Sun shield for the FM9, suggestions?

TSJMajesty said:
I understand what a magnet does; I just wasn't sure if that's what you meant.

I think that's bad idea. Neodymium magnets are strong and can interfere with electronics components. I wouldn't do it.
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Those are the magnets used in the protective screens people use on their FM, FX and FC units, and we haven’t heard of any problems with them. They come in many sizes/strengths, but, if someone is concerned, 3M DualLock might be a decent choice, they just have to decide what strength they want because the strongest grip can be difficult to pry apart. I often have to use a big flat-head screwdriver.
 
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So I painted the frame and hung some black cloth to see how it looked. I can see the bottom buttons on the FM9 easily when I'm standing close to the mic but would have to back off a step to see the display which isn't bad. I didn't like the cloth so I cut a piece of cardboard and zip-tied it to the frame. I like that a lot better but the cardboard isn't a long-term solution, our lead vocalist owns a graphics and sign business so he's going to cut me a piece of material that is just like corrugated cardboard but is plastic so it will hold up to weather better. He is also going to put a band logo on it to look cool. :)
The unit sits nicely under my Duo-34 and can be installed or removed pretty quickly with little fuss. It shouldn't impede air flow at all but will block the sun nicely. I'd still have to cover it if we had rain but that should not be an issue at all.
Here's some pics of the process.
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Looks great. I’ve been wanting to do something like this since an outdoor gig I had back in May. Between my polarized sunglasses and direct sun I just had to trust I knew my layouts lol. Looking forward to seeing what it looks like with your band logo.
 
Sully0556 said:
So I painted the frame and hung some black cloth to see how it looked. I can see the bottom buttons on the FM9 easily when I'm standing close to the mic but would have to back off a step to see the display which isn't bad. I didn't like the cloth so I cut a piece of cardboard and zip-tied it to the frame. I like that a lot better but the cardboard isn't a long-term solution, our lead vocalist owns a graphics and sign business so he's going to cut me a piece of material that is just like corrugated cardboard but is plastic so it will hold up to weather better. He is also going to put a band logo on it to look cool. :)
The unit sits nicely under my Duo-34 and can be installed or removed pretty quickly with little fuss. It shouldn't impede air flow at all but will block the sun nicely. I'd still have to cover it if we had rain but that should not be an issue at all.
Here's some pics of the process.
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I'm more interested in how neat your garage is! :D
 
Sully0556 said:
So I painted the frame and hung some black cloth to see how it looked. I can see the bottom buttons on the FM9 easily when I'm standing close to the mic but would have to back off a step to see the display which isn't bad. I didn't like the cloth so I cut a piece of cardboard and zip-tied it to the frame. I like that a lot better but the cardboard isn't a long-term solution, our lead vocalist owns a graphics and sign business so he's going to cut me a piece of material that is just like corrugated cardboard but is plastic so it will hold up to weather better. He is also going to put a band logo on it to look cool. :)
The unit sits nicely under my Duo-34 and can be installed or removed pretty quickly with little fuss. It shouldn't impede air flow at all but will block the sun nicely. I'd still have to cover it if we had rain but that should not be an issue at all.
Here's some pics of the process.
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Great DIY project! I see room for improvement though, make the verticals so they are hinged but in-ward only. This way it can fold up and should make transport much easier! Maybe an adjustable knuckle at the bend on the vertical so you can change the angle of the cover? IDK great idea though!
 
Sixstring said:
Great DIY project! I see room for improvement though, make the verticals so they are hinged but in-ward only. This way it can fold up and should make transport much easier! Maybe an adjustable knuckle at the bend on the vertical so you can change the angle of the cover? IDK great idea though!
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After some input I may re-design it more like a tent frame (maybe hinged to fold up) to just set down over the FM9 with 4 feet. That way it can be installed and removed in seconds. I'm not sold on the base having to go under my DUO-34, It's a work-in-progress and I have a few weeks till the next outdoor show.....
 
With my old pedal board I used a sheet music tray attached to a mic stand (about 2 feet high) to cast a strategic shadow. On the occasions where it had to be in front of the board (due to sun position) the sheet music tray can be angled so you can easily see under it.

I'm planning to use the same approach with my FM9 for a few outdoor gigs we have coming up. I tested it on my back deck and it casts a perfect shadow on my FM9.
 
Two solutions for me - usually this is only a problem during afternoon soundchecks so heat is my concern rather than seeing the display. I also just picked up a cool umbrella with a clamp that I can attach to a mic or keyboard stand that I can stand under so I don't fry and/or die of heat exhaustion. 🥵 "Covered stage" doesn't always mean covered all day long...
 

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So we had an outdoor gig on 7/3 under direct sunlight against a house so it was 90+ degrees and the sun was baking the gear for about 5 hours between set-up and playing. we had all the gear covered and fans on everything but it was still miserable. The FM9 was well protected and had zero issues but I'm sure glad I had my redneck sun shield!!
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Sully0556 said:
So we had an outdoor gig on 7/3 under direct sunlight against a house so it was 90+ degrees and the sun was baking the gear for about 5 hours between set-up and playing. we had all the gear covered and fans on everything but it was still miserable. The FM9 was well protected and had zero issues but I'm sure glad I had my redneck sun shield!!
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I built a sun shield like you have…..but……I played an outdoor gig last Saturday and the sun was coming in from the direct right……so the shield gave me zero help……..I had to keep bending down to read the labels! I should have brought an umbrella……like someone used in the above thread……it’s always something! My issue wasn’t concerning heating the FM9…..my issue was I couldn’t read the labels!
 
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I really like several of the ideas here.

I recently did 3 outdoor gigs where I had to set up, sound check, then hang out until downbeat. While my rig cooked in direct sunlight for over 5 hours all in. Now I did cover it up during the down time, when the wind wasn't blowing my cover off (I'm in Colorado - we also have wind issues). My "cover" is as low tech as it gets. It's a semi-heavy bit of faux leather canvas cut slightly larger than my pedal case. When things get truly severe I put the lid back on my pedal board case. It's pretty much armored at that point. Anyway, I'm pleased to report everything went fine with all of these gigs.

In 3-ish years of gigging my FM9 outdoors, I've never had any thermal related issues. No issues at all really. Of course, I do whatever I need to do to protect my FM9 from direct sunlight, rain (which sometimes comes down sideways here), and wind (which kicks up dust etc.) because I will not allow mother nature to take out my FM9. So far, so good.
 
I have a couple of these Maloney Stage Gear covers - not useful during the gig, but for dust and sun protection while gear sits baking between soundcheck and downbeat:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Malon...BF36-BD7A-4FFC-8B34-A1C5E11188E4?ref_=ast_bln

They are "water resistant" so could also be handy to have nearby in case you need to throw something over if it starts sprinkling. If it's a monsoon, you'll want a proper tarp.
 
I have played outside in Phoenix during the day when temperatures were in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and in direct sunlight with no issues. I cover it when not playing and make sure it is off. I have done this multiple times with both AX8, FM3 and currently the FM9. I don't think it gets any worse than Phoenix in the summer. Projections are 120 degrees Fahrenheit a week from this Sunday..... LOL....
 
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