sets are usually the GB band, 606–648 MHz; Channel 38 falls inside it and is covered by Ofcom's shared UK wireless microphone licence. Check the band and the licence before the day.
Hired by the day, dry or with a technician.
The same system also hires as a headworn kit at £20 per day: a Sennheiser ME 3 cardioid headmic on an SK 100 G3 bodypack, paired with the same EM 100 G3 rack receiver. The mic sits at the corner of the mouth and stays put, so both hands are free and the level barely moves as the wearer turns — right for presenters who work the room, fitness instructors, and dance teachers who talk while they demonstrate. Because the capsule keeps a fixed distance from the mouth, it is also far easier to control from a simple desk than a handheld passed between speakers. When one voice is not enough, the four-mic handheld system at £80 per day puts four handhelds on pre-coordinated Channel 38 frequencies, set and checked together before they leave, so a panel, a Q&A or a small cast can each take a mic without the channels fighting one another. Plug the receivers into your desk, check each voice, and get on with the show.
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Sennheiser G3 Handheld Radio Microphone Kit | £20 / day |
| Sennheiser G3 Headworn Radio Microphone Kit | £20 / day |
| Sennheiser G3 Handheld Radio Microphone System (4-Mic, Ch38) | £80 / day |
| Ultralight Headworn Microphone (Spare, 3.5mm Jack) | £4 / day |
Rates are per day and exclude VAT. Ask us about multi-day and show-week rates, delivery, and hiring with a technician.
See whether this is free for your dates. This is an indication from our current bookings, not a reservation.
Trantec S5.3 headworn system — rack systems with four to twelve coordinated channels — for miking a whole cast rather than a presenter or two.
| Type | Analogue UHF handheld radio microphone system, Sennheiser evolution wireless G3 100 series |
|---|---|
| Handheld transmitter | Sennheiser SKM 100 G3 |
| Receiver | Sennheiser EM 100 G3, true diversity, 1U rack |
| Frequency band (GB variant) | 606–648 MHz — confirm the band of the units you are hiring |
| Switching bandwidth | 42 MHz |
| Tuneable frequencies | 1,680, in 25 kHz steps |
| Frequency banks | 20 banks of up to 12 factory presets, plus 1 user bank of up to 12 |
| Modulation | Wideband FM |
| Companding | Sennheiser HDX |
| Transmitter RF output power | typ. 30 mW at 50 ohms |
| Transmitter AF frequency response | 80 Hz – 18 kHz |
| System AF frequency response | 25 Hz – 18 kHz |
| Signal to noise ratio | ≥ 110 dBA (1 mV, peak deviation) |
| THD | ≤ 0.9% |
| Receiver sensitivity | < 2 µV for 52 dBA rms S/N, HDX engaged |
| Receiver outputs | Balanced XLR-3M, +18 dBu max; unbalanced 6.3 mm jack, +12 dBu max |
| Antenna inputs | 2 x BNC |
| Squelch | Off / Low 5 dBµV / Middle 15 dBµV / High 25 dBµV, plus defeatable pilot tone squelch |
| Receiver EQ presets | Flat / Low Cut (-3 dB at 180 Hz) / Low Cut + High Boost / High Boost (+6 dB at 10 kHz) |
| Transmitter power | 2 x AA 1.5 V cells, 2.4 V nominal, typ. 8 hours |
| Receiver power supply | 12 V DC, 300 mA (mains unit supplied) |
| Power draw | Receiver approx. 3.6 W DC (12 V x 300 mA, our calculation from Sennheiser's published figures). Handheld is battery powered and draws no mains. |
| Weight | Handheld transmitter approx. 0.45 kg; receiver approx. 0.98 kg; approx. 1.43 kg for the pair (our addition, excluding power supply, aerials and case) |
| Dimensions | Receiver approx. 190 x 212 x 43 mm; handheld transmitter 50 mm diameter x 265 mm |
| Rack space | 1U |
| Operating temperature | -10 °C to +55 °C |
| Headworn kit — System | Sennheiser ew 100 G3: ME 3 headmic on an SK 100 G3 bodypack transmitter, with an EM 100 G3 rack receiver |
| Headworn kit — Microphone | Sennheiser ME 3 headworn mic, pre-polarised condenser, cardioid |
| Headworn kit — Frequency response (mic) | 50 to 18,000 Hz |
| Headworn kit — Maximum SPL | 150 dB |
| Headworn kit — Sensitivity | 1.6 mV/Pa |
| Headworn kit — Mic cable | 1.6 m to a 3.5 mm mini-jack at the bodypack |
| Headworn kit — Headmic weight | 0.06 kg |
| Headworn kit — Transmitter dimensions | 82 x 64 x 24 mm |
| Headworn kit — Transmitter weight | Approx 0.16 kg without batteries |
| Headworn kit — Battery | 2 x AA, more than 8 hours on a set |
| Headworn kit — Receiver power | EM 100 G3 rack receiver with its mains supply, runs from a standard UK 230 V socket |
It depends on the frequency. UK G3 sets are usually the GB band, 606–648 MHz. Channel 38, which runs 606.5 to 613.5 MHz, is covered by Ofcom's UK-wide shared wireless microphone licence — you buy that direct from Ofcom and it lasts a year or two. Frequencies above 614 MHz sit in the TV channels and need a co-ordinated licence for your site and dates. Tell us where and when you are using it and we will tell you which band the units are in.
Sennheiser quotes around eight hours from two AA cells, which covers a rehearsal and a show. The receiver shows the transmitter's battery level in four steps, so you can see trouble coming. Fit fresh cells before the performance rather than trusting what is left after the dress run.
Yes, but the frequencies have to be chosen so they do not fight each other. The G3 carries 20 banks of up to 12 pre-coordinated channels for exactly that, and the receiver can scan for clear frequencies then sync the handheld over infrared. Tell us how many channels you need and we can work through a frequency plan with you.
The receiver is a single rack unit with a balanced XLR output, so it goes straight into a mixer channel like any wired mic. It runs from a 12 V mains supply. Aerials fit BNC sockets on the rear, so if it is buried in a closed rack the aerials want moving to the front or out into the room.
Headworn radio mic racks in 4, 8 or 12 channels, prepped and tested.
from £100 / day
View & check dates
A simple handheld radio mic for speeches, presenters and quiz nights.
£15 / day
View & check datesSee the rest of our radio microphone hire stock, or browse everything available to hire.
Tell us the venue, the dates and what the show needs, and we will confirm availability.
Call 0333 404 0621, email sales@1stintheatre.co.uk, or send us the details of your production.
Related: Theatre production · Live events · Dance shows · Production toolkit
