Wolf124

Hi Everyone. Yes, it's that time of year again and panto reigns supreme...oh yes it does. Sorry, mine has now come and gone and I am currently working through the debris of this year's trantec 'demolition derby'. Except that this year, after the event, I notice that there is a new (to me) version of the trantec monitoring software v1.6.11. The usual appears to apply. No download or info. Has anyone used it, got it, does it work, is it any better than the old version......any thoughts/advice anyone. Cedd, did you ever get your system off the ground? By the way, happy new year everyone...2023 that is!!!!

DrV - Thanks for the lead on that. I might try to disassemble the body to get at the PCB and give it a squirt of switch cleaner. The buttons do appear to click nicely but of course that doesn't mean that the contacts aren't gummed up I suppose.

Hi Everyone. Here's one for the electronics whizz kids. I have got hold of a second-hand Trantec S5.5 hand-mic, but when I turn it on the display rotates from 'S5.5-3' to 'Gain 2' to 'off', and then goes around this circuit for a few minutes and eventually, when it appears to get bored with this game, settles onto the pre-set frequency. Is this any easy fix, is there a fix, can I simply replace the circuit board and if so how or, is it a specialist repair from my normal dealer?

Thanks Brian. I think that the reception indicator on the RX units will be more than adequate for my needs.

Whoops. Sorry to have caused problems. Anyway, CPC have delivered the bits for me to experiment with. Just normal copper Flexi cable for now, but made up nicely. Now to test it with a 'proper' aerial and then test it's durability to destruction!!!

Thanks Cedd. I too ended up with two packs without antennae and still got a signal. Never found them and no idea what happened to them. Of course there's the usual batch of bent, folded or just where the h*ll has that been, antennae!!?? I also as mentioned way back, I have got antennae whose length bears little resemblance to that indicated by the standard formula for the frequency the pack is tuned to, so while I have the time, thought that I would check each one and fit with something that I know should be correct. Hence all the (sometimes repeated within the thread) questions. It doesn't help that I have acquired so many models covering so many frequencies, many of which are no longer available so these have been returned but I think that I have now got it covered and have decent separation between the frequencies. Time will tell. Thanks.

Cedd- Talking about 2W at 900mhz transmitters, what is the current situation (if any) regarding interference from mobile phones with UHF radio mics? I haven't noticed anything recently but everyone was threatened with having their phones nailed to the flats if I caught any live ones backstage during a performance. Not that that would have stopped them, but the threat sounded good!!!

Thanks. Is there any health and safety issues having a transmitter so close to the head for over 2 hours. I realise that there is probably more danger with a mobile phone but for normal use, probably not two hours. What type of transmitter were you using. I would have thought that most would be too heavy for practical use.

On a slightly different note but could be Trantec related. After watching the televised stage version of 'Anything Goes' over Christmas, I could not help but notice that the girls were wearing head mics with no visible transmitter wiring to a leg pouch etc. Is now standard to put the transmitter in the singers wig? All the girls had suspiciously large hair styles with a sort of 'bulge'. If this is the case, it is not something that I have come across before and interests me. Education required please!!

Could that have been the source of his problems and why the kit came in for repair?

Thanks Cedd. I am assuming that the overall length of the aerial does not include the thread which 'becomes part of the PCB' when screwed in. I have cut mine from the tip of the aerial to the 'shoulder' of the thread, where it sits up against the PCB. I don't know if I have done this correctly. I have a motley selection of aerials on my 4 different models (D2, D3, G1 & G2) of belt-pack. Some of these have been tuned to Ch65. I have worked out the length using the formula posted earlier in the thread but the lengths don't appear to coincide with what came with the transmitters!!! Admittedly, they were all second-hand so the provenance of the aerials is suspect!! I am trying to standardise them before they go into store. This is the first time that I have not been under pressure to get them on stage and working in some way. I have even only just realised that I had two working on frequencies which I feel are too close to prevent intermodulation (826.225 & 826.050). Just goes to show what you put up with without realising.

Hi Cedd. Compliments of the season to you. Yes, I was very careful when choosing the M3 screw attachment to make sure that it cleared the casing and didn't put any strain on the PCB. I noticed after your previous warning earlier in this thread, that some of my secondhand units came with badly oversized bases on the aerials. The have upgraded and the boards checked for damage. What type of solder did you use on the brake cable? I assume that you soldered then into a brass M3 fitting and heat shrinked the lot.

Ok Gents. Thanks for the discussion. Merry Christmas to you all. I have ordered some of this... https://cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/20333-4/5m-black-test-lead/dp/CB00101 and will give it a try against a Trantec supplied aerial of the same length and let you know how things turn out.

No, a bit more like this one....https://cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/20333-4/5m-black-test-lead/dp/CB00101?fi=wp but I see that there are others which may be better...like this one...https://cpc.farnell.com/mc-multi-contact/60-7190-21/tpe-insulated-1-00mm-black-25m/dp/CBBR1406?MER=sy-me-pd-mi-alte ...but I don't know which would be the best, hence the post. I am in no hurry. I still have enough of the old cable to make up a few new ones for the time being.

Nearly finished my replace/repair session on my Trantecs and am now into the find/repair/replace the lost/mangled where/how the h*ll situation with the antenna. After my enquiries in 2018 (was it really that long ago), I made up some very successful replacements using the 'extra flex' cable. Now, of course, CPC are no longer listing it. Can anyone give me a link for something similar please, before I order the end caps and M3 fittings as the cable diameter will, without doubt be different from the 'extra flex'. Yes, I know that aerials are available (for a price!!) ready made from several sources, but it is very handy to be able to make up replacements of the correct length quickly from stock items, cheaply. My last homemade set cost about 75p each. PS. Still trying to find the 'space' in the Trantec ASCII character set. It must be there, but I keep missing it...like reading the instruction manuals, you don't find it until you ask everyone who then know that you have lost it!!?? Not really something that you can order as a spare part!!