Still note that nobody is spending free time in reading to master their trade or doing homework and that's worrysome. This much less if on the clock fixing stuff off
stage.
Got a "semi-pro" person today saying he needed to re-tap some 5/8"
truss bolts today, what threading were they in finding the proper die? What you don't already know in handling these things on a almost daily basis??? Often a question for me at least of I didn't get training as much as I now provide, I had to figure it out or educate myself to get where I got. This meant personal study into my fields of becoming a professional at.
Today asked by a carpenter by Union trade to special order another
countersink for wood drill
bit for the
countersink. Hmm, it's a normal drill
bit normally used for say a #6 and that would be 3/32" drill
bit - didn't you already know this? This amongst stuff like nobody taught me about the differences between a MSR 700SA lamp and a
HMI 700w/D4/75 lamp, had to learn that on my own. Why is it not also appropriate especially for those using the lamps to also know the difference?
Nobody also taught me how to run
power to a Gladiator follow spot off a generator, much less never ran one before. Got a
call today from someone with much more field experience than I, much less I have never worked on a Glad. before but in same lamp have worked on
Lycian 1290's in under
power issues before back when I did shows.
He was getting about 196V from an optimum 208V
power and was not able to maintin the arc. Yep, that's what I or
Lycian would confirm as a problem in not enough
power by way of past experience. How to
power them up? Was given a generator to
power up the lighting rig and it was at about 123V on
stage and only given a 300'
foot run to the follow spots, about 196V there given 10/3 cable. Yup.. that sounds about right in not sustaining the arc. He was also given some
buck boost transformers designed for powering up Euro gear with 208v
power so as to help but they were showing 223v in
power which could also be problematic for the lamp and
ballast for what it wants to see unless able to
switch the
ballast for 230v
power or auto sensing in
power supply.
Sorry, not on the show nor using the lights so I have not read the
manual on the fixtures as to how to deal with it. Did forward him to someone more experienced with the fixtures and space he was in - this in him having done it before.
Further recommendations, given 123V on
stage he could not go up in
voltage further safely - a generator is adjustable. On the other
hand given
voltage drop, he could request some larger
gauge cable to be delivered locally so as to get back to 208v between legs without
voltage drop as much a factor. What... you never considered this before the show in planning for it given the long run to the spots?
He could also lower the
voltage to the
stage say down to 117v and there by with the use of the
buck boost transformers 300' away on 10/3
wire lower their output to something closer to 208v.
That was the best plan, or
switch if not auto sensing ballasts,
switch the
voltage to 230v imput for the ballasts in better at times to be a
bit lower than if way over rated
voltage possibly blowing lamp and
ballast as opposed to lamp dousing during the show when way over
voltage.
In the end he powered up the lights with
buck boost transformer at way over the expected
voltage and they stayed struck for a long time and that's how he will do the show. Will no doubt hear later how well that worked or if the lamps or ballasts failed during the show as the lesser op options I would try. Could be fine assuming
fixture technology but possibly not work so well if not melting down the 10/3
feeder cable.
Overall concept on the other
hand... While I have some experience with
voltage drop and running a 2Kw
Xenon lamp under it... that's about the extent of it in the field for me beyond personal reading the person on site should also have read and know.
This much less him taking the time to read the
manual on all fixtures he is using and or understanding
voltage drop theory even as a basic sense of it in what's the amperage of what I'm using and would 300' away be a problem for 10/3 cable at near enough that amperage?
Books, school, experience but over that, just taking time to read a
manual and or text
book when given free time to master your field. That is the
point. I was not doing the show, why ask me and why didn't you know?
New text books on lighting out every few months.. lots of time to read and study all of them and still have time to study the older ones or a
manual on a
fixture about to be used. Master one's field, it's professionalism and one's job one is paid in part for in bein an expert on staff above someone off the street that want's your job.