Today’s video is made possible by our friends at iFixit. iFixit's Spring Yard Sale is going on right now! On top of the discounts on tools and parts, you can enter to win a mystery box filled with iFixit tools. Just visit www.ifixit.com/tested
I use an iFixit ProTech toolkit when working on my PC. LOVE IT!!! Especially love that they give you the really tiny magnetic bits for the screws for the m.2 slots. It’s been a godsend.
Hey Adam could you save money by running 1 electric motor off a single 110v outlet to spin a few generators to power the rest of the house for only the price of the electric motor running instead of the entire house what do you think
I replace OEM antennas of Sennheiser G3 and G4 TX and RX packs with SMA connectors. This allows me to remove the antennas for storage and to very easily replace broken antennas. I kind of consider whip antennas as expendables. Also, for the OEM antennas, placing heat shrink tubing helps protect them from cuts on the insulation.
Hi Adam, big fan! If you in your future soldering repair jobs add a bit of leaded solder to alloy the existing lead free solder in your device, it will have a lower melting point. There is even a product called "low melt solder" for this purpous. This reduces the risk of damaging anything by overheating and makes for example using a desoldering pump much easier.
I was in retail maintenance for 6 years, the walkies the team use are torn to shreds constantly, either antennas would break or the main button would come off the board, profit wise the store had to spend close to 1500 dollars to replace a walkie, I started collecting the broken ones and frankenstein-ing them into working units. not the hugest impact but it was personally gratifying to see so many continue on
As a former (and still sometimes) electronics tech, solder wick and flux are your friends when it comes to jobs like this Adam; they make repair work so much easier.
@@11cramm11 soldered for years in TV broadcast and special FX. Never used flux. For new job was trained in military grade soldering. It is amazing what a bit of attention to detail and flux can do to make it so much easier and the results, so much better.
I know I said this before, but this old bench engineer (UHF/uWave) cringes whenever Adam grabs a soldering iron. We should probably pool our resources and get him a pack of solder wick, desoldering pump, and jar of flux!!!
With plastic screw (or any self cutting screw for that matter) I would advice to turn the screw backward till you feel the screw drop into the excisting threads. otherwise there's a chance it might cut new thread weakening the construction
This is advice everyone should follow. Always start screws backwards. It will automatically align the threads and prevent all sorts of issues. Drive it forward after it drops into place. This is one of those pro tips that actually works and ought to be a basic practice for everyone.
Hi film sound engineer here. Thanks for sharing our struggles and giving us some credit! Next time, it's very common to mod this so they have a better antenna option. It's called a SMa mod, essentially makes the whip replaceable. Good luck
Unfortunately those antennas that were sourced for the video are not OEM. The Sennheiser antennas for A-range bodypacks (G3 and G4) is part # 575297. They will have the angled metal hook that you see originally installed on the RF board, as opposed to the aftermarket antennas with the wire. Much easier to install. Still, Adam did a great job with the antenna replacement.
It looked like the new antenna was a touch shorter on the outside (could have been an illusion) but if that were the case, then they may have compensated by having the interior wire longer to maintain the wavelength. Might have been better to do a single loop on the inside with the full length leader. Just an observation and might only cost you a little bit of range if that is in fact the intent.
12:00 The best solvent for getting sticky label adhesive off of equipment without damaging the finish is Bestine Rubber Cement Thinner. Barge Thinner should be the same chemical.
As a voiceover professional and content creator, I love my Sennheiser mics & gear, wireless G4s included. But I've always thought that non-replaceable antennae were a MASSIVE design oversight. Flex-antennae are ALWAYS going to be a failure vector. They should be easily replaceable onto these receivers and transmitters with simple thread-locking replacements in the same way you can with a walkie talkie or a CB/HAM hand unit.
possibility an intentional "oversight", means that they have to be replaced more often. i used to think it was unfair to always assume the worst but i have seen evidence recently that proves malice more often the simple oversight.
Audio engineer for theatre here, the non-replaceable antenna is likely nothing more than a cost saving measure on the manufacturer side. Whilst not excatly cheap Sennheiser g3, g4 etc are a fairly mid range, affordable option for wireless mics. Higher end devices like Sennhsier 6000 and Shure Axient have threaded connections to quickly swap a damaged antenna
@@chedwin I'd say a threaded connection would be overkill on this one. It's just a piece of wire in rubber. So putting in a mono 2.5mm jack (not a 3.5mm like the input jack to avoid them being swapped all the time accidentally) and only using the tip would have been fine. From a production view, the jack would probably have been cheaper to make, as it can go in with the input jack, avoiding the extra step of managing that long antenna while soldering it in. From a usage view, yes, the antenna can now easily be pulled out---but it is right next to an input jack that can be pulled out just as easily.
As a tool lover, my favourite thing is finding the best of a tool for a given job. Tweezers, screwdrivers/bits, pry tools, various board clamps/ jigs, underfill removal blades etc. When working under a microscope, often the best tool for a given job is leagues above second best, so it's super satisfying when you find that tool.
Wow, I just started an in house theatre sound gig and they use these exact models! Great to have this little insight has transmitter repairs are on my to do list!
Like I said to someone else; watch out for the cable strain relief and plug/socket. I like to make a strain relief loop and tape it to the belt pack to help reduce that
I've done these exact repairs a bunch of times. Sennheiser Evolution Wireless ew100g2 or g3. The antennas, the mic jack and the buttons die on them. I'm an IATSE Local One - NYC Stagehands union member, working for one of the big AV equipment rental shops for Broadway shows. We rent and repair lots of Sennheiser, Shure and Lectrosonics RF systems.
Love these mic packs. Been using them for decades. I would like to say they are "bomb proof", but then probably only you would know if that is really true - lol. Never had to replace an antenna, but now I have a reference if ever that is needed. Thank you!
Several aftermarket makers have far more bullet proof antennas than the OEM type. There's one that even has a little more aggressive mod where you drill a hole in the other side of the case, thread it (they have it in the kit) and you basically make a loop of wire, that's bolted to the case. Very stout antenna. They're all online, not gonna link or name on account of YT's draconian rules.
Agreed. The ew100 series are great wireless systems. Even had an actor drop one in the toilet while it was on (yes, ew) and I disassembled it and scrubbed it with alcohol and stuck fresh set of batteries in and it's still in service to this day.
I moved onto Lectrosonics wireless many years ago. But still have these as my camera sends from my audio bag. I installed SMA antennas onto all my G3s. It’s definitely worth doing. Sma antennas can be taken off for storage or easy swapping to a new one also I feel I have slightly better reception stability
When I worked sports production Lectro was the go to microphone for the sturdy case and easy replace antenna. Plus the antenna was not a floppy. For floppy antennas, some thin wall shrink tube helps them be a bit more ridged without affecting RF.
