Also good to remember that break-outs and break-ins are limited in length due to the cable used. Six feet, if I remember right.
That would be a staggered break-out, Mike, as opposed to even, or the increasingly rarer striplight breakout....I'm looking at purchasing a few custom breakouts to use on our new truss installation. My dealer on the project put each tail at a different length, so let's say for this example you purchased a breakout with tails at 3', 6', 9', 12', 15', and 18'. You could then use it also as a poor man's connector strip, distributing the circuits in an orderly fashion across a distance. Chances are you'd have to order that custom, though. ...
I'm curious about the breakouts cannot be longer than 20' code? I've seen staggered breakouts 30' to 40' in length for intelligent fixtures spaced out across a truss?
What is the harm or danger in these?
Ah, but your premise is flawed. All cable used on a stage must be Extra Hard Service. See SJO cable in a theater. Since it is impossible to fit six 12/3 SO cables in a Socapex-type connector, the code allows hard usage (junior hard service) for breakouts provided the four conditions in NEC 520.68(A)(4) are met. #2 says "The longest cord in the breakout assembly does not exceed 6.0 m (20 ft)."
Here is another possibility, you could use a microbrick II and then run standard cable to your lights
MicroBrick II offered by DimmerRack, Unique items for the Audio and Lighting Professional
Sharyn
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