Concerned about weight

D

DHSLXOP

Active Member
Hi everyone,

I'm LDing a show right now and I have a little bit of a budget to work with for lighting. So I was thinking about using some moving heads. (and i can get a pretty good price on them) The thing is, according to the user manual, they are 55 pounds each (I was thinking about using 2) So I don't know if I'll be able to put up another 110 pounds of weight onto our electrical. Its a deadhung pipe, so I have no way of counterbalancing the extra weight. I don't want to loose all of my front light to the movers, but I do want to be able to add to the show by using them.

Basically, does anyone have any suggestions on a way to mount the moving lights on an approximately 65 degree angle so that I will still be able to have the same effect. - OR - I would be willing to put some of my conventionals into the back of the house on a truss, but I would need dimming capabilities back there. Does anyone have a way to plug a stage pin connector into a portable (cheap) dimmer that would convert it into a dmx signal?

Thanks everyone for your help!
 
SLD, Chauvet, and NSI all make 4x600w portable dimming packs that accept DMX, 3 pin usually.

Don't really understand how mounting the MLs at a different angle will change the weight on your electric - its unclear as to your question why you would want to mount the MLs in that way. In any case, 110lbs isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, depending on your rigging set up. Is your electric THAT close to capacity? If its dead hung, you don't need to counterbalance the weight, just make sure the pipe and assorted rigging materials can handle the added weight.
 
Jezza said:
SLD, Chauvet, and NSI all make 4x600w portable dimming packs that accept DMX, 3 pin usually.
Don't really understand how mounting the MLs at a different angle will change the weight on your electric - its unclear as to your question why you would want to mount the MLs in that way. In any case, 110lbs isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, depending on your rigging set up. Is your electric THAT close to capacity? If its dead hung, you don't need to counterbalance the weight, just make sure the pipe and assorted rigging materials can handle the added weight.
Click to expand...

Well thats the thing, I don't know if the pipe can handle the added weight...and I don't really know who would know. So I guess I'll look for portable dimming packs to use and put some of my front light in the back of the house.
 
Have someone come in and look at the rigging components, the pipe, and the structural support that it's attached to. They should be able to give you a number for the SWL.
 
And here I thought this was going to be a post about how th genie lift really bogs down every time I get in it. :rolleyes:

I'd suggest getting a local rigger to come in and assess your load ratings. You may have all the capacity in the world. Or, conversly you could find the contractor specs of the company that installed your rigging and find out what the min load specs were on the bid.
 
Van said:
And here I thought this was going to be a post about how th genie lift really bogs down every time I get in it. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Thats exactly what I was thinking too...
 
The original specification for the bid will be on file at the Bd of ED and should state the load rating. That's where I'd start. Then compare the specifications to the actual installation to see if there were any changes.
 
If you've got some budget and the space it shouldn't cost that much to have someone come in and dead hang another batten.
 
If budget will allow, you could also get 2 sticks of truss and bases, and make towers near the wings. Put the movers on top of the towers. That should run you about $150. Most 250 watt movers will sit fine on top of a piece of 12" square truss. Or you could get some pipe and base for about $20 each and put your conventionals on them and mount the movers on the pipe.

Getting tree dimmers should be no problem. But you'd also need edison male to 2P&G female adapters. That also shouldn't be a problem if you call a place that rents conventionals. I typically pay $1 each for them when I rent lekos in Chicago.
 
You could always pull 110 lbs of conventionals off the pipe.....
 
How is the pipe hung? In general, I wouldn't worry about putting another 110 pounds of stuff on a pipe. I am not giving you rigging advice, because I haven't seen the space or how anything is set-up, but if it is securely hung, 110 pounds isn't all that much.

I'm trying to figure out what you mean by counterbalancing a dead-hung pipe. If its dead hung, you don't need counter balance, thats the entire point. Just as long as you don't exceed the max load for the pipe, you should be fine. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding you?


Note: I am not giving rigging advice, I am not telling you to do this. I am not legally responsible. (there, that should keep the lawyers happy)
 
Last edited:
Grog12 said:
You could always pull 110 lbs of conventionals off the pipe.....
Click to expand...

This is what I think I'm gonna have to do..the only problem is that I will loose like 8 fixtures as front light, so I'm gonna have to put them somewhere else. Now I just need to find a solution to plugging them in without dimmers.
 
Keep in mind, with movers you need to use a much higher safety factor. (Some manufacturers recommend 10x) Also, they move... so a free swinging pipe may present movement problems even if well within weight limits.

Add usual disclaimers here _______ ;)
 
JD said:
Keep in mind, with movers you need to use a much higher safety factor. (Some manufacturers recommend 10x) Also, they move... so a free swinging pipe may present movement problems even if well within weight limits.

Add usual disclaimers here _______ ;)
Click to expand...

That's a very good point. One mans "Dead hung Pipe" is often anothers "Chain hung pipe." mounting movers definately requires a static mounting point.
 
Could always test it with the Calvin and Hobbes way of doing it, keep adding weight to the batten until it breaks. Then, rebuild it exactly and you know what you have. :D

Having...seen...movers on a potentially freeswinging pipe, it did not present a problem for when I saw it as far as swing in the pipe. Whether that was safe or not, I couldn't tell you.
 
I have had plenty of rigs where the truss/battons were swinging because of the movers. Nothing you can do about it but slow your movements down, but when you have 30+ movers on one truss all doing a bally at a rock show, all you can do is let it swing. If the batton is well secured to the appropriate steel, weight shouldnt be a problem. 110 pounds really isnt a lot of weight. I have hung supercycs (180-200 lbs) in quite a few theaters with out any problem, but i do know about rigging. i know in my highschool, it was scary putting one leko onto a batton b/c the thing looked like it was hung with hanging basket chain. It was paper thin (about 1/16 of an inch thick chain)
 
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