Soco connector idea
- Thread starterDustincoc
- Start date
What would be the point? It'd make running the multi cable harder. Especially when pulling through mouse holes.
Advantages
Lower cost
Fewer parts break
Disadvantages
Less adaptable
In settings where the multicable never needs to change configuration and a lower cost is desired. Being unable to change the ends also prevents people who don't know that they are doing from messing stuff up.
Place: Schools, Churches, ect.
Lower cost
Fewer parts break
Disadvantages
Less adaptable
In settings where the multicable never needs to change configuration and a lower cost is desired. Being unable to change the ends also prevents people who don't know that they are doing from messing stuff up.
Place: Schools, Churches, ect.
Places where multi-cable never needs to change should buy raceway and circuit boxes.
I personally hate mult...its heavey and awkward; twice as much so when the ends are on it.
What Grog12 says is true, and in a lot of places the law, or at least code.
A lot of places get away with running SOCA through their houses < theaters> because as theatrical lighting it qualifies as "Temporary". If a particular installation of equipment is going to be in place for longer than X number of week < check your local codes for this X number> then it no longer qualifies as "Temporary" and translates into the world of a Permanent Distribution installation.
I see some advantages and disadvantages to the original idea in this thread. biggest disadvantage being as follows:
Let say you need to run 100 feet from dimmer beach to a truss setup. You run your fancy schmancy new permanently broken out SOCA < which is say 25'> you hook it to the 75 'running from the dims, hoist everything into the air. Cool now you've got a connection hanging somewhere in the pick bundle, Now some stupid something happens and you need to extend the BluEII Soca run 25 feet. Can you just hop up onto the truss, disconnect the break out and a 25' SOCA then re-attach the break out ? No you have to dig that connector out of the pick bundle, unhook the fancy cable, add your new extension, pull the fancy and extension through all the ties to the truss, then put the break out back on the end of the new 25' extension. .... Or you could just tell the client, "No"
I'm betting you never worked with 12 ckt. 12/37 Pyle-National Starline series multi-cable? Socapex-style is a dream compared to that!
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
Is there any reason a solid breakout for multicable wouldn't work? Something like a joined soco connecotor tha doesn,t come apart.
At Production Arts in the '80's, we actually built some cables like this for a customer. We used a piece of aluminum conduit with male threads at each end. Then a coupling at each end, with a Kellems grip threaded in one end of the assembly for the trunk cable and a T&B 2-screw strain relief threaded in the other end to capture the bundled SJ single-circuit cables. The cables were butt-spliced inside the conduit assembly.
It worked, it was cheaper, but it was hardly elegant and it was a hump to move around.
ST
Against NEC to do such a thing these days and very specific in how to.
For a static output situation such as in the grid or in drop I don’t see anything wrong with such a concept of a fan-out and multi pin Soco type outlet connected long term while in use. Leave the two joined together and you have it. No such thing as a terminator of the multi-cable to individual whips by way of plugs/boxes unless a box that terminates.
IN a static situation no so much a question of this week 120v next week 208v so why not leave them connected? Lower cost on the other hand... nope either that multi-cable breaks out in a box that terminates the multi-cable or the multi-cable breaks out in a connector that gets plugged into a fanning out plug.
For a static output situation such as in the grid or in drop I don’t see anything wrong with such a concept of a fan-out and multi pin Soco type outlet connected long term while in use. Leave the two joined together and you have it. No such thing as a terminator of the multi-cable to individual whips by way of plugs/boxes unless a box that terminates.
IN a static situation no so much a question of this week 120v next week 208v so why not leave them connected? Lower cost on the other hand... nope either that multi-cable breaks out in a box that terminates the multi-cable or the multi-cable breaks out in a connector that gets plugged into a fanning out plug.
