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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: voltronic on February 07, 2021, 05:18:40 PM
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I have been searching for years to find easily-transportable weights for mic stands, especially for my small-footprint setups built on the Impact Back Light Stand base (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253077-REG/Impact_LS_3S_Two_Section_Back_Light.html).
Sandbags are hard to use with these kinds of setups; barbell weight plates are expensive and I'm not sure they have a large enough center opening to go over the 5/8" socket tightening knob. I also don't want to deal with filling anything with water onsite. I had been looking for something with a C-shaped opening like the stackable mic stands sold by various companies, but until now have come up empty.
What I have just come across are weight plates for tent canopies. These fit all the requirements I had been looking for.
This style of cement-filled weights (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Trademark-Innovations-Canopy-Tent-Weights-Set-by-Trademark-Innovations/1002703020) are sold by various brands and typically come in a set of four 5-pound plates.
If you need a lot of weight for a very tall and/or outdoor setup, these plates are 21 lb each (https://impactcanopy.com/products/pop-up-canopy-tent-rubber-weight-plate) and are rubber-coated made of rubber.
EDIT: The 21 lb weights above are also available from this eBay store (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051) which has free shipping. (The shipping from the manufacturer costs more than double the product itself!)
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Good catch!
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This thread makes me think that you are in a lucky place, taper-wise, if weight is of no concern! As I frequently take trains, plus local public transport and/or a lot of walking, to get to the shows I record, the very thought of twenty or more pounds of additional load makes my back and knees ache! I have actually gone to a lot of effort to minimize the weight of my gear. You guys that can load up the trunk as you see fit are definitely fortunate...
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You could also use some wrist or ankle weights to weigh your tripod down. But then I'm more or less in the same boat as aaronji: You would have to carry these in public transport or on longer walks.
Another option would be some Molle (tactical) bottle holders that you could attach to your stand. So, you could buy a bottle on-site or fill your bottle with water. On the other hand, as Voltronic has already mentioned, water and electricity do not get together well. So, you would have to be very careful.
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Another option would be some Molle (tactical) bottle holders that you could attach to your stand. So, you could buy a bottle on-site or fill your bottle with water. On the other hand, as Voltronic has already mentioned, water and electricity do not get together well. So, you would have to be very careful.
It's not really that I'm concerned about spills and electrical damage as it is I typically need to get in and out very fast (as I am often performing) so I don't have time to mess around with filling water weights.
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I sometimes hang my recording recording bag from the stand itself, such that it is low and as centered as possible, ideally centered within the tripod legs if it will fit. As such the bag with recorder, external battery, and whatever else in there (couple water bottles?) serves as stand stabilizing weight. Also keeps the cable run up the stand as short and protected as possible.
I started doing this years ago with compact rig I'd run way FOB in the middle of the intensity zone, as it both helped stabilise the small stand and I allowed me to simply grab the central upright of the stand to shift or bolt as needed. Can be a good option where appropriate as it uses the weight already being carried.
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^ I always have a loop of paracord and a small carabiner on hand that I sometimes use like that. I can also run the cord through the D-rings on the corners of the bag to hang it from some structures (like the soundboard enclosures at several venues I frequent). I prefer not to have any electronics sitting on the floor if I can avoid it!
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I looked at the 21 lb rubber plates again, and found that the shipping cost is very high - more than double the item cost. Fortunately, I came across this eBay store which has free shipping, and nice small-quantity volume discounts.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051)
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I looked at the 21 lb rubber plates again, and found that the shipping cost is very high - more than double the item cost. Fortunately, I came across this eBay store which has free shipping, and nice small-quantity volume discounts.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051)
If Ebay has it so does Amazon and with prime they will ship anything for free. I wanted to see if they would do it, got a $1.97 tube of superglue shipped in 48 hours and delivered free.
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I looked at the 21 lb rubber plates again, and found that the shipping cost is very high - more than double the item cost. Fortunately, I came across this eBay store which has free shipping, and nice small-quantity volume discounts.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Impact-Canopy-Pop-Up-Canopy-Rubber-Weight-Plates-for-Tent-Flag-Patio-Umbrella-/202222607051)
If Ebay has it so does Amazon and with prime they will ship anything for free. I wanted to see if they would do it, got a $1.97 tube of superglue shipped in 48 hours and delivered free.
You cannot assume that. I have bought many items from eBay, particularly mic mounts and associated hardware, that Amazon does not carry. There are also millions of items there that are not Prime eligible and/or do not have free shipping. Prime isn't free anyway; you're paying a yearly fee for it.
Amazon also does not always have the lowest price. This is a perfect example. Amazon does sell these same weights, but only in a 4-pack and priced much higher (https://www.amazon.com/Impact-Canopy-Rubber-Weights-Outdoor/dp/B005PFSLTM) than the eBay store I posted. Did you miss the fact that the eBay seller also has free shipping?
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Order placed. I will share pics with my stands once it comes in.
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These work pretty well as long as you have access to running water to fill it up once in the venue. It’s made of very durable rubber and is 22 lbs when filled with water.
https://www.galaxyaudio.com/parts-and-accessories/lsr38#view-details
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These work pretty well as long as you have access to running water to fill it up once in the venue. It’s made of very durable rubber and is 22 lbs when filled with water.
https://www.galaxyaudio.com/parts-and-accessories/lsr38#view-details
This looks really great - up to 38 lbs when filled with sand, and very compact. I also might get over my fear of using water for weights around my equipment.
Update on the rubber plates: They arrived a few weeks ago, but they have been off-gassing more severely than any rubber product I have ever experienced. I guess that's somewhat to be expected with that much rubber, but it was absolutely overpowering when I opened the box, and I had to take them outside and deodorize the entire house.
I emailed the manufacturer after a few days to complain, and the rep apologized and said that other customers have mentioned this to them. I have had the plates on my back patio since then, but they still have quite a smell after more than 3 weeks.
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Whenever I need my stand glued to the ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344SfAse3Ew
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I use a sandbag with two five pound hand dumbbells inside them. No issues so far.
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I use ankle weights:
https://www.amazon.com/ankle-weights/s?k=ankle+weights
Available cheaply (well, when there are no pandemic shortages) in 1-15lbs pretty much everywhere that sells fitness equipment in any color you want.
Velcro straps make it easy to wrap around tripod/stand legs as you would wrap around an ankle. Won't fall off and won't scratch your gear.
I also sometimes add a Manfrotto 035 mafer clamp to the stand (low) and hang a Nalgene from it. I have hooks that snap into the 035 clamps to make this easier, but it works without too.