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Post by ken1953clark on Sept 8, 2019 10:29:13 GMT
Hi,
Does anyone have a Highlander battery box surplus to requirements? Now I’ve sold my Amistar, I no longer have access to one.
My Estralita has a pickup installed, but the battery lead comes out of the f-hole, not a pretty look. Want to convert it to a TRS lead solution.
I know I can easily build my own with parts from RS//Farnell/Maplin but just looking for a cheaper/quicker solution
Cheers (or Hit Me as I believe younger folk say)
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Post by snakehips on Sept 8, 2019 17:05:56 GMT
Hi Ken,
Will PM you. I have a few spares.
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Post by ken1953clark on Sept 15, 2019 12:18:36 GMT
Thanks to Snakehips I now have a Highlander battery box.
Cheers
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Post by bonzo on Sept 15, 2019 12:55:12 GMT
Snakey is your Highlander hoots mon!
Best wishes to you all, John
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 15, 2019 19:57:19 GMT
These are quite expensive, but they are really well built and will last a lifetime. I have two which are 20 years old and both are still in perfect working order. Shine On Michael
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Post by twang1 on Sept 15, 2019 20:11:50 GMT
I also have one of those, very sturdy and well built! I use it with the excellent Magnaphonic pick up for my tricone (it's a shame they don't make that pickup anymore, wonder why!) Frank
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Post by snakehips on Sept 15, 2019 22:12:49 GMT
Demand not there for the Magnaphonic ?
As for Highlander battery boxes, if you gig with two or more Highlander equipped resos, the maximum battery boxes you need s 2, no matter how many resos you have. One for playing through, and one is reserve, for if the battery 8n the first one runs out mid gig.
That’s why I have a few for sale !
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2019 8:48:59 GMT
Snakehips, I am not sure that I understand your comment. I use two Highlanders, one on my single cone and one on my Tricone. They are both plugged in to DI boxes and each has its own EQ settings. There is no way I could only use one for both guitars. If I was using three guitars with Highlanders I would require three external power units because each guitar has its own settings.
Regarding keeping a spare one handy; well it is not a bad idea, but it is also unnecessary as the life of a battery in the Highlander external power box is approximately 1000 hours. I change my batteries far more often than is necessary and probably have 996 hours left, but I still change them every other concert.
This is copied & pasted from Highlander's website....
Battery life is approximately 1000 hours for a preamp. Unplugging the guitar when its not being played optimizes battery life. If the guitar is plugged in for 2 to 8 hours every day, 7 days a week, the battery will last approximately two to six months. There are many variables that have an effect on battery life. For example: the type of battery, the age of the battery when purchased and temperature. If the sound becomes dull (loses high end) then it's time to change the battery.
Regarding the Magnophonic Tricone pickup - I wish they would go back into production because it is such a good system.
Shine On Michael
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Post by snakehips on Sept 16, 2019 17:29:08 GMT
Hi Michael,
I must just be lazy, using the same channel and settings for each of my single-cone Nationals, with maybe just a wee tweak of volume for where one might be a tad quieter than another. Actually, I've not been using my battery boxes much these days anyway - I have only 2 or so Nationals set up with the full Highlander system. For the rest, my main gigging Nationals, I have just the pickup wired up to a mono jack (in the F-holes), and use an external phantom-powered pre-amp/DI box (Orchid Elctronics Acoustic Preamp). I have that clamped to one of my e.piano stand legs, close to where I sit to play guitar - and can tweak each guitar EQ / Volume from there on-the-fly (it has Vol, Treble, Mid & Bass pots). Most of my Highlanders seem to have been purchased at a dodgy time in the company's existance, as I have had about five Highlander preamps fail on me (two were Magnaphonic preamps).
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2019 20:17:48 GMT
The Orchid preamps are very good, but I am surprised they perform as well as the Highlander ones. But... I do understand if they have failed on you. As you know, so far...touch wood etc... it has never happened to me.
Shine On Michael.
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Post by Stevie on Sept 17, 2019 7:24:59 GMT
I've taken a look at this doo-hickey using Google Images (Duck Duck Go! actually) It's an Eddystone (or perhaps "Hammond") die-cast box isn't it? (Surely not plastic at Highlander prices?) Judging by the silk screen printing, it seems as though the 9V for the pre-amp goes across the ring on the TRS, so there's no requirement for a bias-tee. I take it that there's a 9V battery inside to supply that voltage so no need for a buck converter? What else is there inside to go wrong with these things that four screws and a quick visual couldn't fix? Ken said he could make one in a heartbeat. I'm only asking because the lack of images generally and internals specifically piques my interest in what other magic they were incorporating that could fail.
e&oe...
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Post by ken1953clark on Sept 17, 2019 7:50:28 GMT
It’s a box containing a stereo 1/4” socket (TRS), a mono 1/4” socket and a PP9 battery connector. The sockets are connected tip-tip, sleeve-sleeve, the battery connector live-ring, eth-sleeve on stereo socket. That’s all I can see.
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 17, 2019 8:54:48 GMT
I've taken a look at this doo-hickey using Google Images (Duck Duck Go! actually) It's an Eddystone (or perhaps "Hammond") die-cast box isn't it? (Surely not plastic at Highlander prices?) Judging by the silk screen printing, it seems as though the 9V for the pre-amp goes across the ring on the TRS, so there's no requirement for a bias-tee. I take it that there's a 9V battery inside to supply that voltage so no need for a buck converter? What else is there inside to go wrong with these things that four screws and a quick visual couldn't fix? Ken said he could make one in a heartbeat. I'm only asking because the lack of images generally and internals specifically piques my interest in what other magic they were incorporating that could fail. e&oe...Here you go.... It is simple and very rugged. This one is 21 years old. Shine On Michael
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Post by snakehips on Sept 17, 2019 9:10:52 GMT
Never had any issues with the battery box or pickups, ONLY the preamps.
The Orchid Electronics Acoustic Preamp works at 18V phantom power. I don't understand the specifics about the difference only that I was told because of working at 18V, it gives the guitar signal more clean headroom, and thus less piezo quack. Into big gig PA systems, the Orchid Electronics unit preamps the pickup signal, is powered by phantom power (so never need to worry about 9V batteries), and it DI's the signal to the mixing desk. I still dial down some treble and boost the bass (on the unit) on some of my Nationals, as not sure if the PA guy will make changes as I change guitar. This way, I just need the one standard (mono) jack to (angled) jack cable, and swap guitars as needed. I used to use separate Highlander battery boxes, separate cables and separate PA channels for each Highlander but eventually found I just didn't need to as their signals as similar enough.
If I do a short wee solo support slot, I might plan on bringing just ONE guitar (ooh, that's rare !) - and thus use a National that I have the full Highlander system with battery box instead, but I prefer the Orchid Electronics preamp now. As I said,I clamp mine on (with the included clamp) to my keyboard stand leg, but it was designed to clamp on to your microphone stand so it's right in front of you.
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Post by Stevie on Sept 17, 2019 9:42:46 GMT
Many thanks Michael. Reverse engineering! Did I get it wrong (again!) and it's actually the pre-amps that fail? (That might explain the spare battery boxes.) As I suspected, a TRS socket, a switched TS socket and a battery clip in an Eddystone box. I see where Ken was coming from and fair play to Richard, but I'd have made one!
e&oe...
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