@@nomenclature9373 of course. Sennheisers are prosumer stuff. I have a couple sets of Lectrosonics SM Wide Band TX’s running into SRC receivers myself. But still have the G3s sitting around as camera hops for scratch audio
Kudos to Sennheiser for providing parts. I would expect that in the professional arena where Sennheiser sells these mics, but that is not always the case. From here on out, if it's a choice between Sennheiser and some other brand, I'm going to choose Sennheiser. Thanks for posting, Adam. Thanks to the whole Tested team! Love these videos!
I mean, Shure is also always an option...both are NOT consumer brands like sony, they're professional brands and as such they actually provide real support for their products long term.
@SomeGuy's Garage Sony is hardly a consumer brand in the pro audio and video space. They have been making professional cameras and mics for decades. The famous telescoping "Bob Barker" MC mic is a Sony. Always has been. A more modern Sony Pro mic, their C800G, starts at 10 grand and up. I've seen it listed for 25 grand. Yes. Twenty five thousand actual US dollars. Absolutely not a product aimed at consumers.
@@LatitudeSky I'm aware that Sony has professional lines, but 99% of stages in the world will have Shure or Sennheiser on them. And when you look at the breakdown of Sony's revenue, only a tiny tiny tiny fraction comes from professional equipment. In the end, I know if I need parts for a Shure mic, they will have them and it'll be one phone call away...good luck doing that with Sony (as evidence by the fact Adam's team can't source parts for those mics).
Adam! I can’t believe your team doesn’t have a knurled nut driver for your Sennheisers! See the video at 5:32. I’ve been using this unit for years as a variety western arts performer (trick roping and bullwhips) and after much frustration after the nut on the microphone input jack loosened and I lost it. The jack turned when you were tightening the microphone plug and eventually shorted. So I searched out the solution and found the right diameter knurled nut driver made specifically for this task. I carry it in the case with my trans/rcvr and periodically tighten the nuts. It’s a must have if you use these units on a regular basis. With all your tool knowledge I’m surprised you didn’t already have one. Get one for the Savage video team!
The OEM antenna has the rigid metal "pin" (like the one Adam removed) I've replaced dozens of this antennas and have never seen one with this wire, interesting. Another tip - the pin to remove the battery door slips out with ease, making the whole thing a little easier to handle.
as a technical note: when replacing an antenna, make sure you match the length of all the important wires and such to the originals unless otherwise noted. They factor into the physics of the antenna and the associated wavelengths. Negative impacts can range from degraded performance, to components failing.
As someone who worked for a 'self maintainer' the hardest part of self maintaining was finding the parts...or if we did they'd end up costing the same if not more than the equipment. This lead us buying new units to be used for parts or trying to salvage any parts that could be save and reused from equipment which came back to us from the field (or sadly in some cases our own warehouse) that had been damaged beyond repair.
Back in the late '70s I saw an Xcelite driver for the nut on those 1/8-inch (3.5mm) jacks. It was a hollow tube with two nubs sticking out, 180° apart, so they would fit into the notches in the nut on its knurled face. It also had a center pin that would fit into the jack and provide alignment and a center of rotation. I always regret not buying it, and have never seen an equivalent in all the years since. In its place I've typically used a pair of needle-nosed pliers, similar to what Adam tried with the tweezers but sturdier. Put the ends of the jaws into the notches and twist, keeping the pliers rotation axis aligned with the jack.
It’s called a knurled nut driver. I have one I use for periodic tightening of the microphone input jack. It can loosen with time and if you lose it you can develop an internal short very quickly. In my opinion it’s an invaluable tool if you use the Sennheiser packs.
This hits home so much. So satisfying to see some content of this type being brought to the masses that don't always realize the tech behind the scenes. Good info and references from other commenters too.
6:10 "it's exactly the same part" .. but clearly it is not, the original part has a metal strip coming out of the plastic body, while with the new part it the antenna wire.
Love getting to see the inside of these sennheiser units that I use everyday. Curious as to why you simply replaced the antenna when the well-known SMA mod exists and isn't that much more difficult. Instead of a permanent antenna replacement, you can install a standard RF antenna jack and use whatever length (e.g. frequency) whip you want, as well as increasing range and reliability. Still, a great vid and I'll be referencing it later when I need to!
I replace OEM antennas of Sennheiser G3 and G4 TX and RX packs with SMA connectors. This allows me to remove the antennas for storage and to very easily replace broken antennas. I kind of consider whip antennas as expendables. Also, for the OEM antennas, placing heat shrink tubing helps protect them from cuts on the insulation.
I can't begin to count how many of these I've done on a workbench, or even just a flightcase top, backstage in a theatre. Swapping out the mic connector is a bit more involved, but doable for a good solderer.
I'm going to add in myself as a "helpful hints from a pro" guy. Having something along the lines of a plastic ice cube tray or any other compartmentalized container on hand while you're working on something like these is very helpful. If you place parts removed, in order, into compartments in the container, you're automatically sequenced for reassembly, plus you tend to not lose the parts. Until of course you knock the container over
Oh man, I have the same mics and about 7 years ago one antenna got caught in a pelican case and mangled. Not enough to kill it, just enough to make it sketchy (which is the worst state!) I mostly use lav recorders these days, so I've literally been putting off fixing it for 7 years. Thanks to this video I ordered the spares and fixed it in 10 minutes in my garage. Thanks for the encouragement!
Working with music and theater, I have repaired countless of this types of units. Or fittet new EW jacks on the cables/headsets. I've repaired +30.000k usd sound desks under 20min a change over, and soldered on eg. a Hammond organ that had been on tour since the 60s with the same musician. I always loved these chaos moments. Who said you needed education to have a cool job with amazing experiences ;)
7:02 reminded me of a bit from a PBS broadcast of The Barber of Seville or the Marriage of Figgaro. (whichever one is a comedy, I don't remember and I'm not an opera aficionado) where one character threw a quill pen at another and it landed on the floor like Adams pliers in the trash, with matching sound effect, to much joy from the audience
Great, money-saving, waste-preventing work! For folks at home who don't solder all the time, you can fix the struggle with melting factory solder by adding a little of your own. Most manufactured electronics use lead-free solder that doesn't melt easily. Adding some more of your lower-temp leaded solder can help everything flow the way you'd like it to flow.
If it were me i would probably mod the device by installing an SMA connector so I can easily remove/replace the antenna, assuming those are just basic whip antennas and nothing proprietary.
I would put heat shrink tube on those to make them stiffer, a long piece down the whole length then a larger shorter piece to stiffen up the body joint area.
As a ham radio operator, this video was very interesting. If Adam does not have an amateur radio license yet, I challenge him to get one. Time for a test Bud!
