Lighting from a newbie

[Scott Robinson]

Hello,

New person to the forums here! I'm a techie by day (Snr Broadcast engineer building TV stations and then Radio engineer in 'spare' time), however I'm new to theatre.

Sound = No problems really.
Lighting = Completely new and trying to get my head around it.

I've just been dragged in to helping with my local amateur drama group so trying to get up to speed.

Q1) Why are 'old school' theatre lights 3 pin 'circular' sockets rather than a standard 'US'/'UK' plug? Or is this just a case of lighting companies creating a monopoly all those years ago...

Q2) I understand DMX, however... Can I somehow get a standards converter so that we can DMX control old school lights? See 'base unit' in picture below.

If I'm in the wrong place, please don't shout - I'm new. Just point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello,

New person to the forums here!

If I'm in the wrong place, please don't shout - I'm new. Just point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

Welcome to Control Booth @Scott Robinson There are worse places you could be.
From Canada, one of the colonies.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Amiers]

Question one: I would say for the ground pin. Most U.K. plugs I've ever seen is 2 plug.

Question two: what's the name of your dimmer the wires are hiding it. There is what looks like an option for another control cable. Snap a better picture with nothing plugged in and we will be able to answer this more.

 

[porkchop]

Q1) So you don't unplug my light to plug in your tea kettle. There's a lot more nuance behind it, but that would be my one sentence answer.

Q2) More than likely yes, but you need to know which older protocol to convert from (see @Amiers answer)

 

[JohnD]

That looks like the control cable on the right side, I can't tell if it is an XLR or perhaps a DIN plug. If XLR (3 pin or 5 pin) it MIGHT be DMX. If DIN or something else, probably analog.
A photo of the controller might help also.

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello,

New person to the forums here! I'm a techie by day (Snr Broadcast engineer building TV stations and then Radio engineer in 'spare' time), however I'm new to theatre.

Sound = No problems really.
Lighting = Completely new and trying to get my head around it.

I've just been dragged in to helping with my local amateur drama group so trying to get up to speed.

Q1) Why are 'old school' theatre lights 3 pin 'circular' sockets rather than a standard 'US'/'UK' plug? Or is this just a case of lighting companies creating a monopoly all those years ago...

Q2) I understand DMX, however... Can I somehow get a standards converter so that we can DMX control old school lights? See 'base unit' in picture below.

If I'm in the wrong place, please don't shout - I'm new. Just point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

@Scott Robinson Following up on others' posts. Once you know what control protocol you want to convert to, check the following sites who manufacture, support and sell protocol converters converting from DMX-512A to darned near anything such as AMX-192, zero to positive or negative 10 VDC analog, Colortran and / or others: @jfleenor at Doug Fleenor Designs, Shaun Johnson at Johnson Systems, not to be confused with Johnson Controls which is a totally different company in a totally different business.
All the best.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[Scott Robinson]

All,

Thank you very much for the replies - Greatly appreciated.

The only other photos I managed to grab are attached here (Another 'power distro' [What's it's proper name? I'])

I'll see what else I can grab when there in the next week or two.

Thanks again!

 

[RonHebbard]

All,

Thank you very much for the replies - Greatly appreciated.

The only other photos I managed to grab are attached here (Another 'power distro' [What's it's proper name? I'])

I'll see what else I can grab when there in the next week or two.

Thanks again!

@Scott Robinson Assuming your "power distro" actually contains your dimmers and is not merely an interconnection panel, it would be called a dimmer pack or dimmer rack somewhat determined by its physical size, weight and portability. If bolted to a wall with feed and load connections hard-wired via conduit, it'd definitely be referred to as a dimmer rack. If fitted with plugs and sockets and not bolted to your building, even if it weighs 100 pounds and needs a dolly / lorry to relocate, it would be thought of as a portable dimmer pack.
All the best.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[Amiers]

The picture with the rackmount dimmer. What's the name of that.

Green something.

 

[EdSavoie]

I can't find that one, but the later pictures show Zero88 Betapack 1 dimmers.

These are controlled by analogue (0-10v?) or DMX depending on the configuration, if you've got an XLR connector on the front, you're in business.
If not, you'll need to find some sort of DMX to 0-10v decoder

 

[Crisp image]

The picture with the rackmount dimmer. What's the name of that.

Green something.

Would be a Green Ginger 6 channel dimmer.

 

[RonHebbard]

I can't find that one, but the later pictures show Zero88 Betapack 1 dimmers.

These are controlled by analogue (0-10v?) or DMX depending on the configuration, if you've got an XLR connector on the front, you're in business.
If not, you'll need to find some sort of DMX to 0-10v decoder

@EdSavoie The photo in question is attached to the OP's original post, #1 in this thread.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[EdSavoie]

Sorry, I meant that I couldn't find the name on the dimmer in the first picture, which Crisp Image has since told us.

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello,

New person to the forums here! I'm a techie by day (Snr Broadcast engineer building TV stations and then Radio engineer in 'spare' time), however I'm new to theatre.

Sound = No problems really.
Lighting = Completely new and trying to get my head around it.

I've just been dragged in to helping with my local amateur drama group so trying to get up to speed.

Q1) Why are 'old school' theatre lights 3 pin 'circular' sockets rather than a standard 'US'/'UK' plug? Or is this just a case of lighting companies creating a monopoly all those years ago...

Q2) I understand DMX, however... Can I somehow get a standards converter so that we can DMX control old school lights? See 'base unit' in picture below.

If I'm in the wrong place, please don't shout - I'm new. Just point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

@Scott Robinson One more common distinction between dimmer racks and dimmer packs: Dimmer racks tend to be modular, they don't have to be but they quite often are and often "hot swap-able" in the sense that their control contacts mate after and break before their source and load contacts thus they effectively stop conducting a fraction of a second before you arc the comparatively heavy current contacts upon withdrawal / reinsertion from / to their rack.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[Amiers]

Well I couldn't really find a manual. So I guess the next picture to take would be the plug that says control but I have a feeling it's special to the dimmer.


This eBay link has some good pictures. But obviously doesn't look like your rack. I would look for a manual.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/-Ginger-Di...5877&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1&_mwBanner=1

 

[JohnD]

It's very likely that the control cable uses a Bleecon connector. (I wonder if it got that name because people kept saying, you BLEECON bit of kit!)
https://theatre.mikehume.com/Reference/Pinouts.aspx
It seems they are 0-+10V so it shouldn't be too hard to adapt to dmx.

 

[derekleffew]

Wow, that looks like a really very sirius console.