Power Distribution for LED fixtures

[Alitaido]

We are adding 77 new LED fixtures to our show and I am getting a new distro for this project. Now, the maximum total current consumption of all of this is just about 80A, if everything were running at once; a 200A distro will work fine. Problem is, that is a lot of two-fering or three-fering to work back into a 24 or 36 by 20A distro. That is fine, just not elegant, ...and I like elegant.

So, I figure that there has to be a smarter way to do this.

And I'm sure there are plenty of your who have already worked with LED fixtures and have solutions, so I put it to you: What would you do?

One thing I thought of was using the LEX 19pin soca splitter.

 

[Footer]

PowerFLEX™ Cable Assemblies: E-String (6) NEMA 5-15 Receptacles Black | Lex Products

I would not gang them together limitless just to cut down on resistance.

 

[mstaylor]

I would run a soca cable up to the truss, break it out and then use some the cables Kyle pictured. You have to figure how many lights per circuit.

 

[kendal69]

You can go really clean but it will cost. If you 200 amp is three phase you can go with some custom 3 phase lunch box distros

Option B again if you have 3 phase is to do some 12/5 Convention Stringers with a clean 20 AMP every third outlet. Could do the same with some Dog houses. I have some of these they're great.
You can go to your bank of lights drop a box, put in a 15' cable drop another box and so on. You might get away with one line of three phase since they will not all be on at once. Like a 60 am three phase.
If not two runs of 60 amp three phase will more than cover you even for future.

PowerHOUSE™ Portable Distribution Boxes: Feed Thru Doghouse | Lex Products

 

[bishopthomas]

It all depends on your setup as to what your cabling will be. Care to give us a hit as to how these are going to be positioned and/or mounted?

 

[Alitaido]

It all depends on your setup as to what your cabling will be. Care to give us a hit as to how these are going to be positioned and/or mounted?

The trick is that they are very spread out - a pipe here with 6 units every 5 feet, a truss there with 8 units 3 feet apart. And there are set of LED PAR 64s laid out in a grid, each about 10 feet from its closest neighbor.

Overall, lots of space in between units.

 

[MNicolai]

Why not just get an E-String for each lighting position like Footer suggested? If you give Lex a call, they'll be happy to make them in custom lengths so that you can have x number of receptacles spaced on y centers.

Each E-String can handle 20A, which is probably more than enough for each position, and they'd also save you from having to run lots of heavy multi-cables and additional extension cables. All you would need to do is have a device to split the distro into 20A NEMA 5-20 connectors and get a 20A 5-20 cable to each E-String.

 

[SteveB]

FWIW, I just purchased 3 E-String Orchestra sets.

Very well constructed and given the quality and features, cheaper then anything I could make myself that would not be as useful with the features - such as LED power indicators.

Lex makes great products.

 

[kendal69]

SteveB


Hey Steve, what did those E-Strings cost.
Thanks

FWIW, I just purchased 3 E-String Orchestra sets.

Very well constructed and given the quality and features, cheaper then anything I could make myself that would not be as useful with the features - such as LED power indicators.

Lex makes great products.

 

[Edrick]

I paid $62 for the one I have

 

[SteveB]

Ditto - $62

 

[len]

If you are using a fixture with powercon, this is pretty cool. I don't know if it's available/compatible with 110v power, but here it is. CANFORD MDS2 AC MAINS POWER DISTRIBUTION STRIP 20A, 14x IEC, Powercon, dark grey

 

[MNicolai]

If you are using a fixture with powercon, this is pretty cool. I don't know if it's available/compatible with 110v power, but here it is. CANFORD MDS2 AC MAINS POWER DISTRIBUTION STRIP 20A, 14x IEC, Powercon, dark grey

The Powercon is only for the power supplying that strip, not for outputting power to the fixtures. Presuming his fixtures even used IEC interconnects, he'd then be stuck with a ton of interconnect cords at various lengths and would still have a fair amount of actual distribution cables and power to do. At best, it'd be an unusual setup and would involve a lot of cables going every which direction away from this strip as the cables lead towards the fixtures.