How to electrify a prop that rolls around on stage

[JoeColdwell]

We are doing Chicago this summer and the director wants a GIANT Roxy Sign for Roxy to ride on and dancers to push her around on while she sings.

My issue is the director wants it either to be back-lite with frosted plastic letters or spelled out in light bulbs or both.

I'm having trouble figuring out how to power the lights without plugging the thing in.

I was thinking batteries and a florescent tube but they require AC power. Any ideas on how to do this on a shoe string budget?

 

[techieman33]

depending on how long it needs to be on you could use a UPS or an inverter. You could also use LED rope light and hook it up to a car battery.

 

[dmx]

We are doing Chicago this summer and the director wants a GIANT Roxy Sign for Roxy to ride on and dancers to push her around on while she sings.

My issue is the director wants it either to be back-lite with frosted plastic letters or spelled out in light bulbs or both.

I'm having trouble figuring out how to power the lights without plugging the thing in.

I was thinking batteries and a florescent tube but they require AC power. Any ideas on how to do this on a shoe string budget?

Most RV/Marine stores will sell 12volt light bulbs. Wire them up to a hidden car battery in the prop. Alternative (and probably cheaper) method is to use an inverter, but this will drain the battery faster. Connect it to a string of christmas-style lights and you have your effect. Use the lowest wattage bulbs you can find.

Words of wisdom: If you use an inverter, disable the beeper or alarm that will sound if the battery drains too low. Also, make sure you always charge batteries in a well-ventilated environment.

 

[MarfaLights]

X2 on LEDs. Look for LED Flexible Strip with SMD 5050 LEDs. Put these behind your frosted acrylic. Run them off a 12V car battery. You can get 5 meter rolls (300 LEDs) of this for about $20 on eBay, Amazon and others.

 

[tyler.martin]

If you use LED's you can get a 3 channel RGB LED Dimmer, and use that to control the strings to LEDS. I used some cheap Chauvet wireless DMX to control them.

Or use RC4 wireless dimming and incandescent 12v lamps.

 

[danTt]

We are doing Chicago this summer and the director wants a GIANT Roxy Sign for Roxy to ride on and dancers to push her around on while she sings.

My issue is the director wants it either to be back-lite with frosted plastic letters or spelled out in light bulbs or both.

I'm having trouble figuring out how to power the lights without plugging the thing in.

I was thinking batteries and a florescent tube but they require AC power. Any ideas on how to do this on a shoe string budget?

You won't do it on a shoe string budget without running a cable to it, and even then it's going to be a pretty big shoe string. If you want a Roxy sign spelled out in light bulbs you're looking at 100+ lamps probably, a few really big batteries to power all of these lamps, and then a bunch of sockets and zip cord. Do you need to control it while it's on stage? Add a bunch of money for wireless dmx. If not, you'll need some sort of switch built in to turn everything on.

 

[MPowers]

Been there, Done that. LEDs and wireless DMX are your friends. However, if a costumed stage hand is helping to move the sign, or you have a tech inclined and reliable dancer, the control can be at the unit. LEDs are still your friend and if you absolutely have to go incandescent, go with 12v RV bulbs. Power: I've powered hundreds of FX gags with lawn tractor batteries, small, relatively light weight, standard car batteries and for heavy loads or long duration, deep draw marine or RV batteries. as many as 6 in a single unit. You will want to top up or at least check your batteries water every night and trickle charge and you have to make arrangements for safe travel and trucking. But, if the sign is on casters HD enough to carry Roxy and the sign, weight is not an issue, just build an appropriate frame.

 

[BillESC]

If you go with frosted plastic letters, battery operated LED pars could do it nicely giving you wireless color control over each letter.

 

[DELO72]

Most RV/Marine stores will sell 12volt light bulbs. Wire them up to a hidden car battery in the prop. .

Agreed. This was our solution for a show. Use a 12 volt lantern or car battery, stored on the moving set piece. Look for 12 Volt lamps (there are some out there. Alternately you can use 24 volt lamps, but realize they will be dimmer as they will be only run at 50% power, so you may need more, etc. The one item you will have trouble with is controlling the light (as it will be mobile and not hooked up to the light board.) Just put a reliable stagehand in charge of the on/off switch to make sure it gets activated at the right times (and turned off after).

Oh- and fully charge the battery each night.