Exe rise motors

[leofric]

So looking over the kit list for my next job, I see we have been allocated Exe rise motors (1 ton, low voltage control), I haven't used these motors before. Now obviously when I go into the warehouse I will ask the guys in the rigging department to give me the low down but I thought I would ask what experience others here have had with them and ask if there are any useful hints or tips?

 

What similarities or differences are there as opposed to the faithful old lodestars I've used for the last twenty years?

 

Cheers

 

Leo

[itiba]

I was on a job with Exe rise motors on it a few months ago as a lampy not a rigger. If they're the same ones then one noticeable difference is they don't make the 'clunking' noise when you first engage them so bumping through 4 motors on a truss is eerily silent.

[stagemanagement]

I was on a job with Exe rise motors on it a few months ago as a lampy not a rigger. If they're the same ones then one noticeable difference is they don't make the 'clunking' noise when you first engage them so bumping through 4 motors on a truss is eerily silent.

 

That sounds like a nightmare - how can you adjust by the number of clunks if there is no clunk?!!!

[leofric]

I was on a job with Exe rise motors on it a few months ago as a lampy not a rigger. If they're the same ones then one noticeable difference is they don't make the 'clunking' noise when you first engage them so bumping through 4 motors on a truss is eerily silent.

 

That sounds like a nightmare - how can you adjust by the number of clunks if there is no clunk?!!!

 

thanks for that, thats worth noting!

[Seano]

As already mentioned, they're relatively quiet compared to an old-school model 'L'. But to be fair so is just about everything else except an even more old-school Verlinde with a rattly fan housing.

 

The handles, cunningly designed to roll around the end of the case to use with the motor body either way up, are a pain in the arse much of the time whilst trying to pickle the thing back into it's box. They drop down unexpectedly at the worst moment, like the trousers of an urban youth running for a bus, and with only two hands you can't hitch them both up and squeeze a pickle at the same time.

 

When they first appeared they had appalling plastic chain guides that broke if you looked at them funny. They all seem to have gone now, fortunately, and have been replaced with something much more sensible.

 

All in all, there's nothing significant to get your head around, I'm sure you'll get along with them fine.

[ontoprigger]

the hoists are one of the few that have a higher safety factor designed into them from the start, they have 8:1 as standard compared to 5:1 from most other hoists unless you spec d8+ or C1, most of the rental ones are double braked and have 4 limits so one of the safest out there.

 

never had any issues with the handles or getting them back into the box, maybe the handles are a little tighter on ours, we ususally tour them motor down so just drop them straight into the case and lower the chain and pull it back up at the next venue.

 

 

 

[Seano]

Another very minor heads-up, based on something I spotted today. If you're using the hooky style of connector on the chainbags, they're a snug fit in the curious rail type chainbag bracket arrangement and it's apparently quite easy to fail to quite engage the keeper properly. Remembering this thread, I took a pic of one of the ones I spotted whilst walking round a couple of dozen of these hoists this afternoon. (See the one on the left?)

 

http://www.deepsoup.f2s.com/BR/exechainbag.jpg

[ontoprigger]

Another very minor heads-up, based on something I spotted today. If you're using the hooky style of connector on the chainbags, they're a snug fit in the curious rail type chainbag bracket arrangement and it's apparently quite easy to fail to quite engage the keeper properly. Remembering this thread, I took a pic of one of the ones I spotted whilst walking round a couple of dozen of these hoists this afternoon. (See the one on the left?)

 

http://www.deepsoup.f2s.com/BR/exechainbag.jpg

 

 

The curious rail system is to allow the motor to be used either way up, yes the hook is an issue and EXE or the rental company need to sort it, but whoever is rigging the hoist should spot it and fix it, in worst case swap it out, thats just sloppy rigging practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Seano]

The curious rail system is to allow the motor to be used either way up

 

Well obviously. Curious in the sense that it's an unusual design, especially for someone more used to CMs.

 

but whoever is rigging the hoist should spot it and fix it, in worst case swap it out

 

No need to swap it out. It's easily missed but also an easy fix albeit surprisingly tricky the first time in a slightly monkey-puzzle kind of a way. The rental company is one of the biggest in the UK and very likely the same one that Leo is working with, hence the mention.

I wouldn't normally take a photo of a minor boob like this and post it up on here.

 

These were lighting trusses picked up by touring lighting crew, excellent technicians all but pretty much dead on their feet thanks to an absolutely brutal tour schedule. (Worst I've seen in recent years - lots of back to backs with a horrific set design meaning slow load outs and excessively early starts.) In this case the venue's "rigging supervisor" also has a responsibility to spot it and fix it. And he did, so that's ok then. :)

[ontoprigger]

 

These were lighting trusses picked up by touring lighting crew, excellent technicians all but pretty much dead on their feet thanks to an absolutely brutal tour schedule. (Worst I've seen in recent years - lots of back to backs with a horrific set design meaning slow load outs and excessively early starts.) In this case the venue's "rigging supervisor" also has a responsibility to spot it and fix it. And he did, so that's ok then. :)

 

Unfortunately too often crew are stretched to breaking point especially on the smaller scale tours, we all need to make more of an effort to get promoters to come up with more realistic schedules, it because we are always able to pull it off that they get away with it. A tired crew are more likely to make silly mistakes and its only when someone get seriously injured or killed do people start to look at it.

 

The introduction of CDM is supposed to help spot a lot of these practices and help to reduce them, but how many production companies are really following CDM to the letter and recording the actual number of hours worked on a production by individuals, especially when they are freelancers who need the work.

 

As productions get bigger and more technical and the budgets stay the same or get squeezed something will have to give.

[leofric]

thanks for the replies guys,

 

having looked over them I am not anticipating any major problems but I'll share my experiences once I've finished the tour.

[Seano]

Unfortunately too often crew are stretched to breaking point especially on the smaller scale tours, we all need to make more of an effort to get promoters to come up with more realistic schedules...

 

Amen brother. (Though bugger all springs to mind that I can do to influence this, sadly.)

 

I am not anticipating any major problems..

 

Nah, of course not. (Man of your caliber, etc.. ) :)

[James Remo]

I've got 30 exe 1t's on my current tour, and obviously have a different supplier of chain bags as it's almost impossible to recreate this latch issue with our bags, the hooks are larger and more bulbous.

Four fuses in each motor, fairly well hidden, and no spares inside the casing. 1a T20 from memeory, but haven't needed to open one recently