Vintage Lighting Hi all. New guy here. Well, an OLD new guy new to this forum.
- Thread starterZero210
- Start date
Zero210
Member
And you were thrilled to have been given the opportunity!I remember the Agora on 24th - new place in town. I worked at Cain Park from '55 to '59 - back long before they put a roof over it. Nothing like focussing lights at 2:00 AM, in the dark, in the rain, and getting a jolt every time you touched an instrument (water-soaked asbestos leads.) Ahhhh, outdoor theeter!
Zero210
Member
Right! I have installed quite a few Johnson upgrades when employed as a field service guy with Vincent Lighting. And yes, they are very good quality and reliable upgrades. I’ll reach out to them.
Installed a Johnson Control for house lighting this past year. Works great... once you correct what the original installers, and subsequent modifiders did in installing their original Strand system, in not providing accurate drawings for the work done.
Slightly challenging, original Strand rack components and screws for mounting & powering... in having to make/mount a 1900 box Edison outlet for the 120v Edison plug wiring to the replacement rack. This pluggs in and is not wired in as per the origional Strand System. Easy to do, but something to plan for. And plan for and replace with modern rack screws, rack nuts etc. how to mount the control unit. Just something to be aware of, bring 10-32 panel nuts and rack screws in the old rack panel sheet metal screws and what ever they went into will not be re-usable. Probably need some blank rack space panels and the hardware to mount them also. It's a big change to the rack panel, and you cannot leave open slots.
IEC power in rack control inlet to the control unit from Johnson Controls as I remember it was very temperamental. Had to change out the rack control unit because of this. That factory error didn't help in troubleshooting the systems original wiring, or our installation problems??? Our unit was supposed to be new but had past install stickers labeling stuff from another user on it when we got it.... Prehaps explaining the IEC Power Inlet problems... "Must have been some mistake" at best, was a little less than "Sorry we screwed up." Did loose a few man/hours on the project due to the factory power inlet. This espeially during vactaion time or off hours in at times hard to contact the supplier of a "new" bad rack unit. This was a problem hopefully nobody as end user will ever see. Man/hours wasted in controller problem, re-installing a new controller etc. in giving us a used controller with a problem... as per a new one was not discussed... but will be next time - it worked well once done troubleshooting.
One thing I can recommend highly about the quote for the install is to trace all wiring/outlets and look at the wiring to them, conduits in figuring out what goes where, etc. In other words, open up every control station and trace the conduit where it's going. Look at the wiring to them, any connections to other locations, the cable used in going to perhaps somewhere else... etc. Is ther an extra cable in the box feeding thru? What is it's purpose, and where is it going in opening up other boxes. Look at the whole system and ensure you have it completely mapped out before you attempt a bid on the project. Plan two people for a day in just mapping out the old system for a quote. Hopefully it takes less time - but that amount of detail needs to be planned for.
Especially on the quote, you need to know what you are getting into with the experience of what is not right, or what have to estimate what you "did't know is feeding what"... or it will cost you man-hours in troubleshooting. This is for the most part a one directional system - figuring out what was done before the bid will save money. What line is feeding what, and where does it stop. How are those return data lines wired, if going back to the rack, do you need to do something special in a professional sending one return line to a data in line above and beyond the controller in looking for zones - not looking for in/out lines? How does it return and from where than does it connect. to the next zone perhaps not a zone but instead just another control station? What's not correct in cable feeding it or what control stations are not needed. How tight the wiring in the boxes are in perhaps needing extra effort etc. to wire or needing to replace that wiring with a new pull?
Such accurate pre-mapping time before the quote should also be added into the cost for the bid. You will pay for it later otherwise in troubleshooting, parts and or running new wire at your expense... This or see what is needed before the quote. After you get the job. Just saying, an easy install can turn into a troubleshooting nightmare quickly. Best to loose a day in pre-quote and not getting the bid, than get the job and be toast on labor after!
The blueprints from Strand on the project if they exist... might or might not have been followed. And if there is extra stations tapped off of where? Later installs perhaps with questionable suitable wiring.
I remember there was difficulty in feeding the DC power to the stations in two wires to feed thru to another station. Most of the time I had to add a tri-tap to the power with wire feeding the control station. Was often not a lot of room in the boxes for a tri tap in wiring. Johnson Controls factory should have an in/out for the DC power larger conductors in easier to feed thru.
Good system and replacement, but experience helps install it.
