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Samson Onboard Wireless...DIY

Sundogue

Sundogue

Apr 26, 2001
8,795
481
65
Wausau, WI
#1
As some of you may know I've had some "crackle" issues with my Samson wireless. Ya, I know it's a cheap unit, but it works for me (without the crackle issues that is).

Anyway, I thought I had some of the crackle issues solved by taping a rigid piece of graphite to the unit and taping the antenna to that. Well, that worked, but once in a while I still had issues.

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So, the other day I thought I'd try to put my wireless unit into the control cavity of my bass. When I took it apart, I think I found the source of the crackle problem. Though the antenna at it's base is rigid within the unit's case, the circuit board is not and there is some play in it. The circuit board actually wiggles inside and it makes the base of the antenna unstable. So movement may cause the board to move, thus causing the crackle sound occasionally.

Here's the circuit board and the rest out of the case. Notice the base of the antenna is just a solder point on the board (Also note the rubber holder for the base...but the circuit board moves sloppily inside the case, making the wire move at the solder joint. At some point I would think fatigue and complete failure would occur).

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I cut the leads to remove it all from the case. I shrink wrapped and taped the circuit board and antenna with electrical tape. I then velcroed the whole thing inside my control cavity and soldered the unit's leads to my input jack.

I made a battery box out of two tubes that hold my airbrush tips, cut lengthwise and taped together...which was then taped to the unit before putting into the cavity.

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Then I made a new cavity cover out of some cutoff from a shower surround and then painted it black and used another piece for the battery box cover which is velcroed. I put the wireless where I did because I wanted to run the antenna along the edge of the cover and that's where it worked best. Plus I still have room in the cavity for who knows what in the future (cell phone maybe? ;)).

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It's a bit sloppy, but it works great. I now have have an onboard wireless unit. No more hassling with a wireless and best of all...there are NO more "crackle" issues at all.

I can't wait for the comments from some that I'm not really playing. :D
 
#4
Nice! Battery changing looks like a PITA, but who am I to rain on your parade? It's pretty clever.

EDIT: Oh geez, for some reason I didn't see that pic of the battery cover built into the plate. I guess it got stuck in the downloader. Sorry...now that I see that, I think it's much more user-friendly.
 
#5
Thats pretty sweet eh, too bad my p doesnt have a back cavity like that... :(

But then again Im too broke for a wireless unit anyway, and personally I dont mind putting a transmitter in my back pocket.

But great idea! Now if some of the more mainstream companies (Fender, MusicMan, Ibanez, Lakland, a couple others I cant remember atm lol IMO) had a look at that and started making production models with the wireless in it, that'd be awesome!
 
#7
Thanks everyone.

Actually, the battery cover has a "tape" pull tab (which was tucked under the cover for the pic), and once open, there is a ribbon to pull the existing battery out, and then snap the new one in. Piece of cake. The cover also has a "tape" hinge so I don't lose it.

And really, I don't know why bass manufacturers can't have this built in as an option.

The Samson unit, while not anywhere near top of the line, works great for me. I can go about fifty feet into the audience and have no issues at all. The only thing is my tone in the low end is a tad weak, but I easily make up for it with EQ.

I got the thing as a gift from my guitar player well over a year ago, for repairing his PC and I've used it ever since. But wireless units are a bit of a pain (not as big of one as being wired to your amp though) and Samson has a good idea with this little "bug" you plug in instead of carrying the pack on your strap. But it has some issues that can be overcome.

EDIT: Before anyone mentions it...no,the switches on the back are not in the way and won't get bumped. I wear my bass kind of high up and that part of my bass in the back is always out away from my body. I've already put it through some testing.
 

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