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664 drivers: Deca PS617 bag good?


Philip Perkins

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Any 664 drivers using a Petrol PS617 bag with it?  The bag looks good and light, but I wondered about access to the card ports and if there is really enough room for power distro (and maybe antenna distro too) in addition to a brace of RX?  With or without the cl6?  If you set it on a table will it stand on its own or does it want to flop over?

 

thanks

 

philp

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Of the 3 bags I've tried with the 664 so far, it's the least bad option. The Camrade bag is awful and the Portabrace propose-built bag has good qualities but the bad far outweigh them. I haven't tried the Portabrace audio organizer bag built to fit a 664 and it appears to be the best of the "easily accessible in the US" bags.

 

The 617 bag makes media access in a hurry very nearly impossible and it seemed to me that the bag weighs more than the mixer by a not-insignificant amount. There are also some "features" on the bag, the flaps that protect the connector panels on either side of the mixer for example, that make the bag less appealing to me.

Best regards,

Jim

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it won't stand on its own> tends to roll over to the heavy side. Card access is hard

when the bag is fully loaded. I used the portabrace bag and ended up selling it. Just

didn't like it. I do like its light weight and the elastic bands that hold wireless and other

pieces of gear. I don't have an antenna distro but do have a Remote Audio BDS and it fits

well. 

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Difficult media access and not standing up on a table are deal breakers for me--glad I asked.  The PortaB "AO" s stand up admirably and are very roomy, but it's a stiff box w/o much give--I didn't like wearing it much--it made me feel like a ballpark popcorn vendor.  The older AOs have a part of the frame of the box in exactly the spot that makes getting the media out of the machine nearly impossible--the later ones can open the whole right side to do this.  

 

philp

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I have been using a modified PS602 for 9 months now - I have the 617 too but its terrible - the 602 is the best option IMO. I have also seen people with 664's in modded 601's and they work well too.

They stand up on their own, and card access is easy.

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Philip,

I used my 664 in a way-old AO bag when it arrived and it was OK-ish, but mine's modified with some pieces of aluminum to keep it from collapsing on itself which made media access a trifle dicey. One thing that really helps with the 617 bag (and probably any bag) is having the blade fuse puller close at hand. It doesn't help with the SD card which at least has the spring loaded ejector mechanism but it allows removal of the CF card without disconnecting any cables first. I don't recall who came up with using the fuse puller, but it's made it a lot simpler to remove the card with my arthritic claws.

post-1223-0-38616400-1373721540_thumb.pn

Best regards,

Jim

 

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Philip,

I used my 664 in a way-old AO bag when it arrived and it was OK-ish, but mine's modified with some pieces of aluminum to keep it from collapsing on itself which made media access a trifle dicey. One thing that really helps with the 617 bag (and probably any bag) is having the blade fuse puller close at hand. It doesn't help with the SD card which at least has the spring loaded ejector mechanism but it allows removal of the CF card without disconnecting any cables first. I don't recall who came up with using the fuse puller, but it's made it a lot simpler to remove the card with my arthritic claws.

attachicon.giffuse puller.png

Best regards,

Jim

That's a great suggestion, but currently I don't have the clearance in that part of the bag to get that in there too.  I think I'm going to try doing some mods to my old bags and see if that works any better.

 

philp

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I was able to make a cut in the left-side upper "frame " of an old PB AO4 that allows me full access to the 664 cards.  The many layers of velcro that make up the bag hold it together fine for wearing, and the bag stands up on its own very well and has huge capacity for a lot of RX, cl6 etc etc. while being pretty light itself.

 

philp

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I think it's the best option all around in terms for build quality and access to all parts of the mixer.  The media card access needs work though, and yes the bag doesn't stand well on it's own, usually ends up laying on a side which is fine really.  Next runner up if you can get your hands on is the older PEGZ-2.  I also tried the PB bag made for it at first and was short lived (returned the following day).

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Hmmm. I'm looking for a new bag for my 788/CL8 Rx distro ensemble. For small setups (4 or 5 411 Rx) I use a 601. For bigger setups (up to 8 Lectro 411 Rx) I have an old PEGZ, that's kinda past it; Velcro not sticking and the plastic bars to make the sides rigid are poking out. I was considering the 617 but these comments are putting me off (the 601 barely sits up by itself and that bugs me). The 602?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Any 664 drivers using a Petrol PS617 bag with it?  The bag looks good and light, but I wondered about access to the card ports and if there is really enough room for power distro (and maybe antenna distro too) in addition to a brace of RX?  With or without the cl6?  If you set it on a table will it stand on its own or does it want to flop over?

 

thanks

 

philp

I am still very happy working out of this bag and I really don't have very much trouble accessing the CF and SD cards either.  I do have to unplug the TC hirose when I'm grabbing the CF card.  I do not use the CL-6 but I do carry 3-6 RF's in the main compartment with the mixer and a BDS box.  It stands just fine for me and I can tilt it back and have it stay at a modest angle too.  I wrote a review for Gotham a while back.  Check it out:   https://www.gothamsound.com/library/first-look-petrol-ps617-deca-lightweight-audio-bag

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The 617 bag makes media access in a hurry very nearly impossible and it seemed to me that the bag weighs more than the mixer by a not-insignificant amount. There are also some "features" on the bag, the flaps that protect the connector panels on either side of the mixer for example, that make the bag less appealing to me.

Best regards,

Jim

 

I also hate the stiff flaps on either side of the 617.   What I do that helps especially for run and gun work is to take a small carabiner and attach it permanently to the flap's top zipper pull then pull the zipper down using the carabiner and clip the carabiner to the D-ring on the bottom of the 617 bag.  I do this on both the left and right sides. This will pull the flap tight up against the bag and makes it a bit more streamline.  If I need access to either side of the 664 I just unclip the carabiner.   

 

Andy

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Calm down chaps ;)

 

The more I use my 617 the more I like it, mine does stay upright on it's own, I think it's pretty rigid with four 411As in it, the CF card is a sod to remove, but I rarely do, I take the SD card out instead which is much easier. Coupled with a VersaFlex harness it's pretty much perfect for me.

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