The Extension Cord As An Art Object

Posted on by Jeff Posted in customer service, extension cords, good business ideas — No Comments ↓

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comI am on the mailing list for a web site called Bestmade.com and enjoy getting their weekly updates.  It is run by an artist and product designer named Peter Buchanan-Smith, who has taken practical, but interesting objects, and turned them into works of art.

He started with axes with elaborately painted handles and has moved on to other objects, each with some sort of embellishment.

Paying a premium price for one of his axes with a hand painted handle made some sense, because it combined a useful item with hand work done by a well known artist.

Bestmade.com’s latest offering, however, mystifies me.  It is a line of extension cords designed to look like extension cords looked 50 years ago.  They are covered in cloth rather than rubber insulation and appear to be almost impossible to properly coil.  They are restricted to indoor use and the offering says they are intended for “small” appliances, but the specs do not list a wire size.  If they are UL approved, I can’t find that info anywhere on the web site.

Retro for art’s sake is fine, and there is plenty about mid 20th century design that is worth preserving.  However this particular item looks like a good way to burn your house down.  Cloth covered extension cords were known to be subject to easy abrasion of the outer covering and were subject to being gnawed through by mice and squirrels.  Their cotton outer covering is flammable and they don’t have the ability to “grip” the connectors like a rubber-jacketed cable does.

We will continue to enjoy looking at Bestmade.com’s product offerings, but really think they should reconsider selling this product.

Oh, by the way.  The cost for their 10 foot extension cord?  $34.00!

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Click here for extension cord safety tips.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Extension cords are one of our specialties.

This Will Make One Heck Of A Tape Ball

Posted on by Jeff Posted in gaffers tape, tape — No Comments ↓

Check out this story about a tape artist and Shurtape, and a tape manufacturer in Hickory, NC.

Sun Kwak, a Korean artist, is using over three miles of black masking tape to create an abstract art installation at the Brooklyn Museum.

Deploying a special six inch width black masking tape provided by Shurtape, Kwak has developed a method of applying and then tearing the tape she applied to columns in the museum’s rotunda.  This appears as wavy lines and patterns contrasted against the museum gallerie’s walls.  The effect is stunning.  To a casual observer, it looks like thousands of feet of painted patterns.

The artist has spent almost 300 hours on this installation.

After that,  its three miles of tape headed for the landfill.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment ONe extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for lots of useful graphic arts supplies.

Is The Customer Always Right?

Posted on by Jeff Posted in good business ideas — No Comments ↓

I try to spend a few minutes each day reading up on ideas related to sound business practices. There is an unending source of good (and sometimes not so good) ideas for business management available.

One of the ideas that comes up over and over is the timeless concept that “the customer is always right”. After many years of selling specialty products online and through catalog sales, I can tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.

I field at least a couple of phone calls every day from a prospective customer who needs to be talked out of making a purchase from us. This is sometimes harder to do than one might think, but I would always prefer to lose a sale than to sell you the wrong item.

Over and over, a customer will try to talk me out of recommending that they not use a tape product for an outdoor application because it does not have UV protection and is not intended to stand up to exposure to sunlight.

Time after time, I have to convince a customer that using an extension cord of too small a gauge will create a fire hazard.

I wish I had a nickel for all the times I have tried (unsuccessfully) to convince a caller that the performance of a ProCell battery is identical to that of a Duracell CopperTop.

It has always been our hope that by creating web sites that were deep with information that we could lead customers to make the right choice-a purchasing choice that would provide a product that met their needs. The same theory is at work when we provide information that should help a prospective customer realize that they product they are considering is not the right item to meet their needs.

Sometimes we lose a sale by insisting that the customer is not always right, but, in the end, this is a lot more satisfying than trying to always make the sale.

Are you someone who believes that conventional business wisdom is not always the way to go? Share your thoughts with us!

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Enterainment 1 extension cords , OnStage Stand mic stands and quality speaker cables.

Hit “Upside the Head” with a Mic Stand

Posted on by Jeff Posted in microphone stands — No Comments ↓

I was helping unpack a large shipment of microphone stands recently, when I got a great “blast from the past“.  I am always amazed at the sorts of experiences that will turn back the clock for a few minutes.

I learned a lot of my “hands on” production skills working as a stagehand, first as a student, then as a part time employee at my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, on the tech crew there.

