Sennheisser G2 antenna repair

[Colin McDonald]

Went to use my Sennheiser EW-112PG2 kit today and the aerial (=antenna) had come off the EK-100 receiver. I pushed it back into the hole through the grommet and it worked fine for the 2 hours I needed it.

Now it's obviously waiting until the most inconvenient time to stop working or become unreliable, so how easy is it to fit a spare?

Has anyone had to take theirs apart and is it an easy job? (And did you get it back together again?)

I'm using it pretty regularly at the moment and would rather not have to send it away.

Any advice appreciated.

[John Willett]

It's a Service Dept. job - this is quite a rare problem actually as the G2 (and G3) antennas are much better than the G1.

Give Sennheiser UK a ring (01494-551-551) and ask for Nina - she will give you a returns number to send it back.

If you really need it back urgently - speak to Sam in Service (he is the Service Supervisor), explain the situation and he will do his best to slot it in and get it back to you for when you need it.

I hope this helps.

[Colin McDonald]

Thanks John, that certainly does help. I won't be able to do that this week as I'm away, but I'll follow your advice when I get back.

It used for 3 hours today without any problems, but obviously it needs properly repaired.

[Colin McDonald]

Revived this thread because, unwisely, I continued to use the EK-100 receiver, occasionally having to push the flexible aerial back in place - until yesterday when it fell off and got lost on a run and gun.

OK, it's now booked in with Sennheiser, but at an eye-watering £65 + VAT for the repair.

I'm now going to have to use a Freeport mains powered receiver to get me by until the repair is done.

"A stitch in time"...

The spirit of Heath Robinson is alive and well however - the local bicycle repair shop in Stranraer gave me a cut down cycle wheel spoke as an aerial to get me by - it worked fine!

The trouble with these Senny radiomics is that they are just too useful and I couldn't do without mine to get it fixed properly until now.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Colin McDonald

Revived this thread because, unwisely, I continued to use the EK-100 receiver, occasionally having to push the flexible aerial back in place - until yesterday when it fell off and got lost on a run and gun.

OK, it's now booked in with Sennheiser, but at an eye-watering £65 + VAT for the repair.

That's not eye-watering, it's pretty cheap actually.

Sennheiser UK's repair price is the same whatever the problem is - so whatever the problem with an evolution radio item, the repair will only be the £65 quoted.

But considering the cost of the replacement part, taking the receiver apart, installing the new antenna, putting it all back together again and testing it fully, the price is very reasonable.

It would not have cost any less if they charged you the old method of parts + labour and could have been more.

If you had smashed it up completely it would still only have been £65.

The good news is that antenna replacements are very rare on G2 and G3 units as the antennas are much more durable than the old G1 ones.

It's obvious you do not have stuff repaired very often as most places charge in excess of £60 per hour - good engineers are not cheap and are hard to find. And that repair job would take about an hour, I think, with the testing.

[Greg Miller]

Originally Posted by Colin McDonald

an eye-watering £65

With all due respect to your technical abilities, sir, I don't think that's an unreasonable price.

It's been 18 months since your original post. You kept using the mic for 18 months because you couldn't stand to be without it. The math is simple: £65/18mo = £3.61/month. Compared to your overall operating costs, that's trivial. If your Sennie didn't earn you much more than that, I'll eat my 451EB's.

Yes, I know, everyone complains about repair costs, but nothing lasts forever, and skilled labor is expensive. You can take comfort in the fact that you got a good, knowledgeable, factory repair job. I've paid more for poor plumbing work.

I was going to add another comment, but, come to think of it, I'm 1/4 Scottish myself. <wink>

[Colin McDonald]

Guilty - I'm a miserable moaning parsimonious old Scottish git. :-)

I will probably continue girn (sic) about this as even I seriously consider getting a G3 ENG system as well so that I am not left without my Senny radiomic again.

John - you are right. I try to buy quality gear and look after well so I don't have much recent experience of repair costs.

[barbed humour]But I have had a number of free repairs done by other manufacturers [/barbed humour]

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Colin McDonald

Guilty - I'm a miserable moaning parsimonious old Scottish git. :-)

I will probably continue girn (sic) about this as even I seriously consider getting a G3 ENG system as well so that I am not left without my Senny radiomic again.

John - you are right. I try to buy quality gear and look after well so I don't have much recent experience of repair costs.

[barbed humour]But I have had a number of free repairs done by other manufacturers [/barbed humour]

I'm 1/8th Scottish ;-)

I do think it good that Sennheiser have a standard repair charge for evolution gear that is the same price whatever the problem, however expensive.

In fact it was pegged at about the cheapest level and is the equivalent of about 1 hour's labour.

You could have major work done and it would still be the same price.

Very good value I think.

[Ty Ford]

My friend Eric Toline in Florida builds (real) replacement cables for G2 and G3 and does the antenna resolder. Very reasonable rates. Nice guy. I'd let him sleep with my wallet.

Just had him make up four XLR cables with those fancy Neutrik RF catching XLR connectors.

Tell him I said hello.

954-255-7628

audioetc@bellsouth.net


Regards,

Ty Ford

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

My friend Eric Toline in Florida builds (real) replacement cables for G2 and G3 and does the antenna resolder. Very reasonable rates. Nice guy. I'd let him sleep with my wallet.

Just had him make up four XLR cables with those fancy Neutrik RF catching XLR connectors.

Tell him I said hello.

954-255-7628

audioetc@bellsouth.net


Regards,

Ty Ford

Very useful, but the OP is in the UK.

[Ty Ford]

It's a big world.

So he pays some shipping. Eric has done work for people across the pond.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

It's a big world.

So he pays some shipping. Eric has done work for people across the pond.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Maybe - but it would end up being more expensive.

And there are superb wiremen in the UK as well for special cables - mine has just made me up some very special ones and also ones with the Neutrik EMC connectors.

However good he is, it's a bit OTT for someone in the UK to ship to the USA with the high cost of shipping and insurance and the VAT and Duty on the way back in.

I would only do such a thing for an absolute specialist where there is no-one in my country able to do it.

[Ty Ford]

John,

I don't doubt you have chaps who are handy with an iron in the UK, but I send my little book around the world including the UK for less than $5. Over here I send them out at about $1.76 a piece. A G3 isn't THAT heavier.

Do you need to go through the VAT stuff for a repair? Nothing is being sold. Even sending a few cables for the G3 can't be that expensive.

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: Do you have any specific UK suggestions?

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

John,

I don't doubt you have chaps who are handy with an iron in the UK, but I send my little book around the world including the UK for less than $5. Over here I send them out at about $1.76 a piece. A G3 isn't THAT heavier.

Do you need to go through the VAT stuff for a repair? Nothing is being sold. Even sending a few cables for the G3 can't be that expensive.

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: Do you have any specific UK suggestions?

Sending stuff from the UK would never be that cheap - especially if you need it insured in transit. I would be grateful if I could send a G3 transmitter or receiver to the US insured for less than £20 (that about $30).

Then there is the repair costs and the return shipping. You do need special Customs paperwork if it is a repair that comes back to get out of paying VAT.

As Sennheiser UK have an excellent Service Dept. and special low standard prices for fixing and fully testing Evolution Wireless - I don't see the point of sending it abroad.

Especially as it is illegal for standard UK frequencies to be used in the US - it could even be impounded by US customs (and I have known this happen for someone shipping a UK radio system to the US).