LarryF

From lunchtime chats with Gordon (Lectro Pres), I understand we have received recent IFBlue shipments that catch us up on most backorders. Further, we are going to receive enough units in the next few days that will allow us to even put units on the shelf. The current global semiconductor supply chain shortages due to fires and Covid are playing Hell with delivery schedules. The positive way to look at it, is that the Black Plague was worse. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Those are rated in mWh not mAh. Since they are 1.5 Volts that would be 2000 mAh. All that aside, if they give you the times you need, then they are fine. Best, Lef

In today's electronics, switching power supplies at the power input of the transmitter pull a fixed Wattage. Therefore, for a higher input voltage, less current is pulled. That means a lithium battery that maintains a higher output voltage over its life, will run at a lower total current draw, making it run longer. Alkalines start at 1.5 Volts and fall relatively rapidly to end of life at 0.8 Volts. NiMh start at a low 1.2 Volts and stay there until they suddenly die. Lithiums maintain 1.5 volts down to 1.2 Volts for a longer time. The current draw on a lithium is 20% less at the beginning than for a NiMh. Since most of the transmitters are current hogs, the higher current capabilities of a lithium mean the voltage stays higher, resulting in a lower current draw and longer life. Alkalines give up voltage early and result in higher current draws. All of this would be clearer if batteries could be rated in Watts. However, this would fluctuate with the load making things even more confusing. Interestingly, under very light loads such as 100 mA or less, alkalines have more competitve lifetimes since their current is now delivered at a higher, light load voltage. Under very heavy loads such as 4 to 5 amps, Ni-Mh are ideal since their output voltage is constant even at very high loads. For transmitters running middle of the road 5 to 8 hour discharge rates such as 500 mA, lithiums are the choice. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Hi Donald, My suggestion is as always; eleminate, then test and then add back until you find the guilty party. Try running the Lectros without the distribution device, i.e., the Lecros with just whip antennas. Do everything else the same with the A10's and see if the problem is now cleared up. The repair department has been reporting a number of RF overload and interference problems with distribution amps. If you've done this already, then it may be time to look at the output of the A10's with a quality spectrum analyser. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

It's the middle connector that is the offender. Note the lower arm is going to the outside of the middle output connector which is connected mechanically to the box. There should still be a balun in the circuit. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

L is 1/2 wavelength or 26" at 216 MHz. The individual arms would be about 13". The upper and lower connectors' outside shells are grounded to the case, though this has little to do with operation. The 200k resistor is to discharge static electricity and can be almost any value greater than 1k. What is not shown is a balun to convert the balanced arms of the dipole to the unbalanced shielded cable. Also, the way this is drawn, the case would have to be plastic or the lower arm is shorted to the case by the output connector. Look for an example on the web that uses a folded cable or a ferrite transmission line transformer at the output to form a balun. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

My error in reading too fast. Those lithium AA batteries are even worse about charge detection. The internal LiPo battery in the AA's is running at 3.7 to 3.2 (?) Volts and an internal power supply knocks the voltage down to a regulated 1.5 Volts or thereabout until the internal battery dies. The regulator then shuts down quickly to protect the LiPo. Treat them the same as NiMh; only use the timer in the unit. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

It is absolutely impossible to measure the voltage of a NiMh battery and derive its state of charge. Do as your audio guy suggested; fully charge the NiMh and then use the timer to determine how much time expended and/or left. The power light color is absolutely meaningless for NiMh be it green, red or purple, except to tell you that the transmitter is on. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Here's a test on some AA rechargeables after a year of use in solar lights, i.e., many charges and discharges. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=projectfarm+rechargeable+AA+Batteries&&view=detail&mid=12C4897AB10FFD02F03712C4897AB10FFD02F037&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dprojectfarm%2Brechargeable%2BAA%2BBatteries%26go%3DSearch%26qs%3Dds%26form%3DQBVDMH This projectfarm guy tests a little bit of everything, generally very thoroughly. He doesn't test the Eneloop black, which I found to be the best 5 years ago. But that was 5 years ago. Don't trust the ratings of off brand batteries; the measurements are dreamed up by the marketing depart after being threatend with unemployment if sales don't go up. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

IMHO, I think the 4060 is the better choice. On loud signals, you can use "0" with no transmitter preamp problems. Make sure whoever builds the connector, uses the Lectrosonics recommended 1k resistor. Ignore the DPA recommendation of no resistor on the 4061. Set the gain according to the transmitter manual. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

It sounds as if something in your equipment setup or location is interfering with the RF signal. Take the SRc and the SSM, by themselves, to a different location and see if they then act normally. And by themselves, I mean the SSM with just a lavaliere and the SRc with nothing hooked up to it but power. If you have to have a mixer to listen to the SRc, use a long cable (10 foot+) to get the mixer/recorder away from the SRc. By a different location, I mean a quarter mile away from any camera gear, lighting gear, remote control gear or other electrical devices. If the units work properly in a sanatized environment, you then start adding stuff to find the culprit.