These are excellent audio transmitters and receivers. In a past life I used to modify these, repackaging them into a smaller form factor, adding a SMA antenna socket, to live their lives as listening devices for gathering evidence for law enforcement. Got great range when the receiver was equipped with a yagi antenna.
@@kozjegyzo To be fair he's a television professional, not a sound or video professional. He spends far more time in front of the camera than behind it and has pros to worry about sound and video for him.
I love these senheiser wireless packs, but after the second time I had to toss out my systems after the FCC sold off bandwidth I switch to the Rode Wireless Go system. Definitely prefer sennheiser for quality, but as a smaller creator the Go works great and is super convenient.
What's the reason for needing to sell? Is it that you're not "authorized" to use them on that frequency any more, or the frequency gets crowded and noisy?
@@ReverendTedthe FCC gave that portion of frequencies for exclusive use to some other entities, perhaps law enforcement. They continually do this encroaching on Amature radio spectrum as well as spectrum that is used for low power transmitters. Basically if you use the "banned" equipment and cause harmful interference to the licensed allocated user who PAID BIG MONEY TO THE FCC to get this portion of frequencies the FCC will basically take you for all your worth because you are not licensed to use that bit of bandwidth. As with most government agencies with alphabet names they will change your name to Ben Dover.
I own 22 of these, and have had to replaces about 10 antenna's aver the last 12 years It's amazing how easy it was. I to found a UA-cam channel that spelled out the process. On mine the Plastic just deteriorated and left bare wire exposed. Thought I purchased the Sennheiser replacement parts, which are all set with the little metal fine, and not a wire lead.
Right after I started watching this video I got a call to rent one of my Sennheiser wireless lavs. I have G3 until and G2 units. When I went to check my inventory, lo and behold 2 of my old G2's had broken antennas. Adam Savage to the rescue! One of the G2s and all the G3s were fine, but, hey, this looks like an easy fix. So thanks!
nice Repair thanks 4 sharing, a coworker suggests that U INVERT the belt clip on the Transmitter(body pack) to Ease STRESS on the Antenna. that could help your new Antenna last longer Regards : )
You need a special (weird) tool for the mic jack nuts. I have one I would like to send you, gratis. After doing repairs on sennheiser packs for years, our group went with shure for our latest system -- SMA connectors for the antennas, and real mic connectors (Lemo) that have been far more reliable. We went digital as well. Yeah, the Lemos are much harder to repair, but they don't fail as often. Where do i send your new tool?
I used to repair audio and lighting equipment and this has always been an issue with these body packs. You get really fast at fixing these things after a while 😂
Interesting note: the pack identifies as a diversity receiver. This means it has multiple antennas that it selects the best signal from. But where is the second antenna? If you look at the output jack that Adam had trouble removing you can see a similar trace on the pcb to the one he fixed which runs to the jack. The pack uses the plugged in cable as the second antenna. Clever! In-ear monitor packs do the same thing where your headphone cable acts as the second antenna. Not well tuned but a good secondary.
Adam, A tip when putting screws back in. Back them off by loosening them until they "sit" You'll hear a click or pop and then tighten them. Especially on plastic. Otherwise you'll be cutting a new thread which will make the connections weaker. May have to get me a set of those iFixit kits. I don't have much in tools at my computer desk/mini workshop.
I did one of these like a month ago haha, odd seeing it here, it's harder on the handheld mics, you need like 4 hands to hold everything in just the right place to Solder stuff!
where did you all get those OEM mic replacement parts at? thank you for the wonderful video! we run a small community theatre in SWFL that is 10 years old. We have lots of mics that could use antenna replacement and I'm handy with a soldering iron.
Although I like some of the features of the Sennheiser wireless transmitters and receivers, in the film and TV biz we usually use Lectrosonics products. They are more robust than the others and don't seem to be as susceptible to RF interference. But that's just for bigger budgeted productions. I have done low-budget jobs with Sennheiser and Sony wirelesses but I don't enjoy it. Try to do a shoot with RF mics on the Las Vegas Strip (Las Vegas is a big bowl of RF signals) and you will soon be renting Lectrosonic's. We do love many of the Sennheiser mics. The Sennheiser 416 is a standard work horse shotgun mic, as an example. I have NEVER had the antenna go bad on a Lectro transmitter. That said, Senheisers will get the job done, especially if you are in a controlled environment. There are no plastic parts on a Lectro wireless, at least there wasn't when I retired a few years ago after 50 years in the biz.
Another fun failure mode of the Sennheiser receivers is that the plastic shoe that mounts the receivers to a camera handle or accessory mount breaks too easily. Fighting with the springs that hold the bracket assembly in place and fiddling with the smallest screw in the world that holds the shoe in place are one of the greatest pleasures to be had. 😄
i remember soldering cables to make a street lamp for a movie and yes that exactly what i did, do i cut here or there maybe give a little more room but i think its a little too much and i end up cut too short
Its nice and confidence inspiring to have the oem replacement, but that is simply wire. You paid 20 bucks for the plastic strain relief molding. We want to see you fix the Sony's with wire out of the medcart drawers, and some hot snot strain relief, and a pinched off heat shrink at the tip :)
Just letting the wire poke into the soft solder and leaving it like that is asking for future intermittent trouble from a cold solder joint. Once you know it is in place you should carefully heat it again to make sure the solder has flowed nicely between both the wire and the board for a solid connection. Cold solder joints are the likely the source of a majority of intermittent electronic failures.
Had an antenna detach internally during a musical a couple months ago. No spare bodypacks. While the actor was off stage for a few minutes I hot glued it back onto the circuit board and more hot glue to keep the antenna from pulling again. It worked to get through the show but I had to trash it when it was done!
Right as Adam was scraping off the old asset tag I said out loud "You're making me nervous, Adam", and IMMEDIATLY after he said "I know I know, its scaring you moving toward my thumb" You read my mind sir.
Quick tip to strenghten those Sennheiser Antennas from a Sound professional: wrap them in Heatshrink tube! A lenght of heatshrink from the strain relief up to just below the tip makes them much stronger and reliable
As a technician that was a bad solder joint your iron is not hot enough also use fluxative and heat up the solder connection until it's nice and shiny or you will get a cold joint because the board was colder than the connection pad and this can crack the solder you just need lots and lots of practise
I had 14 Audio technica transmitters with microphone connectors that were wrecked. I was able to convince my boss that it was a simple fix and after we got the parts in we are back up to having a full stock of working microphones. Repairing your own equipment is awesome.
