JR Clancy Power Assist?

[Aaron Clarke]

Completely aware that no one can provide accurate quote for anything blind and that one should never hold anything posted on the internet to high level of accuracy I'm going ask this anyways.

What kind of price range per line set does the JR Clancy Power Assist typically installed. Mainly, I'm wondering are we talk a few thousand or tens of thousands per line set?

If you recall my post on the scary, scary rigging of the current electrics in the space I volunteer for you will be happy to know that I finally have some connections within the organization to start getting somethings corrected. I finally arranged a meeting with the facilities board member (who seems to have a hate for me no one can figure out) so that's progress. My first ask will be for them to get a true quote for replacing the two scary motors with JR Clancy Assist or to convert them back over the manual sets. I'd like to walk into the meeting with a very rough ball park since most likely I'll have to propose a team of volunteers that will execute a fundraising campaign to raise the funds before anything will happen.

I only mention the power assist as from what I've seen I imagine that is the most cost effective solution given these are already counterweight line sets with just a motor assist and the existing fly system is JR Clancy. Of course I'm open to any cost effective solution that makes these safe for once. I'm open to what you think about this or other possible solutions.

Just to remind you of what I'm dealing with here is my original post

 

[SteveB]

As a PA user I'm going to state around $20,000 per pipe.

I could be way off as well, as lots of variables. We had to have I. Weiss (the installer) replace our counterweight arbors as well as modify the T tracks, as they were reasonably old (+50 years) and were custom to the theater. That added to the unit cost.

Only advantage as far as I could see, as compared to a line shaft winch, is it takes a lot less space. If you have the space for LS then it might be more cost effective.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

If just adding a Power Assist to an existing (albeit motorized) counterweight line set, and assuming that the line set is in reasonable condition, I'd estimate in the $10,000-12,000 range. I understand the machine sells to a dealer in the mid $6000s. I believe that to be complete (machine, wire rope and chain drive line that replaces hand line; and controller with starters, etc.). What the installation costs and mark ups are in your area is hard to know. Also any work by an electrician is hard to estimate. That's why I use $12,000 for estimating and go up from there in some markets (like a big city).

Clancy's Power Assist is not the only one out there but clearly the most refined and marketed. I know other people make and install these machines. I doubt you'd two of these for under $15,000 shopping around.

 

[SteveB]

If just adding a Power Assist to an existing (albeit motorized) counterweight line set, and assuming that the line set is in reasonable condition, I'd estimate in the $10,000-12,000 range. I understand the machine sells to a dealer in the mid $6000s. I believe that to be complete (machine, wire rope and chain drive line that replaces hand line; and controller with starters, etc.). What the installation costs and mark ups are in your area is hard to know. Also any work by an electrician is hard to estimate. That's why I use $12,000 for estimating and go up from there in some markets (like a big city).

Clancy's Power Assist is not the only one out there but clearly the most refined and marketed. I know other people make and install these machines. I doubt you'd two of these for under $15,000 shopping around.

Bills numbers make sense and is why I recall around $20,000 but that included new arbors, all electrical, NYC prices, etc...

 

[Aaron Clarke]

That was the ball park I had in my head and I think is quite possible to have funded within a year if I can get the right people involved. Fly system was last updated in the mid 90's so hoping not much modification would be needed. I just want it safe and reliable for the group of amateurs that occupy and operate the system. There is rampant case of "we've always done it that way and it hasn't failed us yet" disease in this place.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

That was the ball park I had in my head and I think is quite possible to have funded within a year if I can get the right people involved. Fly system was last updated in the mid 90's so hoping not much modification would be needed. I just want it safe and reliable for the group of amateurs that occupy and operate the system. There is rampant case of "we've always done it that way and it hasn't failed us yet" disease in this place.

Lots of places suffer from that. I don't know if you have the recommended (ANSI E1.4 Entertainment Technology Manual Counterweight Rigging Systems) annual service calls or not, but 20+ years is a long time with no thorough inspection and maintenance. Though lots of places also do that.

 

[Aaron Clarke]

Lots of places suffer from that. I don't know if you have the recommended (ANSI E1.4 Entertainment Technology Manual Counterweight Rigging Systems) annual service calls or not, but 20+ years is a long time with no thorough inspection and maintenance. Though lots of places also do that.

That last one I know about was 2012 and it wasn't pretty. Not sure what was addressed (though I can take a good guess) and if a more recent inspection has been done. As far as I've been able to find out they haven't even acquired any quotes for the issues identified in the report yet the impression seems to be "we can't afford it". I'm not sure how one would know that if you don't know how much the work will cost but I'm just going with flow slowly trying to turn the ship with out making waves.