Road Show Connection Panel

As defined by the NEC:
Road Show Connection Panel (A Type of Patch Panel). A panel designed to allow for road show connection of portable stage switchboards to fixed lighting outlets by means of permanently installed supplementary circuits.

Sometimes known as an FOH Transfer Panel. Running cables and cords from portable dimmers located backstage to FOH Box Booms, Coves, and Balcony Rails through the proscenium wall is problematic in many ways. Long runs are required; cords are unsightly; the prosc. wall is often a firewall that cannot be penetrated without proper fire stop. To alleviate this, many theatres have permanently installed circuits to locations DS of the proscenium. Often these circuits are also required to be used by the house dimmers, thus the transfer panel part. Increasingly popular is the use of a road DMX input, so that the production does not need to carry dimmers for these locations; instead its console controls some or all of the house dimmers.

A common misconception about such panels is that the circuits don't need overcurrent protection, as they can't be energized without being plugged into a dimmer.
520.50(C):
Overcurrent protection. The supply devices of these supplementary circuits shall be protected by branch-circuit overcurrent protective devices. Each supplementary circuit, within the road show connection panel and theater, shall be protected by branch-circuit overcurrent protective devices installed within the road show connection panel.
STEVETERRY;72236 said:
Let's be clear as to the reason the NEC requires that "extra" circuit breaker.

Let's say a TV shoot was occurring in your theatre. The crew brought in a rack of 6kW dimmers. They plugged that male patch cable right into one of the 6kW's, using an "illegal" 50A to 20A adapter. Then they decided to load it with 4000W of Audience light PARs, even though it is a 2400W circuit, "because they'll only be on for a few minutes".

Without that breaker, there is a possibility of overloading the building wiring and causing a fire hazard. The building wire is hidden in the walls , so we want to make absolutely sure that doesn't happen.

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