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TX Antenna Protector


Vivid Lizard

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Just curious... has anyone ever put together a little fabric pocket of sheath for a TX antenna to slip into for those times when there is no option but to have the antenna touch the talent's skin?  Do you think this would help, like having a layer of clothing between the talent and the antenna? If the talent sweats so the fabric gets wet and salty, would that negate any advantage to it?

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I've thought a lot about this too. I haven't used anything in the past, but sometimes experience reception suffering in situations where it shouldn't. I often feel it is the antenna pressed against the skin, or mic cable bundled around antenna. The idea of a hush lav around antenna is a good one. I'd suggest white hush lavs, because I've had black ones bleed when they got wet. The new URSA straps have a pocket to tuck the excess mic cable into (good idea).

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I keep a few lengths of Tygon tubing in my kit for this purpose. I just slip a section over the antenna and secure it with a swatch of tape. The tubing tends to be a bit thick with wall thickness of at least 1/8-inch. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tygon_tubing

It's fast, easy and it works great. With that tubing on, I know that I've taken a positive step to keep the antenna in clear air.

Now, the question of whether there is actually an improvement in range is another matter. I figure that it can't hurt but an additional eighth or quarter inch of spacing is pretty minimal so I don't know if there is a real improvement. (I haven't had occasion for extensive testing.)

I've also wondered if there might be some material coupling. That is, I wonder if the tubing, being in continuous contact with the antenna,  might actually become part of the antenna, negating the benefit. Probably not as the material is an insulator but I have wondered.

David

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A properly diameter'ed coffee stir straw. Cut to length and a wee bit of Joe's Sticky Stuff to keep it on the antenna. 

I had a gal who was sweating profusely from hot flashes upon whom this worked a charm after a lost a lot of range with her TRX. 

I keep a couple of those straws in the drawer.

Might want to add some moleskin to the top since the edge is sharp.

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I did have some sleeves made up for insulating the antennas from bare skin.  They're made of fleece and have velcro on them to attach to the Neopax or Versaflex pouch/strap I'm using.  I have had issues with shorter range due to skin contact so I had these made up.  They don't add much bulk and are less annoying than a stiff straw or a hush lav on the end.

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