Topic: AT U853 Hyper Caps / 3-Wire Battery Box...ate my 9v battery in 20 seconds

[Sunday Driver]

A few months back, I built a battery box specifically to use with my AT853C-ELE caps. It is more or less a "3-wire battery box", like the one that is pictured with a schematic in this forum. The box worked great with the mics. I recently ordered some AT U853 hyper caps (new series), and figured I could use the same battery box with them. Apparently, I was wrong in my estimation. I don't understand why, but after 20 seconds of testing the new hyper caps with my box, the sound died, and the 9 volt battery was actually hot to the touch and completely drained. This was an almost new battery. I don't see how the caps could use up so much energy in such a short period of time? Has anyone else had similar results with the same gear, or think of one reason why this happened?

[Will_S]

You must have shorted something, I used to use U873R/U853 hyper caps with no problem on old AT853 bodies and a 3 wire BB.  It's not clear from your post, you did have mic bodies in there too right?

[nameloc01]

Yup...a short somewhere.

[Sunday Driver]

OK, thanks, makes sense +. I put the capsule on an adapter, and thankfully it still works!

Will_S, I was testing these with a 943 body, and an 853 adapter. After this Saturday, I'm moving on to something else (prob an actual U853 body with a Deneke PS-2). Not 100% satisfied with my 3-wire battery box (even aside from this issue).