Attaching a 50', 14 AWG extension cord to a wall

[turtle7896]

Hello everyone. I need some ideas for a predicament I discovered.

Due limited availability of IG outlets in our auditorium, and not wanting to connect some LEDs directly into our dimmers, we need to run about 50' of cable, with the specs in the title, into our booth. (For safety, I do not want to run it on the floor unless needed.)

So fellas, any ideas? From what I know, the wall is about 3-4" of plaster on top of gypsum. It would most likely be needed for a few years, until we get enough of a budget to replace everything. Any ideas would be great.

 

[techieman33]

Where are you located? My limited understanding of electrical code in the US says that you can't leave a "temporary" extension cord in place longer than 90 days. Since your talking about leaving it place for years I would look at a more permanent solution. So running a new circuit or tapping off of an existing one. Then running it through the the wall or using a surface mounted option like metal wire mold or conduit then painting it to match the wall.

 

[turtle7896]

Thank you. Will have to reconsider, and will probably go from tapping off an IG circuit we have, but is there a difference between temp wiring, and just an extension cord?

 

[STEVETERRY]

Thank you. Will have to reconsider, and will probably go from tapping off an IG circuit we have, but is there a difference between temp wiring, and just an extension cord?

If this is a theatre covered by NEC article 520, portable cord wiring is considered "portable" not "temporary" which is specifically covered by article 590 and generally refers to construction sites and the like. The requirements for cables in a theatre fall under 520.68 Conductors for Portables. There are also specific rules in 520.5(B) Wiring Methods--Portable Equipment.

ST

 

[jtweigandt]

If you have the ETC dimmer rack, they make an actual relay not dimmer unit.. It just slots in and that's that... that's how we got power to our LED's..
Figure you give up a dimmer circuit, but you may be gaining 12 instruments that free up more conventional stage plugs.

I'm assuming other brands have something similar.

 

[SteveB]

If you have the ETC dimmer rack, they make an actual relay not dimmer unit.. It just slots in and that's that... that's how we got power to our LED's..
Figure you give up a dimmer circuit, but you may be gaining 12 instruments that free up more conventional stage plugs.

I'm assuming other brands have something similar.

Well, you give up 2 dimmed circuits as the relay modules work as a pair. If the OP has a CEM3 system he can buy and install a ThruPower module which allows either of the circuits on the module to become relay or dimmer. The cheapest solution is the dedicated circuit breaker CCR, but same issue in that it uses 2 dimmed circuits.

 

[turtle7896]

If you have the ETC dimmer rack, they make an actual relay not dimmer unit.. It just slots in and that's that... that's how we got power to our LED's..
Figure you give up a dimmer circuit, but you may be gaining 12 instruments that free up more conventional stage plugs.

I'm assuming other brands have something similar.

We have a Colortran ENR24. Any ideas of non-dim modules that would work for it?

 

[SteveB]

We have a Colortran ENR24. Any ideas of non-dim modules that would work for it?

Nope. Never made. Contact Steve Short at Litetrol Service in Hicksville, NY, he is all things Colortran and might have a suggestion, maybe gutting a module to make it circuit breaker only.

 

[MNicolai]

There is no reason to search high and low for IG receptacles for LED stage lighting. Isolated Ground is for reducing hum/ground loops/noise in audio/video systems. It is unnecessary for lighting, and connecting lighting fixtures to IG receptacles will very likely compromise the integrity of your isolated ground system by introducing additional paths for ground loops into the audio system.

The best method would be to have an electrician disconnect a circuit from each lighting position, at the ENR24 rack, and feed those circuits instead from a standard panelboard. Since dimmer racks are usually located in electrical rooms with other panelboards, this is probably not a significant amount of work and an electrician could probably complete it within a day or two. Then you would have a constant-on circuit at each lighting position. If you needed 2 circuits instead of 1 at each lighting position, that's likely not that much more expensive so long as you have some spare capacity in another panelboard. By the time an electrician shows up on-site and starts performing the work, the relative cost of some extra conductors and circuit breakers is marginal once they're already there and set up to do the work.