I did this same repair: 1. A lot easier if you remove that daughter board so you can see what you are doing 2. The non-OEM antennae are actually short of the ideal resonant length - Lectrosonics engineers say if a mic is on a body the resonant length pretty much goes out the window but if this is the receiver on your camera or bag it's worth getting the right length for your band imo
As an AV installer and audio engineer by trade, I have one clarification to make. We don’t necessarily have to swap out ALL of our wireless equipment every few years, just some of it. Around 2010, the FCC started selling off the 698-806MHz band to cell carriers, and around 2020 they did the same for the 608-698MHz band (with a little gap from 614-616). But for a couple decades now, we’ve been able to buy wireless audio equipment that operates as low as 470MHz, and some manufacturers like Shure even offer systems in the 174-216MHz band. For anyone who had equipment operating in the bands that were sold off, most manufacturers offered either a rebate program to replace your now-obsolete stuff with compliant systems (which was a good deal for all parties, as the manufacturer could turn around and resell sell the returned systems overseas), or for certain systems like those in the 500-low 600 range, a firmware update that would remove access to the now-illegal frequencies. And nowadays, some companies are selling more budget-oriented digital systems that use the 2.4GHz normally associated with WiFi and Bluetooth. We do have to share the existing low-band frequencies with local TV stations, which can sometimes cause issues for less experienced wireless equipment operators (*cough cough* churches *cough cough*), but manufacturers have made the spectrum easier to navigate with websites that can help you sort out which frequencies are less occupied in your area, as well as most professional wireless audio equipment nowadays having an “auto scan” function that will build an internal database of which frequencies have the least amount of activity at the time. Wireless system management can get very convoluted once you get beyond around 10 simultaneous channels, though. Many people are amazed when I tell them that basically every mid-large touring act has a full-time RF tech position whose soul task is to coordinate the frequencies used for every single wireless microphone, instrument, and in-ear monitor system (which for A-list artists can sometimes get to more than 30-40 once you consider every musician’s multiple instruments and backups). It’s a whole world that I understand relatively little about. I have huge respect for touring RF technicians, especially now that our list of usable frequencies is shrinking every decade or so.
if those antennas are as prone to breakage as you suggest I think I would have been tempted to put a socket in there so that the antenna could be easily replaced without needing to break out the soldering iron. It's more work that just doing a like for like replacement, but in the long run seems like it might be worth it.
Is it me, or are the newer antennas shorter coming out of the box? As a radio operator, I'm not sure I would have clipped the wire shorter as it was probably made that length to match the transmit frequency. With higher power, this could kill a transmitter. But these are probably such low power that it won't. It could affect the range, but it's not like you're using them in a theatre.
Adam, you need to buy a solder suction gun. After years of using a regular soldering iron I didn't think it would have been that big of a difference but oh man...Removing the solder on those types of pads or through hole is very satisfying. Give it a shot, you won't regret it.
I thought for sure you were going to be replacing the 1/8" locking plug on the end of the wired mic. I've been using these for decades and that's the point that always seems to fail on ours.
You really took me back when you said: you had a calibrated eye. When my Dad and I would be working on something and needed a socket or wrench, we would pick the correct one, he would say that. Thanks.
I did this for a couple of our church bodypacks recently - a bit fiddly but definately doable with only minimal soldering experience. I only paid £17 for 4 so I suspect that $20 figure was for all four of them, not each. Definately a worthwhile exercise.
Hi, Adam just watched your video again and I seen you were struggling to unscrew the socket on the unit when the next time you’re on eBay type in handheld antenna tool it looks like a mini spanner. Socket if I knew how to send you the link I would then you know what I mean..
I’ve been a sound recordist since 2014. I had and went past these G3’s they are good for what they are but the static is horrible especially when a battery runs out on the transmitter sends static. Wish I had this trick antenna in my day. I have 3 of them in a box still. Working with LECTROSONIC UCR-411A and have 10 lavs now. We are due for better systems in the coming years please!!
A couple of commenters have mentioned specialty knurled nut drivers for this job. If those are not around, I might try Surgeons splinter's pliers, which are the bridge between tweezers and needle nose pliers.
Would be interesting to hear the current status of Right to Repair in the US, it's for exactly these types of repairs. There has been some movement on that past few months.
Why you don't build your own antenna? They seem to be 1/4 wave antenna. So base on the frequency range of 516 to 556 mhz you should build an antenna with a length of around 13.96 cm... You can probably calculate the right antenna for your other mic model too.
Adam - There is a mod for the Sennheiser g3 packs which is a antenna on a sma connector. A great long term fix and not that expensive either! Have a Google
pro tip for removing the nut on the jack - old school staple remover (the ones that look like they have fangs) - they line up perfectly and are rigid enough to loosen (and tighten when needed) these nuts.
Today’s video is made possible by our friends at iFixit. iFixit's Spring Yard Sale is going on right now! On top of the discounts on tools and parts, you can enter to win a mystery box filled with iFixit tools. Just visit www.ifixit.com/tested
I use an iFixit ProTech toolkit when working on my PC. LOVE IT!!! Especially love that they give you the really tiny magnetic bits for the screws for the m.2 slots. It’s been a godsend.
I don't see a way to enter to win a mystery box via the attached link 🤔
Hey Adam could you save money by running 1 electric motor off a single 110v outlet to spin a few generators to power the rest of the house for only the price of the electric motor running instead of the entire house what do you think
I replace OEM antennas of Sennheiser G3 and G4 TX and RX packs with SMA connectors. This allows me to remove the antennas for storage and to very easily replace broken antennas. I kind of consider whip antennas as expendables. Also, for the OEM antennas, placing heat shrink tubing helps protect them from cuts on the insulation.
Hi Adam, big fan! If you in your future soldering repair jobs add a bit of leaded solder to alloy the existing lead free solder in your device, it will have a lower melting point.
There is even a product called "low melt solder" for this purpous.
This reduces the risk of damaging anything by overheating and makes for example using a desoldering pump much easier.
I was in retail maintenance for 6 years, the walkies the team use are torn to shreds constantly, either antennas would break or the main button would come off the board, profit wise the store had to spend close to 1500 dollars to replace a walkie, I started collecting the broken ones and frankenstein-ing them into working units. not the hugest impact but it was personally gratifying to see so many continue on
I prefer to model before that. because they were a screw on thread. Very quick & simple to change
The world needs more fixers and less throw away mind sets.
Saved from the landfill. ❤
@@Eremon1 They need to mskr things more fixable too. As a Mr Fixit myself I run into more anti fixit activities by mfrs.
If it ain't broke, fix don't it
As a former (and still sometimes) electronics tech, solder wick and flux are your friends when it comes to jobs like this Adam; they make repair work so much easier.
Used them for the first time a bit ago, total game changer
@@11cramm11 soldered for years in TV broadcast and special FX. Never used flux. For new job was trained in military grade soldering. It is amazing what a bit of attention to detail and flux can do to make it so much easier and the results, so much better.
