Fair observations, except you are already slightly challenged to fit a 12ga
wire into any Powercon... a 10ga. into them say for 100' run no way as with
stage pin. New thinking in rules of maximum length, education on the subject, and
plug design yes.
Yes, you, I
etc. 90% loading max, and would for a
LED probably never even 1/2 load the
circuit. Hmm, Powercon with feed
thru.... In going back to old days, I don't remember a proper
stage that had less than 12ga cable in use for jumpers, and given the higher wattage fixtures, would blow a
breaker if you connected another
fixture in above the
rating of the amperage.
Whips to newer
LED fixtures are often better in
wire gauge these days - only often, but still range in
gauge from say 18ga to 12ga. This includes
IEC type fixtures with Powercon. My concern is the primary
wire feeding/adapting to the first
fixture in a chain is often of a
gauge which is insufficient to an amount of fixtures (maxing out at 2400w or not) it might supply given feed
thru. Second is the between
fixture jumpers in
gauge of
wire (education on it) requires. Good you found the above was 12ga (non-compliant).
My fear is un-trained people don't think to add up the wattage/amperage of fixtures plugged into a
circuit. Such un-trained staff have no idea of amperages of
wire, or even downgrading of cable length at full amperage for
gauge of
wire to use. How many say Colorado's can you
plug into an
outlet/
circuit? (Yes probably specified in the
manual... and expecting professional people read and understand the
manual, but other's read at best than gloss over what they don't?) What if such people keep plugging them in because they have feed
thru, and
DMX data will still feed
thru also. How many of these fixtures can be powered up
thru also a
DMX feed
thru? Someone without knowledge about
wire gauges and ampericity, would expect you could
plug in with factory supplied cords just as many fixtures as you can with the data cable supplying.
That first
fixture plug to
fixture adaptor if under the
breaker rating, or other jumpers for
power, especially if all 120v might be the weak link for say a fire. Some band teacher, or student or
etc... won't be doing the math. My concern. Say a 4.8 amp fixtgure @ 120v, but the provided from the factory cable is only 16ga. Say from some installer ok... but later the curch buys more lights in getting provided a crappy coverage. But do they think of installing a new initial
jumper to first
fixture? No! who would think that a factory supplied cable might fail within the range of factor supplied and say
UL listed, and what the
circuit breaker might
cover in over amperage use of that cable before a
breaker trips. As with jumpers between fixtures.....
Without knowledge in adding the extra fixtures, perhaps they just clip the end of what was supplied with the
fixture and install a Powercon of some sort to it also. Another weak link in cable.
That much less, Home Depot don't sell T-8
Torx Screwdrivers or #1 Pozidrive Screwdrivers, so how is the end user properly terminating their plugs properly assuming proper tention,
cord grip proper tension, proper strip length
etc.