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Author Topic: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs  (Read 5732 times)

Tim McCulloch

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2018, 04:55:35 PM »

Most of the time, yes, but not always, and I'm not going to embrace an idea, or a way of operation, in which I might find my techs handing a condom wrapped belt pack to an actor or actress, even if it's once a year. I'm very strict about ways of doing things and I can't do something that I don't like 100%.

I take it you're in a country with charming governance, done mostly by a book of religion.  As I said, it's more about what you call something based on the way you use it, not what folks with 'dirty minds' might think.

The transmitter pack is covered by the barrier, sometimes a cotton roll (like used at the dentists) is placed on top before the barrier is rolled up and over, and then the entire assembly is placed in the "belt and pouch" (we've had those provided by the wardrobe dept). It's entirely possible for the "talent" to be unaware of what is inside the pouch - unless they remove it, and you told them to not mess with the transmitter, right?

Anyway, you've been given the *industry standard* way of protecting transmitter packs, as done at the highest levels of Broadway, the West End, Las Vegas and points in between.

That you seem embarrassed by an inanimate object made of latex is curious... but whatever.
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Eric Snodgrass

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2018, 01:04:52 AM »

NeoPax belts - https://www.trewaudio.com/product/neopax-wireless-transmitter-belt/  (the link is just for purposes of example - other companies sell these belts)

One size fits (almost) all.  I've used them on young kids and large adults.  They work perfectly and hold the transmitter snugly.
If you are still concerned about sweat getting into the connections and switches on top of the transmitter, do this one simple trick with this belt - turn the belt upside down, with the transmitter top facing down rather than up.  The transmitter will stay in the belt and sweat will not drip down into the pouch. 
If this isn't in your budget, or you don't want to use a belt, then the aforementioned "sweat shields" is still a tried-and-true method.  Just seal the top of the pack with some surgical tape and it will help quite
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frank kayser

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2018, 02:54:35 AM »

<snip>

The transmitter pack is covered by the barrier, sometimes a cotton roll (like used at the dentists) is placed on top before the barrier is rolled up and over, and then the entire assembly is placed in the "belt and pouch" (we've had those provided by the wardrobe dept). It's entirely possible for the "talent" to be unaware of what is inside the pouch - unless they remove it, and you told them to not mess with the transmitter, right?
<snip>


The cotton roll on top got me confused - I was thinking that the transmitter would go in battery-end in first, with the cable(s) and antenna out the open end, and worn antenna-down.  In this orientation, would the cotton roll and/or the tape be necessary?  And I'm also guessing the supplied belt-clip would not be usable, and a pouch necessary.
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Chris Ballard

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2018, 08:15:33 AM »


The cotton roll on top got me confused - I was thinking that the transmitter would go in battery-end in first, with the cable(s) and antenna out the open end, and worn antenna-down.  In this orientation, would the cotton roll and/or the tape be necessary?  And I'm also guessing the supplied belt-clip would not be usable, and a pouch necessary.

I know that some sweat proof pouches are actually made with holes for the antenna and connector at the bottom, and the pack slides through an opening that is secured at the top. This way, you don't risk the cover coming loose and the pack slipping out of the pouch.
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Scott Helmke

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2018, 09:48:37 AM »

I know that some sweat proof pouches are actually made with holes for the antenna and connector at the bottom, and the pack slides through an opening that is secured at the top. This way, you don't risk the cover coming loose and the pack slipping out of the pouch.

Way back at the start I mentioned that some people like to use rubber gloves - you can just have the antenna and mic plug sticking up into fingers!
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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #25 on: July 12, 2018, 01:04:51 PM »

We use http://www.sheathes.com/wireless/ and we tell the techs they are NOT CONDOMS and don’t ever take one and use it as one or 9 months later you may have another mouth to feed. Also they are bulk packed, not individually wrapped. We tape the mic cable to the side of the pack to give a strain relief and so the sweat doesn’t run straight into the connector.  We put the SHEATH on the pack and then put a large cotton ball in the top. And we then put it into the belt pack, we use the Neopax  http://www.neopax.biz/ . We use mostly Shure UHF-R and a few Sennheiser Ew100, it is a little bit of a tight fit but they work great.

