Internally Wired Boom Or Not?

K

Kelly Olsen

Well-known member
What are the advantages of having a boom internally wired or disadvantages? What about cable coming out of back end as oppossed to bottom side of pole?

Need to get a pole for doc work but want to make certain that I know which of the options for wiring will be best in most situations. Have read statements that internal wiring is great and others claiming rattle from inside wire.

Looking at the less costly poles like the Rode or the lower cost K-tek. Any recommendations for pole and wiring options?

Kelly
 
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i always preferred the cable on the outside but now i'm starting to think about going with an internal cable.

the k-tek looks really nice and i was going to go with the side cable.

having the cable come out the end would seem to me to be VERY awkward when you go to set it down between setups/shots etc.

side mounting just seems safer as far as the cable holding up and the boom not falling over.

i also like the new counterweight thing that k-tek has brought out.

my current boom is an gitzo. its carbon fiber and it was super affordable. it was under $200 and has served me VERY well.

matthew
 
I recently had a day of booming madness... the pole had to change lengths every minute... and I had to pay really close attention to both ends of the pole. It wasn't like I could just ignore the excess length out the back as my subject was moving towards and away from me... and other people were flooding around which meant a lot of cable management off the tail of the pole.

If you can afford an internally cabled pole I doubt you'll ever regret it. If you can afford one that's internally cabled AND you can get the side exit option then that's even better. I've got a Gitzo carbon fiber pole w/o a cable and I really like it for it's usable length, but my graphite K-Tek is my baby... that thing is fast and ready all the time... for anything.

Here's my next big-little idea... and this needs to be at the end of another coiled cable that goes from my mixer bag to the butt of the pole. I made the mistake of shooting all those days with a regular XLR and yeah... it's got to be a 90 if you have a boom with the xlr jack at the end.

90xlr.jpg
90xlr2.jpg
 
will they pay you extra 15$ for your time ,i guess that the bumper you will give for free :-)?
excellent idea by the way
 
In a past life I was building Nike shoes for .25/day... I figured the bumper would be a $2 option... it has stainless hardware including button socket and thin stainless nylock... plus the bumper is like tire rubber... should be good for miles.

I kept standing my pole on my shoe in an effort to protect the cable... it didn't take too long to realize how stupid that was.
 
Matt,

I'll take one as soon as they're ready. I always use(d) my toe with my k-tek with the side plug for the cable, but my new one it's on the end (this is my shorter, lighter weight ENG boom) and I can't rest it on my toe any more. (I use my toe as a shock absorber, liquid keeper awayer, and dust keeper awayer (not sure if awayer is a word, but it should be if it isn't. ;-)))

So, how much??? Let's say with a 10' cable (star quad of some flavor) and Neutrix(sp?) on both ends.

Speaking of cables, Matt, have you ever made a breakaway cable? One that works with XLR's on both ends (for the DVX100)? Might be interested in this too. ;-)

Thanks!

Phil

P.S. To bring this back to topic, I strongly recommend internally cabled poles. One less thing to futz with on a shoot...but if you go with a non-wired pole, I know Jay Rose recommends those little pony tail holders (the ones with the two plastic balls) to hold the cable to the pole.

Phil
 
better make coiled cable from mixer to the bottom of the boom , no need more then 6-7 fit when it full open , for the mixer input side leave about 1 feet of straight cable so you can place the cable under the mixer and take it from the right side of your bag if you right hand-er
 
yes, yes, yes - that looks really cool matt. very useful idea.

kelly - i would go internal. ive got loads of experience of using both types, and the internal is way better.

cable noise really isnt a big deal - if i SHAKE my pole i get a bit of a clank, but in normal boom use, you never move the boom that much as to cause cable noise.

so go internal, go carbon if you can afford it (this is real important, the WEIGHT of the system is an immediate sign of how much you're going to like that pole - so CHECK the weight), and lastly try get side exiting plug at the bottom. failing that, bottom exiting is cool too, but matts invention will save you much frustration and broken exit cables.

tim
 
As the founder of the Church of Matt, I feel that I can now announce his latest invention. The internal combustion engine that can run on urine.

That's right, drink cheap beer all night and have a full tank by morning.
 
Cabled or not is often personal preference. I have a cabled 9' for ENG work and an uncabled 18' for film work. Personally I find with the longer poles the slap gets to be more trouble then it's worth for the convenience of cable management. But that is just me.

Cheers
 
fair enough... good point. but i also know a of film guys that use internal.

you're right, though, whatever floats your boat.
 
never use internal on drama - it sucks badly on fast movement or closing /opening the boom during the shot -even whit my boomen ( and they are good )
 
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