One of the first acts I had a chance to do sound for was John Sebastian, soon after he had left The Lovin’Spoonful to go out on his own.

In those days, acts never traveled with sound systems and rarely did any sort of advance work.

The day Mr. Sebastian showed up, the took a look at our sound system and said “where are the monitors?“.  Not only did we not know WHERE the monitors were, we also didn’t know WHAT the monitors were.

After having him explain to us what monitors were and what they did, we decided that we could achieve what he wanted by simply setting up two complete sound systems, duplicate mixers, speakers, mics, stands, everything.  One set for the audience.  The other set for the performer.

I’ll never forget the first thing he said when he hit the stage.  Looking at the audience through a forest of four big, shiny chrome microphone stands, he said “I feel like I’m in jail“.

Next time we produced a concert, we had the monitors.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

Blowin’ In The Wind

Posted on by Jeff Posted in Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

You’re setting up for an outdoor event and that means it’s all but guaranteed that 30 minutes before the event is over, but well after dark, the bottom will drop out of the sky, promising a load out in the rain and a truck full of wet gear.

While the standard hardware store blue tarp is the industry standard for quick cover ups in the rain, they can really cause you some problems when the rain is accompanied by a stiff breeze.

A simple modification in a cheap tarp can make it many times more useful when the raindrops start falling.

Turn the tarp into a plastic bag.

Just take your tarps, fold them in half, and stitch up the edges.  If you’re not handy with a sewing machine, gaffers tape or even a stapler will work almost as well.

Larger tarps can be turned into bags that will cover up your entire PA stacks, and you can make smaller bags for covering up things like monitors.

Since the tarps can be easily cut and normally do not unravel, you can take one large tarp and turn it into a lot of custom covers for things like your consoles and amp racks.  No hemming necessary.

Since the tarps have grommets, you will have some tie down points, but you probably won’t even need them.  Since wind can’t get inside the bag, the harder the wind blows, the firmer the bag stays in place.

Make sure you label each bag with a large label (try using a Sharpie marker directly on the bag) in letters large enough to be seen in the dark.

At the first mention of rough weather, place each bag close to the location where it will be needed and instruct stagehands or volunteers how they are used.

This might well be the best piece of sound equipment you ever buy.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands. Sometimes we have some interesting ideas about web development too!  Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

These Guys Are “First” Among Our Favorite Customers

Posted on by Jeff Posted in tape

We got a nice gaffers tape order this morning from the First robotics competition and we are excited about working with this customer.

The first several times we got online orders from “usfirst“, frankly we thought they were coming from a bank or other financial institution.  I’m glad I took the time to look a little closer.

First sponsors a national program for for middle and high school students who design and build robots  and then compete against other teams.

It turns out that they use gaffers tape to lay out the “arena” where the robots compete.  The lanes and end zones are marked with different colors of cloth tape.

You can see an example in this video.

First was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, a well known inventor and entrepreneur probably best known for inventing the Segway.

To date, First has awarded almost $10 million in scholarships.  This year they will work with over 196,000 students making up 1680 teams.

This year the national First championship will be at the Georgia dome in Atlanta April 16-18.  I hope they will take us along.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment ONe extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands.  We are proud to be a supporter of our local schools here in Chatham County, NC.

Gecko Tape May Have Us Climbing The Walls

Posted on by Jeff Posted in Other News — No Comments ↓

If you follow this blog, you know that I’m no fan of rechargeable batteries. The majority of our battery customers use batteries in wireless microphones, and the performance of rechargeables in this application has real problems.

Still, we do support the concept of reuse in the products we sell whenever possible. One good example is Velcro’s One Wrap Straps. They’re handy and can used many, many times without creating any waste

Reusable tape? Now there’s an idea!

Thanks to Geico Insurance, everybody knows what a gecko is. Real geckos can’t talk, but they do have a very special characteristic that makes them amazing characters. They can walk upside down as easily as they walk right side up. Wall climbing? No problem!

What’s that got to do with tape? Stick with me for a minute.

The geckos’ trick, according to National Geographic, involves millions of microscopic hairs on the pads of their feet. Each hair, or seta, provides a miniscule adhesive force called van der Waals, which operate over very small distances but bond to just about anything. Robert Full, a biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, believes that adhesives can be developed that are as strong (and infinitely reusable) as what geckos have on their feet.