The actors see the final product and are mic-ed up with a pre pouched pack. This technique was taught in a class (at AES in NYC) from a Broadway sound lady. I was using some of this technique already but had it reinforced in this class.

The other solution is to buy a Lectrosonics waterproof system. But I would still like to sheath them because sweat is unbelievably caustic. Before I started using the sheaths I had an actor sweat out a transmitter. I took it apart right after the rehearsal and found salt deposits on the boards inside the transmitter I cleaned it all off and it came back to life. The next day we sheathed every pack. it was inside in the summer time and the AC (Air Conditioning) wasn’t scheduled to come on during the rehearsals. The show was Grease and they were wearing leather jackets in this heat.
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Riley Casey

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #26 on: July 12, 2018, 03:11:39 PM »

All the commercially made belt pack pouches I've seen and used over the years were a great way to protect the condom but the condom is what put the 'proof' in waterproof.  Whats to be gained by sneering at the suggestions offered on the forum by other pro sound ops - even when they sneer back?  If you don't think it's of value ask elsewhere.  I suspect you'll get the same answers but you won't have burned bridges doing so.

Yeah...... well when I said professional I was thinking more along the lines of Shure PA301 or Aquapac 158A, not a condom.

My company runs high profile shows in my country and I'm not going to offer actors a belt pack inside a f***ing condom. Not gonna happen.


Justin Goodman

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #27 on: July 12, 2018, 03:52:08 PM »

Even a condom will allow sweat to drip down the cable, no?  We use "TuneBelt" neoprene pouches in our indoor cycle studio and get SUPER sweaty and our QLXD packs hold up just fine--over 1 year with the same 2 packs now (+ lithium batteries).  I do know that studios which use BLX/SLX packs treat them as consumables. 
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frank kayser

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #28 on: July 12, 2018, 04:47:41 PM »

Even a condom will allow sweat to drip down the cable, no?  We use "TuneBelt" neoprene pouches in our indoor cycle studio and get SUPER sweaty and our QLXD packs hold up just fine--over 1 year with the same 2 packs now (+ lithium batteries).  I do know that studios which use BLX/SLX packs treat them as consumables.


That was my point in asking how to use it.  Transmitter antenna down, anything on the antenna drips off harmlessly.  Cable (if mic is above the waist and beltpack on the waist) would run down, then up to the transmitter, creating a "natural" drip loop, also keeping sweat out - at least that's how I imagine it all working.  Gravity is your friend. 


In any configuration, if you create a drip loop in the cable before the wire enters the transmitter/pouch, it will be that much more difficult for sweat to follow the cable and get into the electronics.  Tape or safety-pin the loop down to stay in place.
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Ron Cayman

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Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #29 on: July 13, 2018, 01:54:35 AM »

That you seem embarrassed by an inanimate object made of latex is curious... but whatever.

I'm not embarrassed, I just know my clients.

All the commercially made belt pack pouches I've seen and used over the years were a great way to protect the condom but the condom is what put the 'proof' in waterproof.  Whats to be gained by sneering at the suggestions offered on the forum by other pro sound ops - even when they sneer back?  If you don't think it's of value ask elsewhere.  I suspect you'll get the same answers but you won't have burned bridges doing so.

Don't get me wrong -- except for one or two, I think all of the replies here are of great value and really helped me in finding what I was looking for and couldn't find by myself.

I understand that this is how things are done at the highest levels in Broadway and Vegas and that's fine, I just wanted more ideas and solutions that will fit my needs.

And again, thank you guys for some really helpful replies.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Water-tight cover for wireless body-packs
« Reply #29 on: July 13, 2018, 01:54:35 AM »


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