Hello!

Hey folks just found this forum.
i see a lot of the questions I have so a lurking I will go!
I work as the Technical Director of an avant garde Art house/Event space that started as a church become a stage theater then a Cinema and I came into a sorely needed rehab project with a non-profit budget.

my Goal is to rehab all the lights add some automation and make the place more stage friendly.
of course I have been fighting the gators instead of draining the swamp for a while, but with some grant money I hope to catch up.

we have atlman cans etc sensor2 and ruffly 99 plugs so a good start until I found most of the Atlman back caps are missing and most of the bates need replacing.
but I have automated the lighting between the computer and the projector and added lightkey into the mix. so some of my automation project is done. Next is the masking automation.
so I'm looking into led retro fits and straight up rewiring projects for old lamps on a shoe string budget. I have 3 12lamp chasers and 10 4bulb 1920s church house lamps I am working on refitting with led bulbs to save money.

if only they would make an Led equivalent to a osram 1000w g9 my life would be great!

Welcome to da Booth!

Welcome Aboard! If you don't find the answers to the questions you've got please feel free to ask; "The only dumb question is the one you don't ask."

Welcome to the forum, back 30+ years ago I was in your place. What an adventure you have ahead. Atleast now you have somewhere to seek advice in a more broad sense than I had with text books and asking co-workers. Read books also - everything you can, and ask people you know in addition to the forum. As TD you are responsible, that had a big meaning to me beyond liability.

Way back when, I was at a store front theater in Chicago and became it's TD as with working sometimes for pay designing at other store front theaters. I got some amazing reviews and awards for design in Chicago... but my path to become "World Famous Designer" eventually financially didn't pan out. Much of my time in designig and TD'n was spent re-wiring not just fixtures but cable and dimmers. That to get innitially some viable Lekos out of the fab shop hung over the radial arm saw.... into active use. Long story. Been there when I knew amount of fixtures, "My Kindom for another Leko!" And even invented fixtures to make work on zero dollars. Be careful with that also... took years for me to pay off my first credit card. Keep theater seperate from your personal expenses even if a bottle of glue... it adds up over time.

Add automation a goal, first to light the stage to the best flexibility possible. Fixing gear on the forum can help with. At one point I was factory authoized to service Altman gear... as with ETC and still current at work most all moving light and follow spot brands. Been a few years on conventional fixtures, but there are many on the forum just as experienced. There to help you...

In installing a Bates type Stage Pin plug, you need a 12ga 0.37" ferrule between the plug's screw terminal and any wire into it. Best also if a fixture whip commonly, you also have an insulated ferrule over the wire sleeved into the 12ga ferrule. This is two purpose. First the 12ga ferrule centers that screw on the Bates plug that would otherwise screw down and cut into conductors, and second that the 16ga most useful insulated wire ferrule will add a double wall of plate between that screw and the wire. That stage pin plug screw on a 16ga wire will otherwise cut thru conductors. There is a cut some strands and fold over other option you could ask about.

Those that know wire to terminal math... Know 16ga + 16ga = 13ga, but the bend will not be viable for a 12ga ferrule if pliers bent. Stuff like that to learn. I know it's insane such math, but it works. Lots of details in stuff like 18ga + 18ga + 12ga wire... remainders in math, but otherwise things known in what size it is in wire gauge.

Ask away on your projects, forum has many members expert

Hi. Welcome.