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K-Tek Aluminum Boom Pole


James Lopez

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Hello all

On my search for a new boom pole, i have come across more than a few positive reviews on K-Tek poles, here and elsewhere. I think though, that most (with the exception of one) people refer to either the Klassik or the Avalon carbon fibre series. I was interested in the KE-110CCR model, aluminum made, which roughly compares to the carbon fibre KEG-100CCR, material being the major difference. The KE-110CCR weights 822g (221g heavier than the KEG-100CCR) which is a substantial difference. According to K-Tek all other components are the same. I'd like to ask those that have used/own the KE-110CCR (if there are any around) of their opinion about this pole and if its weight would be a major drawback. My former experience was with the Rode Boom as well as a couple of 'no-brand' booms lended to me, meaning that i haven't really been on the light side of things until now. Thanks in advance for any advice.

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What kind of work are you doing? What kind of budget are you on? Those two things usually will dictate which pole you get. It's been my experience that people who are working on a job where they need to put a pole in harm's way will usually have an Avalon Aluminum pole handy. If you are doing episodic or feature work, then graphite is the way to go. If you are on a real tight budget, then the aluminum poles are a great solution.

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What kind of work are you doing? What kind of budget are you on? Those two things usually will dictate which pole you get. It's been my experience that people who are working on a job where they need to put a pole in harm's way will usually have an Avalon Aluminum pole handy. If you are doing episodic or feature work, then graphite is the way to go. If you are on a real tight budget, then the aluminum poles are a great solution.

Hi there, thanks for the advice. I'm doing docu & interviews work and my budget would be around 250-280 euros max (shipping included). I found the KE-110CCR on dvestore's ebay store with 223 euros (shipping included, unaware of whether extra costs would be applied, hopefully not) which i think is a great price. From the same store, the KEG-100CCR costs 397 euros, which unfortunately is too much for me atm (already went beyond my equipment budget.. twice!).

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" which unfortunately is too much for me atm "

guess that makes up your mind.

Hi Senator,

I never said i had/wanted to choose between the 2. I merely mentioned the carbon fibre model as a comparison to state the weight/price difference. I was asking people (if any around) that have used the aluminum model for an opinion: if they find it too heavy and/or other info i should know about. But yes, its most possible that i buy it eventually. In this price range there's also the rycotes, but they are a bit too short (250cm comparing to 280cm of the k-tek). Not too much of a difference, but for my next project i'll have to have the boom pole mounted on a c-stand (yep, looking for a boom buddy as well) at a minimum of 2,5 meters distance from the subject.

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Hi, back at 'cha, James...

The aluminum poles are an excellent alternative to the lighter more expensive counterparts. and the new models are way better than the stuff that was standard not that long ago...

Yes, I do have available and use some K-Tek KE aluminum poles at the schools, and the many students who use, and abuse them are generally pleased with them.

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Hi, back at 'cha, James...

The aluminum poles are an excellent alternative to the lighter more expensive counterparts. and the new models are way better than the stuff that was standard not that long ago...

Yes, I do have available and use some K-Tek KE aluminum poles at the schools, and the many students who use, and abuse them are generally pleased with them.

That is good to know, thanks for the input Senator, v helpful indeed.

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Senator, helpful indeed.

**checks calendar to see if it is somehow April 1 still**

The aluminum is a very strong option, and can easily put up with being used as a hammer (which MUST be what students do with them based on the results) so they are quite sturdy.

Are you feeling that you are losing out on gigs b/c people are inspecting your gear list and don't see names they recognize on your poles? If cost is an issue (and when is it not?) you might want to consider an extension pole from your local home improvement type store, there are a great many options in aluminum or fiberglass (Ok, not as light) that could work and save a bundle while you are starting out. You would need a thread adapter, which I got one off of Ebay a long time ago made from solid aluminum... And can't find an example right now to show you. As for the pole itself, something like this link would be ideal, b/c it locks solidly in place and doesn't rattle or rotate, and the neoprene grip makes it DEAD silent to handle.

http://www.amazon.co...rd_i=B0045LOUZQ

This adapter linked below is not quite what I had in mind, but it is the only adapter on Ebay I could find. Mine is a solid milled piece of aluminum, 3/4" Acme thread to 5/8" and 3/8" standard microphone sizes.

http://www.ebay.com/...=item3373d73da0

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If I were you I'd save up a few bucks and go with the CF Avalon Pole. I have had mine for 10 years, and it was the single best investment in gear I ever made. You'll outgrow your aluminum pole quickly, and then have to buy twice (though you'll probably keep the aluminum as a backup or 2nd pole anyway). I have both, but MUCH prefer the Carbon. Remember, this is one of the most personal pieces of gear you will use, as it will be in your hands all the time while you work, get the tool that will make your job easier and more pleasant if you can figure out any way to afford it.

e.

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Thanks for your input guys, I am really struggling to make ends meet after ending up almost doubling my initial budget so i had to go for the aluminum k-tek. Having a few charging issues with dvestore ebay store, they charged me for both the k-tek pole and the boom boy already (my bank account says so) but they totally messed up with the invoices. I tried to pay at least 4 times, w paypal or direct credit card and i was receiving 'this credit card cannot be used' and 'paypal is currently unavailable' messages. I have only received an invoice for the pole (no mention of the boom boy) with a 'pay now' button, but dvestore had already charged me the full amount even though i was getting a 'cannot use this credit card' message. A total mess.. I sent them a pretty angry email, lets hope they sort their s**t out. Anyways, thanks for the advice

PS. I did mean the 'thanks for the advice' to the Senator, no irony there

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" Having a few charging issues with... "

this verrrry rarely happens when you patronize our "usual suspects"...

and it it does happen, you can easily reach them directly, in person, and they will knock themselves out to make it right, promptly!