And chisel tip instead of conical. This is just painful 😂
flux for the win lol
I know I said this before, but this old bench engineer (UHF/uWave) cringes whenever Adam grabs a soldering iron. We should probably pool our resources and get him a pack of solder wick, desoldering pump, and jar of flux!!!
With plastic screw (or any self cutting screw for that matter) I would advice to turn the screw backward till you feel the screw drop into the excisting threads.
otherwise there's a chance it might cut new thread weakening the construction
This is advice everyone should follow. Always start screws backwards. It will automatically align the threads and prevent all sorts of issues. Drive it forward after it drops into place. This is one of those pro tips that actually works and ought to be a basic practice for everyone.
@@LatitudeSky I learned the trick from reusable drink bottles and took the lesson over to pill bottles and screws that go into plastic.
Standard advice from the Nerf modding community, too.
Hi film sound engineer here. Thanks for sharing our struggles and giving us some credit! Next time, it's very common to mod this so they have a better antenna option. It's called a SMa mod, essentially makes the whip replaceable. Good luck
Unfortunately those antennas that were sourced for the video are not OEM. The Sennheiser antennas for A-range bodypacks (G3 and G4) is part # 575297. They will have the angled metal hook that you see originally installed on the RF board, as opposed to the aftermarket antennas with the wire. Much easier to install. Still, Adam did a great job with the antenna replacement.
It looked like the new antenna was a touch shorter on the outside (could have been an illusion) but if that were the case, then they may have compensated by having the interior wire longer to maintain the wavelength. Might have been better to do a single loop on the inside with the full length leader. Just an observation and might only cost you a little bit of range if that is in fact the intent.
12:00 The best solvent for getting sticky label adhesive off of equipment without damaging the finish is Bestine Rubber Cement Thinner. Barge Thinner should be the same chemical.
Goo-Gone..
As an audio engineer, I thoroughly appreciate this particular video.
me too, been using these for years specially for iem monitoring in live shows and had never seen the insides of it
As a voiceover professional and content creator, I love my Sennheiser mics & gear, wireless G4s included. But I've always thought that non-replaceable antennae were a MASSIVE design oversight. Flex-antennae are ALWAYS going to be a failure vector. They should be easily replaceable onto these receivers and transmitters with simple thread-locking replacements in the same way you can with a walkie talkie or a CB/HAM hand unit.
possibility an intentional "oversight", means that they have to be replaced more often.
i used to think it was unfair to always assume the worst but i have seen evidence recently that proves malice more often the simple oversight.
I don't know much about audio gear but I'd think there's a way to mod these with replaceable antennas
@ARockRaider "Designed Obsolescence" is 100% a thing. Really glad there are no moving parts to my MKE 416...
Audio engineer for theatre here, the non-replaceable antenna is likely nothing more than a cost saving measure on the manufacturer side. Whilst not excatly cheap Sennheiser g3, g4 etc are a fairly mid range, affordable option for wireless mics. Higher end devices like Sennhsier 6000 and Shure Axient have threaded connections to quickly swap a damaged antenna
@@chedwin I'd say a threaded connection would be overkill on this one. It's just a piece of wire in rubber. So putting in a mono 2.5mm jack (not a 3.5mm like the input jack to avoid them being swapped all the time accidentally) and only using the tip would have been fine. From a production view, the jack would probably have been cheaper to make, as it can go in with the input jack, avoiding the extra step of managing that long antenna while soldering it in. From a usage view, yes, the antenna can now easily be pulled out---but it is right next to an input jack that can be pulled out just as easily.
As a tool lover, my favourite thing is finding the best of a tool for a given job. Tweezers, screwdrivers/bits, pry tools, various board clamps/ jigs, underfill removal blades etc. When working under a microscope, often the best tool for a given job is leagues above second best, so it's super satisfying when you find that tool.
3:43 I repair things like this a lot as a gigging musician and I can't stress enough the importance of using a magnetic bowl to hold your screws.
Wow, I just started an in house theatre sound gig and they use these exact models! Great to have this little insight has transmitter repairs are on my to do list!
Like I said to someone else; watch out for the cable strain relief and plug/socket. I like to make a strain relief loop and tape it to the belt pack to help reduce that
@@NeneExists just seeing this, but this was a day one task for me, thanks though!
I've done these exact repairs a bunch of times. Sennheiser Evolution Wireless ew100g2 or g3. The antennas, the mic jack and the buttons die on them. I'm an IATSE Local One - NYC Stagehands union member, working for one of the big AV equipment rental shops for Broadway shows. We rent and repair lots of Sennheiser, Shure and Lectrosonics RF systems.
Love these mic packs. Been using them for decades. I would like to say they are "bomb proof", but then probably only you would know if that is really true - lol. Never had to replace an antenna, but now I have a reference if ever that is needed. Thank you!
Several aftermarket makers have far more bullet proof antennas than the OEM type. There's one that even has a little more aggressive mod where you drill a hole in the other side of the case, thread it (they have it in the kit) and you basically make a loop of wire, that's bolted to the case. Very stout antenna. They're all online, not gonna link or name on account of YT's draconian rules.
I've found the cable strain relief and plug/socket combo fails more than the antenna
Agreed. The ew100 series are great wireless systems. Even had an actor drop one in the toilet while it was on (yes, ew) and I disassembled it and scrubbed it with alcohol and stuck fresh set of batteries in and it's still in service to this day.
I moved onto Lectrosonics wireless many years ago. But still have these as my camera sends from my audio bag. I installed SMA antennas onto all my G3s. It’s definitely worth doing. Sma antennas can be taken off for storage or easy swapping to a new one also I feel I have slightly better reception stability
Now this is a modification that definitely interests me. Could you provide a few more details?
When I worked sports production Lectro was the go to microphone for the sturdy case and easy replace antenna. Plus the antenna was not a floppy. For floppy antennas, some thin wall shrink tube helps them be a bit more ridged without affecting RF.
@@nomenclature9373 of course. Sennheisers are prosumer stuff. I have a couple sets of Lectrosonics SM Wide Band TX’s running into SRC receivers myself. But still have the G3s sitting around as camera hops for scratch audio
Kudos to Sennheiser for providing parts. I would expect that in the professional arena where Sennheiser sells these mics, but that is not always the case. From here on out, if it's a choice between Sennheiser and some other brand, I'm going to choose Sennheiser. Thanks for posting, Adam. Thanks to the whole Tested team! Love these videos!
I mean, Shure is also always an option...both are NOT consumer brands like sony, they're professional brands and as such they actually provide real support for their products long term.
@SomeGuy's Garage Sony is hardly a consumer brand in the pro audio and video space. They have been making professional cameras and mics for decades. The famous telescoping "Bob Barker" MC mic is a Sony. Always has been. A more modern Sony Pro mic, their C800G, starts at 10 grand and up. I've seen it listed for 25 grand. Yes. Twenty five thousand actual US dollars. Absolutely not a product aimed at consumers.
