How to take care of microphones

Some larger classrooms or rooms with lecture capture capability have microphones. If using these devices, please adhere to the instructions below as these are delicate electronics.

Charging the microphone transmitters properly

ROOMS THAT HAVE MICROPHONES WITH USB CABLES

When finished teaching, please plug the microphone back into its USB charging
cableby matching the arrows on the cable and the microphone. Other
professors depend on the microphone being
charged properly for it to last a full day.

Stuffing the USB Cable in the wrong orientation does not charge the microphone, it damages it.

 

ROOMS THAT HAVE MICROPHONES PLUGGED DIRECTLY IN CHARGERS

In some classrooms, the microphones are plugged directly in the ports of the microphone charger. There are arrows on the transmitter and the charger. Line up those arrows and then insert the microphone back into the charging port.

 

How to properly plug a headset or lav into a transmitter

Regarding the mic connection, there are 4 gold pins in the connector, you’ll see which way it will go.  The release knob goes to the front of the transmitter.  It should clip straight in.  If it doesn’t, be sure to back it out before trying again.  If you twist it, the pins will bend and damage the equipment.  You can call us on the help phone if you have a question.

 

 

Leave the sacrificial cable plugged into the transmitter!

We’ve added a short “sacrificial” cable to the port where the microphone plugs in. Please leave this short cable plugged into the beltpack transmitter and plug your own headset mic into the end of this short cable.

With the added wear and tear of repeated unplugging/plugging personal headset mics, some of these ports were getting damaged. It will be much easier and cheaper for us to replace the short sacrificial cable, than repairing/replacing the entire beltpack transmitter.

Also, sometimes instructors unintentionally leave the sacrificial cable slightly unplugged when they’re done teaching, as pictured below on the left. This is enough to produce no audio or scratchy, glitchy audio. Before you teach in any of our rooms, please check to make sure that the sacrificial cable is plugged all the way into the transmitter as pictured on the right.

If you come into your classroom and find there isn’t a sacrificial cable or you believe the unit is damaged, use the classroom podium phone to reach us.