Deploying Riedel’s Bolero wireless intercom system on its broadcast-camera motorcycles, Danish RF video specialist Krickhahn TV ensures seamless communications between the camera operator, driver, and production team during live coverage of cycling road races. Deployed on specially adapted motorcycles as a standalone system, the Bolero system allows the Krickhahn TV team to use a variety of headsets, and even helmets with a built-in Bluetooth headset, to maintain clear communications with high audio quality so they can bring viewers the best shots from the road.
“When I was presented the idea of using Bolero for this application, I was immediately hooked — we had a proof of concept planned in just a few days where we made the configuration file and ran a test to make sure the whole system was stable over a whole day. We were very happy to verify the setup with success and can now deploy a system in a few minutes by loading the configuration,” said Christian Krickhahn, Owner at Krickhahn TV. “Having used Bolero on many productions, I know how well it works and appreciate its features and excellent audio quality. I was very happy to use Bolero for live coverage of a road race here in Denmark, and it’s very convenient that we have the flexibility to use the hardware in other ways across different productions, as well.”
For Krickhahn TV, Bolero eliminated the need to invest in a dedicated communication solution for camera operators and motorcycle drivers. For the Tour De Aars held last year, Krickhahn TV equipped the camera motorcycles with a custom sidebox holding the video encoder and a Bolero antenna, both connected to regulated 12 V from the motorcycle and camera batteries to ensure a redundant, stable power supply.
The Bolero antenna was used in standalone mode along with three beltpacks, one of which was dedicated to enabling the built-in Bluetooth interface and “public” call feature. This approach supported high-quality call-and-forward to the driver and camera operator, allowing them to talk to one another over a duplex connection. The Bolero system’s advanced audio settings ensured clear communication on the road, and the great wireless coverage let the driver and operator walk freely when there was no need to be sitting on the bike.
“Krickhahn TV’s use of Bolero demonstrates how its flexibility and ease of use can truly revolutionize workflows for challenging productions like these,” said Jakob Refer, Sales Manager at Riedel Communications. “Under very challenging circumstances, Bolero delivers the performance critical to the overall success of the live broadcast production.”
