Lights on a boat?

[TechGeek]

I'm planning extremely early for this event.. can't say the name of it because it's so competetive . Anyways, I wan't to put some moving lights (max 4) on a nice 25' fishing boat (maybe bigger). We are buying some generators but not sure what their power output will be on them. I'm thinking 2 or 4 High End systems Studio Spot 575's, a fogger or 2, a lighting console, and a small sound system to play music. I'm not sure how I'm going to put these suckers on the boat... sit them on top of these big wood cubes I have?


What do you guys think?

 

[techieman33]

You'll want to make sure to avoid movers that need 208v power, the generators will be a lot bigger, and a lot more expensive to provide that. Placement on the boat will depend on the boat, without pictures it will be hard to recommend places to put them. It might be cool to have the fogger shoot straight out the back with an LED par by it to give some color to the fog, it could be make to look like it's propelling the boat.

 

[TimMiller]

Run the movers at 240, most generators will provide 240 and it will drop your amperage. Or find a boat with a generator on it.

 

[David Ashton]

we're technicians not psychics, so you will need to give us information to get a sensible reply.

 

[venuetech]

you do understand that you cannot see a beam of light in clear air, something needs to be there to reflect the light. (fog or haze) Your on board fog machine may be affected by conditions beyond your control. A breeze could put all your fog in the wrong place.

 

[TechGeek]

I'll post some pics of the boat in a little bit. I looked up the power consumption on the data sheet for the Studio Spots and they only use 7amps on 110v power. The breeze is why im doing 2 fogger or Hazers. I'm thinking of doing some LED's for a uplighting effect on the cabin walls of the boat. I'm going to also have a Lemaitre bubble machine, and a 100mw laser. Still deciding whether to use a MLC 16 or Hog 500... I've used the 500 in a lesson for 2 days but can easily learn more of it. I'm looking for generators now and I'll post the links of what I think will work.

 

[len]

Before you spend all this time, discuss what is possible with the captain or owner. Not only do you have space issues, you have weight issues which may affect the seaworthiness of the boat. Since you're in NJ, I'm assuming this boat is going on the ocean. A 25' boat isn't very big.

 

[TechGeek]

Before you spend all this time, discuss what is possible with the captain or owner. Not only do you have space issues, you have weight issues which may affect the seaworthiness of the boat. Since you're in NJ, I'm assuming this boat is going on the ocean. A 25' boat isn't very big.

I already talked with him, We just used his boat for this event that was yesterday. It's an annual event thats a really big deal. He doesnt care what I do to the boat as long as it doesnt get scratched.

 

[FMEng]

Don't try stuffing the generator into an enclosed space. Not only will it overheat, but gas fumes would be a recipe for an explosion. You are going to be running a fairly large generator. The noise from it will pretty much drown out any music.

 

[Les]

I'm going to also have a Lemaitre bubble machine, and a 100mw laser.

I'm not sure if you've addressed this, but you will need a variance to operate that laser since it's over 5mw (you may also need to be a Laser Safety Officer [LSO] or have one available). Since you're doing the show outdoors, you'll need FAA clearance as well. They may also request a beamstop, but YMMV. Just thought I'd point this out now because if you get caught illegally operating a laser of this size, the fines are huge.

 

[TechGeek]

Don't try stuffing the generator into an enclosed space. Not only will it overheat, but gas fumes would be a recipe for an explosion. You are going to be running a fairly large generator. The noise from it will pretty much drown out any music.

The generator sits on the deck not in the boat cabin... I just did this event yesterday. The generator that the boat owner has is 16.4 amps and on a full tank runs for 15 hours. We are buying one out selves as well. The generator isn't a concern now. It's just the idea of the lights on there, how to put them on there.

 

[RonHebbard]

I'm planning extremely early for this event.. can't say the name of it because it's so competetive . Anyways, I wan't to put some moving lights (max 4) on a nice 25' fishing boat (maybe bigger). We are buying some generators but not sure what their power output will be on them. I'm thinking 2 or 4 High End systems Studio Spot 575's, a fogger or 2, a lighting console, and a small sound system to play music. I'm not sure how I'm going to put these suckers on the boat... sit them on top of these big wood cubes I have?

What do you guys think?

Dear Mr. Geek;

Questions, so many questions.
ALL of the following are questions.
PLEASE give us a few hints.

The boat's docked?
No passengers are aboard the boat?
The boat is anchored off shore with no public access?
There's no worry of exhaust gasses polluting air being breathed by anyone nearby?
This is a display that looks good from a distance?
The boat's close to shore with clear line of sight?
You're keeping your console on shore on solid, frequency stable, power and communicating via wireless DMX?
You're sending your audio wirelessly to powered speakers on board?

The boat's not sailing away with ALL of your gear aboard and a full load of passengers?

You're considering towing a small boat behind with your generator and as much of your other equipment as feasible?
You've done this lots of times before?
Your insurance covers all your equipment and any potential health and safety hazards?

Thanks in advance for your pending detailed answers.
BTW; Please check your signature, I suspect you meant "Who wired this?!?", not "How wired this?!?".

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[TechGeek]

I'm not sure if you've addressed this, but you will need a variance to operate that laser since it's over 5mw (you may also need to be a Laser Safety Officer [LSO] or have one available). Since you're doing the show outdoors, you'll need FAA clearance as well. They may also request a beamstop, but YMMV. Just thought I'd point this out now because if you get caught illegally operating a laser of this size, the fines are huge.

I didn't think it would be a problem since its a small laser. I think something like a 1000mw laser is an issue. If it is I have a 50mw laser for parties that I'll use.

