New Stage Pin Connector Standard Adopted

[STEVETERRY]

On November 16, 2012, the ANSI/PLASA E1.24 Dimensional Requirements for Stage Pin Connectors was adopted by reference in the UL498 standard for Attachment Plugs and Receptacles.

The effect of this is:

1. By November 16, 2015 all existing Listed Stage Pin Connectors must be reevaluated to the E1.24 standard. If necessary, their dimensions will need to be modified to comply with E1.24.
2. All stage pin connectors must now be tested to a common dimensional standard in E1.24.
3. The E1.24 configurations are now the official equivalent of NEMA configurations, but for Stage Pin Connectors.

This event marks the culmination of an effort of more than 30 years, beginning with USITT and then moving to ESTA, now PLASA. Common configurations and dimensional requirements for these connectors should produce a material increase in safety by ensuring that connectors of different manufacturers can be mated without concerns about poor fit, excessive temperature rise, and other failure modes caused by the previous lack of a common configuration.

It is also worth noting that E1.24 is the first PLASA entertainment industry standard that has been adopted by UL.

ST

 

[MPowers]

Cool,l it's about time!

 

[Pie4Weebl]

So what does this mean to me, the common lighting man?

 

[danTt]

It means that by the year 2040 or so, when all existing inventories of stage pins have been replaced with new E1.24 compliant plugs, you will be a little bit safer because plugs from different manufacturers now share the same dimensions. So in the practical sense? Not much.

 

[ProgrammerInTraining]

can you run 208v on these new connectors?

 

[avkid]

So if I change all my stage pins I might save $100 a year on gaff tape?

 

[JD]

I wonder what percentage of the currently used connectors are non-compliant. In other words, is this a matter of code catching up with usage, or has there been a variation from the connectors commonly used?
(Or, are we heading off an onslaught of cheap connectors before they hit our shores and start fires? (Or, have they already hit?))

 

[DrPinto]

I don't see the point of requiring this by 2040. By then, I bet everything will be LED and edison plugs.

 

[MNicolai]

I don't see the point of requiring this by 2040. By then, I bet everything will be LED and edison plugs.

The requirement is 2015. 2040 is the joke about how long it'll take before all of the venues, rental houses, and gear out there in the wild get changed over. Just like how there are still theatres out there with Kliegels in use.

I await a response from STEVETERRY on what this standard actually means.

It sounds to me like it's a standard about manufacturing tolerances, in which many venues will wait for old connectors/receptacles to fail or become unusable, then replace them with new ones. If my understanding is correct, I know where this is coming from because I work at a venue where, for whatever the reason, the Bates receptacles are so tight that it takes the strongest guy in the room to unplug a connector. We've actually pulled receptacles right out of their distribution boxes and had the wires dangling out because it was that bad. Pigtails off of the electrics are fine, but really every panel-mount receptacle in the room should be gutted and replaced.

I'll still be waiting for the standard that makes it legal to leave the decapitated heads of dead horses in the beds of manufacturers who use XLR3 connectors for DMX.

 

[JD]

Why do I have the feeling that current manufacturers will change the packaging on their current connectors to read " E1.24 compliant" and jack the price up 20% ?

 

[derekleffew]

So what does this mean to me, the common lighting man?

What it means for you is that, once every manufacturer has agreed to comply with the voluntary standard, you'll be able to "plug with confidence," and never again worry about your males (load connector s) fitting too loosely or too snugly, or not inserting at all, into females (line connector s). Splitting of pins excepted.

What, you've never had that problem? In over thirty-five years in the business, neither have I.
"PLASA TSP--Solving non-existent problems since 1994." (Apologies to those CB member(s) who are also on the PLASA TSP committees.)
But apparently, MNicolai has. And I believe sizing and spacing of contacts is more of an issue with 2P&G-60 and -100A than with the 2P&G-20.

 

[MNicolai]

New Stage Pin Conector Standard Adopted

As a UL-adopted standard, wouldn't it be mandatory if you're a manufacturer looking for a UL listing of your connectors, or am I jumping to conclusions?

Or is this more of UL tipping their hats to the PLASA standard and recommending compliance?

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Re: New Stage Pin Conector Standard Adopted

Some of the old Kliegl male connectors I have used have their pins spaced *just* far enough apart that the pins compress when plugged in. I've split them only to have them immediately compress again.

 

[STEVETERRY]

Re: New Stage Pin Conector Standard Adopted

As a UL-adopted standard, wouldn't it be mandatory if you're a manufacturer looking for a UL listing of your connectors, or am I jumping to conclusions?

Or is this more of UL tipping their hats to the PLASA standard and recommending compliance?

It will be mandatory after Nov 16, 2015. This is a requirement, not a recommendation from UL.

ST

 

[STEVETERRY]

"PLASA TSP--Solving non-existent problems since 1994."[/I] (Apologies to those CB member(s) who are also on the PLASA TSP committees.)

You must be the only person in the universe that has not had a melted pin connector on their hands. Perhaps you lead a charmed life!

Finally, if you think the PLASA TSP is doing just what you describe as "useless work" you are sadly mistaken!

ST

 

[STEVETERRY]

Why do I have the feeling that current manufacturers will change the packaging on their current connectors to read " E1.24 compliant" and jack the price up 20% ?

UL will make sure that in order to mark a connector "E1.24", it will have undergone E1.24 evaluation.

ST

 

[derekleffew]

You must be the only person in the universe that has not had a melted pin connector on their hands. Perhaps you lead a charmed life!

I've encountered many melted stage pin connector s (and have posted pictures to prove it, here's one:

http://www.controlbooth.com/attachm...1302190737-connectors-stage-pin-2pg_green.jpg ), but cannot state definitively that lack of Dimensional Requirements was the cause.

 

[GoboMan]

Well, I guess this standard is moot for where I work considering the theatre I work in uses an Edison system in all the electrics.

 

[Nelson]

So does anyone know what popular connectors are presently non-compliant?

Does E1.24 require significant changes to stage pin connectors in their present form? In other words, will an E1.24-compliant connector still mate with a recent-design non-compliant connector? (i.e. will I eventually have to change all the connectors in my inventory?) I tried to find a link to view the standard but didn't see it in my quick Google search.

 

[avkid]

Personally I would like to see more of these: