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Geoff Maxwell

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Everything posted by Geoff Maxwell

  1. I started with the Zuca frame because it looked cool. Much cooler than anything I could personally build. So far so good. I'm in about 300 bucks and worse case scenario I put the original Zuca back together and sell it to some skater for $100 on Ebay. All the shelves are interchangeable with the Magliner and the other parts I had laying around. I've had a lot of fun putting it together and it's working great for the purpose that I intended. I love it, producers love it...and I can pick it up with one hand to put in the back of my Land Rover. So yes, definitely worth it.
  2. That's great to hear. I look forward to seeing your base solution because the top half is fantastic. Best of luck with it. Geoff
  3. Here's some info and pics of my experience building on a Zuca frame. Notes: 1) It has a VERY narrow wheelbase and hence you must keep a low, compact center of gravity or it will tip. 2) The Zuca was designed for skate gear maybe 40 pounds max. Although the top of the frame has an incredible load bearing of 300 pounds, this is for seating. The handle and wheels will not support much weight when rolling in transit. Especially the retractable handle which will flex if you tip and roll with too much weight. 3) There is almost no clearance at the bottom because of the tiny skate wheels. Even a small stone in your path will grind the rig to a halt. In version two I added the largest wheels that would fit the axles, 6" caster wheels with bearings which I found on Ebay. This raised the clearance and added some stability. 4) The bag that comes on the cart is not very well made, not like the production bags we are accustomed to.The first time I loaded up the side pockets they ripped and the zipper that holds the bag on the frame separated. The dealer replaced it, but now I am very careful how I use it. Pics: 1) a pic to give you a sense of scale, the Zuca next to my vertical magliner. 2-3) detail of the first build 4-6) The second build. After installing the PSC RF Multi SMA I was able to relocate the Lectro SR Quadbox to a better location, using the Chinhda mast to remote the antennas. A great improvement over the handle placement which was just to get the antennas high. I also revamped the power supply. The original 35AH block was too heavy for the cart so I went with the Aspen bag and also installed a PSC cart power which I use in conjunction with the PSC Power Star mini. Much, much better. 7) Showing the back. I used a boompole cup and rubber holder and finally a Cardellini mini to brace the Vdb 9' pole to the side for mast elevation. You can also see the old and new wheels side by side. I need to get some bushings as right now I am just using washers as spacers between the old and new wheels and it's a little wobbly. Each wheel has its own short axle which also limits the weight bearing ability. 8-9) The mini follow cart. This is pretty handy and serves as a seat as well. Notice I installed some Chinhda hooks on the side and larger cables can be stacked around the handle resting on the seat. The cart's a bit messy and I just threw on a 744 to give a sense of scale. When it's all tidy its pretty sweet. The Marshall monitor tips forward via the Manfrotto magic arm which allows the handle to retract down even lower for transit. Also all the shelves are attached by rotary knobs so everything will break down easily for air transit. In summary, the Zuca is a fun, somewhat functional platform for those of us who can't start from scratch, but it does have limitations as noted. I hope this helps those of you considering using it. Cheers, Geoff
  4. That is some really beautiful work. Way beyond my ability. I did built a mini cart on the Zuca platform last year and posted a lot of detail. I noticed the link had been removed so I'll post again as images. Its been a progression of trial and error. For those of you wishing to use the Zuca I can offer some insight and cautions after using it for 8 months. Look for a new thread "Maxwell Zuca cart"
  5. Thanks Tom, very helpful. I'll let you know which cartridge I end up using. Geoff
  6. I'm looking at buying the Brady BPM 21 labeler for cable labeling. What label cartridge would you recommend for XLR, duplex, RF size cables? I was looking at the .75" width black on white, self laminating. Is this a good size and type for that application? Do they make different colors like black on yellow? Thanks very much for any suggestions..
  7. Great hobby. I like it because it's quiet. Expensive...but quiet.
  8. I ended up making a fifteen foot "master" duplex antenna cable and adding 25' duplex sections as needed with 50 ohm barrels. RG58 cable working very well for me. Just got some powered antennas so it should only get better.
  9. I also have had problems with the rubber sliding off. You also must superglue the tips to keep them from popping off. And finally they are prone to snapping at the base if bent. However the rigid aspect of them is very nice.
  10. I've been using one. It works great. I've experienced about a 30% increase in range although theoretically the circuitry inside the sma RF Multi should just make up for the splitting loss and not noticeably increase the gain. This was with a passive sharkfin antennas and 15' of Rg58. I just got powered sharkfins today and I will report about that later. I know this is a rather unscientific post, just my observation so far. Take it for what it's worth.
  11. Some good ideas there. Definitely a low center of gravity. Looks heavy.
  12. I love the MKh 50 but I think it's more than a grand. And they are not terribly robust. You can pound nails with a 416. I've had two in rental for 30 years. No problems and worth today what I paid for them.
  13. 21is practically useless in Ohio. I've got two I'd love to sell. The reality guys like them. Say they travel well
  14. Rg 58. Just made a bunch Got the spool from haveinc.com. Good price and same day shipping. They can also supply the 50 Ohm connectors cheap. In New Jersey?
  15. You're asking for trouble using shielded cable for DC. Better to be sure it's stout enough to handle the amperage especially when charging. My 2cents..
  16. Hello and thanks to all who replied. This project has been delayed due to a casting issue. I have all of your information on file and will contact you once scheduling has resumed. Thanks again to JWsoundgroup and all who responded. Geoff
  17. Great cart, nice package too. First class! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  18. The Denecke slates and all their gear for that matter are remarkably robust. They fetch a good rental and hold their value. Personally I don't worry about them. Ive seen them take some very bad falls and get very very wet. I had one roll out with the tide (freshwater) and came back working fine. Sent it in for repair but there was nothing wrong with it. If indeed they do get broken production will pay L&D. I remember back in the 90s I was in Vancouver BC and the camera dept provided their own slates because they wanted the rental..at that time it was standard procedure. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  19. Some of your best work! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  20. Tom, I spoke with Jesse at Sound Devices and it can't be done while using CL-WIFI..too bad. Put it on the wish list.
  21. Thanks Jeff for your detailed reply. You make some good points that I hadn't considered..and to everyone else as well. I am big on redundancy in all areas, so I think I will record the following mix from my Sonosax on the 744T as backup: Production Mix, boom 1, boom 2, Lav iso's mixed..or summed anyway. Just for my peace of mind if nothing else. Question for any Sound Devices users out there..if you are using a 788T with CL-WIFI, then you give up the ability to slave a second machine with record function and TC correct? I haven't figured out a way to do it.
  22. To me it would seem better to originate your backup program source from the mixer rather than the primary recorder because it seems more likely that a failure/anomaly would occur in a recorder than in a mixer. Do you all agree? Also if your primary recorder is 12 track and you were doing a 4 track backup, how would you route/assign the tracks to the 4 track recorder? Thanks everyone for your opinions.
  23. Thanks Larry for the link, very helpful. Pascal, I'm checking a source for that Ultraflex. Is it as flexible as the name? Does anyone know the loss in a BNC barrel?
  24. Thanks Soundguy VERY interesting, but I have a few further questions..perhaps you can take me to school on Bias-ts. So if I understand you correctly, you do NOT use the power from the Venues? Where does the power come from? And where do you tap in the RF signals at the Venues, on the back of the units or a splitter? Sorry I'm trying very hard to understand this configuation. My Venues are not easily accessible neither for RF connections or for power switching. I already have two powered and two passive antennas, so all I need is to understand the patching a bit better. Like you I prefer to be farther away from set...and closer to craft service. Thanks again. Geoff
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