Mic stands

[Peter C.]

That's not bad. Those poles go for about $185 new.

Yeah I know it was a really good price from a reputable brand. I like that it has an internal cable.

As far as C-stands go, I always buy the turtle base versions(I do have two fixed base from my very early days) so you can pack them up in a case for "easy" transport. You can fit four to five(depending on how much of a glutton-for-punishment you are) in a Pelican 1750 with the bases and arms. Eat your Wheaties the morning you need to break that case out. I believe a few case/bag manufacturers actually make some soft bags for transporting turtle base C-stands. And I'll say this, too... Gear transportation is a continually evolving process. You get a system you "like" and it won't be long till you are looking for or have found a new "system". The best I've found so far, is having someone else carry everything for you. ; )

My colleague uses a Matthews soft case that holds two c-stand and accessories. It's nice but expensive $200. With two c-stands its heavy!

 

[Peter C.]

I got the k-tek boom from ebay and sure enough it has a problem. The cable at the end has a short. I opened the xlr part and the connections look to be well soldered and no bare wires touching. But if I bend the last 5 inches of the cable I get a humming and crackling. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KYbsaQRyRpf44MWCcU4PigCwfo8GO-6i/view?usp=sharing

What you think I should do? I'd prefer to ask for a discount, cut the bad part of the cable and re-solder the end. Or I could just return it. Why do people sell things with problems and don't disclose it?

 

[Run&Gun]

For the price you paid, if the pole is mechanically fine and you think just replacing the end will fix it(if you're handy with that sorta thing), then asking for a discount and keeping it may not be a bad solution. But if you ended up having to replace the entire internal cable, depending on the exact pole it's for and the length, the internal cabling can be from ~$60 to over $100.

Playing devil's advocate, sometimes things like that happen, where there is a break in a cable and it slips by, because things have to line up just right to notice it. But I would hope someone selling something would give it a good shake-down first and if there is a problem, note it in the listing so that potential buyers are aware, if the seller is not going to fix it.

Knock-on-wood, in roughly 20 years on eBay, I've only had two "bad" purchases. Not too bad, considering some of the things I've bought. Like a $30K HD wide-angle lens for ~$14K, a couple of portable Beta decks back when that was still a thing, and a couple of P2 HD decks. And just picked up a Sony LCD EVF for my F55 that looked like it was still brand-new, for about 1/3rd of it's new price.

 

[Paul F]

I don't know how the Avalon's are constructed, but on my Klassic it is not possible to repair the internal cable (well, in my opinion and I repair everything). Are you able to cut a piece out and re-solder to the XLR and still have a strain relief? That of course, will compromise the extension of the boom to its full length (or overstretch the cable).

Tough call. Avalon's regularly sell for under $100. But it looks like a new Avalon cable is about $50 alone. The question is, since it already failed in one spot, is it ready to fail in another? I know when I extend my K-Tek Klassic, watching it want to pull back to the collapsed position just reminds me how much strain that coiled cable is under. I often wonder how long it can last.

Flips coin - Ask for a discount. Buy a spare cable.

 

[Alex H.]

I got the k-tek boom from ebay and sure enough it has a problem. The cable at the end has a short.

What you think I should do?

Contact K-Tek in California, and arrange to send it in for a factory tune-up. They’ll repair or replace the cable and have the pole working as good as new. At $50 for the purchase, after service your investment in the pole should still be less than the new price.

I have the next size up from yours (though it’s mostly a spare). Though the aluminum is heavier than their higher-end graphite poles, the Avalons are quite durable. I had mine on a shoot in the Great Smoky Mountains a few years ago. It was run over. Twice. It has a little road rash on it, visually, but it never skipped a beat. The internal cable did develop some issues over time, especially after I loaned it to someone who spun the stages around enough to kink the cable to the point the pole wouldn’t collapse completely. There was a short in there somewhere as well. K-Tek replaced the cable and cleaned out the locking collars for me and now, aside from the road rash, it’s flawless. My repair cost was $87. Worth it.

 

[Peter C.]

Thanks guys, I emailed K-tek customer support to confirm the price of the repair but I'm leaning towards sending it back to the seller and let him deal with this.

 

[Jim Feeley]

Alex's suggestion of contacting K-Tek is good of course. I've always had positive interactions with the company. I own three of their poles, a few mounts, a bag, etc...

But since you're in Connecticut, you could also contact your local pro audio dealer, Gotham Sound in Astoria. Many years ago, one of my pole cables got damaged by a client. Ended up having the client (good people) send it to Gotham and then Gotham shipped it out to me. Mainly because the repair looked to require a K-Tek end cap; Gotham had them in stock, I didn't... The whole thing didn't cost the client much (can't recall, but I asked), the work was good, and the. turnaround was fast. https://www.gothamsound.com/service

Ya, you could send it back. But then you need to deal with shipping anyway, and then hunt down another pole. If the pole's collars feel good, the thing collapses and expands smoothly, maybe a quick repair will be easier and cheaper in the long run.

No worries about what you do. Good luck.

 

[Paul F]

Thanks guys, I emailed K-tek customer support to confirm the price of the repair but I'm leaning towards sending it back to the seller and let him deal with this.

More thoughts to confuse you;

1. A new cable with the existing pole puts you in for $100. You will now have a good pole with a good cable. Very simple. No hassles.
2. Returning the pole and buying another one will get you another used pole with another questionable cable. Shipping, dealing with the seller, getting your money back. Echh.
3. Ship to K-Tek. K-Tek support is top-notch, not in the usual hyperbolic way, but they really are top notch not only in service, but their pricing for spares is most-reasonable.

For me, it's between 1 and 3. 3 gets you a practically new pole, but is it worth the price? Only you can decide that.