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Grelcos


TAFFY

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thanks all!! I'm only 22 and am an ASM/stage hand usually but work in a community centre part time. we've had a few company's in shocked that at the use grelcos and just wanted to make sure there not illegal. there essential as theirs 13 (unlucky) working channels out of 3 old mini 2's. the grelcos are only used on 500w floods. shocked to here about the exploding one!!!! the ones here are backalight :D

Thank you all!!

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the ones here are backalight :D

<sp> Bakelite.

:)

Grelcos (what used to be a brand name that has dropped by common usage in to the 'vernacular') are fine, on the assumption (as with ANY electrical equipment) that they're made within the right specs - ie to BS standard - and that they're maintained/treated well. The old Bakelite items tended to shatter easily when dropped, or had bits literally drop off (thus exposing conductive terminals!!). The newer style are also far from indestructible, but being a more rubber-based construction they can cope with a small amount of mistreatment.

 

As has already been said, however, the current crop of imported doublers (and treblers) have been recalled by the manufacturers and will get a full refund (still waiting for mine!!) from the suppliers.

 

Thirteen amp adaptor plugs are also still available and in quite common use, although I would suggest that for ANY stage use you should consider using instead either a twin fish-tail socket or a full 4-way - these are far less prone to get knocked out of a wall socket in a darkened theatre environment.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Tony

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the thing about the old balerlite grelcos that made me dispose of all mine was the way you could plug into them at the wrong angle so the earth went in the right hole, the neutral went in the live hole and the live hung over the side where you could touch it

 

that said, I never broke one in years of using them, the new (last 10 years) plastic snapers are constantly shatering when droped or the inside spacers dicintergrate so the live and neutral bars can touch where they crosover when you try to plug into them

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To my shame, I still have (and use) the old porcelain angled beasties whenever I run short of proper modern ones.

 

Oh good, I was wondering last time I was testing them, if should I get rid of them now. I believe the reason against them is that one plug in the angled socket means the one on top sticks out a bit. My argument is if they are up in the rig, and taped up with one band of tape, is this still a problem? However, with 12 or so new ones, I hardly ever use the old ones.

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As has already been said, however, the current crop of imported doublers (and treblers) have been recalled by the manufacturers and will get a full refund (still waiting for mine!!) from the suppliers.

 

As I understand it, the internal conductors were reduced in size such that anything over about 10A for a significant period and they melt and catch fire.

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I was working on a pantomime this year, get in on sat morning, had SLX trruck turn up wit our delivery, by monday they were back and collected our grelcos....... they said it was a health and safety thing, and all their stock had to be returned to manufacturer. So we were left a tad stuck.......
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I was working on a pantomime this year, get in on sat morning, had SLX trruck turn up wit our delivery, by monday they were back and collected our grelcos....... they said it was a health and safety thing, and all their stock had to be returned to manufacturer. So we were left a tad stuck.......

Interesting.....

I too bought a half-dozen for panto in early January, only to get the recall shortly afterwards - but they didn't come fetch them back...

Were these grelcos in a hire order, then??

 

TD

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