Because I’ve eliminated a 6U rack since having the cart bags made, only one will fit, I’m re-thinking what to do with the other one.

With this kind of snap, I can snap the second bag to the case frame or to the arm of my chair:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QyUuApLSjg

This is what I’m up to today: installing the snaps on the two canvas cart bags I had made up in exchange for warehouse storage of some furniture.

The woman who made this came over twice before sewing these magnificent devices, and neither time did she take any measurements. I was a little bit worried as I offered her paper and pencil and she declined. As it turns out, she’s got a darned-good eye.

More when the snaps are installed.

Beyond the nose hole, bolt and bungee, added a loop of rope at the top handle, to which the bungee can attach.

Now the cart’s capable of rocking and rolling in the way I need it to rock and roll.

In a constant quest to reduce size and weight on the carts. Here’s the latest effort on the follow cart, that includes a custom aluminum rack from Star Case, aluminum drawers with replacement combination locks (keyed locks are disasters waiting to happen), and a lot of cogitation relative to how to securely attach said rack to the Rubbermaid cart.

I’m guessing the weight has been reduced by thirty pounds, and the cart gained a not-insignificant three inches of storage on the bottom shelf.

Expect to receive a similar custom-sized rack for the main cart early next week that should improve everything considerably.

Star Case has excellent customer service, by the way, and the racks — while light — are extremely solid.

Aluminum Rack: http://www.starcase.com/custom_aluminum_rack_store.htm

Aluminum Drawers (wish they had a 1U aluminum drawer): http://www.starcase.com/rack_options.htm

Combi-Cam replacement combination locks: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0048CATRK

Welded on some hanging devices, a couple of wheels and props. Yeah. Carpets made less painful. Started with this, from Filmtools:

http://www.filmtools.com/grlistcala.html

Unusual for the camera people to be on the same page as the sound people, but here it is…

Solution? Soundies are making custom right-angle input cables to route the audio interface to a less-intrusive spot on the camera.

Sound Cart Laptop Mount Take 4

Originally uploaded by Jannie-Jan

It took an inordinately long time and a lot of consultations with various colleagues and vendors, but this combination of elements meets all my cart-based laptop mount needs.

The InsTand tray and Manfrotto 244RC Variable Friction Magic Arm with Quick Release Camera Bracket can go just about anywhere I want it to, securely hold the laptop, and that’s just the way I like it.

http://www.instand.com/Custom/custom.html#trays

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554345-REG/Manfrotto_244RC_244RC_Variable_Friction_Magic.html

When all is ready to load into the truck, I’m in the habit of documenting everything. Dunno why, just do.

I’ve been a steady LittleLite buyer / user for nearly 20 years.

All the units I’ve installed had the BNC connectors that were the typical fail-point in the system, closely followed by the base.

When this summer another BNC connection failed, began to imagine other possibilities.

Found a 4-pin LittleLite model, and my first and continuing thought was and is, “Problem solved!” At least the problem of the less-than-robust BNC interface. 4-pin connectors are pretty darned rough-and-tumble, moreover, they are easy to repair. Even in a pinch.

B&H carries them, but you have to make a minimum order of six of ‘em. No. I didn’t think so.

Finally found a company willing to sell me one.

Come to find out, these units are wired differently than our standard 12-V DC systems. Let the re-wire begin. It would have been straightforward but for conflicting wiring diagrams provided, that had me and others scratching their heads, “WTF?”

More than that, there’s no integral on/off switch.

Fine.

Fine.

Thankfully, an esteemed colleague suggested the Rocso LitePad. Bingo.

Rosco’s smallest panel is 3″ x 3″, light as a feather, Velcro mountable, pulls a scant .1 amps, is daylight balanced (if you wish), has those sexy 60,000-hour LED’s, offers a couple of rather expensive options for dimmers you can add to the package, and can come with a reasonably-priced 4-pin cable that will attach to the proprietary DC connector probably familiar to lighting types, but unfamiliar to me. I’m now looking for a simple on/off switch to add to the setup.

I tried LittleLite’s LED offering. It wasn’t bright enough.

The LitePad throws a lotta light. Am thinking I might construct a kind of egg crate for it so it’s not thrown so completely over the entire deck of the sound cart. Will also scavenge some ND from the trash, just in case, for mood lighting. Can imagine this light good enough to wire someone close to the cart in an otherwise dark night exterior or stage.

Unless LittleLite does something quickly, they are going to lose the film / television sound geek market.

Rosco’s kinda all over it. When I posted the image of my cart with the LitePad on Flickr, within 24 hours I’d been contacted by the Rosco social media maven, who asked me to post the photo to his Rocso Facebook page. Very 21st Century, Rosco. Maybe it’s time for your marketing geeks to consult with some sound geeks for sound-friendly tweaks / additions.

I’m a fan.