Hal Carlstadt, ¡Presente!

A Handy Guide to Using the HAL PA

If you are unfamiliar with PA systems in general, arrange to come to the office at least the day before your event and get checked out on it.
Place the speaker unit at least 10 feet from where the microphone will be. Never point the mic at the speaker, or you will get acoustical feedback.
Pretend the mic is an ice cream cone, and that it is attached to your chin with an invisible string. The mic must follow your chin wherever your chin wanders, or no one will hear you.
If you're using the CD player, note that it has a separate volume control. The CD that's already in the play mechanism should be put back in when you're done. It helps protect the mechanism during transport.
Don't mess with any buttons or switches you're not using. An open channel (turning up the volume for an input that's not in use) can create noise. The bass and treble controls can be used, if you know what you're doing, but leave them 'flat' when you're done.
Don't crank the volume to the max and yell into the mic. It won't hurt the mic, and probably won't blow the speakers, but .... Say, you're borrowing a car that is used by a large family, which that family depends upon. You can pop the clutch (it's a 'manual') and you can stomp on the gas and you can screech around corners and it won't (necessarily) break the car. But everything wears out. In other words, be gentle and the system will last longer.
If it stops working, your mic batteries may have died. There are fresh ones in the mic bag. Regarding the use of them, see #9 below.
Turn the mic off when you're done.
If you are using it the next day, and take it home yourself (& it's cool with Cynthia to do so), recharge the system overnight. If you've changed the mic batteries, recharge the old ones, too (the charger is in the compartment in the cloth case where the mic goes.) Never separate the power/recharging cord from the PA. It’s happened twice, and luckily it's a standard appliance cord (your computer uses one just like it. The first time, I had another one with me I could use.)
When you're done, put things back there they belong: The mic goes in the pouch. The mic clip (the thingamajiggy that screws on the mic stand and holds the mic) stays with the mic (if the mic clip stays on the stand, and the stand gets separated from the PA, and someone needs it the next time, they will not be a happy camper.) When you fold the speaker stand, turn it upside down and put the bag over its feet and pull it down. Turn it right side up, and the drawstring will be at the top end of the stand. Put the mic stand in the long pouch (instead of putting the stand in it, as the stand bag as a carrying handle.) And the front of the speaker unit faces away from the back of the carrying bag, where the handle is.
Here's a tip: If you're going to recharge it after the event, and you don't want to have to take the unit out of it's case, unwind the power cord, run it through the opening in the cloth lid, wind it up and stick it under the unit's built-in handle. Otherwise, particularly if you're using it where there's electricity, be sure to wind it around the built-in hooks in the back of the unit.
And here's another one: If you want to march with the unit, take it out of its soft case and tie it with the bungee cords to the frame, so that the speaker's exposed. You can roll it behind you and speak or sing into the wireless mic as you go!
Finally, remember that it belongs to the peace & justice community, that it was purchased in the name of a great peaceworker. Treat it gently, take care of it, and clean it if it gets dirty.

THANK YOU!

Grand Custodian