Rode NTG-3 don't work in cold weather

Doug_EX

Doug_EX

Well-known member
Hi, I was outside this morning shooting at the beach. It was about -2 degres celcius or 30 degres fahrenheit and my mic stop working after 15 min. I had the same problem last winter, and I had it repaired. Did not use it since in cold weather before today. Someone here who had the same problem? Thanks!
 
I don't know about the NTG3, but even extreme cold, (-30F or more) is usually not a problem for most microphones. OTOH, cables get brittle and break and some battery types discharge very rapidly. I would check out the other devices and connections. Iytf all those check out, I would suspect the mic is faulty
 
Rick R said:
I don't know about the NTG3, but even extreme cold, (-30F or more) is usually not a problem for most microphones. OTOH, cables get brittle and break and some battery types discharge very rapidly. I would check out the other devices and connections. Iytf all those check out, I would suspect the mic is faulty
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I can assure you that the problem is the mic. I tried another mic with the same cable and everything and it worked great. It's the second time with this problem ans I'm getting frustrated!
 
Just sent them a e-mail. I was just curious if anyone here had the same problem. I know I am not alone...I did a quick search and others had similar problems.
 
Transportation between temperature and/OR humidity extremes (warm, dry indoors vs. cold, humid outdoors) is a problem for a cameras as well as for microphones and other delicate equipment.

There are special techniques for operating in unusual environmental conditions. Even here in Oregon (where it doesn't get all that cold) I have had to keep cameras indoors overnight because they were not functional if I brought them in from the cold van into a warm interior. And some people use zipper plastic bags to acclimatize gear to a new temperature while preventing condensation, etc.
 
I doubt this is my problem. The mic is always stored in a dry room. This morning, I put it in my camera bag and walk to my destination (which was about a 15 min walk). So the mic did not experience a drastic temperature change.
 
After 15 mins? Maybe the windchill factor came into play, that can drop the temp. way down.

Did Rode do the previous repair under its free 10yr warranty and did they indicate what it was? And were you using the same 48V supply
as the first time it stopped. Let Rode know all this.

Cheers.
 
Allan Black said:
After 15 mins? Did Rode do the previous repair under its free 10yr warranty and did they indicate what it was? And were you using the same 48V supply
as the first time it stopped. Let Rode know all this.

Cheers.
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An authorize dealer made the repair. They did not investigate, they said that the inner module (not sure if it's the right word) was changed entirely...just to be sure. Next time, the mic will go directly to Rode. And no, the mic was not used with the same 48v power supply. The mic, after it has warmed up in my house, works like a charm.
 
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Doug_EX said:
The mic, after it has warmed up in my house, works like a charm.
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Interesting. I don't have a definitive answer, but things contract when they get cold and expand when warm. My guess would be that something is just outside of spec and is being pressed together when cold causing the problem.
 
As a side note we find that when the latest EV RE50ND-B gets cold it can affect its sound quality.

We use them for stand up's on soccer and sports and have to keep them in our pockets to keep them warm as they go thin sounding if the diaphragm gets very cold.
 
Ambient down to around 3-5 deg but bear in mind that we may leave them on the ground or in a cold stadium for quite some time so the mic could be a lot colder over time.
 
Remember - the NTG3 is an RF condenser and you cannot compare it to standard AF condensers.

However, having said this, the original Sennheiser RF condensers happily work at extreme sub-zero temperatures and have often been used outdoors in Antarctica and also at the North Pole.
 
I'm pretty sure I have read this before and the issue was transitioning from warm to cold causing condensation inside the capsule and various problems. If I remember correctly the "solution" was to store the mic in the exterior conditions for 12 hrs or so before you use it so that there isn't a temperature shock going outside. That is long enough fro the mic to chill down and any condensation to evaporate.

Warm air holds more moisture than cold so going from warm to cold can cause this issue with any equipment, used to be an issue with tape based systems.

So you are not alone.

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/6498-the-rode-ntg-3-failing-in-cold-weather/
 
Noiz2 said:
Warm air holds more moisture than cold so going from warm to cold can cause this issue with any equipment, used to be an issue with tape based systems.
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Condensation works the other way, when something cold comes in contact with warm air the condensation forms on the colder object. This is why you leave your gear inside your bag for a couple hours when you come in from shooting outdoors in the winter.
I've shot for many years in really cold, wet environments and haven't seen an impact on anything other than battery performance when bringing warm gear out into the cold.
 
You are right about where the condensation is created, but if you bring a device with warm moist air in it out into a cold environment then the outside of the device gets cold and the warm moist air inside condenses on the now cold shell inside the device.

What ever the cause this is a problem that a number of people have experienced with the NTG3.
 
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