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Getting the kinks out


JonG

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I recently took over a show and there was a rather green boom op already in place. When all things were over with, it came time to pack up my boom pole and it would not collapse all the way. With my own experience, a few turns clockwise and the coil will un bunch and everything will be fine. This time that did not happen, and I unscrewed the top ring to let the cable out, and I found many kinks in the coil. 

 

This is my favorite boom pole, a beautiful Loon, and I’d rather not replace the cable with another brand since Loon everything is quite special, and at this time irreplaceable. 

 

Are there any ways to un kink the coiled cable and bring it back to its formerly glory or is it done for?

 

Ive always been good at managing it myself but in the hands of a novice I cannot police them 100% of the time. 

 

Thanks for any constructive feedback. 

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1 hour ago, JonG said:

I recently took over a show and there was a rather green boom op already in place. When all things were over with, it came time to pack up my boom pole and it would not collapse all the way. With my own experience, a few turns clockwise and the coil will un bunch and everything will be fine. This time that did not happen, and I unscrewed the top ring to let the cable out, and I found many kinks in the coil. 

 

This is my favorite boom pole, a beautiful Loon, and I’d rather not replace the cable with another brand since Loon everything is quite special, and at this time irreplaceable. 

 

Are there any ways to un kink the coiled cable and bring it back to its formerly glory or is it done for?

 

Ive always been good at managing it myself but in the hands of a novice I cannot police them 100% of the time. 

 

Thanks for any constructive feedback. 

 

Jon,

 

I had an internal boom cable that had a nasty kink in it. I coiled the section along a smaller diameter wooden dowel, then heated it with my hot air gun. It got pretty warm, then I plunged it into a bucket with water and Ice. The cable came back to the original form.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Mark

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First off, maybe a new cable from Loon would be a good thing.  It would make your pole good as new. (Shrug)

 

Boiling water to soften the cable up and then, as above, patiently reverse the coils into their correct orientation.  More controlled than a heat gun which WILL melt some insulation at SOME point.

 

Full disclosure; I have never tried this on a coiled cable.  I just "reverse kink" them typically.

 

But I use boiling water on kinked cables (especially AC cables packed with electronics) to make them straigh and over/under coilable all the time.  It works great.

 

D.

 

And I really hope Batman, back in 2011, was being sarcastic. :)

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Thanks guys. If Loon we’re still in business I’d just buy another cable. I always bought spare cables when I bought boom poles from Don, but this pole was a second hand pole and sadly Don passed before I was able to order my spare. :(

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