Trantec lemo to jack

[back_ache]

Hi,

 

My kids school fireworks display is coming up, the DJ for various reasons works behind the crowd (in the welcome area) so once the crowd move toward the fireworks barrier and away from him, the soundtrack to the display is hard to hear.

 

The route I'd have to take running a balanced line would be troublesome, longer than any cable I have and liable to end up covered in mud.

 

So I thought of doing the trick of using a radio mic beltpack as a relay to do this, I'd use a DI to pad him down to mic level, then a xlr-jack and jack to lemo to use a spare trantec s3500 pack I have.

 

At the remote end I'd have another (suitable weather protected) speaker system and the receiver.

 

My questions are.

 

* Is this a bad idea and why

* Who does a reasonable priced 1/4 jack to (trantec) lemo lead? I've seen them priced as high as 40quid

* What would be a better way to do it?

[alistermorton]

If it's for a one off (or once per year) could you get by with sending the audio over bog standard CAT 5? Cheaper than a decent XLR cable, and probably good enough. You could send line level down a CAT 5, and if it ends up being hidden in a muddy ditch or down the back of a fence, and has to be thrown away it's less of an expense. Might be easier than trying to get radio links working outdoors.

[back_ache]

If it's for a one off (or once per year) could you get by with sending the audio over bog standard CAT 5? Cheaper than a decent XLR cable, and probably good enough. You could send line level down a CAT 5, and if it ends up being hidden in a muddy ditch or down the back of a fence, and has to be thrown away it's less of an expense. Might be easier than trying to get radio links working outdoors.

 

Yeah, I've thought about that and also forsaking quality to go 100v, the route any cable would have to take to not be a trip hazard at night would be a real pain though

[timsabre]

The simple answer is it should work fine but you might have range problems with the radio especially once the event starts and there's lots of people around absorbing the signal (and it's too late to run a cable).

It's unfortunate that your radio pack has the most expensive connector type on it, if it'd been a minijack it would have been easy.

[sandall]

A Lemo to 1/4" jack socket cable is a very useful one for the tool box. I recently had to make up a fresh one for a wedding where they needed a keyboard to be set up right in the middle of the guests, so no cabling possible - beltpack gaffered to the back of the keyboard, & a hand-held for the singer, - job done. If you don't have a plug from a dead lav mic, & don't mind soldering, the connector is a Lemo FGG.OB.304 (£16 from CPC, p/n CN08853). The supplied collet is too big for a lav mic, but fine for a bit of mic cable.

[richardash1981]

The simple answer is it should work fine but you might have range problems with the radio especially once the event starts and there's lots of people around absorbing the signal (and it's too late to run a cable).

Being on VHF band will help with this, but you might want to seriously think about getting both ends above head height (maybe on the speaker stands?) to minimise the problem.

 

I doubt that you will need the DI Box if you remember your trimmer screwdriver - the beltpack input impedance is 10k and will take up to +3dBu (according to the spec sheet), so going direct into the pack from the line level source will usually be fine (especially if you can use the phono "tape out" connectors on the desk). Make sure that you have the correct wiring if you make up your own, because the pinout in the Trantec manual numbers the pins differently to the official Lemo documentation! Work (outside the industry) have been using Gigatronix connectors in place of Lemo for some stuff, apparently without problems: https://www.gigatron...s/straight-plug although I haven't got my hands on one yet.

[sandall]

Work (outside the industry) have been using Gigatronix connectors in place of Lemo for some stuff, apparently without problems: https://www.gigatron...s/straight-plug although I haven't got my hands on one yet.

Interesting. Looks like a Lemo OB (patent expired?) & half the price - I wonder where they are made. No good for lavs, as the smallest cable diameter is 2.5mm, but fine for an adaptor lead.