Sennheiser tends to be my top choice for microphones anyway, but this does demonstrate why.
@@LatitudeSky I'm aware that Sony has professional lines, but 99% of stages in the world will have Shure or Sennheiser on them. And when you look at the breakdown of Sony's revenue, only a tiny tiny tiny fraction comes from professional equipment. In the end, I know if I need parts for a Shure mic, they will have them and it'll be one phone call away...good luck doing that with Sony (as evidence by the fact Adam's team can't source parts for those mics).
You're a brave man Mr. Savage. I would have tested the receiver before buttoning it all up again (i.e., inserting and tightening up the screws).
true, it's bad luck not to
Adam! I can’t believe your team doesn’t have a knurled nut driver for your Sennheisers! See the video at 5:32. I’ve been using this unit for years as a variety western arts performer (trick roping and bullwhips) and after much frustration after the nut on the microphone input jack loosened and I lost it. The jack turned when you were tightening the microphone plug and eventually shorted. So I searched out the solution and found the right diameter knurled nut driver made specifically for this task. I carry it in the case with my trans/rcvr and periodically tighten the nuts. It’s a must have if you use these units on a regular basis. With all your tool knowledge I’m surprised you didn’t already have one. Get one for the Savage video team!
Heck, Adam could probably hand MAKE a tool. Would be a fun little project.
The OEM antenna has the rigid metal "pin" (like the one Adam removed) I've replaced dozens of this antennas and have never seen one with this wire, interesting. Another tip - the pin to remove the battery door slips out with ease, making the whole thing a little easier to handle.
I agree and they should cost only between 5 and 10 USD directly from Sennheiser 🙊….
as a technical note: when replacing an antenna, make sure you match the length of all the important wires and such to the originals unless otherwise noted. They factor into the physics of the antenna and the associated wavelengths. Negative impacts can range from degraded performance, to components failing.
As someone who worked for a 'self maintainer' the hardest part of self maintaining was finding the parts...or if we did they'd end up costing the same if not more than the equipment. This lead us buying new units to be used for parts or trying to salvage any parts that could be save and reused from equipment which came back to us from the field (or sadly in some cases our own warehouse) that had been damaged beyond repair.
Back in the late '70s I saw an Xcelite driver for the nut on those 1/8-inch (3.5mm) jacks. It was a hollow tube with two nubs sticking out, 180° apart, so they would fit into the notches in the nut on its knurled face. It also had a center pin that would fit into the jack and provide alignment and a center of rotation.
I always regret not buying it, and have never seen an equivalent in all the years since. In its place I've typically used a pair of needle-nosed pliers, similar to what Adam tried with the tweezers but sturdier. Put the ends of the jaws into the notches and twist, keeping the pliers rotation axis aligned with the jack.
It’s called a knurled nut driver. I have one I use for periodic tightening of the microphone input jack. It can loosen with time and if you lose it you can develop an internal short very quickly. In my opinion it’s an invaluable tool if you use the Sennheiser packs.
This hits home so much. So satisfying to see some content of this type being brought to the masses that don't always realize the tech behind the scenes. Good info and references from other commenters too.
sometimes to remove old solder i put a lil bit of new on it
6:10 "it's exactly the same part" .. but clearly it is not, the original part has a metal strip coming out of the plastic body, while with the new part it the antenna wire.
Love getting to see the inside of these sennheiser units that I use everyday. Curious as to why you simply replaced the antenna when the well-known SMA mod exists and isn't that much more difficult. Instead of a permanent antenna replacement, you can install a standard RF antenna jack and use whatever length (e.g. frequency) whip you want, as well as increasing range and reliability. Still, a great vid and I'll be referencing it later when I need to!
I replace OEM antennas of Sennheiser G3 and G4 TX and RX packs with SMA connectors. This allows me to remove the antennas for storage and to very easily replace broken antennas. I kind of consider whip antennas as expendables. Also, for the OEM antennas, placing heat shrink tubing helps protect them from cuts on the insulation.
I can't begin to count how many of these I've done on a workbench, or even just a flightcase top, backstage in a theatre. Swapping out the mic connector is a bit more involved, but doable for a good solderer.
Flux paste works wonders for heat transfer. I always keep a tin of it and dip the tip of the iron before every use.
I'm going to add in myself as a "helpful hints from a pro" guy.
Having something along the lines of a plastic ice cube tray or any other compartmentalized container on hand while you're working on something like these is very helpful. If you place parts removed, in order, into compartments in the container, you're automatically sequenced for reassembly, plus you tend to not lose the parts.
Until of course you knock the container over
Oh man, I have the same mics and about 7 years ago one antenna got caught in a pelican case and mangled. Not enough to kill it, just enough to make it sketchy (which is the worst state!) I mostly use lav recorders these days, so I've literally been putting off fixing it for 7 years. Thanks to this video I ordered the spares and fixed it in 10 minutes in my garage. Thanks for the encouragement!
Working with music and theater, I have repaired countless of this types of units. Or fittet new EW jacks on the cables/headsets. I've repaired +30.000k usd sound desks under 20min a change over, and soldered on eg. a Hammond organ that had been on tour since the 60s with the same musician.
I always loved these chaos moments.
Who said you needed education to have a cool job with amazing experiences ;)
7:02 reminded me of a bit from a PBS broadcast of The Barber of Seville or the Marriage of Figgaro. (whichever one is a comedy, I don't remember and I'm not an opera aficionado) where one character threw a quill pen at another and it landed on the floor like Adams pliers in the trash, with matching sound effect, to much joy from the audience
Great, money-saving, waste-preventing work!
For folks at home who don't solder all the time, you can fix the struggle with melting factory solder by adding a little of your own. Most manufactured electronics use lead-free solder that doesn't melt easily. Adding some more of your lower-temp leaded solder can help everything flow the way you'd like it to flow.
If it were me i would probably mod the device by installing an SMA connector so I can easily remove/replace the antenna, assuming those are just basic whip antennas and nothing proprietary.
B&H Photo has the correct antenna with the metal solder tab for $6.58 each. I’m sure they’re available from other vendors as well..
I would put heat shrink tube on those to make them stiffer, a long piece down the whole length then a larger shorter piece to stiffen up the body joint area.
As a ham radio operator, this video was very interesting. If Adam does not have an amateur radio license yet, I challenge him to get one. Time for a test Bud!
A Tested net would be cool.
As a fellow ham, I agree. The test doesn't involve Morse code anymore and practice material is all over the net. I think Adam would have a blast.
That moment at 13:27 when Adam tries to pick up the razor blade from the edge. Made me yelp. 😁
Chisel tip and maybe a bit of wick would be my preference.
