The Broadcast A2 Tool Kit: What to Carry and Why
A good tool kit is not just a collection of gadgets. It is a compact troubleshooting system. Every item should help you verify a condition, isolate a fault, restore audio, or prevent a small problem from becoming a show problem.
Quick answer: keep these within easy reach.
- Qbox and a known-good short XLR cable
- Sharpies and label tape
- Dedicated cable tester
- Multimeter with rated test leads
- Multitool, 6-in-1 screwdriver, and precision screwdriver kit
- Flashlight and headlamp
- Fiber tools: visual fault locator, optical power meter, and cleaning kit
The rest of the kit can live deeper in the bag.
Jump to:
Building the Kit · Signal Tools · Labeling · Hand Tools · Lighting · Fiber Tools · Carrying the Kit · Checklist
Build the Kit Around the Questions You Need to Answer
When something is not working, the tool in your hand should help answer a specific question. Is the expected signal present? Is DC voltage present? Is the cable intact? Is the problem here, upstream, or downstream?
Verify
Confirm that the expected audio, intercom, IFB, voltage, or optical level is present.
Isolate
Move through the signal path one connection at a time until the condition changes.
Restore
Swap for a known-good cable, change pairs or adapters, or establish a temporary path when getting the show on air is the priority.
Document
Label the temporary fix and record the original fault so it can be repaired instead of rediscovered on the next show.
Preserve a valid source while troubleshooting. When the original microphone, IFB feed, or intercom signal is usable, continue tracing that live signal through successive patch points. Substitute tone only when the original source cannot provide a reliable signal or when you are identifying an unknown path.
Signal and Cable-Testing Tools
Whirlwind Qbox
The Qbox is the core troubleshooting tool in many A2 kits because it can generate and monitor analog audio. Its speaker lets you listen at points throughout a signal path, while its internal microphone and tone generator can send a signal in the opposite direction. Its voltage indicators can also show whether DC is present on an IFB, phantom-power, or intercom circuit.
The Qbox is excellent for following a live source, identifying an unknown path, and performing a basic conductor check. It does not provide a precise voltage measurement, generate phantom or intercom power, or fully verify pin-to-pin cable wiring. Use a dedicated cable tester or multimeter when the question requires one.
Dedicated Cable Tester
A dedicated cable tester is faster and more definitive than an improvised audio test. A tester designed for common audio connectors can identify opens, shorts, and reversed conductors.
- Pre-run verification: Confirm that a cable is correctly wired before it is routed through the venue.
- Fault confirmation: Test a suspected cable after it has been removed from the signal path.
- Intermittent testing: Flex the cable near its connectors and other stress points while watching for changes on the tester.
Multimeter
A multimeter can answer questions that an audio tester cannot. For most A2 work, its useful functions are DC voltage, AC voltage, resistance, and continuity. It can screen batteries, verify an open conductor, detect an unintended connection, and measure voltage when a simple indicator is not enough.
Continuity and resistance tests are performed only on de-energized circuits. Disconnect the cable or circuit from power and connected equipment before testing it. Unless you are trained, authorized, and qualified to test energized facility power, stop and involve the venue electrician or another qualified person.
Permanent Markers and Label Tape
Labeling is not administrative work added after setup. It is part of the signal path. Clear labels make cables, devices, and connection points easier to operate, trace, troubleshoot, and strike.
Carry more than one marker and several colors of tape. Choose a show color that is not already common on the cables or equipment in use. This makes your labels immediately recognizable and helps old labels from previous productions stand out.
Labels should identify function as well as number. “IFB 4” is more useful than “4,” and “Stats PL” is more descriptive than “PL.” A useful label should make sense to someone who did not set up the system.
Hand Tools
The best hand tool is the one that fits the hardware without damaging it. A multitool is valuable for unexpected field work, but dedicated tools are usually faster and less likely to slip.
Multitool
Useful for cutting tie line, trimming tape, gripping damaged hardware, and handling the odd repair that was not on the advance.
6-in-1 Screwdriver
A faster choice for ordinary screws and equipment covers. It is especially useful when opening or servicing BP-325 intercom beltpacks.