I'll check into that and find out.

 

[josh88]

For "lasers above 5 mW, there are two documents that potential operators need to be aware of: a Variance and the Laser Light Show Report. The CDRH grants a variance to use lasers for entertainment purposes in return for the user’s pledge to follow safety guidelines. The Laser Light Show report is more specific—it details how the laser installed at a venue complies with federal safety rules"

http://www.laserist.org/Laserist/Safety_7.html

And in regards to the FAA: http://www.laserist.org/Laserist/Safety_2.html


Via tapatalk

 

[Les]

I didn't think it would be a problem since its a small laser. I think something like a 1000mw laser is an issue. If it is I have a 50mw laser for parties that I'll use.

I'll check into that and find out.

As an LSO, I can safely say that to the FDA, anything over 5mw needs "special attention". It doesn't matter if it's 6mw or 1,000mw (classified as 1w). I am assuming this is a public show, and being an outdoor show at that, the scrutiny is much higher. I only say this because (other than safety of spectators and aircraft) the fines can reach thousands of dollars and I don't want you to get stuck with that -- there are "laser police". I suggest contacting your local FDA office and see if they can get you pointed in the right direction.

I recommend this regardless of the show because technically, even your 50mw laser is illegal when operated without a variance.

 

[TechGeek]

Dear Mr. Geek;Questions, so many questions. ALL of the following are questions. PLEASE give us a few hints.The boat's docked?No passengers are aboard the boat?The boat is anchored off shore with no public access?There's no worry of exhaust gasses polluting air being breathed by anyone nearby?This is a display that looks good from a distance?The boat's close to shore with clear line of sight?You're keeping your console on shore on solid, frequency stable, power and communicating via wireless DMX?You're sending your audio wirelessly to powered speakers on board?The boat's not sailing away with ALL of your gear aboard and a full load of passengers?You're considering towing a small boat behind with your generator and as much of your other equipment as feasible?You've done this lots of times before?Your insurance covers all your equipment and any potential health and safety hazards?Thanks in advance for your pending detailed answers.BTW; Please check your signature, I suspect you meant "Who wired this?!?", not "How wired this?!?". Toodleoo!Ron Hebbard

Yes I need to fix my sig.To answer those questions:There will be people on the boat but they will be in the front of it during the parade. All of the equipment will be ran on the boat. I have a small portable sound system and then all of these lights. We have great insurance. The boat is about 10 to 20 feet from people watching on shore. This is a boat parade and we go around the entire island. The owner of the boat will drive it and then I manage the people on the boat and the equipment. I just did this with a fresnel and my sound system and 10 kids.

 

[TechGeek]

As an LSO, I can safely say that to the FDA, anything over 5mw needs "special attention". It doesn't matter if it's 6mw or 1,000mw (classified as 1w). I am assuming this is a public show, and being an outdoor show at that, the scrutiny is much higher. I only say this because (other than safety of spectators and aircraft) the fines can reach thousands of dollars and I don't want you to get stuck with that -- there are "laser police". I suggest contacting your local FDA office and see if they can get you pointed in the right direction.

I recommend this regardless of the show because technically, even your 50mw laser is illegal when operated without a variance.

Wow! Thanks! I don't need that fine. So an LSO will be all I need? Or I need to fill out paper work?

 

[Les]

You also need the variance, but that should be good for the entire year (or longer). There is some mailing back and forth of paperwork, which is why it can take so long. It can also be a little complicated, so you might want to seek the advice of other laserists (I'm sure there are forums specific to that). X-laser (manufacturer) has an ez-variance kit, but it only applies to their products. Even so, they know a lot about it, so it might not hurt to give them a call or shoot an email their way. They're nice guys, but don't use up too much of their time since you're not a customer .

For outdoor shows, the FAA needs to be notified. Usually this is a written form stating time/day/location/conditions, specs of laser, type of show (beam or graphics) etc. They will then respond "yay, nay, or everything's good except..."

The Laser Show Report also needs to be filled out and sent in to the FDA.

Come to think of it, maybe you should just do lighting on the boat

 

[TechGeek]

You also need the variance, but that should be good for the entire year (or longer). There is some mailing back and forth of paperwork, which is why it can take so long. It can also be a little complicated, so you might want to seek the advice of other laserists (I'm sure there are forums specific to that). X-laser (manufacturer) has an ez-variance kit, but it only applies to their products. Even so, they know a lot about it, so it might not hurt to give them a call or shoot an email their way. They're nice guys, but don't use up too much of their time since you're not a customer .

For outdoor shows, the FAA needs to be notified. Usually this is a written form stating time/day/location/conditions, specs of laser, type of show (beam or graphics) etc. They will then respond "yay, nay, or everything's good except..."

The Laser Show Report also needs to be filled out and sent in to the FDA.

Come to think of it, maybe you should just do lighting on the boat

I'm going to do that. If the process is going to be long then I'll just do some bada** lighting lol

 

[soundlight]

I would use LED fixtures only. Combining water with the electronics inside of a Studio Spot 575 could get nasty in a hurry. I'm specifically thinking of the ballast and ignitor circuits. Y'know, the stuff that could really hurt someone. MAC101s, MAC Auras, or similar would be good for this, and would draw less power. Still risk of combining electric with water, but not the voltages associated with ignitor circuitry. Chauvet Q-Spot or Intimidator Spot line would also be good - but those aren't exactly common at rental houses. Some nice narrow LED PARs would look good too, shining out on the water towards the audience but not directly at them - pointed down on the water to do fingers of light.