Cost to install a camlock?

TechGeek

TechGeek

Active Member
Hey everyone, I am currently doing some renovation work at theater in NJ and was thinking of having a cam-lok installed backstage for a dimmer system that I found. What is the average cost to have one of these camlock outlets installed? The theater used to be a bagel shop (its now a black box) and has plenty of space in the panel. Im waiting for a call back next week from the local electrician that does work for the hotels in the location (down the shore), just want to get a thought of how much I need to put aside in my budget.
 
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There is no way to even guess what it will cost. The big question is if you have enough power available to power the rack. If they have to pull wire it can get expensive fast. Another thing to consider is if the rack is going to ever move. If it's just going to stay there it would be cheaper to hard wire it, camlock parts themselves aren't cheap.
 
The rack would be portable, we are buying another space that is WAY bigger then the space we have now so the rack would travel from across the street to the current location. I would imagine we have the power considering that they have 2 big 2 space breakers (not sure what amp) and then a crap load of 240v 20amps throughout. The place used to be a bagel cafe so.....
 
TechGeek said:
Holy crap! 4k for a company switch! Umm I'm currently lucky enough to buy a used 24 channel rack for 2k and install a cam for hopefully $400! Is there a cheaper way of a disconnect, I think I heard of a fused disconnect.
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The Googler says that a single panel mount camlock is $25. So that's at least $125 for just the connectors and then you need a box, a panel, hardware, a breaker, conduit, wire and qualified labor. A new 60A breaker could run $200 alone.

Time to make friends with an EC. You got a good deal on the rack!

David
 
TechGeek said:
... Is there a cheaper way of a disconnect, I think I heard of a fused disconnect.
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A company switch IS a fused disconnect, albeit with panel mount Cam-lok E1016 receptacle s and usually extra safety features.
A typical 400A 3Ø disconnect: SQUARE D Safety Switch, Fusible, 3PST, 400A, 600V - Safety and Disconnect Switches - 2JYE7|H365R - Grainger Industrial Supply for $4000.
Then one needs to add a box and at least five (preferably six--double neutral) Cam-lok receptacles: CL40FRB-A - Advanced Devices (Marinco) - RECEPTACLE, 2/0 - 4/0 AWG, FEMALE, PANEL MOUNT, DOUBLE SET SCREW, BLK plus covers CL40WTC-L-125-A - Advanced Devices (Marinco) - COVER, SNAP BACK, NEMA 3R, BLK . Add labor to mount the outlets and wire everything up. Solicit bids from several local licensed electricians.

Of course 400A may very well be overkill for the space/application. For a 24x2.4kW dimmer rack, one doesn't (necessarily) require a 160A service. 100A or 150A would probably suffice, with caveats.

It sounds perhaps your former bagel shoppe may not have 3Ø power ("...considering that they have 2 big 2 space breakers (not sure what amp) and then a crap load of 240v 20amps throughout..."), only single-phase / split-phase. If that's true, adjust numbers above accordingly.
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derekleffew said:
A company switch IS a fused disconnect, albeit with panel mount Cam-lok E1016 receptacle s and usually extra safety features.
A typical 400A 3Ø disconnect: SQUARE D Safety Switch, Fusible, 3PST, 400A, 600V - Safety and Disconnect Switches - 2JYE7|H365R - Grainger Industrial Supply for $4000.
Then one needs to add a box and at least five (preferably six--double neutral) Cam-lok receptacles: CL40FRB-A - Advanced Devices (Marinco) - RECEPTACLE, 2/0 - 4/0 AWG, FEMALE, PANEL MOUNT, DOUBLE SET SCREW, BLK plus covers CL40WTC-L-125-A - Advanced Devices (Marinco) - COVER, SNAP BACK, NEMA 3R, BLK . Add labor to mount the outlets and wire everything up. Solicit bids from several local licensed electricians.

Of course 400A may very well be overkill for the space/application. For a 24x2.4kW dimmer rack, one doesn't (necessarily) require a 160A service. 100A or 150A would probably suffice, with caveats.

It sounds perhaps your former bagel shoppe may not have 3Ø power, only single-phase. If that's true, adjust numbers above accordingly.
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Click to expand...


The rack is 24ch and each channel is 1.2k so I'm thinking maybe if I can get my local electrician to remove the cam panel that the dimmers are wired to and replace it with a plug that's a couple amps may be an easier and cheaper option.
 
