--- In Robb Nichols <> wrote:
>
> Thanks to Rob and John for the windscreen suggestions. As a shell, for
> the windscreen, I'd thought about GoreTex or even Tyvek, but the
ripstop
> idea seems good. The siliconized nylon might be good too as the
> silicone would make water bead up. It wouldn't be UV stable, but
> nothing that I've talked about so far is. As mentioned, I don't
need to
> protect the mic, but I need some kind of replaceable barrier to keep
the
> windscreen from becoming saturated. Have you guys experimented with
> this in terms of audio noise from raindrops? The hogshair cover would
> help with this and would also shield this membrane from UV, but does it
> hold water? Colin, if you're following this, did you ever put together
> your system after your November posts? How is it performing? I have
> wondered if one could saturate this in a silicone oil to make it more
> water repellent.
>
> On these all-too-rare occasions of enlightenment, I stop tinkering to
> see what I can learn from others. But I'm ready to scrounge up some
> materials and try some things.
>
> Regards, Robb
>
Hi Robb,
I am following this thread with great interest because I have yet to
construct the weather-proof mic protection I intended to build.
However, I experimented with the nylon umbrella idea and found that it
shed water for several hours before seepage at the seams led to water
ingress. Alas I failed to make the intellectual leap of looking for a
pre-made bag with sealed seams! The "Sea to Summit" bags look perfect
for my needs - and possibly yours too. Does anyone have practical
experience with such materials, and if so, how sound-transparent are they?
As far as the "hogshair" material is concerned I have yet to find a
non-commercial supplier in the UK, but to be honest I haven't looked
very hard because my health - and therefore the health of the project
- has been poor. However, with the idea of a water-proof stuff-sack to
give ample wind and water protection, I'm quite excited about the
project once again and keen to complete it. By somehow bonding a layer
of "hogshair" to the outside of a water-proof stuff-sack the result
would be a weather-proof enclosure which would disperse the energy of
rain drops, provide a high degree of wind protection, and form a dry
interior environment for the mic(s). As an added bonus it would be
small and light - easy to stuff in the bag with the rest of my gear
for use in the field. Many of my field recordings are cut short due to
impending rain, so this weather-proof "mic bag" would enable me to
continue recording in most conditions, and simply leave the mic(s) in
the bag when I finish recording, keeping the mic's in their cosy, dry
bag! I guess the interior dimensions of the bag would have to be
considered for acoustic reasons but I do not have the knowledge or
experience to suggest the most suitable dimensions.
I must stress my relative ignorance compared with most of you on this
list, so if there are any major flaws in this design concept please
let me know. However, at this moment in time it feels like a very
simple and elegant solution to a major weather issue.
Robb, I'm sorry I don't have any experience which could be of help to
you, but if the idea I've described is suitable for my needs, perhaps
its simplicity could be applied to fit your needs. By carrying a few
spares, whenever the hogshair became iced or their sound-transparency
compromised in any other way (guano, etc), the "mic bags" could be
easily exchanged - depending on their accessibility of course. They
could be easily cleaned of ice, guano, etc., and re-used.
That's the sum of my thoughts for the moment, please feel free to poke
holes in this concept - or suggest improvements.
Cheers, Col
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