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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: bugg100 on May 21, 2008, 04:50:22 PM

Title: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 21, 2008, 04:50:22 PM
What voltage should the Nak 300 and clones run well down to?  Anyone know?


Also what hearing aid batteries stack up to form the equivalent?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: SmokinJoe on May 21, 2008, 10:20:02 PM
9V is nominal.  Eveready 206 also know as A1611.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 22, 2008, 03:14:08 PM
Yes, but what I want to know is at what voltage will the mic fail to work.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Patrick on May 22, 2008, 03:30:35 PM
They will "work" at voltages down to 1.5v (and maybe even lower than that) but their output is distorted at moderate SPL's, and they become very, very noisy. 

I wouldn't recommend powering them with anything less then 9v.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: SmokinJoe on May 22, 2008, 05:56:16 PM
I see your question... I'm sorry.  I would say if they get around 7 to 8v it's time to buy new ones.  They last a long time, and I wouldn't want to get a distorted pull because I was trying to wring every last once of juice out of them.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 22, 2008, 06:06:33 PM
Then my issue must be springs...  My batts are 8.09 and 8.51. And last time I taped (CA-14-9100 _tascam - UA-5) it turned into a shure sm81 comp instead....  Love that sound guy!

Guess I'll learn how to open up my mic4 now.  Thanks for the replies.

Joe
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: SmokinJoe on May 22, 2008, 06:48:07 PM
If you got no signal, my guess is that the batteries are too far down in the body.  Those red Eveready's fit tight (as you know) and if you push them down too much before you screw the head on it won't make contact, and you will have no signal.  The trick is to push them in "just the right amount" so you can get the threads started, and while you are screwing on the head you have to compress the spring just a little.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 22, 2008, 06:55:48 PM
Unfortunatly, thatks not my problem, as the batts aren't too far down.....  I'm not sure the spring is centered enough.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on May 24, 2008, 03:40:34 PM

Also what hearing aid batteries stack up to form the equivalent?


Hearing aid batteries will not last very long. At least not as long as their rating in mAh let you believe. After you peel off the sealing tape, they will loose their capacity even without a load. You can use three 3V/125mAh Lithum CR1632 cells or six 1.5V/125mAh Alkaline LR44 in series (that is what I am using). You can also use two 3.6V/1200mAh Lithum size ½AA, will last very long! It is also possible to use two 4.8V/80mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries (size ½AA). I think it is adviceable to stay above 7V in order to keep distorsion down at higher levels.

Roger Gustavsson
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roving Sign on May 24, 2008, 05:15:21 PM
9V is nominal.  Eveready 206 also know as A1611.

Anyone have the link for the Exell (Excel?) brand of 9V?

I posted it about 20 times in Nak threads - but they all seem to have dissappeared...?

Somehow I dont have it bookmarked, nor can I search it up...

I liked those the best - even though I think they had less mAh than the 206s
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: gdplusmore on May 24, 2008, 06:05:27 PM
http://www.exellbattery.com/detail.asp?PID=A1611

I think this is the link you posted..
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roving Sign on May 24, 2008, 06:36:47 PM
http://www.exellbattery.com/detail.asp?PID=A1611

I think this is the link you posted..

thank you - the spelling of "exell" always gets me...
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: heyitsmejess on May 24, 2008, 10:23:29 PM
what i would like to know is this....

can you find/make a dummy cell to go in place of the battery that would allow it to be powered through other methods?

i dont mind (and actually like) running the full bodied naks, but hate paying 9 bucks for a battery.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roving Sign on May 25, 2008, 06:01:07 AM
what i would like to know is this....

can you find/make a dummy cell to go in place of the battery that would allow it to be powered through other methods?

i dont mind (and actually like) running the full bodied naks, but hate paying 9 bucks for a battery.