So each channel is 10amps. So if I do 10amps times 24channels I get 240amps, correct? So if the electrician wires all 4 dimmers in the rack to 1 300amp plug and throw a 300amp breaker in the panel I will be fine?
 
TechGeek said:
So each channel is 10amps. So if I do 10amps times 24channels I get 240amps, correct? So if the electrician wires all 4 dimmers in the rack to 1 300amp plug and throw a 300amp breaker in the panel I will be fine?
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I think there are some mixing of terms here. You're saying its 24 channels, but each dimmer is 6 channels? By that math you only have 4 dimmers, And each channel is 1.2kW, Somewhere things aren't adding up right.


Via tapatalk
 
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TechGeek said:
Or should I have each dimmer on a 60amp plug? I think each dimmer in the rack is 6 channels.
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Your in over your head. You need some help. Get someone in there that can help. We have plenty of members here from the shore, I'm sure any of them would be more than happy to help. You need a 100amp 3 phase company switch installed if you have 24 dimmer@1.2k. That is more power then any single plug can handle. You might be able to get the rack hard wired, but depending on how its built that may not be possible.
 
TechGeek said:
So each channel is 10amps. So if I do 10amps times 24channels I get 240amps, correct? So if the electrician wires all 4 dimmers in the rack to 1 300amp plug and throw a 300amp breaker in the panel I will be fine?
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Yes and no.

Your assumptions are correct IF one assumes a single-phase 120V power feed, HNG. In North America, and even in New Jersey, this is the first of three methods of powering dimmers.
#2: Single-phase 120/240V, also known as split-phase or bi-phase. Two hots, neutral, and ground. HHNG. Each hot leg draws one-half the total power.
#3: Three-phase 120/208V, Wye connection. Three hots, neutral, and ground. HHHNG. Each hot leg draws one-third the total power.
Many/most dimmer pack s (not racks) allow connection in any of the above three ways. The larger the pack/ dimmer rack, the less feasable the first two options become.

Now the first issue with your scheme is that there is no single-phase, HNG plug capable of 300A. Even if there were, you couldn't afford it--here's a typical 100A 3Ø plug: Hubbell HBL5100P9W; the mating female costs more! The second issue is that it sounds like you have one rack of four 6x1.2kW dimmers. So there's power distribution going on inside the rack to each pack. Hopefully it was built and listed to UL standard, but probably wasn't. Post pictures. The last issue that must be at least mentioned is the NEC code requirements that single-pole separable connectors are for use only by a Qualified Person, per the NEC.

Provided the dimmer rack is listed, by NRTL for permanent installation (though I suspect it isn't), a safer, better plan is to have an electrician tie it in permanently to its OCPD and forgo the disconnect and connectors.
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Let me clear things up.

The rack is 24channels and it contains 4 leviton DD8800 dimmers which have 6channels at 1.2k each. The rack already has a camlock panel on it that the dimmers are wired to.

We are looking to purchase a MUCH larger venue across the street, so the rack will not get hardwired it needs to be portable so that I can wheel it across the street for when we do stuff in the larger venue then wheel it back across the street for the smaller black box.

Im thinking that instead of doing a camlock, I can have the local electrician wire a 60 amp plug onto each dimmer pack and then install 4 60 amp outlets to plug the dimmers into. And then I will have 60 amp outlets installed into the new venue once we get it.
 
TechGeek said:
... Im thinking that instead of doing a camlock, I can have the local electrician wire a 60 amp plug onto each dimmer pack and then install 4 60 amp outlets to plug the dimmers into. And then I will have 60 amp outlets installed into the new venue once we get it.
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That would likely be safe, probably to code, but certainly not cost effective. Both in materials and labor.

We still don't know what power you're dealing with: 120V, 120/240V, or 120V/208V. Whatever it is will determine the connectors. If 120V, you'd need one 60A plug and receptacle for each pack. Example: CS6361 (50A)
If 120/240V, you'd need one 30A plug and receptacle for each pack. Example: NEMA L14-30. (See below.)
If 120/208V, you'd need one 20A plug and receptacle for each pack. Example: NEMA L21-20.

EDIT: It looks like the Levition DD8800 is an 8x1.2kW dimmer pack and can ONLY accept bi-phase power:
8800 : 120/240 VAC 40 amp 2 pole 3 wire plus ground only (use minimum [HASHTAG]#6[/HASHTAG] AWG).
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I don't know of a 40A split-phase easily-available connector. You could apply derating to 30A and use the L14-30 (since you're also not likely to find a 40A breaker) or spend much more for the 50A CS6365 "California Plug".
 
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