At IBC 2024, Nino discussed the Solidcom C1-Pro Roaming Hub with Lawrence Leigh from Hollyland. The Roaming Hub supports communication for up to 20 headsets and six groups, has a range of 1,600 feet (500 meters), and is backward compatible. The Hub’s highlight is its roaming feature that allows seamless transitions between Hubs as users move around, making it suitable for situations where reliable communication is essential. Before diving into the specifics of the Roaming Hub, it’s helpful first to review Hollyland’s range of intercom solutions, which are designed to meet the communication needs of different teams. From compact setups to more complex productions, Hollyland offers budget-friendly versions like the new SE, more advanced systems with more features like the C1 Pro, and systems like the M1 with belt packs, etc., all of which fall under the label “Solidcom.” If you missed it, you can read our review of the Hollyland Solidcom M1 here. Lawrence from Hollyland and Nino from CineD at IBC 2024. Source: CineDLooking at the Roaming Hub, Lawrence explained that where the standard C1 Pro Hub supports up to 8 users (with 2 Hubs, it can support 16), the Roaming Hub significantly increases that capacity to up to 20 users. Forty-eight headsets connected with 2 Roaming Hubs and a standard C1 Pro Hub. Source: CineDAlthough the Roaming Hub extends the range of the Solidcom M1 to 500m/1640 ft and the C1 Pro to 350m/1148 ft, the highlight of the Hub, according to Lawrence, is precisely that: roaming. As users move between coverage areas, the headset automatically connects to the closest hub, keeping communication seamless. This is especially handy in larger environments like stadiums or production sets where people need to stay connected while moving around. Lawrence showed Nino how they set up 48 headsets at the tradeshow by connecting two C1 Pro Roaming Hubs and a standard Solidcom C1 Pro Hub. Each Roaming Hub supports 20 headsets, while the standard Hub adds eight more, enabling seamless communication between all the headsets. Hollyland Solidcom SE solution. Source: CineDThe Roaming Hub features different ports, allowing it to connect to the various Solidcom solutions. A walkie-talkie converter also integrates walkie-talkie systems into the Roaming Hub. For wired systems, you can connect via full wire or IP. To connect a two-wire system from a different brand, you can use the Solidcom C1 Pro Hub with its two-wire port in combination with the Roaming Hub.The Roaming Hub operates on the 1.9GHz band; however, Lawrence said that the new Solidcom SE, a 2.4GHz version, is a budget option for smaller crews, though it supports fewer headsets (up to 5) due to the more crowded 2.4GHz band, and the build quality is not as robust.Price and availabilityThe Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pro Roaming Hub in either V-mount or G-mount is available now for $5,999. If you want to purchase the kit, you can get the C1 Pro Roaming Hub 10S Full-Duplex Wireless Intercom System with ten single-ear headsets for $9,189 or the kit with 20 single-ear headsets for $12,179.The Solidcom SE can be purchased as a single headset or in kits and is also available to order now. To learn more about the Roaming Hub and the SE, please visit the Hollyland website.What do you think about using a Roaming Hub? How do you think the Roaming Hub’s ability to integrate with both wired and wireless systems could impact communication on your production set? Let us know in the comments!