Not really - there are a variety of methods to make them phantom powered - but the thing is - they really only need 9V (even if you send them 48 - most of the mods step that down to the 10V range)

Just be sure to take the batteries OUT of the mics after every use - you should EASILY get a years worth of use out of them. (given an average tapers schedule)
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on May 25, 2008, 11:57:17 AM
Looking at your equipment at the bottom of your message. Cannot the Church Audio 9100 preamp feed 9V to the CM-300? Of course, you will have to rewire them in order to do that, like the "active mod". If you use short cables, you can omit the output transformer and have 14dB more level (5 times) from you CM-300. You will still be on battery power ...

Batteries like Saft LS14250 (picture below) will last for about 1000 hours. You will need two in series for CM-300 or CM-100.

Roger
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: rsimms3 on May 27, 2008, 06:07:56 PM
The 9100 will power them if you wire them correctly.  I would assume run time on the battery would be shorter than say the ATs that draw less power.  I haven't ran a full show with the 9100/Nak 300s but do know for a fact they can be powered with the 9100.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on May 28, 2008, 01:45:30 AM
The mic preamp will draw far more current than the microphones. The CM-300 have a current draw of about 1mA. Powering the microphones via the 9100 should not shorten the run time very much.

Roger
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: rsimms3 on May 28, 2008, 07:32:47 AM
The mic preamp will draw far more current than the microphones. The CM-300 have a current draw of about 1mA. Powering the microphones via the 9100 should not shorten the run time very much.

Roger

That's good news!  Thanks.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: Gil on May 28, 2008, 02:46:09 PM

i dont mind (and actually like) running the full bodied naks, but hate paying 9 bucks for a battery.

I feltt he same way at one point. However, I'm almost on a year and a half with one pair of batteries. Not too shabby.
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 28, 2008, 04:21:54 PM
So it turns out my problem was with the switch, contact cleaner has fixed this for now.  Cool to know about the lithium battery, though. Thanks, Roger!

Thanks to rsimms, I have the parts on hand to make a back end for the  attenuator and capsule, ala franken-mod, just no mod.  That faucet adapter was what I was searching for.....  I'll shoot photos as I make this up.

Next issue on the horizon, my pre (9100) puts out around 5.5 volts.... We'll see how it goes, a minimum of money invested on the parts.....

Thanks, all and +t!

Joe
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: rsimms3 on May 28, 2008, 07:22:24 PM
So it turns out my problem was with the switch, contact cleaner has fixed this for now.  Cool to know about the lithium battery, though. Thanks, Roger!

Thanks to rsimms, I have the parts on hand to make a back end for the  attenuator and capsule, ala franken-mod, just no mod.  That faucet adapter was what I was searching for.....  I'll shoot photos as I make this up.

Next issue on the horizon, my pre (9100) puts out around 5.5 volts.... We'll see how it goes, a minimum of money invested on the parts.....

Thanks, all and +t!

Joe

Cool, glad I could help.  I look forward to the pictures.  I recently bought 3 full body/cap/attenuators and have been racking my brain about how to be able to do Sank mod or something similar and the Franken style mod so that you could go either way.  I don't want to hack the bodies off and gut them just to use in my shockmounts.  The problem is that the attenuator screws onto the body which would twist any wire connectors bad ala a short mini-XLR cable. 
Title: Re: Nak 300 batteries & voltage question
Post by: bugg100 on May 29, 2008, 02:42:25 PM

Cool, glad I could help.  I look forward to the pictures.  I recently bought 3 full body/cap/attenuators and have been racking my brain about how to be able to do Sank mod or something similar and the Franken style mod so that you could go either way.  I don't want to hack the bodies off and gut them just to use in my shockmounts.  The problem is that the attenuator screws onto the body which would twist any wire connectors bad ala a short mini-XLR cable. 

Yeah, I saw that thread a little too late!  I think we should be able to get a cable set that screws on and off the atten. at will with no mod.  I'm pretty sure my 9100v.3 only does 5.5 volts though.  What kind if performance would that give?  I can't check it now as it is on the way to Mountain Fest.