Cam-Lok E1015 series
- Thread starterfelixm
- Start date
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
Excerpt from the NEC section 520.53(H)(2):
(2) Single-Conductor Cables. Single-conductor portable supply cable sets shall be not smaller than 2 AWG conductors. The equipment grounding conductor shall not be smaller than 6 AWG conductor.
Therefore, you are very limited as to where in the theatre you can use those E1015's and still be code compliant.
ST
Mr. Terry, I'm surprised at you.
I expected to hear you rail against the poor, defenseless baby-Cams, as you have in the past:
edit: Simultaneously posted with above. STEVETERRY never (rarely) disappoints!
I expected to hear you rail against the poor, defenseless baby-Cams, as you have in the past:edit: Simultaneously posted with above. STEVETERRY never (rarely) disappoints!
mnfreelancer
Active Member
I've got a little Reddy Kilowatt pin I wear from time to time to see who knows.
ok os why can't you use cam on so cable? I'm not doing a huge power distro. I have a Furman ASD-120 and the baby cam seamed the best way to disconnect the cable from my rack. Also trying to carry around one 100' piece of 6/4 SO is heavy. So I thought I would use cam's to make 2 50ft cables.
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JD
Well-Known Member
The problem has to do with the type of insulation used on the internal conductors and how it holds up in normal and rough handling. The best answer is the multipin pin & sleeve connectors. Independent conductors must be type SC and at least 2 gauge.
As JD was saying, the issue is with the cable. You cannot take multi-conductor cable and splay out the conductors to wire them into single conductor connectors. That is against code for the reasons stated above. The 6/4 cable as a whole is SO rated, but the individual conductors are not. You also put extra strain on the conductors and outer jacket by doing this.
There are plenty of multi-pole connectors on the market that will suit your needs. As mentioned above, chances are your best bet lies in pin & sleeve land.
Multi-conductor cable has to be wired to multi-pole connectors. This is the same reson why we have Socapex connectors as opposed to cables with a bunch of stage pin connectors hanging out the end. That being said, you should not continue on your current course with this project, you should find a connector solution that is correct for the application.
Cool thank you all for the info. Just a couple of more questions then. The furman piece I have will do 6 20 amp circuits, so that is 120amps total. I doing a small touring PA rig. I will probably never use the full 120 amps, but if it can handle it I want to make sure I have the right cable. Is 6/4 big enough? If the 6/4 is big enough what connectors would you recommend?
Some what of a side note : If it is against code to use a single conductor below 2 awg why do they make cam that work from 4 awg to 8 agw?
And thank you for not calling an idiot, I'm trying to do the right thing.
Some what of a side note : If it is against code to use a single conductor below 2 awg why do they make cam that work from 4 awg to 8 agw?
And thank you for not calling an idiot, I'm trying to do the right thing.
Sony
Active Member
You best bet would be to CONSULT A LOCAL QUALIFIED MASTER ELECTRICIAN, Control Booth specifically prohibits giving advice on what you SHOULD do in this type situation, we can only tell you what you SHOULDN'T do. Electrical work should only be done by people who are qualified and know what they are doing, the fact that you were trying to use Baby Cams (Complete overkill for your application and not up to code in the USA) and splitting up a Multi-Conductor cable makes it painfully obvious that you are NOT qualified to do this. A local electrician can easily and quickly set you up with the proper connector for this application.
The hardest part of electrical work is knowing what parts of the NEC apply to your location and what don't. A qualified electrician is a good source to consult but only what the NEC defines as "the authority having jurisdiction" can provide you with a definitive answer. Usually such an authority would be represented by the local electrical inspector or in some cases the fire marshal.
I would recommend that you consult with someone in such a position before you continue with your project.
I would recommend that you consult with someone in such a position before you continue with your project.
JD
Well-Known Member
Just a footnote: Code interpretation can get pretty wild even on a question this simple! For example, 6/3 is rated at 55 amps, 6/4 is rated at 45 amps. The reason is that the wire is rated based on the idea that each conductor will be carrying current. The more conductors, the more heat! But, you say, only 3 are conducting power, the forth is a ground?? See what I mean? In additions, cables vary in the temperature rating. The same gauge used as an aerial feed in open air will have much less capacity in conduit or in a multi conductor cable. The issue of the connectors is another good example. The mini cams are often used in welding equipment which uses its own set of standards. Much of the "old world" power distribution of the 80s came from the welding field! Most of these things, such as welding cable itself, are not permitted in stage and distro. Twekos were left at the waste side, as were the mini cams.
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
I assume you are feeding the Furman with two hot legs and a neutral and a grounding conductor. Since
A. It might not be a 240/120 single phase service
B. It might be two legs of a 3-phase service plus neutral and ground
C. It might be feeding non-linear loads
then you will have to consider the neutral a current carrying conductor. Therefore, your 6/4 type SO has three current-carrying conductors since the grounding conductor is not current carrying.
Per NEC table 400.5(A) column A, the ampacity of your 6/4 is 45 amps. Therefore, you cannot get more than 90A at 120V thru that cable, as it must be protected by an overcurrent device of not more than 45A.
A 50A 4-pole twist-lok should be just fine for your connector.
Regarding the E1015's, the NEC was changed to limit single conductor cables to 2AWG long after the E1015 had been introduced. And, there are many legal applications for this connector where it is used inside a Listed piece of equipment (let's say a dimmer rack with an internal distro and multiple rack-mounted packs) that has been evaluated by an NRTL as a complete assembly.
ST
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