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Right-angled XLR connector for Ambient poles?


Johnny Karlsson

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There is the QALP:image.png

Could also be used with a custom short XLR cable. 

Edit: It seems, they do not advertise it any more as an accessory product, but they may or may not have some as cable kit spare parts. I'd ask them. The coiled cable kits vary in internal cable noise depending on the model though. 

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You would probably have to tell people why those solutions don't work as compared to the K-tek as the positioning is nearly identical. What is the issue you are trying to solve?

 

I have a K-Tek pole and decided against the Sidekick. I've never tried it. I thought it might leave the transmitter vulnerable to being bumped into. The solution I have has some give to it if the transmitter is bumped.

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I wouldn’t say they are nearly identical at all.

- Olle’s solution puts the transmitter at the top of the pole.

 

- Daniel’s would involve a short XLR cable plugged in to the pole going to

the transmitter, which would leave it vulnerable to getting snagged on something. Could of course be cut to exact length, but still. It also adds 2 XLR connectors.

 

The K-Tek thing makes it possible to quickly put the pole into a Boom Box, leave it in a corner of the set - and while it’s standing in there, it’s keeping the transmitter protected while our grip friends move stuff around.

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I don't see how TX is more protected on the K-Tek than on a QALP. It also depends on the model. A short cable roughly in the desired length would run around the pole anyhow. The QALP can rotate around the boom when you loosen the knob. The actual question of the QALP is, if it is still available. I mostly run Wisycom MTB40(s) and it's XLR is not as stiff and solid as desired. I usually fix it with a bongo tie and some sort of spacer that is around, either some folded cardboard or a pipe clip like this:
4690_g1.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

In the long run I might abandon my QALP though and fix the TX on a plates fitted with pipe clips. Either at the bottom or at the top, depending on the situation. This'll make assembly and disassembly much easier than fumbling with spacers and ties.

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Daniel, This solution might appeal to you. I got this idea from someone else. This is a bicycle phone holder that requires modification. I used 3M Command strips to attach the mounting plate to the transmitter. I don't ever take the plate off the transmitter as it is dedicated to the boom.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0754PFVFV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

20220808_143510.jpg

20220808_143614.jpg

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Hey Paul, many thnx for the input. I will think about it but it seems to have some disadvantages for my application. I work with different plugon TX models from different owners. Wisycom variants are quite popular though. On rainy days, we usually put ultrasound probe covers (basically dry condoms without a reservoir) over the thing. For those reasons, I'd want to avoid any permanent fixture on the TX. But the iOttie might be a solution to mount a small smartphone running the godforsaken Teradek VUER app.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/7/2022 at 3:01 PM, Johnny Karlsson said:

I wouldn’t say they are nearly identical at all.

- Olle’s solution puts the transmitter at the top of the pole.

 

- Daniel’s would involve a short XLR cable plugged in to the pole going to

the transmitter, which would leave it vulnerable to getting snagged on something. Could of course be cut to exact length, but still. It also adds 2 XLR connectors.

 

The K-Tek thing makes it possible to quickly put the pole into a Boom Box, leave it in a corner of the set - and while it’s standing in there, it’s keeping the transmitter protected while our grip friends move stuff around.

I think you misunderstand how the ambient solution works. There are no additional xlrs, just the internal cable exiting and terminated in an xlr that the plug on plugs into. I’ve used this system for about a decade, except without the extension piece on the back end of the pole.   I also upgraded to a neutrik HD waterproof connector after raining out a standard one. 
 

D1B840C9-FFA8-4238-8688-F5384F678E7B.jpeg


EC2EE697-0877-43E8-8F61-AE4C7699A27D.jpeg

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4 hours ago, Wandering Ear said:

I think you misunderstand how the ambient solution works. There are no additional xlrs, just the internal cable exiting and terminated in an xlr that the plug on plugs into. I’ve used this system for about a decade, except without the extension piece on the back end of the pole.   I also upgraded to a neutrik HD waterproof connector after raining out a standard one. 
 

D1B840C9-FFA8-4238-8688-F5384F678E7B.jpeg


EC2EE697-0877-43E8-8F61-AE4C7699A27D.jpeg

Ah ok, fair enough. You are correct that I misunderstood how this works.

However, it looks like that accessory is no longer available.

 

If they still made them, I guess the bottom attachment could be removed - on my pole it looks like this:

 

618A9E3A-6F6A-40B9-AC15-175057F356F6.jpeg

96AC588A-60E8-4F65-8806-5404D9EB44B2.jpeg

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Johnny, have a look at this conversation and see if it dissipates your concerns about multiple connectors. One of the contributors mentions that in a recording studio (or a post house for that matter), signals can flow through many connectors.

 

https://gearspace.com/board/geekzone/1274814-signal-loss-successive-connections.html

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8 hours ago, Paul F said:

Johnny, have a look at this conversation and see if it dissipates your concerns about multiple connectors. One of the contributors mentions that in a recording studio (or a post house for that matter), signals can flow through many connectors.

 

And consider live sound.  Arguably the requirements of low noise are less stringent in that line of work as in studio or video production.  Still, in one of the auditoriums where I work, a typical mic plugged in on stage goes through 7 pairs of XLR connectors.  Almost all of the problems I have with connectors are attributable to the wear and tear after many years of  plugging and unplugging cables.

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17 hours ago, Johnny Karlsson said:

Ah ok, fair enough. You are correct that I misunderstood how this works.

However, it looks like that accessory is no longer available.

 

If they still made them, I guess the bottom attachment could be removed - on my pole it looks like this:

 

618A9E3A-6F6A-40B9-AC15-175057F356F6.jpeg

96AC588A-60E8-4F65-8806-5404D9EB44B2.jpeg

It is a bummer if they’ve stopped selling those.    It’s been my favorite configuration. 
you could easily 3D print the part if thats a route you want to go. I’d be happy to send you measurements or maybe a 3d scan if you want to go that route. 

50214AB2-8BE2-44FF-9BAE-5DF9A5B55589.jpeg

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11 minutes ago, Wandering Ear said:


you could easily 3D print the part if thats a route you want to go. I’d be happy to send you measurements or maybe a 3d scan if you want to go that route.

I do appreciate the effort, but no worries. I do not have a 3D printer anyway. 

 

7 hours ago, Matthew Steel said:

And consider live sound.  Arguably the requirements of low noise are less stringent in that line of work as in studio or video production.  Still, in one of the auditoriums where I work, a typical mic plugged in on stage goes through 7 pairs of XLR connectors.  Almost all of the problems I have with connectors are attributable to the wear and tear after many years of  plugging and unplugging cables.

 

16 hours ago, Paul F said:

Johnny, have a look at this conversation and see if it dissipates your concerns about multiple connectors. One of the contributors mentions that in a recording studio (or a post house for that matter), signals can flow through many connectors.

 

https://gearspace.com/board/geekzone/1274814-signal-loss-successive-connections.html

Thanks guys. Signal loss was not my concern. At all. Rather the added bulk.

 

All in all, I am not in any urgent need to change what I am currently using. It was more of a question of "can I make this more elegant", and IMHO, the K-Tek Sidekick is more elegant that any other currently existing option. Again, that's just my personal view. To each their own as the saying goes.

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