These are excellent audio transmitters and receivers. In a past life I used to modify these, repackaging them into a smaller form factor, adding a SMA antenna socket, to live their lives as listening devices for gathering evidence for law enforcement. Got great range when the receiver was equipped with a yagi antenna.
A technical point: Lavelier refers to the mic (technically the mic position, the originals were worn on a neck cord) not the tx/rx components
Thanks I cringed hard when Adam referred to the whole unit as a "lavelier mic". Kinda disappointing from a television professional 🤷♂️
Thank you!!
I’m a carpenter/ rigger and it was like nails on a chalkboard for me. and barely know enough about sound to hear
@@kozjegyzo To be fair he's a television professional, not a sound or video professional. He spends far more time in front of the camera than behind it and has pros to worry about sound and video for him.
As a technical point: it's 'lavalier' not lavelier.
I love these senheiser wireless packs, but after the second time I had to toss out my systems after the FCC sold off bandwidth I switch to the Rode Wireless Go system. Definitely prefer sennheiser for quality, but as a smaller creator the Go works great and is super convenient.
What's the reason for needing to sell? Is it that you're not "authorized" to use them on that frequency any more, or the frequency gets crowded and noisy?
@@ReverendTedthe FCC gave that portion of frequencies for exclusive use to some other entities, perhaps law enforcement. They continually do this encroaching on Amature radio spectrum as well as spectrum that is used for low power transmitters. Basically if you use the "banned" equipment and cause harmful interference to the licensed allocated user who PAID BIG MONEY TO THE FCC to get this portion of frequencies the FCC will basically take you for all your worth because you are not licensed to use that bit of bandwidth. As with most government agencies with alphabet names they will change your name to Ben Dover.
I own 22 of these, and have had to replaces about 10 antenna's aver the last 12 years It's amazing how easy it was. I to found a UA-cam channel that spelled out the process. On mine the Plastic just deteriorated and left bare wire exposed. Thought I purchased the Sennheiser replacement parts, which are all set with the little metal fine, and not a wire lead.
5" vampliers - you need them. I have them in a couple different sizes and use them FAR more often than I thought I would.
Right after I started watching this video I got a call to rent one of my Sennheiser wireless lavs. I have G3 until and G2 units. When I went to check my inventory, lo and behold 2 of my old G2's had broken antennas. Adam Savage to the rescue! One of the G2s and all the G3s were fine, but, hey, this looks like an easy fix. So thanks!
Reminds me of all the G30 transmitters in my pedalboard kit. I have to gaff tape them shut when the battery springs fail.
nice Repair thanks 4 sharing, a coworker suggests that U INVERT the belt clip on the Transmitter(body pack) to Ease STRESS on the Antenna. that could help your new Antenna last longer Regards : )
You need a special (weird) tool for the mic jack nuts. I have one I would like to send you, gratis. After doing repairs on sennheiser packs for years, our group went with shure for our latest system -- SMA connectors for the antennas, and real mic connectors (Lemo) that have been far more reliable. We went digital as well. Yeah, the Lemos are much harder to repair, but they don't fail as often. Where do i send your new tool?
I used to repair audio and lighting equipment and this has always been an issue with these body packs. You get really fast at fixing these things after a while 😂
Interesting note: the pack identifies as a diversity receiver. This means it has multiple antennas that it selects the best signal from. But where is the second antenna? If you look at the output jack that Adam had trouble removing you can see a similar trace on the pcb to the one he fixed which runs to the jack. The pack uses the plugged in cable as the second antenna. Clever! In-ear monitor packs do the same thing where your headphone cable acts as the second antenna. Not well tuned but a good secondary.
Curious why they don't equip them with SMA connectors like garden-variety HT's.
Adam, A tip when putting screws back in. Back them off by loosening them until they "sit" You'll hear a click or pop and then tighten them. Especially on plastic. Otherwise you'll be cutting a new thread which will make the connections weaker.
May have to get me a set of those iFixit kits. I don't have much in tools at my computer desk/mini workshop.
I absolutely loved this. Please make more of these videos of fixing electronics and A/V stuff. Looking forward to that Sony video.
I did one of these like a month ago haha, odd seeing it here, it's harder on the handheld mics, you need like 4 hands to hold everything in just the right place to Solder stuff!
where did you all get those OEM mic replacement parts at?
thank you for the wonderful video!
we run a small community theatre in SWFL that is 10 years old. We have lots of mics that could use antenna replacement and I'm handy with a soldering iron.
Although I like some of the features of the Sennheiser wireless transmitters and receivers, in the film and TV biz we usually use Lectrosonics products. They are more robust than the others and don't seem to be as susceptible to RF interference. But that's just for bigger budgeted productions. I have done low-budget jobs with Sennheiser and Sony wirelesses but I don't enjoy it. Try to do a shoot with RF mics on the Las Vegas Strip (Las Vegas is a big bowl of RF signals) and you will soon be renting Lectrosonic's. We do love many of the Sennheiser mics. The Sennheiser 416 is a standard work horse shotgun mic, as an example. I have NEVER had the antenna go bad on a Lectro transmitter. That said, Senheisers will get the job done, especially if you are in a controlled environment. There are no plastic parts on a Lectro wireless, at least there wasn't when I retired a few years ago after 50 years in the biz.
Another fun failure mode of the Sennheiser receivers is that the plastic shoe that mounts the receivers to a camera handle or accessory mount breaks too easily. Fighting with the springs that hold the bracket assembly in place and fiddling with the smallest screw in the world that holds the shoe in place are one of the greatest pleasures to be had. 😄
velcro is your friend!
i remember soldering cables to make a street lamp for a movie and yes that exactly what i did, do i cut here or there maybe give a little more room but i think its a little too much and i end up cut too short
Little tip, you can flip the belt clip around to invert the mic to attach to a bra strap, that way the antenna is less likely to get damaged
I love Adam's tech episodes...
We're so glad!
Its nice and confidence inspiring to have the oem replacement, but that is simply wire. You paid 20 bucks for the plastic strain relief molding. We want to see you fix the Sony's with wire out of the medcart drawers, and some hot snot strain relief, and a pinched off heat shrink at the tip :)
5:22 if you use a screwdriver on that, you put the driver tip in one of the slots and turn it like you would with any other screw.
As a sound engineer who works in theater occasionally I've done this so many times - super cool to see it featured here.
Just letting the wire poke into the soft solder and leaving it like that is asking for future intermittent trouble from a cold solder joint.
Once you know it is in place you should carefully heat it again to make sure the solder has flowed nicely between both the wire and the board for a solid connection.
Cold solder joints are the likely the source of a majority of intermittent electronic failures.
To prevent stuff from sliding around when doing stuff like this, a bit of blue-tack is ultra helpful.
