Well aware of that. However, with the number of exceptions out there for to allow for SJ cable I'm not really sure if I see the
point anymore. The
whip of a
fixture and a lead of a
soca breakout get the most abuse out of any cabling and yet we are OK with SJ there. Just don't run SJ between the two. I do get the
point of the SO everywhere stuff. We spent 30k on cable to ensure we had SO everywhere just a few years ago. We are already in the
phase where we are running powercon or powercon-True1 on everything and daisy chaining. Unless there is someone doing it that I'm not aware of, I have only seen those jumpers built out of SJ cable. Both Lex and Whirlwind do SJ as standard on these types of connectors. It might not be right, but it is being done. I put it right up there with the 3 pin
DMX thing. Might not be right, but it became industry standard anyway.
The exceptions allowing SJ and derivatives are quite restrictive. The vast majority of cables in the
theatre still need to be type S or derivatives
Late breaking news: Note that SJ and derivatives are currently allowed for
luminaire supply cords up to 1.0 m (3.3'). There is a proposal in for the 2017
NEC which would increase this length to 2.0 m (6.6'). It has already passed the First Draft
phase of the process. Curiously, I wrote that proposal. If allowed, I think it will improve the utility of our systems without a
safety compromise.
However, I don't agree that
luminaire cords and breakouts "get the most abuse out of any cabling....." They are not subject to crush and slit hazards in the same way that long jumpers in the path of rolling or flying scenery are.
Finally, while some people may not like the Extra Hard Usage requirement, it's currently mandated by the
NEC, which means it's the rule
with no options for article 520 venues. This is not comparable to the 3-pin vs. 5-pin
DMX cable example, where there is no Code involved.
As I've said before, if you want to change the
NEC, submit a Public Input with compelling evidence as to why the requirement should be relaxed. Your first opportunity will be for the 2020
NEC. But meanwhile, please don't suggest or imply on this forum that non-NEC-compliant solutions are OK because they are common practice.
ST