Edited by studiomprd
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James, I understand you might not have had any irony there... But as Mike's next post illustrates, he frequently repeats himself with much noise and little helpful information.

I understand about credit card issues, it is entirely possible that what you are seeing are merely authorizations, not actual charges. Here in the USA, that happens any time you even ATTEMPT a transaction, and it is up to the merchant to complete the transaction with Visa etc within 5 business days. If that is not completed, the authorization vanishes like it never happened.

Unfortunately, the recent bad behavior of banks has been to decide their overdraft fees based on their PREDICTION that an authorization will complete... Whether or not it actually does. I had one lovely instance where I received $130+ in overdraft fees when at no point did my balance drop below $1000! The bank's answer - tough shit. I don't do business with that collection of robbers any longer.

As to Mike's claim that patronizing the "usual suspects" that he never bothers to list (and it is a long list) in some hope that it will always be a perfect transaction... Maybe that is the case. I suspect not always, simply because they are human too. Regardless, the savings you seek right now, mean that Ebay or the for sale section here are perfectly valid options as well, even if there are a few bumps.

I would contact your credit card issuer (bank or otherwise - check the number on the back of the card) and ask them if those are authorizations or actual charges. I would wager they are nothing more than the ghostly authorizations from Paypal's ineffective purchasing system. Part of the reason why I hate using PayFail at all.

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I have used both of the poles in question extensively and in my opinion the aluminum 110ccr is actually superior to ktek CF poles in that length. Unlike the CF poles the aluminum is machined very smooth which allows you to keep the knuckles "thumb tight" and still slide the sections smoothly through the joints and have them hold. This allows you to deploy the aluminum pole very quickly with a fluid motion. With ktek's CF poles you have to manipulate each knuckle to extend a section. So, for crazy run and gun work I think the 110 cr is actually much easier to use.

Most of that extra weight is in the bulky base they put on the Avalon CCR models, and the rest I make up for by using a low-profile/weight shockmount, avoiding the heavy pistol grip. Alao, avoid the bottom exit Avalon poles, unless you like to have constant shorts in your internal cabling - it's a very poor design.

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As to Mike's claim that patronizing the "usual suspects" that he never bothers to list (and it is a long list) in some hope that it will always be a perfect transaction... Maybe that is the case. I suspect not always, simply because they are human too.

If you have a good relationship with Coffey or LSC or Wilcox or The Audio Department here in LA, I'd say you have a better chance of them cutting you some slack. Once, I seem to recall Sherrie at Coffey telling me, "hey, this charge didn't go through, so we just sent you an invoice. We're fine if you pay it in 30 days." You're not going to get that with a faceless internet supplier.

So I think The Senator's point is, if you're in a large city, it pays to deal with pro dealers who will take care of you, especially in disputes with banks or unexpected situations.

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I certainly agree with you on the QUALITY of service Marc, and I love talking with the great people at Gotham whenever I'm in the city. I don't know if they would match price with somebody like DVEstore, and I don't think I would ever ask because they offer such great service to us. If I'm *only* buying on price... Maybe they win, maybe DVE or somebody else does - At that point, I'm looking for a simple transaction that shouldn't be complex. I pay, they ship.

What I meant was about the multiple charges - That shouldn't happen from any retailer, even though it can and does sometimes. I firmly believe that problem in this case comes from the payment processor Paypal, and not the retailer DVEstore. I've bought from them in the past and it has been a smooth transaction, not unlike dealing with Gotham or B&H. Disparaging DVE (or any other non-usual-suspect) retailer simply because they aren't the usual suspects isn't warranted.

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I am very familiar with the folks at DVEstore, and they are good people. I have to agree with geordi that there is an issue with the payment processor, I know PayPal was going through some site updates, and maybe that caused a problem?

John B...to answer your question:

I can tell you that both the aluminum and graphite handle up to 120 degrees without a problem. I've never tested them beyond that.

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John B...to answer your question:

I can tell you that both the aluminum and graphite handle up to 120 degrees without a problem. I've never tested them beyond that.

I was actually wondering more about the other end of the temperature spectrum -- what the difference between the poles would be in colder temperatures.

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In colder temps they should be fine, but aluminum will feel colder to the touch. I've never personally tested our poles at extreme cold temps, but I know some customers who have worked above the arctic circle and didn't have any problems.

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In colder temps they should be fine, but aluminum will feel colder to the touch. I've never personally tested our poles at extreme cold temps, but I know some customers who have worked above the arctic circle and didn't have any problems.

+1!

Bought an aluminum pole as a backup unit, and it's gets quite cold to the touch in winter! Some cooler days I'll man up and go without gloves with a CF pole, but with my aluminum pole, gloves please!

R

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" Never? "

you're tight...

Never say never...(I didn't say never!)

I'll make that rarely, and with the caveat that our usual suspects are reachable persons who will knock themselves out to fix it if it goes wrong. That said, I suppose we all try other options, and some of us have learned dear lessons from some experiences, while other experiences have gone well...

" point is, if you're in a large city, .. "

or even if not!

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