 

[macsound]

Maybe I'm not enough into electrical to understand - but why do you need an isolated ground for your LED lights?

 

[NickVon]

Well, you give up 2 dimmed circuits as the relay modules work as a pair. If the OP has a CEM3 system he can buy and install a ThruPower module which allows either of the circuits on the module to become relay or dimmer. The cheapest solution is the dedicated circuit breaker CCR, but same issue in that it uses 2 dimmed circuits.

my Current venue has a rack full of the ThruPower, and it is amazing!

 

[turtle7896]

There is no reason to search high and low for IG receptacles for LED stage lighting. Isolated Ground is for reducing hum/ground loops/noise in audio/video systems. It is unnecessary for lighting, and connecting lighting fixtures to IG receptacles will very likely compromise the integrity of your isolated ground system by introducing additional paths for ground loops into the audio system.

The best method would be to have an electrician disconnect a circuit from each lighting position, at the ENR24 rack, and feed those circuits instead from a standard panelboard. Since dimmer racks are usually located in electrical rooms with other panelboards, this is probably not a significant amount of work and an electrician could probably complete it within a day or two. Then you would have a constant-on circuit at each lighting position. If you needed 2 circuits instead of 1 at each lighting position, that's likely not that much more expensive so long as you have some spare capacity in another panelboard. By the time an electrician shows up on-site and starts performing the work, the relative cost of some extra conductors and circuit breakers is marginal once they're already there and set up to do the work.

Alright, thank you so much. Found out today our tech person who told me we need the IG outlets got "let go" last week. Honestly not sure why I was told it. (Almost certainly why I have been confused.) Now, before making the constant on circuits, would it be worth getting some of the "constant-on" modules for the ENR24? (Are "constant-on" the same as non-dim?) We use Knight Sound & Lght out of Stow, OH (we are in PA), and they would be able to give us some refurbished modules.

 

[Gage]

Nope. Never made. Contact Steve Short at Litetrol Service in Hicksville, NY, he is all things Colortran and might have a suggestion, maybe gutting a module to make it circuit breaker only.

Steve will convert most any colortran module around to relay/non-dim for a fee. I'm getting ready to send him some iseries modules in the coming weeks.

 

[turtle7896]

Steve will convert most any colortran module around to relay/non-dim for a fee. I'm getting ready to send him some iseries modules in the coming weeks.

Is there a website or email I can use to contact him?

 

[Gage]

Is there a website or email I can use to contact him?

Litetrol contact page
Shoot him an email and describe your situation, hes usually pretty quick to respond and super understanding.

 

[turtle7896]

Litetrol contact page

One last thing, are constant modules the same as relays/non-dim?

 

[Gage]

One last thing, are constant modules the same as relays/non-dim?

Constant modules usually can't be switched via dmx, they are just a hard passthrough with a circuit breaker. Relay modules can be switched via dmx, but it's only on/off hence the term "relay". Non-dim is just a general term used to describe a module that doesn't have dimming capabilities.

 

[turtle7896]

Constant modules usually can't be switched via dmx, they are just a hard passthrough with a circuit breaker. Relay modules can be switched via dmx, but it's only on/off hence the term "relay". Non-dim is just a general term used to describe a module that doesn't have dimming capabilities.

Alright, thank you. I'll shoot Steve an email.

 

[Gage]

One last thing, are constant modules the same as relays/non-dim?

Constant modules usually can't be switched via dmx, they are just a hard passthrough with a circuit breaker. Relay modules can be switched via dmx, but it's only on/off hence the term "relay". Non-dim is just a general term used to describe a module that doesn't have dimming capabilities (my cell service is all wack where I am at the moment, sorry for the duplicate replies).

 

[microstar]

Hmm, where have I seen this before??