Precision Drivers and Hex Keys
Useful for DIP switches, recessed controls, terminal blocks, miniature hardware, and set screws securing knobs.
Wrench and Flush Cutters
A small adjustable wrench handles connector hardware. Micro flush cutters trim zip-tie tails close to the locking head without leaving sharp edges.
Do not substitute a knife tip, key, or oversized screwdriver for the correct tool. Do not attempt an adjustment unless you understand the equipment and the proper procedure.
Flashlight and Headlamp
Venue panels are often installed where the cable path was convenient rather than where it is easy to work. Expect to find them under bleachers, behind access doors, beneath stairwells, or inside a dimly lit closet.
A flashlight is convenient for quick inspections. A headlamp is better for longer tasks that require both hands, such as patching, labeling, or working inside a rack. A useful headlamp offers a close-work flood beam, a longer spot beam, and a low-output mode that will not unnecessarily disrupt a dark rehearsal.
Do not trust color under poor light. When a patch depends on a conductor or connector color, use enough white light to identify it correctly.
Fiber-Optic Tools
A basic fiber kit may include a visual fault locator, an optical power meter, the correct one-click cleaners, approved wipes and solvent, and suitable inspection equipment. Each tool answers a different question. A visible red light at the far end does not prove that the fiber is clean, within loss budget, or ready for the show.
Never look directly into a fiber connector or the end of a fiber cable. Transmitted light may be invisible and can still cause eye injury. Treat every fiber as active and follow the system’s safety procedure before inspection or cleaning.
Backpack, Messenger Bag, or Pelican-Style Case
The carrying system should make the kit faster to use, not merely possible to transport. Organize it by frequency and consequence.
Outer Pocket: Immediate Troubleshooting
- Qbox
- Marker and label tape
- Flashlight
- Small screwdriver
- Known-good adapters and turnarounds
- Gloves with a belt clip
Main Compartment: Setup and Repair
- Cable tester and multimeter
- Hand tools
- Fiber tools and cleaning supplies
- Spare batteries
- Rain gear and less frequently used accessories
Hard Case: Delicate or Expensive Equipment
A hard case makes sense for meters, fiber inspection equipment, specialty adapters, and tools that should not be crushed. It also makes it easier to keep your gear neatly packed.
Choose a system you can close quickly. Open pouches, loose tools, and permanently exploded work areas are efficient only until the first location change or unexpected rainstorm.
Personally Used
Keep Your Backpack off the Ground
I use this folding hook to keep my bag off the ground in the compound. It clips onto the bag when not in use and gives me a quick way to hang it from a fence, railing, or anywhere that is dry and off the ground.
Why I like it: It keeps my backpack off the ground when we’re running cables. It folds down compactly and stays attached to my bag.
Important: This is a gear hook, not climbing equipment. Attach it only to a sturdy surface that can safely support the bag.
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Practical A2 Tool-Kit Checklist
Signal and Cable Testing
- Whirlwind Qbox and spare 9-volt battery
- Dedicated audio cable tester
- Multimeter and rated test leads
- Known-good short XLR cable
- Isolation transformer
- Male-to-male and female-to-female XLR turnarounds
- Common 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch adapters
Labeling and Documentation
- Black permanent markers
- Silver or light-colored marker
- Several colors of label tape
- Fine-point marker
- Small notebook or phone-based show notes
Hand Tools
- Multitool
- 6-in-1 screwdriver
- Precision screwdriver set
- Mini hex-key set
- Small adjustable wrench
- Micro flush cutters and diagonal cutters
- Scissors or safety cutter
Lighting, Fiber, and Support
- Flashlight and headlamp
- Spare batteries or charging cable
- Visual fault locator
- Optical power meter
- Correct fiber cleaning tools
- Work gloves and basic weather protection
The best kit is the one you know how to use.
A smaller kit built around known-good tools is more useful than a large case full of unfamiliar testers and mystery adapters. Test the tools before the show, replace weak batteries, keep one or two known-good reference cables, and return each item to the same place after use.
When the system fails, the goal is not to demonstrate how many tools you own. The goal is to ask the next useful question and get the show working.
