Low End Gear And Research Equipment

[Catmandoo]

One does not need the split collars for building a structure. The Maker Pipe fittings are intended for EMT, not pipe or tube.

The split collars are used to position a fixture on a vertical element.  By using different sizes of plastic pipe for shims to adjust the 'grip', one can lock the fixture in position or swing the fixture around. The weight on the horizontal element is a factor to think twice about. Maker Pipe offers a 180 degree fitting that has potential as a 'counterbalance' for the loads.

 

Be mindful of EMT sizes.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Catmandoo
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[WanderingLorax]

In this video, Kimbrough talks about shielding his recorders in a insulated bag to keep the cold off. He also uses alkaline batteries. D cell batteries are up to 18AH.

 

https://youtu.be/n0s8xhkzfyY

[WanderingLorax]

I am building an audio recorder to place next weekend. I’m still waiting for my mics though. My friend has a pair of Kimbrough Gold mics that I can put in, but he’s an hour and a half away. I’ll glue them in next weekend. 
I plan on placing the mics in the corners, under the lip of the box. That may help with any rain. The recorder is to be placed with rocks stacked on top of it on an outcropping of rocks overlooking several canyons and valleys. 
I used an Olympus DM 720 modified to run off D cell batteries. It doesn’t charge through the USB while recording. With 2 batteries wired in, it should run for at least a month, if not more, recording for 8 hours every night. 
 

 

[Catmandoo]

Nice box.  Should not give off odors and will not absorb moisture. Plenty of room for desiccant and batteries. How are you going to power the mics?  I think that that the mics need 5 volts.

[BlackRockBigfoot]

3 hours ago, WanderingLorax said:

I am building an audio recorder to place next weekend. I’m still waiting for my mics though. My friend has a pair of Kimbrough Gold mics that I can put in, but he’s an hour and a half away. I’ll glue them in next weekend. 
I plan on placing the mics in the corners, under the lip of the box. That may help with any rain. The recorder is to be placed with rocks stacked on top of it on an outcropping of rocks overlooking several canyons and valleys. 
I used an Olympus DM 720 modified to run off D cell batteries. It doesn’t charge through the USB while recording. With 2 batteries wired in, it should run for at least a month, if not more, recording for 8 hours every night. 
 

 

This recorder has the ability to record on schedule?  i am looking for something similar...to just record for 8 or 9 hours each night.

[WanderingLorax]

7 minutes ago, BlackRockBigfoot said:

This recorder has the ability to record on schedule?  i am looking for something similar...to just record for 8 or 9 hours each night.

It does. But it doesn’t charge while recording. 

[BlackRockBigfoot]

1 minute ago, WanderingLorax said:

It does. But it doesn’t charge while recording. 

So it will charge until the recording timer hits...then record for the predetermined time.  Once the recording timer cuts off, it automatically begins recording again?

 

I have tried a handful of digital recorders...none have worked to my satisfaction. 

[WanderingLorax]

6 minutes ago, BlackRockBigfoot said:

So it will charge until the recording timer hits...then record for the predetermined time.  Once the recording timer cuts off, it automatically begins recording again?

 

I have tried a handful of digital recorders...none have worked to my satisfaction. 

I don’t know if it will charge that way. It has the large usb, not micro. I just rigged up a contraption to convert it to run off of D cells. I had to cut one screw head off to make a work in the stock battery compartment. As long as you wire it in series, positive to positive, negative to negative, you are still at the 1.5v the DM 720 runs on (single AAA).

[WanderingLorax]

Just make sure the screws do not touch. I used a piece of 3/8” dowel, drilled a hole in the center, adjusted it to be 44mm long. (1 3/4” I believe)

Oops, it will record daily at a preset time @BlackRockBigfoot

Edited July 4, 2022 by WanderingLorax

[BlackRockBigfoot]

My first attempt at a long duration recorder involved a standard commercial power bank...but, the banks will shut off once the device is fully charged.  I toyed around with the idea of modifying the bank, but I ended up going with a 12 volt battery and rigging up a charging cable.  The chargers that I experimented with all had micro-usb charging ports...but, none of them have the ability to record at preset times.  The recorders can take fairly large sized SD cards, so my plan was to just record 24 hours a day for a week at a time, but then focus my review efforts on the night time audio. 

 

A reliable recorder with decent sized memory with preset recording would be ideal. 

 

Do those Kimbrough mics need phantom power?  I have just been using standard omni-directional mics, since I plan on losing a few to weather.

[WanderingLorax]

The DM 720 will accept up to a 32g microSD card. I bought the recorder off eBay for $80. The harbor freight box was $18. The D cell battery holders I got off Amazon for something like $7. I don’t remember what I paid for the Kimbrough mics, as it was several years ago. I see he charges $100 for them now. I’m into it cheap enough. The case is lockable, but I wonder if a lock would bang around on the plastic case.

 

@BlackRockBigfoot the mics do not require power. He’s a good guy. I’m Facebook friends with him and he is always willing to answer questions. He told me how to make the above set up. He has been researching for years and just put out a book.

 

https://www.kimbroughaudio.com/

[Catmandoo]

21 hours ago, WanderingLorax said:

I just rigged up a contraption to convert it to run off of D cells. I had to cut one screw head off to make a work in the stock battery compartment.

 

Hacking battery compartments can be a good thing. You remove heat from the electrical device by using an external power source and extend run time. Big or little equipment, keeping the heat down helps. Sometimes we make our converters when we are not able to get ahold of the store-bought versions in a timely manner. I have made C cell adapters and I have store bought AA dummy cells that also work in C cell to AA adapters. The fit of home made adapters ( or other loose fitting batteries ) can be improved with 'mesh sleeves'. Typically used for protecting machined parts / threads during shipping / storage. Many sizes are available. They are elastic and compliant. Made of polyethylene. Blocks a small amount of heat. The image shows a sleeve on a AA battery for demonstration purposes.

 

Store bought versions can be dummy cells or wired / active cells. Wired / active cells are available with electrical leads / leads with barrel connectors.

[WanderingLorax]

I got to thinking about if a mic would fit into a cable gland. I first tried a #9, it fit perfectly. But I couldn’t recess the mic into the gland. A #11 worked great!

 

 With a bit of patience, I was able to slightly angle the mics. The box is waterproof, and the mics should stay out of the rain. The angle of the box put the mics pointed downward slightly also.

[Madison5716]

Just pulled the trigger on this little boat - it's only a few pounds and I can carry it for a short hike to a high mountain lake! We'll see how it does. It's a Klymit packraft.... could be a lot of fun!  Found it on sale for $150 with free shipping and couldn't resist. 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Madison5716

[wiiawiwb]

Great find. It will help to get out to parts of a lake/pond for better fishing that are otherwise not accessible. 

 

Do you already have paddles? I'm not particularly handy but I bet with a little ingenuity you could make paddles each time from branches and materials found in the forest and save a little weight.