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August 22, 2008
Phantom switches and phantom power ....
Today I should have been able to put aside all thoughts of sound systems and focus on report writing. No, that isn't how it works in this Monk's life anyway. The Abbey sound system decided it wasn't going to work - again.
I went down to check what was wrong and found that the two microphones which are connected by wire to the system refused to do anything. So did the Ambient Sound system and the Loop installed for those with hearing aids. Inexplicable since, before packing up yesterday everything was tested and everything worked. What could possibly have decided it wasn't going to overnight?
The Sound Engineer was contacted and after several phone calls and yours truly delving into the back of the system we solved the riddle. It took several hours, but we finally found the problem. The microphones, the loop and the ambient sound are all supplied by something called a Phantom Power Supply. Essentially it converts the signals and provides power to certain parts of the system which need a different voltage to everything else. Havingchecked its cables, its inputs and its oiutputs, the fuses and everything else we could think of - we discovered why it wasn't working. There is a switch. It was off.
Now here is the mystery. The switch is almost inaccessible, and when we packed up last night everything had been tested and was working - in other words that damned switch was "ON". Yet, this morning, it was mysteriously "OFF". This is not the first time this has happened either and its not the kind of switch that can be turned off without some form of actual contact with it and the application of a little force.
The mystery remains - but at least I now know exactly where to look first!
Posted by The Gray Monk at August 22, 2008 10:52 PM
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