Control/Dimming Power Management. (Help)

[flyboydc]

Hello Everyone,

As soon as my school gets the DMX cable that we need I will be taking some of our new lighting equipment to shows in my local area, promoting my schools program for Music and Media Technology. We usually have concerts at venues which supply power for us. My question is this, what is the Best way to manage power for lighting equipment when setting up a portable gig. And what is the best way to organize cable so that everything looks clean a professional. Audio Equipment is also brought along as an obvious necessity for the bands sake. Thanks for the help, I just want my first gig to go smoothly.

 

[DuckJordan]

Hello Everyone,

As soon as my school gets the DMX cable that we need I will be taking some of our new lighting equipment to shows in my local area, promoting my schools program for Music and Media Technology. We usually have concerts at venues which supply power for us. My question is this, what is the Best way to manage power for lighting equipment when setting up a portable gig. And what is the best way to organize cable so that everything looks clean a professional. Audio Equipment is also brought along as an obvious necessity for the bands sake. Thanks for the help, I just want my first gig to go smoothly.

I'm not sure about the power distro and you may have better luck talking to an electrician in your area. However for the use of making your cables and other things look professional use tieline, its a black cotton fiber rope that is great for tying to battens or truss as well as for tying cable in coils to help with storage.. also good to mention is to keep your cable runs as close the length you need and reduce excess cable build up.

 

[jeffsw6]

What is your background with electricity? Power distribution should always be handled by someone who is knowledgeable about electrical safety and code requirements.

What are your loads? If all you need for sound & lights is a few 20A circuits, most venues can satisfy this without the need for special distribution equipment. If you need more than that much electricity, you'll probably need a distro for at least some venues. In addition, if the venues don't have a disconnect for your use (e.g. a high-power receptacle or set of cam-locks) you will need an electrician to connect your distribution equipment to the venue power.

You will definitely need a VOM (volt/ohm meter) so you can test the venue power before you connect your loads. Never plug anything in to a high-power disconnect without first testing it to ensure correct wiring. You really shouldn't plug things into regular Edison receptacles without testing first, but people do. If you meet a mis-wired receptacle and it fries your gear (or results in an injury or death), you will regret not having checked first! A VOM is pretty easy to use. Be careful with its test leads, it is not a toy, and careless use can injure you!

Anyone who wants to be in the production business should learn enough about electricity to work around it safely.

 

[len]

You should know how much each fixture requires, first. If each unit is just 2 - 5 amps at 110v then wall power will suffice. However, gyms and stages sometimes don't have a lot of outlets accessible. But if you need 208v circuits, that means tying into an electrical panel most likely. In either case, first step would be to calculate the total load, then do site visits to make sure it's available.

As for cable runs, try to either figure it out on paper or do some dry runs before you take it on the road. Tech rehearsal isn't just about run-throughs, it's about everything that will happen on the road, from which items go on the truck first and last and where to which cable goes where and why.

 

[flyboydc]

What is your background with electricity? Power distribution should always be handled by someone who is knowledgeable about electrical safety and code requirements.

What are your loads? If all you need for sound & lights is a few 20A circuits, most venues can satisfy this without the need for special distribution equipment. If you need more than that much electricity, you'll probably need a distro for at least some venues. In addition, if the venues don't have a disconnect for your use (e.g. a high-power receptacle or set of cam-locks) you will need an electrician to connect your distribution equipment to the venue power.

You will definitely need a VOM (volt/ohm meter) so you can test the venue power before you connect your loads. Never plug anything in to a high-power disconnect without first testing it to ensure correct wiring. You really shouldn't plug things into regular Edison receptacles without testing first, but people do. If you meet a mis-wired receptacle and it fries your gear (or results in an injury or death), you will regret not having checked first! A VOM is pretty easy to use. Be careful with its test leads, it is not a toy, and careless use can injure you!

Anyone who wants to be in the production business should learn enough about electricity to work around it safely.

As far as any real experience with electricity my knowledge is very limited. I do own a VOM and know how to use it, thankfully. The Set up I am going to attempt is not going to be anything to ambitious. I have about 16 Elation OPTI Tri Pars, and of those 16 I am only going to utilize four just as an easy start.


len: The Tech Specs off of the Elation website specify that this fixtures power consumption is 70W. Would I just times that by four and get my true fixture load?

Thanks!

 

[cpf]

I'm not len, but you've got the right idea. One thing to note is that power rating for circuits & wiring is done in amps, not watts (and the conversion is easy, just Watts=Volts*Iamperage). At 120v your four lights will draw 2.3A.

 

[len]

I'm not len, but you've got the right idea. One thing to note is that power rating for circuits & wiring is done in amps, not watts (and the conversion is easy, just Watts=Volts*Iamperage). At 120v your four lights will draw 2.3A.

To factor in some safety, and because a 15amp outlet may not be delivering a full 15 amps, I always multiply watts by 100 to get amps. 70 watts x 4 fixtures = 280 watts divided by 100 watts/amp = 2.8 amps. If you're only running LED pars, you'll be fine running five times as many fixtures on one circuit, assuming no other load.

 

[mstaylor]

And what is the best way to organize cable so that everything looks clean a professional.

The power question has been handled so I thought I would address this part. Remember that a few extra minutes taken setting up to make things neat will comeback two to fourfold on the out. Besides looking good, neat cabling makes working around them much easier, gaff tape and tieline are your friend. Learning to properly roll cable and a good logical load-in process will make everything go better.