NotaBotYet Tally Helper 500

Interface for up to 5 Yellowtec Mika Microphone Boom Tally Lights

Provides a quick and easy way to power and control the tally lights on up to 5 Yellowtec Mika microphone booms. Inputs can be used to turn on the red or white lights inside the microphone boom depending on the input signal received from their GPIO source. (Without this device, installers need to hardwire either red or white functionality when installing their mic booms and therefore cannot use both colors.). For example, by using the Tally Helper, an installer can configure the red light to indicate a live microphone, and the white light for signaling something such as a live studio status, a timing cue, a telephone line ringing, or some other function based on their GPIO setup.

The two input RJ45 connectors (One for Red and one for White) are a match for our Axia GPIO Breakout Boards (A15-B01-2) or the logic ports on a Wheatnet IP Blade. The device may also be controlled using GPIO sources from other manufacturers that use open collector outputs or dry contact relays.

Connections to the Yellowtec Mika microphone boom tally lights are on a screw terminal barrier strip.

Includes 12V / 2 Amp power adapter.

Sometimes, when building a facility, there just needs to be an easy way to control the tally light on multiple Yellowtec Mika microphone booms.  For a facility designer and/or installer, this usually means termination of the Mika mic boom cable on a 5 pin xlr or equivalent method and somehow splitting off the power lines for the tally light from the mic audio lines.  But then what happens?  Punch blocks?  Perf Boards? Spaghetti and relays?

This all takes a lot of time, effort, soldering and it never ends up as clean or neat as one would hope.  Wouldn’t it be nice if something came along to help make the installation cleaner?  And by the way, now that Mika tally lights can glow Red or White depending on the polarity of the voltage feeding it…so wouldn’t it be nice if a simple GPIO bit could trigger either the red or white tally lights, finally allowing use of both colors?

Enter the Tally Helper 500.  Like its little brother, the Tally Helper 100, when installing Mika mic booms, it can make some of life’s problems disappear.  Imagine having a nice clean phoenix-type screw terminal strip sitting there just waiting to have each of the tally wires locked down for a good, tight electrical connection.  Imagine not having to loop through a relay, krone block, scotch tape, or anything. Imagine having a power supply that connects to the device and provide a solid 12 volts of regulated power for up to five Mika mic booms.  Imagine an two easy RJ-45 connectors waiting to be plugged into a Axia GPIO ports or Wheatnet Logic ports or any standard GPIO type output that provide a closures to ground to activate.  Imagine being able to decide which GPIO input bit will trigger the red tally and which will trigger the white tally.  While that is quite an imagination, it is all real and ready to help.

The Tally Helper has the following features:

• Phoenix-type screw terminal strip for connecting tally wires from up to 5 Mika mic booms
• Included 12V regulated switching power supply.
• Two RJ-45 input connectors  (One for Red and One for White) with pinouts matching our Axia GPIO Breakout Board (Part# A15-B01-2) or Wheatnet IP logic ports.
• Active low inputs mean installers can use any standard GPIO source (using open collector type closures to ground or relay closures to ground) to control the device
• Small device (no larger than a surface mount phone jack) can be mounted discreetly in any location convenient for access and wiring.