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- %% RIFLE MICROPHONE %%
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- %% Another file from: %%
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- %% Omnipotent, Incorporated %%
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-
- This is a most unusual project; we
- are going to mount a sensitive
- microphone behind a series of acoustic
- wave guides and hope for the best.
- Actually, our wave guides are aluminum
- tubes cut to resonate at frequencies
- near the human voice range. This
- arrangement also serves to make the
- unit highly directional as sound other
- than that arriving at the mouth of the
- tubes arrives at the mic in an
- out-of-phase condition and cancels
- itself out.
-
- With this easily constructed
- device it is possible (under ideal
- conditions) to pick up conversations
- several HUNDRED feet away, in fact,
- reports of recording conversations up
- to 30 yards away THROUGH A CLOSED
- WINDOW have been made...
-
- The device is quite easy to
- construct: First get together the
- following materials:
-
- [1] 56' of 3/8" outside diameter
- aluminum tubing (hardware stores)
- [2] 1 sensitive amplifier with
- operating paraphenalia
- [3] 1 sensitive microphone element -
- use either a good condenser or a
- crystal, as their outputs tend to
- be a bit higher than their dynamic
- counterparts.
- [4] 1 funnel
- [5] Assorted small hardware
-
- Cut the tubing into 37 pieces
- ranging from 1" through 36" in one inch
- divisions. Now bundle them together
- symmetrically with one end flush (as
- shown). As you assemble them, blue
- them together in several places to
- assure they remain in the state you
- have put them in (were it only so easy
- with people...).
- >
- > OOO
- > OOOOO
- > OOOOOOO
- > OOOOOOOOO
- > OOOOOOOOO
- > OOOOOOOOO
- > OOOOOOO
- > OOOOO
- > OOO
- >
- > Flush ends of tubes
-
- Take the funnel and fit it around
- the flush end of the tube bundle.
- Being astute enough to read this, I am
- sure you will notice the tubes do not
- exactly fit into the funnel. At this
- realization, take a small hammer and
- beatt the funnel to nearly as possible.
- Now fill the remaining spaces with a
- good rubber based caulking compound.
-
- The microphone element is placed
- in the neck of the funnel (with a
- rubber grommet if it is small enough to
- fit up into the neck - otherwise set it
- into the other end of the neck before
- caulking the tubing in place). Glue
- the mic into place and caulk any air
- space around it.
-
- Run the microphone wires out the
- neck of the funnel, glue in place, and
- also caulk to give it a closed, fairly
- air invincible seal around the entire
- unti. If you really feel up to it,
- fiberglass resin can be used instead of
- caulking compound.
-
- > m ###\
- > i ### \
- > c ### \
- > ### \_________# wire
- > e ### #______
- > l => ### funnel #
- > e ### _________#
- > m ### / ^
- > e ### / grommet
- > n ### /
- > t ###/
- >
- Run the output wires to your
- amplifier and place the entire unit on
- some sort of support, a camera tripod
- being ideal. (Need I remind you to
- check matching impedances?). The unit
- should be aimed at the subject and then
- panned about for maximum volume (sound
- does not travel in a straight line, but
- may vary with wind, etc).
-
- If wind noise overrides your
- target noise you can place a piece of
- cheesecloth across the end of the unit.
- If a particularly difficult noise
- interferes with your pick-up you can
- often plug up the tube(s) carrying this
- noise with a cork.
-
- Good hunting, avoid paranoid
- people who may feel your rifle mic more
- than resembles the real thing...
-
-
-