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Sennheiser G2 TX dead? (Revised: Not dead, unless you mean Randy's brain)


RandyHall

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A problem cropped up with my cheap but otherwise quite reliable G2 wireless lav. The SK100 TX now seems to have a problem with the mic input. I've taken the whole thing apart and there's some corrosion on the plug contacts but nothing excessive.

What's strange is that when I plug in a lav (and I just bought an OST 801 with the locking TRS plug that arrived today to test this) while the TX and RX are tuned in, I get noise over the link to the RX, but no mic signal. No amount of fussing with SENSIT on the TX or AF OUT on the RX has availed me anything other than a slight buzzing noise, but usually just this hiss of the noise floor (headphones are turned way too high right now).

Ideas? Or is it just time to go to the WTB forum?

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You've tried it with something other than your new arrival OST yeah?

Yes, tried with original lav that came with the TX. I now have to confirm with my boom op, who swore that a different mic from a different G2 TX worked on mine. Ugh. Trolling used equipment sites is not helping my mood.

" Ideas? "

after all of the usual troubleshooting and trying alternatives, like different mic's and different TX's, etc, have you tried the double secret, ultra master reset sequence ??

Would that be the "jump up and down on it and beat it with a sledgehammer" reset sequence?

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" Would that be the "jump up and down on it and beat it with a sledgehammer" reset sequence? "

similar...

perhaps your favorite of our "usual suspects" will amke you a deal on a new system; the best value is the three piece system, that includes both the pack and plug-on TX's. latest units and a warranty

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Just for the heck of it did you try a line level signal to ring and sleeve?

Yeah, just tried something of that sort. I plugged the OST mic halfway into the socket, and suddenly I hear my voice.

Sigh. So much for the problem being the TX. I really should just screw with stuff more before I post anything here.

So I am now looking at fixing whatever mess OST made of putting the locking TRS plug on the mic they just sold me...

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So here's the plug once I've taken off the cover.

Based on what I know of Sennheiser TX wiring, this seems wrong.

post-5748-0-24217200-1343254714.png

As seen below:

  • Black wire to tip
  • Red wire to ring (wtf -- ???)
  • Shield to sleeve

post-5748-0-23612400-1343254052.jpg

Open to suggestions. Don't want to send it back if I can hack it myself.

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Disconnect the Red wire to the ring and connect it to the ground. The G2 mic input is + to the tip and everything else to the ground. The ring is for line level inputs only. Try another lav to be sure the input connector block is working. If it's intermittent it needs to be replaced as the internal contact springs are worn. If you send it to Sennheiser it's going to be $120 flat rate & 2 weeks till you get it back. If you send it to me I'll replace the block for $60 and you'll have it back in 3 days.

Eric

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Disconnect the Red wire to the ring and connect it to the ground.

Eric, of course, is right. After a friendly phone call from him (where he told me to shut up and listen -- I like him already) I desoldered the red from the ring and resoldered it to the sleeve.

post-5748-0-75211000-1343257178.jpg

Voilà! Crisis averted, and this Sennheiser G2 lives on.

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As a tongue in cheek reply and with all humility "It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am." Glad I could help you Randy. Now call OST and tell them how wire their mics for Sennheiser G2/3 so they'll work.

Oh & BTW if you disregard all of the Senators shot in the dark replys you'll understand that his advice is like a hoop skirt. covers a lot of ground, touches nothing.

Eric

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Now call OST and tell them how wire their mics for Sennheiser G2/3 so they'll work.

Looking at my invoice from them it said they were wiring it for "Sony TRS". :mellow: I think when I specified the connector, I said "Senny TRS".

<_<

Some days, it's not worth getting out of bed. What an amazing waste of a thread, though I did get to speak to Eric on the phone. So it's not an entire wash.

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If you said Senny instead of Sennheiser it's understandable that they heard Sony.

Well, it was all done through email, so I wrote "Senny". Damn my own shorthand.

Holy crap - when speaking to Eric is the highlight of your day you really are having a bad day.

Quite pleasant, actually. When you're working with film people, I appreciate those who are straight-talkers.

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" A problem cropped up with my cheap but otherwise quite reliable G2 wireless lav. The SK100 TX now seems to have a problem with the mic input. I've taken the whole thing apart "

well, of course hindsight has 20/20 vision.

obviously what we have here is a failure to employ basic troubleshooting techniques...like cross substituting suspect components to determine the component at fault. my bad, of course, for assuming (I know!) that if a transmitter was being dismantled, that certainly the new mic -the obvious first suspect- had been eliminated from suspicion by trying it on another transmitter, and the transmitter pinpointed by trying a mic that works in another TX... I feel so ashamed!

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" Would that be the "jump up and down on it and beat it with a sledgehammer" reset sequence? "

well, if that doesn't get it to work, it must be broken. ???

" I wrote "Senny". "

personally, I've never used, or even cared for that slang, or "Panny", either.

now I have a reason! ::)

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