Allen Rowand

Thanks for the ideas- I put the cutting blade on my butane soldering iron and cut it like butter: Now I can pass the power and signal for my receivers inside the main bag.

I need to make an access hole into a pocket on an AO-1X; is there a better way than just making an X incision with a razor? I really don't understand why there isn't a passthrough between the outer side pockets and the battery pockets. This would allow cables to run from the RF pocket though the battery pocket and into the main body.

Best. Comment. Ever.

I don't know how much certification a receiver or antenna distro needs. Transmitters on the other hand…

Well, that didn't take long- v2 is built! The remote is mostly the same, just as small as I can make it: I shaved a couple mm off the thickness as well. Depending on how I mount it I might be able to not use the cover screws: The main distro is much smaller, thickness is roughly the same. I printed a cap to cover the unused output: There's a mode switch to set whether I'm running from a battery or mains: When in battery mode the power meter estimates the percentage of charge remaining. This assumes I'm using my 6000mAh pack and it's starting from a full charge: I've also programmed a low voltage warning: In this photo I've hooked up a 9v battery to simulate low voltage; in real use it obviously wouldn't report 99% left. The battery mAh rating and low voltage warning level can be changed if/when I upgrade my battery. Looking forward to testing next week!

Nice!

Can you post pictures of your receiver? Make sure that the antenna is fully seating in the SMA connector, too.

Lectro brand triskets?

I wonder how much of a kickback they're getting on the Citi payday loans, I mean "financing tool"? Gross.

Thanks @Dalton Patterson and @Mirror! Dalton, I agree that it could be made a bit smaller. I could print an enclosure for the distribution end that would only be as big as necessary. I don't know about the wiring; it's only 18 gauge now. Downsizing the remote would take some work, though. It's not much bigger than the internal components, but I might be able to thin it if I shave connectors down.

I'm using a Talentcell 6000 mAh 12v pack with a built in USB port: https://amzn.to/2EDi5ip $30 US. When I upgrade my radios I'll probably step up to an Inspired Energy battery rig, but for now this has worked with no issues

Thanks Philip! I wanted the meter to give me a single place to check the voltage, and thought the mAh reading could be useful as I add gear to the bag. And also… because it looks cool! It was $25 in parts, I figured what the heck.

I decided it was time to improve my power distribution; I've been running multiple power supplies for my F8n and 302 and want to simplify things. I also want to be prepared for more bag work down the road. I'm trying to save money for mic upgrades, so I figured this would be a good place to go DIY. To give credit where it's due, I got the idea for the BDS here: https://henrirapp.com/diy-hirose-battery-distribution/ And grabbed the power meter circuit from here: https://learn.adafruit.com/pro-trinket-power-meter/overview?embeds=allow The hardest part of all this was getting the dimensions on the 3d printed remote housing correct, but when all was said and done it came together pretty well- And here's the system in use. For most jobs I'm stationary, so I picked up a 12v PSU to run the system as it's configured in the video. For mobile use I can switch over to a battery and enjoy less power draw since I won't have the FRC and 302 running. All in all I'm pretty pleased- it took about $150 dollars in parts, and gave me several hours of fun building it!

One could say it's... Inovativ.

Believe me, I'm not getting rid of the 451s! Since 99% of the work I'm currently (and probably will do in the future) is indoors I was thinking of adding the CS-M1 to the arsenal and having the AKGs in reserve. Very good points about using multiple mics, I was wondering if I should buy a newer "gold" mic. I'm also probably going to build a couple new mic cables with Neutrik EMI connectors and Canare star quad to have the best chance of fighting interference. I know this won't fix noise coming from the mic itself, but every bit helps. I also treat the XLR and capsule connections with Stabilant 22 to help keep them clean. @EmRR, these are pretty old- I've had them for at least 20 years and I got them used. They're the original modular version, before AKG released the 451B which is a different design with a non-interchangeable cardioid capsule.