Slightly challenging, original Strand rack components and screws for mounting & powering... in having to make/mount a 1900 box Edison outlet for the 120v Edison plug wiring to the replacement rack. This pluggs in and is not wired in as per the origional Strand System. Easy to do, but something to plan for. And plan for and replace with modern rack screws, rack nuts etc. how to mount the control unit. Just something to be aware of, bring 10-32 panel nuts and rack screws in the old rack panel sheet metal screws and what ever they went into will not be re-usable. Probably need some blank rack space panels and the hardware to mount them also. It's a big change to the rack panel, and you cannot leave open slots.
IEC power in rack control inlet to the control unit from Johnson Controls as I remember it was very temperamental. Had to change out the rack control unit because of this. That factory error didn't help in troubleshooting the systems original wiring, or our installation problems??? Our unit was supposed to be new but had past install stickers labeling stuff from another user on it when we got it.... Prehaps explaining the IEC Power Inlet problems... "Must have been some mistake" at best, was a little less than "Sorry we screwed up." Did loose a few man/hours on the project due to the factory power inlet. This espeially during vactaion time or off hours in at times hard to contact the supplier of a "new" bad rack unit. This was a problem hopefully nobody as end user will ever see. Man/hours wasted in controller problem, re-installing a new controller etc. in giving us a used controller with a problem... as per a new one was not discussed... but will be next time - it worked well once done troubleshooting.
One thing I can recommend highly about the quote for the install is to trace all wiring/outlets and look at the wiring to them, conduits in figuring out what goes where, etc. In other words, open up every control station and trace the conduit where it's going. Look at the wiring to them, any connections to other locations, the cable used in going to perhaps somewhere else... etc. Is ther an extra cable in the box feeding thru? What is it's purpose, and where is it going in opening up other boxes. Look at the whole system and ensure you have it completely mapped out before you attempt a bid on the project. Plan two people for a day in just mapping out the old system for a quote. Hopefully it takes less time - but that amount of detail needs to be planned for.
Especially on the quote, you need to know what you are getting into with the experience of what is not right, or what have to estimate what you "did't know is feeding what"... or it will cost you man-hours in troubleshooting. This is for the most part a one directional system - figuring out what was done before the bid will save money. What line is feeding what, and where does it stop. How are those return data lines wired, if going back to the rack, do you need to do something special in a professional sending one return line to a data in line above and beyond the controller in looking for zones - not looking for in/out lines? How does it return and from where than does it connect. to the next zone perhaps not a zone but instead just another control station? What's not correct in cable feeding it or what control stations are not needed. How tight the wiring in the boxes are in perhaps needing extra effort etc. to wire or needing to replace that wiring with a new pull?
Such accurate pre-mapping time before the quote should also be added into the cost for the bid. You will pay for it later otherwise in troubleshooting, parts and or running new wire at your expense... This or see what is needed before the quote. After you get the job. Just saying, an easy install can turn into a troubleshooting nightmare quickly. Best to loose a day in pre-quote and not getting the bid, than get the job and be toast on labor after!
The blueprints from Strand on the project if they exist... might or might not have been followed. And if there is extra stations tapped off of where? Later installs perhaps with questionable suitable wiring.
I remember there was difficulty in feeding the DC power to the stations in two wires to feed thru to another station. Most of the time I had to add a tri-tap to the power with wire feeding the control station. Was often not a lot of room in the boxes for a tri tap in wiring. Johnson Controls factory should have an in/out for the DC power larger conductors in easier to feed thru.
Good system and replacement, but experience helps install it.
Last edited:
microstar
Well-Known Member
Outlet on the Johnson Systems. I thought they were Johnson Controls but I'm sure its the same product in discussion designed to replace Strand Systems.
I doubt anyone will ever see this IEC panel mount problem in the future, so something to know about if your system keeps turning off or re-booting, but mostly nothing to worry about as I'm sure our situation was unique.
Strand was direct wired in having to install an Edison outlet at the rear of the rack in order to install the Johnson control unit.
I doubt anyone will ever see this IEC panel mount problem in the future, so something to know about if your system keeps turning off or re-booting, but mostly nothing to worry about as I'm sure our situation was unique.
Strand was direct wired in having to install an Edison outlet at the rear of the rack in order to install the Johnson control unit.
Ben Stiegler
Well-Known Member
Somebody got a deal on excess backplanes, I'm guessing ... then maybe the board design came in bigger than expected connection or power/heat wise. Oy!
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