Hello Everyone,
I'm a senior at a high school in northern New Jersey with a sad excuse of an auditorium, let alone theatre. There is no one officially in charge of the space; the closest would be the very overworked and underpaid janitors who can set up a few mics for an event. I have been in this space for 6 years now and am the last person who knows how to use the lighting board, save for the musical director. I'm looking to "spruce up" the lighting system.
The auditorium has never known anything new. All the lights, lighting system, sound, etc. have been used previously, which isn't necessarily bad, but they were considered used in 1974.
The lighting board, a Trouping Control Console, Model TCC 2-36/T, was manufactured by Electronics Diversified Inc. It has 3 analog control cables as inputs from the dimmers. It operates on 15 pin Cinch-Jones connectors. It has managed to withstand years of tape, spilled drinks, broken knobs, backpacks being thrown on it, and anything else you can imagine middle and high schoolers could do to it. Yet, it "works" for what we use it for.
The dimmers, 3 of them, also EDI manufactured, are all Scrimmerette II's. They somehow are still working, despite being in continuous operation since at least 1980 and never once being maintained.
The few lights we are down to are 8 ellipsoidal spotlights that are hung from a batten in the front of the house, 2 fresnels, and 3 rows of striplights that are down to less than half of their original working lights each. Also, the 8 round front house lights and 16 (8 on each side) round house lights are connected to the board. Each year, we lose more and more lights that are not replaced.
The lighting and sound board are positioned DIRECTLY in front of the stage, just of the front center, putting the students, who futily operate what lights that decide to work, into the show, as they are illuminated as well as the actors.
For YEARS the director, who is also the communications teacher, has pleaded with administration and the board of ed. to replace the antiquated system or even to just maintain what little is left. They are sympathetic, yet nothing has or will be done. We joke, not so jokingly, that the best thing would be for the system to finally die just as the school was using the auditorium for a parent meeting, forcing them to finally do something. Replacing anything with drama club funds is out of the question; we barely receive enough money to purchase the rights to a show.
I know there is not much that can be done without a consultant; we've had countless ones come in just to give us an estimate that we cannot simply do anything with. However, I would like to begin by doing one thing.
I am almost positive that I could move the lighting board to a "tech table" that would be set up over the last two rows of seating. To do this, I would need to make 3 "extension cords" that would allow me to run the cinch-jones cables from backstage to the back of the auditorium where the light board would be. I believe that I found the connectors online, yet I am unsure which version to purchase. There is a 300-series rated at 7-1/2 amps @120 VAC and a 400-series rated at 15 amps @ 120 VAC. Which version should I choose? Also, how are the pins wired? I know the 8-pin cinch-jones are: 1-6 dimmers/ 7 nothing/ 8 common. What is the configuration for the 15 pin? Also, what kind of cable can be used? Any cable that is shielded, with at least 15 strands? The cables will run no more than 50 feet.
I won't be attempting this alone, as my uncle is an electrician and I have a teacher helping me who is very familiar with electrical engineering.
Thank you so much for reading all of this. I appreciate any help you can give me.
-Connor
Website for Cinch-Jones Connector Electronics Plus - Hard to find parts and accessories, available and ready to ship!
I'm a senior at a high school in northern New Jersey with a sad excuse of an auditorium, let alone theatre. There is no one officially in charge of the space; the closest would be the very overworked and underpaid janitors who can set up a few mics for an event. I have been in this space for 6 years now and am the last person who knows how to use the lighting board, save for the musical director. I'm looking to "spruce up" the lighting system.
The auditorium has never known anything new. All the lights, lighting system, sound, etc. have been used previously, which isn't necessarily bad, but they were considered used in 1974.
The lighting board, a Trouping Control Console, Model TCC 2-36/T, was manufactured by Electronics Diversified Inc. It has 3 analog control cables as inputs from the dimmers. It operates on 15 pin Cinch-Jones connectors. It has managed to withstand years of tape, spilled drinks, broken knobs, backpacks being thrown on it, and anything else you can imagine middle and high schoolers could do to it. Yet, it "works" for what we use it for.
The dimmers, 3 of them, also EDI manufactured, are all Scrimmerette II's. They somehow are still working, despite being in continuous operation since at least 1980 and never once being maintained.
The few lights we are down to are 8 ellipsoidal spotlights that are hung from a batten in the front of the house, 2 fresnels, and 3 rows of striplights that are down to less than half of their original working lights each. Also, the 8 round front house lights and 16 (8 on each side) round house lights are connected to the board. Each year, we lose more and more lights that are not replaced.
The lighting and sound board are positioned DIRECTLY in front of the stage, just of the front center, putting the students, who futily operate what lights that decide to work, into the show, as they are illuminated as well as the actors.
For YEARS the director, who is also the communications teacher, has pleaded with administration and the board of ed. to replace the antiquated system or even to just maintain what little is left. They are sympathetic, yet nothing has or will be done. We joke, not so jokingly, that the best thing would be for the system to finally die just as the school was using the auditorium for a parent meeting, forcing them to finally do something. Replacing anything with drama club funds is out of the question; we barely receive enough money to purchase the rights to a show.
I know there is not much that can be done without a consultant; we've had countless ones come in just to give us an estimate that we cannot simply do anything with. However, I would like to begin by doing one thing.
I am almost positive that I could move the lighting board to a "tech table" that would be set up over the last two rows of seating. To do this, I would need to make 3 "extension cords" that would allow me to run the cinch-jones cables from backstage to the back of the auditorium where the light board would be. I believe that I found the connectors online, yet I am unsure which version to purchase. There is a 300-series rated at 7-1/2 amps @120 VAC and a 400-series rated at 15 amps @ 120 VAC. Which version should I choose? Also, how are the pins wired? I know the 8-pin cinch-jones are: 1-6 dimmers/ 7 nothing/ 8 common. What is the configuration for the 15 pin? Also, what kind of cable can be used? Any cable that is shielded, with at least 15 strands? The cables will run no more than 50 feet.
I won't be attempting this alone, as my uncle is an electrician and I have a teacher helping me who is very familiar with electrical engineering.
Thank you so much for reading all of this. I appreciate any help you can give me.
-Connor
Website for Cinch-Jones Connector Electronics Plus - Hard to find parts and accessories, available and ready to ship!
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