Covid cleaning mics/phones

[Jivemaster]

The alcohol used in medical alcohol sanitisers is 70% isopropanol, As 100% IPA it's now available again from RS, and likely other suppliers, just add a little water.

[Stuart91]

The upcoming AES convention has a topic on this very subject. (One of my colleagues has contributed to it)

 

As part of the process, they collated the advice that manufacturers were offering on how to sanitise their gear. Interestingly, there's a real range of opinions, even from different brands within the same group.

[Bryson]

Note that 100% IPA is less effective than 70%, due to the speed of evaporation.

[ninjadingle]

Our drastic solution has been to admit there is no real satisfactory way of cleaning them, and have pulled them from service. Our academics now have to stand by the lectern and use goosenecks. Not a popular decision, but as they don't have to be handled and are out of the direct "spit line", we feel this is the safest approach.

[Stuart91]

are out of the direct "spit line", we feel this is the safest approach.

 

Really? I've literally had to wring the spit from a windshield on occasions.

 

You're spot on about the lack of handling though. Maybe put on a fresh windshield for every lecture?

[ImagineerTom]

goosenecks aren't touched - are you sure because it's the greatest cliche of all time that someone walks up to a lectern, bends down towards the mic and fiddles with it several times during a speech because they think it's in the wrong place?

[Stuart91]

Good point, Tom. But at least there's not the same duration of contact as with someone gripping a handheld mic for an entire lecture.

[sandall]

It seems to be a golden rule of public speaking that if the mic is not in your hand it will need moving up or down before you speak, & at regular intervals while speaking (the exception is table-stands, which should be pushed as far away as possible behind your laptop and/or folder, & never, ever moved towards you when speaking). Hand-helds should either be held at waist-level, pointing slightly away, or shouted at from point-blank range.

 

Not sure how the speakers at my next outdoor gig will take to finding that the lectern they usually prop themselves on has been replaced by a gun-mic in a Rycote, with a "Do not touch, on pain of death" notice.

Edited October 8, 2020 by sandall

[ImagineerTom]

Good point, Tom. But at least there's not the same duration of contact as with someone gripping a handheld mic for an entire lecture.

 

As someone who’s about to tackle his 5th venue Covid operations risk assessment I feel duty bound to point out that it is the little insignificant, hardly anyone does it so we don’t need to do anything about it actions that score the highest for risk for almost exactly the same reason...