Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Scott Helmke]

For old Clear-Com analog partyline we have a bunch of classic RS-501 and RS-502TW packs, but also a couple lonely RS-601 and RS-602 packs.  Not sure why we even have them, but I ran across the need to be able to use an electret mic for a show and I grabbed the 602 off the shelf to test it.  Something rattling around inside, so that's an immediate trip to the repair bench (as is policy around here).  I opened it up and what fell out?  A couple of SMT chips!  Yes, the insides of these packs are a little crowded and I guess there was a little too much interference between two circuit boards.  So I set about to reflow the chips back on, and then the delicate ribbon cable broke off where it was soldered to one of the two boards. OK, so that's still fixable, I've done that sort of thing before.

But I have to ask... is it even worth doing?  These packs were not Clear-Com's finest hour.

[Brian Jojade]

Bunch of 602 packs listed on eBay for $179.  A few sold for that price, and a few sold at a best offer price under $100.

So, they're worth 'SOMETHING' but not a ton.  If the time it takes to fix it up and sell is worth it, well, that's up to you.

[Andrew Broughton]

What a mistake that particular line was. The 500 series - great! the 700 series - even better! the 600 series with the volume controls that have to be taped into position - SUCK SO HARD!

[Tim McCulloch]

What a mistake that particular line was. The 500 series - great! the 700 series - even better! the 600 series with the volume controls that have to be taped into position - SUCK SO HARD!

^^^ This.  Our county built a new arena about 14 years ago and ended up with 600 series belt packs.  They only have to sense a nearby object to turn themselves up or down.

[brian maddox]

What a mistake that particular line was. The 500 series - great! the 700 series - even better! the 600 series with the volume controls that have to be taped into position - SUCK SO HARD!

I'm a huge Clearcom fan, but the 600 series was just shockingly terrible. Volume knobs that turn too easily. Talk button that are too stiff to activate reliably. Pack that is actually too LIGHT so it slides across the table when you try to activate those talk buttons that, if I didn't already mention, were far too stiff to activate.

And they were programmable via an 1/8" port? Just so many bad design decisions.

They were actually quite capable units and offered huge improvements in functionality and flexibility over the 500 series. But everything about the physical design was so wrong that it overshadowed all of that.

And yes, the 700 series kept all the functionality but went back to the 500 style package. Huge improvement.

[Scott Helmke]

Well OK, I think this one will go on the "grudge fix" shelf where I don't let recalcitrant devices get away from me.

I do have a pair of RS-502 TW already sitting there, though. Still haven't been able to get a definite schematic for those, though I've reverse-engineered the internal TW adapter and figured out a fair bit from the RS-501 schematic.  Did you know they made those long enough to have both through-hole and SMT versions?

[Ike Zimbel]

Well OK, I think this one will go on the "grudge fix" shelf where I don't let recalcitrant devices get away from me.

I do have a pair of RS-502 TW already sitting there, though. Still haven't been able to get a definite schematic for those, though I've reverse-engineered the internal TW adapter and figured out a fair bit from the RS-501 schematic.  Did you know they made those long enough to have both through-hole and SMT versions?

I still own a couple, maybe the last two new ones, of the proprietary 20-pin chips that the are the heart of the 501/502 packs. If you trace it down to a bad chip, PM me. I also have a few other parts for that series and some other CC parts.

[Scott Helmke]

I still own a couple, maybe the last two new ones, of the proprietary 20-pin chips that the are the heart of the 501/502 packs. If you trace it down to a bad chip, PM me. I also have a few other parts for that series and some other CC parts.

Thanks!  It's more like there's some distortion on channel A when talking - I can pin down where the signal loses its mojo, but I can't figure out why it would be doing that. 

[Scott Helmke]

Yeah, well... I fixed the damn thing.   Might need it for a "sit down and gaff it to something" show coming up.

Occurred to me that maybe you could remove the knobs, cut a slot in the top of each pot shaft, and then 3D print a cone that sits around the shaft and prevents it from being turned by anything but a screwdriver.

[Ike Zimbel]

Yeah, well... I fixed the damn thing.   Might need it for a "sit down and gaff it to something" show coming up.

Occurred to me that maybe you could remove the knobs, cut a slot in the top of each pot shaft, and then 3D print a cone that sits around the shaft and prevents it from being turned by anything but a screwdriver.

What was the fix?

[Scott Helmke]

What was the fix?

Had to solder the two loose chips back to their circuit board, then replace the flimsy ribbon cable between the two boards.

[Ike Zimbel]

Had to solder the two loose chips back to their circuit board, then replace the flimsy ribbon cable between the two boards.

Ah! That old chestnut...all the parts have to be connected to each other! Figures...

[ProSoundWeb Community]