I doubt that this technology will work its way down to the point of having reusable gaffers tape anytime soon, but it could happen someday.

Meanwhile, imagine yourself hanging upside down from the ceiling. That would be cool.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Electratrac and Coast Wire extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands, and lots of other useful production supplies.

Is Your Church Breaking the Law?

Posted on by Jeff Posted in wireless microphones — No Comments ↓

It seems that churches are being turned into lawbreakers by the FCC

It is certainly not news that churches, technically at least, are legally required to have licenses for their wireless mics.

At this time of year when so many churches produce special events that use wireless mics, this issue has been brought back into sharp focus.

A group called the White Spaces Coalition has come together to advocate for the use of unused broadcast spectrum intended for televison to actually be used for wireless internet.  This is group of lightweights.  Members include Microsoft, Google, Dell, Earthlink and Samsung among others.

While the FCC has turned a deaf ear to unlicensed wireless microphone users in the past, it is unlikely that those who make up the White Space Coalition will allow the FCC to continue to ignore the use of spectrum that is now seen as being so valuable.

I have written before about how these companies are pushing the FCC to build databases of unused broadcast spectrum nationwide.

The chances that a high school theatre or “Sunday only” wireless mic user will be able to stay under the radar if the spectrum they use is commandeered for wireless internet use, since these sorts of services are in as high demand in rural areas and secondary markets as they are in major metro areas.

If you don’t think Microsoft will turn the FCC loose on you, you don’t know Microsoft.

You can read more about the White Space Coaltion here.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands.  Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

No Soundman Required

Posted on by Jeff Posted in microphones & mic stands, Pro Sound — No Comments ↓

If the new mic preamp device from Sabine, called “Phantom Mic Rider“, can do what it claims, the days of the sound man may be numbered. This inline preamp plugs directly between a microphone and a mixer, at the mic end, and provides almost all of the functions the sound man would perform at a spoken word event.

sabine.jpg

I spent a lot of time spinning knobs for spoken word and televised events, and this thing would have been a life saver. It eliminates (or at least reduces feedback), provides automatic gain control when the presenter moves too close or too far from the mic, provides proximity effect equalization, controls popping “p” sounds, and, most important, includes an infrared noise gate.

The noise gate automatically turns the mic and and off, depending on how far a presenter is from the mic position. This sensor can be detached from the rest of the preamp and taped somewhere like the top of a podium if that suits your needs better.

the “Phantom Mic Rider” is phantom powered, so no battery is needed. It will work with a stand mounted or podium-style mic, and Sabine claims that its internal digital signal processing will improve the overall sound of almost any microphone.

Only one problem that I can see. The infrared noise gate is activated by body heat, and some of the presenters we’ve worked with over the years appeared to have been dead for some time!

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Electratrac and Coast Wire extension cords, and lots of other great products for the audio visual industry.

Need a Wireless Mic? Don’t Join the “700” Club

Posted on by Jeff Posted in wireless microphones — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_biggerEven though the FCC ruling regarding outlawing certain types of wireless micshas been in effect for awhile, there are lots of unscrupulous vendors still selling equipment designed to 0perate in the restricted 700 MHz (698 MHz to 806 MHz).

There was still an abundance of new equipment manufactured to use these frequencies on sound equipment sellers shelves in June when the new law went into effect and they continue to make their way into the hands of unsuspecting buyers.

Online auction sites like Ebay are full of these now illegal mics.  If you encounter one, you should notify Ebay, who has said they will remove the offending item.

The FCC ruling makes clear that the sale, manufacture or import of wireless mics operating in the 700 MHz range is now illegal.  If you have been sold one of these units at any time after January 15, 2010, you should return it to the seller for a full refund.  If the seller is not cooperative, you can report them to the FCC.

While you can expect that the FCC will deal swiftly and firmly with the offending vendor, that does not mean that the unsuspecting buyer of a 700 MHz mic is off the hook.  Even if you were not aware that it would be illegal to use the microphone you were sold, you are still subject to both criminal and civil actions if you continue to use the device.

Nobody should become a member of the “700 Club”.


GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cordsand OnStage Stand mic stands.  We offer “FCC-approved” wireless mics at BuyWirelessMic.com.

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