We've shipped about 40 in the 941 band. More units are waiting on parts. Lectro, like a lot of electronic manufacturers, is having to work around irregular parts shipments. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Sounds right. Those adapter cables I linked above would have taken care of the Beats By Dre (oof indeed). LEF

Since the minijack was also the antenna connector, it had to be isolated, not bolted to, the metal case on the R1a. There was a plastic grommet added but it was still a weak point. The IFBlue case is plastic and the mini can be bolted directly to the case. Better, but it is still a minijack. The minijack is just a weak connector but is the de facto plug type for headphones and ear pieces. Converting to a right angle mini on the headphone cable is a big improvement, since it has much less leverage on the jack and is harder to pull out: https://www.amazon.com/Seadream-3-Pole-Female-Headset-Extension/dp/B01DCBJ51I3 Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Two comments from a very biased fanatic: 1. There is plastic and there is plastic. Gordon told me, that he bent the clip and battery door until it scared him and he quit. However, the replacement parts are cheap enough and easy enough to install, to keep around as spares, even if it is for years. 2. Lectro is a small volume company building many items in quantities of ten to one hundred at a time. The Korean partner (IFBlue) makes items in the thousands at a time and they build for multiple companies. Their costs are proportionaly lower. If Lectro built $500 smart phones in Rio Rancho, they'd be $10,000 even on a fire sale. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Hi Paul, For further trouble shooting, what is the actual wiring of the mic? Best Regards, Larry Fisher

First, turn off the F8 so it won't distract you!!! Set the gain on the LMa according to the manual: 3) Prepare the signal source. Position a microphone the way it will be used in actual operation and have the user speak or sing at the loudest level that occur during use, or set the output level of the instrument or audio device to the maximum level that will be used. 4) Use the and arrow buttons to adjust the gain until the –10 dB glows green and the –20 dB LED starts to flicker red during the loudest peaks in the audio. Set the output on the 411 to max. It won't overload. Now turn on the F8 and set the gain for your desired output level. Setting the transmitter gain should be independent of any other setting for gain or level in your system. Set the transmitter first and then raise or lower the mixer or recorder gain for your desired levels, leaving the transmitter alone. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

The "rear" of the bowtie is like the rear of a dipole; the same gain as the "front" of the dipole. The nulls are inline with the ends of the two elements. Draw a line from center of the end of one bowtie paddle to the center of the opposite paddle. That line is the null of the bowtie. It will be very difficult in a bag to locate other antennas in that null. A bowtie is "just" a wider bandwidth dipole. See this data sheet: https://www.lectrosonics.com/sna600a-antenna.html#data-sheet Best Regards, Larry Fisher

You can get the antenna away from the recorder using this antenna: https://www.lectrosonics.com/accessory-links/product/acoaxtx-specify-block.html This co-ax antenna has a "built in" ground plane. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

The important point of the story was since the Subway tuna was cooked, the DNA was altered to the point they couldn't tell what kind of fish it was from. That and fishermen tend to call the fish they caught that which will bring the highest price. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Typically Lectro has fixed designed in problems at no charge. I can't imagine this isn't covered. Check with service. Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Lectro has a hardware fix for the problem. 1 800 821-1121

Wes, our production manager, said long ago, "If you design an 'Idiot Proof' device, Mother Nature will just come up with a better idiot." Best, LEF

Why would we? We don't make any money on selling software, firmware or mushware. I talked to Gordon at lunch and he said there is no easy way to permanently brick a unit with serial commands that isn't easily fixed with the usual downloads from the Lectro site. If you can play with the commands to make the SRc more useful, Babbage bless. Gordon will post here about who to talk to at Lectro. At the moment he is getting his hands dirty, remodeling the production offices. Some of the ne'er-do-wells at Lectro took pictures saying, "Now I can show my wife that Gordon does do work here." Best Regards, Larry Fisher

Misprint and has been corrected in the manual and spec sheet. LEF