Would you buy a used HME DX200 Wireless Intercom for this?

LesWilson

Well-Known Member
We are a small private school and do a 4 showings of our musical once a year. We've rented a 4 drop HMEdx200 wireless intercom for many years at a discounted rate and used it with our wired system. We have found the wireless raises our production value. But post COVID, that rate has gone up and the rental company business model is shifting towards commercial and large events so it might go away. Then it would be cost prohibitive.

I noticed used HME dx200 systems on eBay. A 4 drop system is probably $3-4K used. I don't know what goes bad on them in order to understand the long term risk. For us, it would pay off in a couple years and save to 2 hours drive each year for pickup/install/return. Also, our students would have more time using the unit.

Any thoughts on buying used HME DX200? What goes bad? What should I look for or do to make sure it works.
 
I have less experience then most. and less still with Wireless. That said. What breaks first and fore most on Clear-com systems that are wired.... are the Headsets themselves (mic and headphones.) But they are universal.

Most of that stuff is pretty bullet proof and built to last and repair. The 4pin XLR connector if it gets damaged might be trickier to swap out. Battery Compartment, and anything generally handled. And I think you'd probably still be able to get repair parts if needed from old parts stock, or maybe from Clear-com themselves?
 
There's a couple of ways to think about this... first remove the thought of the future of the unit. If you're buying used, you don't know where it's been. You're hoping for the best and need to be prepared to deal with the worst. You've said you could potentially net the expense within 2-3 years, I'm assuming that's without any budget for repairs, expansion or future growth. Not renting doesn't mean not spending.

Here is my biggest cost decision when determining rental/purchase. If I rent it and it breaks due to normal operation it's replaced. If I buy it and it breaks for any reason whatsoever I'm "out of pocket".

Maybe buying a used unit is your stop gap in shifting money towards purchasing a new system... but in addition, maybe you short term purchase the used system while budgeting and building a capital request for a new Arcadia, that would let you use the HME system, add network audio and provide future expandability with an end of life roadmap for your used equipment.

Always think about tomorrow, while you're working on today, after solving yesterday's problems.
 
Seriously, schools with no wireless are a great use case for mumble. Software is free.. Windows or Linux, and can have both in the same environment,
runs over ethernet and or wifi. We run a closed wifi/ethernet environment, no connection to the outside world.
We have performed 5 musicals a year for many moons now using mumble.
You can have wired, wireless or mixed. Run it on cast off thin clients, old pc's etc. I boot my thin clients to linux from a thumbdrive. Also have rasp pi's in the mix, but chip shortage made them expensive now.
Bluetooth headsets can roam 30 feet from base. Dect headsets more expensive, but
for almost nothing per station, you get full duplex, crystal clear comm, and the only downsides... only one comm channel.. everyone in the pool, so you have to have mute discipline, and
1/2 second latency.. but we do fine this way, and it's literally pennies on the dollar.
 
Just a followup. I got budget for a used wireless and was able to put together a 4 drop system for around $4k. Works better and quieter than the rental units we've always had. The ancient Clearcom MA-400 base station still handles the wired side just fine and level problems across the two systems were resolved by turning off TERMINATION on the DX200. After 3 dress rehearsals, all is well.
 

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