Had an antenna detach internally during a musical a couple months ago. No spare bodypacks. While the actor was off stage for a few minutes I hot glued it back onto the circuit board and more hot glue to keep the antenna from pulling again. It worked to get through the show but I had to trash it when it was done!
Very small needle nose pliers should work to loosen/tighten the collar ring on that mic jack!
Right as Adam was scraping off the old asset tag I said out loud "You're making me nervous, Adam", and IMMEDIATLY after he said "I know I know, its scaring you moving toward my thumb" You read my mind sir.
Quick tip to strenghten those Sennheiser Antennas from a Sound professional: wrap them in Heatshrink tube! A lenght of heatshrink from the strain relief up to just below the tip makes them much stronger and reliable
Now I'm going to be looking at the back of every TV in every hotel room I'm in.
As a technician that was a bad solder joint your iron is not hot enough also use fluxative and heat up the solder connection until it's nice and shiny or you will get a cold joint because the board was colder than the connection pad and this can crack the solder you just need lots and lots of practise
I had 14 Audio technica transmitters with microphone connectors that were wrecked. I was able to convince my boss that it was a simple fix and after we got the parts in we are back up to having a full stock of working microphones. Repairing your own equipment is awesome.
9:01 - Add some liquid flux to make the solder flow and break the surface tension of the tin and be properly tinned ! Because like that it is not...
I did this same repair: 1. A lot easier if you remove that daughter board so you can see what you are doing 2. The non-OEM antennae are actually short of the ideal resonant length - Lectrosonics engineers say if a mic is on a body the resonant length pretty much goes out the window but if this is the receiver on your camera or bag it's worth getting the right length for your band imo
As an AV installer and audio engineer by trade, I have one clarification to make. We don’t necessarily have to swap out ALL of our wireless equipment every few years, just some of it. Around 2010, the FCC started selling off the 698-806MHz band to cell carriers, and around 2020 they did the same for the 608-698MHz band (with a little gap from 614-616). But for a couple decades now, we’ve been able to buy wireless audio equipment that operates as low as 470MHz, and some manufacturers like Shure even offer systems in the 174-216MHz band.
For anyone who had equipment operating in the bands that were sold off, most manufacturers offered either a rebate program to replace your now-obsolete stuff with compliant systems (which was a good deal for all parties, as the manufacturer could turn around and resell sell the returned systems overseas), or for certain systems like those in the 500-low 600 range, a firmware update that would remove access to the now-illegal frequencies. And nowadays, some companies are selling more budget-oriented digital systems that use the 2.4GHz normally associated with WiFi and Bluetooth.
We do have to share the existing low-band frequencies with local TV stations, which can sometimes cause issues for less experienced wireless equipment operators (*cough cough* churches *cough cough*), but manufacturers have made the spectrum easier to navigate with websites that can help you sort out which frequencies are less occupied in your area, as well as most professional wireless audio equipment nowadays having an “auto scan” function that will build an internal database of which frequencies have the least amount of activity at the time.
Wireless system management can get very convoluted once you get beyond around 10 simultaneous channels, though. Many people are amazed when I tell them that basically every mid-large touring act has a full-time RF tech position whose soul task is to coordinate the frequencies used for every single wireless microphone, instrument, and in-ear monitor system (which for A-list artists can sometimes get to more than 30-40 once you consider every musician’s multiple instruments and backups). It’s a whole world that I understand relatively little about. I have huge respect for touring RF technicians, especially now that our list of usable frequencies is shrinking every decade or so.
if those antennas are as prone to breakage as you suggest I think I would have been tempted to put a socket in there so that the antenna could be easily replaced without needing to break out the soldering iron. It's more work that just doing a like for like replacement, but in the long run seems like it might be worth it.
I want more of the insides of the infrastructure of this very channel 🤘😏
Is it me, or are the newer antennas shorter coming out of the box? As a radio operator, I'm not sure I would have clipped the wire shorter as it was probably made that length to match the transmit frequency. With higher power, this could kill a transmitter. But these are probably such low power that it won't. It could affect the range, but it's not like you're using them in a theatre.
Adam, you need to buy a solder suction gun. After years of using a regular soldering iron I didn't think it would have been that big of a difference but oh man...Removing the solder on those types of pads or through hole is very satisfying. Give it a shot, you won't regret it.
What kind of antennas only have one lead to connect? I've only worked with dipole antennas, I had never heard of a monopole? unipole? antenna.
I thought for sure you were going to be replacing the 1/8" locking plug on the end of the wired mic. I've been using these for decades and that's the point that always seems to fail on ours.
for someone with these mics THANK YOU!
You really took me back when you said: you had a calibrated eye. When my Dad and I would be working on something and needed a socket or wrench, we would pick the correct one, he would say that. Thanks.
I did this for a couple of our church bodypacks recently - a bit fiddly but definately doable with only minimal soldering experience. I only paid £17 for 4 so I suspect that $20 figure was for all four of them, not each. Definately a worthwhile exercise.
Cool to see you working on something I've used before in the theatre!
A good tip for flowing old solder easier is to add some new solder into it. So to remove an old solder joint easier, just add some new solder in.
Hi, Adam just watched your video again and I seen you were struggling to unscrew the socket on the unit when the next time you’re on eBay type in handheld antenna tool it looks like a mini spanner. Socket if I knew how to send you the link I would then you know what I mean..
Might be a fun 1day to see if you can make your own antennas if you can't find the OEM for the others
Thanks for showing this. I have a couple I need to fix for my church.
Try Full Compass for parts for your others. They carry TONS.
I’ve been a sound recordist since 2014. I had and went past these G3’s they are good for what they are but the static is horrible especially when a battery runs out on the transmitter sends static. Wish I had this trick antenna in my day. I have 3 of them in a box still. Working with LECTROSONIC UCR-411A and have 10 lavs now. We are due for better systems in the coming years please!!
Excellent! Have used these many times. Thanks!
A couple of commenters have mentioned specialty knurled nut drivers for this job. If those are not around, I might try Surgeons splinter's pliers, which are the bridge between tweezers and needle nose pliers.
Would be interesting to hear the current status of Right to Repair in the US, it's for exactly these types of repairs. There has been some movement on that past few months.
Why you don't build your own antenna? They seem to be 1/4 wave antenna. So base on the frequency range of 516 to 556 mhz you should build an antenna with a length of around 13.96 cm... You can probably calculate the right antenna for your other mic model too.
Couldn't the torx screw manufacturers stamp the size to the screw? Like right in the middle of that screw indent there could be a tiny "8".
Adam - There is a mod for the Sennheiser g3 packs which is a antenna on a sma connector. A great long term fix and not that expensive either! Have a Google
pro tip for removing the nut on the jack - old school staple remover (the ones that look like they have fangs) - they line up perfectly and are rigid enough to loosen (and tighten when needed) these nuts.