Our new to us space

[gafftaper]

Also look into running your DMX over Cat 5/6 cables. You can replace those expensive DMX cables with home made or store bought cat 5 cables. Build your own adapters or buy them pre-made. I save a lot of money with this trick and because it's a data cable it actually fully meets the DMX standard with no signal degradation, unlike using audio xlr.

 

[Lasermike]

Unless there’s a 2 or 3 conductor socapex plug, I very much doubt that’s what I see. I know socapex as canon plugs and have worked with them for decades, usually on cnc machines. There are socapex sockets on the dimmers.

It is a patch panel, it’s between the dimmers and the runs out to the grid. The non stage pin end of the patch cable looks only vaguely like the Bakelite handle of a Kliegl patch. Doesn’t have the skirt the interferes with a breaker, just the cylindrical handle. Also, the center pin isn’t as long, it’s maybe an inch at most. And I’m pretty sure it’s hollow.

I think I remember seeing a dmx cable headed out to the grid, it may run to the I-cue. I’ve no idea how the I-cue is controlled.

The SlimPARs do have Bluetooth, part of our reluctance to use it is the board operators are typically 14-17 years old. Not saying they can’t do it, but a phone plus a board might be a bit much. The SlimPARs are being used as wash on flats so there probably won’t be much happening beyond simple color changes but then, I’m way definitely not an LD so who knows.

Michael

 

[Lasermike]

So, my thinking was the non stage pin ends of the patch cables would have hot and neutral at a minimum. Turns out they only have one contact. What I thought was a shiny copper sleeve turned out to be Bakelite. I’m blaming a dark booth and 61 year old eyes.

Michael

 

[Lasermike]

A forum member has volunteered to stop by in the next few days to take a look at the lighting situation.

My understanding is that many of the instruments already hanging work and have been tested by the LD. The fun part will when we hang the borrowed instruments.

Michael

 

[Gage]

So, my thinking was the non stage pin ends of the patch cables would have hot and neutral at a minimum. Turns out they only have one contact. What I thought was a shiny copper sleeve turned out to be Bakelite. I’m blaming a dark booth and 61 year old eyes.

Ah, those appear to be Supercon connectors manufactured by Superior Electric.

 

[Lasermike]

@Gage gets it in one! They are from Superior Electric. And now I know then correct name for the connector.

Michael

 

[RickR]

Also look into running your DMX over Cat 5/6 cables. You can replace those expensive DMX cables with home made or store bought cat 5 cables. Build your own adapters or buy them pre-made. I save a lot of money with this trick and because it's a data cable it actually fully meets the DMX standard with no signal degradation, unlike using audio xlr.

I have to add a caution note. I'm sure @gafftaper means jacketed and stranded Cat5e or better. It costs more than the old blue stuff but still far less than most DMX cable.

Too often I've seen solid core wire used as portable. Solid wire is meant for permanent installation with IDC connectors, where it won't be bumped or moved. Even copper will break if flexed too much!

 

[Lasermike]

The lights are hung and aimed. The LD is talking colors and cues. We even got the I-cue working. There are no notes or documentation other than the ETC manual but it wasn’t too hard to get it figured out. One odd thing is that there are more instruments than circuits in the grid and there are circuits in the upstage left and right walls set up as pairs of twist lock and nema 5-15 that are not duplicated in the grid. The venues method for powering the extra stuff in the grid is a snake hanging down the stage left wall and plugging into the outlets on the wall.

Opening night is this Friday and there are less than ten tickets left for 9 performances. That’s 900 tickets. I think children’s musical theater is back!

Michael

 

[Lasermike]

I never remember to take pictures of a set until it's mostly struck, but for once I remembered so here's Beauty and the Beast. I built the mechanism for the rose, it's 4 servos and an on/off light controller powering a string of fairy lights. It's run by an 8 channel transmitter covered in blue tape and sharpie. The sound person turned the fairy lights on and dropped the petals in time with sound cues. Looked cool up close but really all you could see was the lights from the house. Or props guy is amazing and took the disc with for servos connected to a green PLA teardrop with a piece of aluminum tube and turned into what you see here.