How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days.
- Thread starterfrostgfx
- Start date
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
See also the thread/poll https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/11759 .
Not popular at all. With the exception of ChristieLites and Performance Lighting (Pete's Lights), every other large shop I can think of (except AV companies who like to use Edison for everything 120V) uses stage pin for conventionals. If you go with L5-20, be prepared to stock lots of 2P&G-L520 and L520-2P&G adapters!
See also the thread/poll https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/11759 .
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Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Which begs a question I've been meaning to ask. From my very cursory look at the charts, it looks like the L5-20 has the same pin configuration as the L6-20, with the difference between the two being that the L5 is a 125v rated connector, with the L6 a 250v rating. Is this correct ? and are they somewhat interchangable ?
Couldn't locate the Hubbell chart.
Which begs a question I've been meaning to ask. From my very cursory look at the charts, it looks like the L5-20 has the same pin configuration as the L6-20, with the difference between the two being that the L5 is a 125v rated connector, with the L6 a 250v rating. Is this correct ? and are they somewhat interchangable ?
Couldn't locate the Hubbell chart.
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
) The ground blade is exactly the same. The relative sizes of the other two blades are different:
--------
I've said it before:
Every electrician should print out this PDF chart as large as possible and post it in his/her lighting shop.
View attachment 2006_NEMA_Chart_Countermat_101107.pdf
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Back to topic...
Perhaps someone at ETC could provide us with the percentage of each of these options sold:
SP1220A+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Edison connectors
SP1220B+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Pin connectors
SP1220C+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Twist-Lock connectors
SP1220V+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Multi-pin connectors
My guess:
A, 15%
B, 70%
C, 10%
V, 05%
The wiki entires for Twist-Lock (Hubbell) and Turn-Lock (Pass&Seymour/Legrand) both contain links to charts.
Err, no. (Such a rare occurrence that I can say that to Mr. Terry!
) The ground blade is exactly the same. The relative sizes of the other two blades are different:
--------
I've said it before:
Every electrician should print out this PDF chart as large as possible and post it in his/her lighting shop.
------
Back to topic...
Perhaps someone at ETC could provide us with the percentage of each of these options sold:
SP1220A+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Edison connectors
SP1220B+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Pin connectors
SP1220C+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Twist-Lock connectors
SP1220V+ 12 x 20A Portable Pack with Multi-pin connectors
My guess:
A, 15%
B, 70%
C, 10%
V, 05%
Attachments
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STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Oh...duh...
Been staring at Vectorworks too long today
Oh...duh...
Been staring at Vectorworks too long today
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Without looking at one of the charts, which I should do, I think that Steve Terry made the same mistake that I was about to do. I believe that the ground nub is reversed on the 30 amp twistlocks, that tend to be more used for followspots and large moving lights.
Tom Johnson
Without looking at one of the charts, which I should do, I think that Steve Terry made the same mistake that I was about to do. I believe that the ground nub is reversed on the 30 amp twistlocks, that tend to be more used for followspots and large moving lights.
Tom Johnson
porkchop
Well-Known Member
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
FWIW, the company I work for owns all its own touring gear and out of 15 active shows there's not a single 2P&G connector; it's all L5-20's. We also have Pyle-National outputs on our dimmer racks.
FWIW, the company I work for owns all its own touring gear and out of 15 active shows there's not a single 2P&G connector; it's all L5-20's. We also have Pyle-National outputs on our dimmer racks.
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FatherMurphy
Active Member
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
If you're building your touring package to only be used as a complete unit, use whatever (properly rated) connector you like. If you're going to be renting out your gear piecemeal, or commingling it with other companies, use whatever is already standard in your area.
Stage pins tend to be more common in permanent theaters and rental houses mostly because they have a longer history as a standard. Twistlocks were fashionable in the 70's and 80's, but the theaters in my area are tending to convert away from twistlocks in favor of stage pin.
Twistlocks tend to be the most expensive of the three main connectors, edison, twist, and stage pin, so economics sometimes plays a role. In other cases, people prefer the fact that twistlocks and edison can be found in hardware stores, whereas stage pins rarely are, making repairs on the road a higher priority concern.
Personally, I've had more trouble with twistlocks melting while within rated loads than stage pins. Some of this can be attributed to improper assembly and maintenance, but a certain percentage of the failures have been blamed on the contacts losing their springiness over time, and failing to make good contact. The greater amount of copper in a stage pin usually results in better mating and more heat dissipation, although this is in part dependent on keeping the pins split. Your mileage may vary, and the side discussion about the causes of various types of plug failure will begin in 3... 2... 1....
If you're building your touring package to only be used as a complete unit, use whatever (properly rated) connector you like. If you're going to be renting out your gear piecemeal, or commingling it with other companies, use whatever is already standard in your area.
Stage pins tend to be more common in permanent theaters and rental houses mostly because they have a longer history as a standard. Twistlocks were fashionable in the 70's and 80's, but the theaters in my area are tending to convert away from twistlocks in favor of stage pin.
Twistlocks tend to be the most expensive of the three main connectors, edison, twist, and stage pin, so economics sometimes plays a role. In other cases, people prefer the fact that twistlocks and edison can be found in hardware stores, whereas stage pins rarely are, making repairs on the road a higher priority concern.
Personally, I've had more trouble with twistlocks melting while within rated loads than stage pins. Some of this can be attributed to improper assembly and maintenance, but a certain percentage of the failures have been blamed on the contacts losing their springiness over time, and failing to make good contact. The greater amount of copper in a stage pin usually results in better mating and more heat dissipation, although this is in part dependent on keeping the pins split. Your mileage may vary, and the side discussion about the causes of various types of plug failure will begin in 3... 2... 1....
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Seen about the same on stage pins at times as you note both from improper install and improper pin splitting. No matter how much material at hand, if not sufficient contact, it's going to heat up and not do well under load. Often a CSI type of thing to figure out what the cause was in correcting beyond the real damage shown. While the stage pin for 20A is currently more popular (some history behind why it went from stage pin to twist back to stage), the twist lock does have one easy advantage over the stage pin. That's the rattle test - you hear something rattling inside the plug when you shake it, you know you have a loose terminal. Not a perfect test but a really good one a least. On the other hand, when in danger you cannot pull it free short of twisting it. Such a thing is kind of moot at this point given tie line holes or taped connectors in also and less able to disconnect.
All plugs have advantages and disadvantages. L5-30 and L-6-30 by the way are a slightly enough different that you cannot interconnect in not inter-plugging worries no matter where the ground hook is.
Hot towards the hook applies to what situations, or good policy in general to follow even if it don't matter?
Seen about the same on stage pins at times as you note both from improper install and improper pin splitting. No matter how much material at hand, if not sufficient contact, it's going to heat up and not do well under load. Often a CSI type of thing to figure out what the cause was in correcting beyond the real damage shown. While the stage pin for 20A is currently more popular (some history behind why it went from stage pin to twist back to stage), the twist lock does have one easy advantage over the stage pin. That's the rattle test - you hear something rattling inside the plug when you shake it, you know you have a loose terminal. Not a perfect test but a really good one a least. On the other hand, when in danger you cannot pull it free short of twisting it. Such a thing is kind of moot at this point given tie line holes or taped connectors in also and less able to disconnect.
All plugs have advantages and disadvantages. L5-30 and L-6-30 by the way are a slightly enough different that you cannot interconnect in not inter-plugging worries no matter where the ground hook is.
Hot towards the hook applies to what situations, or good policy in general to follow even if it don't matter?
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Saw this thread and I just wanted to point out that this store <deleted> has almost any length of L5-20, L6-20, or L6-30 Extension Cords. I've found that their prices for the cables shipped (with 1 day or so), is a lot less than if you bought your own plug, connector and wire.
Saw this thread and I just wanted to point out that this store <deleted> has almost any length of L5-20, L6-20, or L6-30 Extension Cords. I've found that their prices for the cables shipped (with 1 day or so), is a lot less than if you bought your own plug, connector and wire.
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Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Had anyone in the thread asked where to purchase, nbunkles, your post might have been appropriate. Posting a link to a vendor in one's first post to a forum is extremely bad form, and likely to get you forever banned as a spammer.
See FAQs/Content Policies/Sales:
Had anyone in the thread asked where to purchase, nbunkles, your post might have been appropriate. Posting a link to a vendor in one's first post to a forum is extremely bad form, and likely to get you forever banned as a spammer.
See FAQs/Content Policies/Sales:
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Good to note is if its cheaper than doing it on your own, there is likely quality control issues that should be noted. Not to mention its a great learning experience for newer lighting techs to build jumpers for lighting and anything else.
Not very often in the industry do you just get to buy new if a cable fails. You'll most likely be salvaging what you can and re-do the connector.
Good to note is if its cheaper than doing it on your own, there is likely quality control issues that should be noted. Not to mention its a great learning experience for newer lighting techs to build jumpers for lighting and anything else.
Not very often in the industry do you just get to buy new if a cable fails. You'll most likely be salvaging what you can and re-do the connector.
Re: How popular are L5-20 type twist-loc connectors on the touring circuit these days
Link back to the origional topic.
L5-20 are not popular and normally I would think stocked as adaptor to stage pin with some amount of Edison (15A) stocked for touring circuits. Such adaptors would be used where house power and dimming was in use to supplement or control.
Depends on the scale of the production at some point I would think. Are you mostly bringing your lighting to places and using their dimming or tying into main power and using your own? If your own, and cross rental... the norm these days for 120v is stage pin. On the other hand for me at least, I do stock a large inventory of L5-20P to stage pin adaptors. (Male first in an adaptor is always first in standard terminology of what ever it is that it adapts to). There is smaller shows that plugs into house power thus the need. See other post also in concepts in when and why L5-20 verses L5-15 was popular.
Mostly these days the 2P&G stage pin/slip plug is standard for 120v systems. Edison for DJ's and community theaters. Stock lots of adaptors but stick with stage pin for your gear. Plus stage pin is often cheaper these days.
Link back to the origional topic.
L5-20 are not popular and normally I would think stocked as adaptor to stage pin with some amount of Edison (15A) stocked for touring circuits. Such adaptors would be used where house power and dimming was in use to supplement or control.
Depends on the scale of the production at some point I would think. Are you mostly bringing your lighting to places and using their dimming or tying into main power and using your own? If your own, and cross rental... the norm these days for 120v is stage pin. On the other hand for me at least, I do stock a large inventory of L5-20P to stage pin adaptors. (Male first in an adaptor is always first in standard terminology of what ever it is that it adapts to). There is smaller shows that plugs into house power thus the need. See other post also in concepts in when and why L5-20 verses L5-15 was popular.
Mostly these days the 2P&G stage pin/slip plug is standard for 120v systems. Edison for DJ's and community theaters. Stock lots of adaptors but stick with stage pin for your gear. Plus stage pin is often cheaper these days.
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