Sennheiser Evolution Wireless

Note: No one except yourself, can be held liable for any damage to your property, or any other consequences whatsoever resulting from this procedure. This is provided for educational purposes only. Proceed at your own risk.

 

1/8" Connector Replacement

Did you buy the first stock 1/8" to XLR adaptor that Sennheiser has? Did the 1/8" plug fail after what seemed like a short period of time? A bump or two will knock the badly designed connector loose. Because the body of the connector is connected to the locking mechanism, you cannot lock the plug unless you spin the entire connector. Sennheiser has since updated the design using a plastic bodied connector, but it's still not as durable.

If the connector has been bumped or jarred enough times, then the locking screw-on ring will be stripped of the threads to screw on the wireless unit. Then a bump snapping off the male plug, leaving part of the plug inside the socket becomes a threat.

The solution, albeit a little more expensive, is to purchase the Sony 1/8" locking plug. The connector... Hold your breath... $40CDN. Yes, $40 for a 1/8" connector.


The Sony 1/8" connector on a EW100

In Toronto, I had Cinequip do the work for me.

 

 

Battery Eliminator
August 2002: I've heard that Sennheiser now makes a unit like this.

On our quest to find a 9V adaptor for our Sennheiser Evolution wireless mic, we came across only one source that sold anything remotely like this - Lectrosonics. However, their version has a plug on the end of the battery, and includes a door that replaces the original battery door on their units.

For whatever reason, Sennheiser put a small 4x5mm hole in the bottom of the beltpack receiver and transmitter. This is perfect for a cable for external powering. I guess for those that do not have a hole, perhaps you can drill one in, or leave the battery door open if there is enough pressure on the battery to keep it in firm contact with the terminals.

First, is to find the actual connector for the camera DC output (unregulated, 100mAh max). It is an industry standard, so most professional cameras will have this connector on the rear of their cameras. It's present on our JVC GY-DV500 and Panasonic AJ-D400 cameras, as well as the Sony Betacams. Thanks to Jan Crittenden of Panasonic, the connector is from Hirose, model HR-10a-7p-4p. That was the biggest hurdle of all! All camera manuals show the connector, but none of them tell you what kind it is! Of course, you can always order directly from the manufacturer and pay through the roof (although it probably'll look better)...Digi-key stocks the connector for just under $18Cdn. per connector.

 

Sorry about the lack of "before" pictures. It wasn't until later that I decided to take some! And how neat you want to make the assembly all depends on your time. You can slobber glue all over, and it'll still work. And since mine is behind a Portabrace case, nobody sees it anyway! =)

 

To build the adaptor, the parts needed are:

  • 9V battery case, or used alkaline battery
  • Short piece of wire, even 24 gauge will do
  • 7809 voltage regulator
  • Capacitors (more about this later)

 

Building the actual regulator:


From Camera = HR10a connector
To Batt = Output to 9v tabs

There's really not much else to it! Position the components however you want it!

 

Hollowing out the battery:

  1. Use a dead alkaline battery. Alkalines dry up as they die. But since there are 6 cells in it, normally it's not a problem.
  2. Remove the rear portion of the battery - sometimes, you can just squeeze hard with a pair of pliers. Otherwise, just carefully pry up the folded-in casing on the sides.
  3. Clean out the inhards
  4. Take out the top.

 

Soldering the HR10a connector (the poor man's way):

  1. I assume you didn't buy an HR10 cable assembly from Lectrosonics, and decided to forge ahead and ordered a single connector? Well, Hirose expects you to open up the connector with their "assembly jig." Most people won't have that, so we need to make do without. Your camera will become the "assembly jig."
  2. Turn off the power to your camera, and remove the main battery.
  3. Plug the connector into your camera's DC output port. Turn the actual connector part (where the boot goes on, not the spring-loaded part) counter-clockwise to separate the plug from the shell. Pull out the shell leaving the connector still on the DC output jack.
  4. Carefully remove the remaining connector assembly still on the camera.
  5. Feed the power leads through the boot and shell casing.
  6. Tin the- and + leads, then solder onto the connector pins. Negative is pin 1 and Positive is pin 4. You can use a small vice or a pair of pliers to steady the connector while you are soldering.
  7. Use a continuity tester to make sure you haven't shorted the pins!
  8. Carefully place the connector back onto your camera. Move the shell casing up the power leads, and while holding the boot, screw the shell back onto the connectors. It will stop, so you don't have to overtighten.
  9. Pull on the spring-loaded part to remove the entire connector from your camera.
  10. Attach the boot.
  11. Depending on the gauge and thickness of your cable, it may be loose inside the connector. I simply decided to inject some hot glue into the boot just so it doesn't flail around freely inside.
  12. Power up the camera (hold your breath!) and use a voltmeter to test the output of the regulator at the 9V battery terminals (again).

 

Finishing the battery:


  2. Glue the components to the battery casing, use thermal paste if you wish. The components don't get that hot. You can heat sink as well, so if the hot glue melts for some reason, you won't get a short (just in case!).
  3. I cut a corner into the battery, simply because I didn't want the pressure of the battery door pressing against the cable. Just use a pair of small wire cutters, and sand down the sharp edges. Put some glue there to hold the place of the wire so it doesn't rub gainst the battery casing and get cut in that corner either.

 

Final product:


Adaptor assembly inserted


Battery compartment closed


All done!

For less than $30Cdn., you have yourself a 9V adaptor. That'll save you from worrying about when the receiver battery will die, as well as save you money in the long run from buying a pair of batteries every time!

If you're wondering what that piece of black plastic is holding up the receiver, it's simply a piece of plastic from an old Betacam tape library box. Score and snap or cut with a utility knife, drill four holes to match the screws, two strips of velcro on the plastic holder, and voila!


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