What about using Powercon?

[dosxuk]

I have just modified my LED par cans,

 

http://www.brightlightservices.co.uk/Servi...files/frame.htm

 

click on equipment services and up will come some pictures of the modification.

 

Your views and opions are welcome. Not the main idea here is to be able to daisy chain the power!

 

Thanks sam

 

How are these wired? It's just that blue powercon panel mounts are for Power In, so if wired to Neutriks standard, you should have a floating tail on your last can.

 

http://www.neutrik.com/uk/en/industry/210_...MPA_detail.aspx

 

 

Sam, your web site doesn't work for Firefox users. Probably doesn't work for anybody not paying the M$ tax, in fact.

 

<_< It doesn't work in IE much better eitther - took me three goes to see anything other than a blank page saying "End of slideshow". Sam - if you're tring to start / run a hire company throught that website, you need a new one.

[smalljoshua]

<_< It looks as if it has been made using Powerpoint (It has too).

 

Powercon looks good but it is expensive and cannot be connected/disconnected under load, if you're just checking units before they go out on a hire you want to be able to just plug/unplug them without turning off the power first.

 

Josh

[grizzly]

How are these wired? It's just that blue powercon panel mounts are for Power In, so if wired to Neutriks standard, you should have a floating tail on your last can.

 

http://www.neutrik.com/uk/en/industry/210_...MPA_detail.aspx

 

That's what I was thinking. If the trailing lead on each can is the supply cord to the unit, and the panel-mount socket is an outlet, then they should both be the white/grey Powercon connectors, not the blue.

 

 

<_< It doesn't work in IE much better eitther - took me three goes to see anything other than a blank page saying "End of slideshow". Sam - if you're tring to start / run a hire company throught that website, you need a new one.

 

I agree. The website needs a redesign. Get rid of the 'slideshow' format first, as this seemed to be what got in the way of it working properly (on my PC, at least)

[CPlater1]

The website works for me (just). The Powercons look like they are correct, if they are used with a trailing lead going into the panel mount, then the flying lead from the can goes to the next one. This keeps it all going in the proper direction.

[grizzly]

The website works for me (just). The Powercons look like they are correct, if they are used with a trailing lead going into the panel mount, then the flying lead from the can goes to the next one. This keeps it all going in the proper direction.

 

But as dosxuk points out above, this would mean that you have a trailing lead on your last can in the chain, and a live, energised lead at that, which is not the most desirable of things to have, just hanging there.

[CPlater1]

I agree that may not be the best idea in the world. I misread the post by dosxuk.

[DaveP]

Your views and opions are welcome

 

Long winded post edited..

 

There are no advantages in using 'Powercon', only disadvantages.

 

You could of achieved the desired result for a pass through load of up to 6A a lot cheaper and better using 'IEC' connectors

[Andrew C]

There are no advantages in using 'Powercon', only disadvantages.

You could of achieved the desired result for a pass through load of up to 6A a lot cheaper and better using 'IEC' connectors

How about; 20A vs 6A, locking vs falling out if you look at them, odd cut out vs. mounting in a standardised round hole.

[Sam Whitehead]

Thanks for your views. I am awear of my website not being great, it is being sorted but is a long process. it was just the easiest way of me showing the pictures.

 

As far as my reasons for the powercons, I feel that these are great plugs, ok they are dear but they are locking and good cable clamp. the IEC connecters were an option but these plugs are cheap and easily broken. Plus im sure we have all had these pull out on us during a show. maxi audio do a good price on the powercons too: 1.88 a socket and 3.93 for the plugs. these get cheper the more you get!!

 

Also I do believe I have used the correct format. I feed the socket with power and then the attached lead feeds the next unit. I have one LED can with no flying lead. I aslo have made inline connectors, these can also be placed on the end of the line.

 

Thanks Sam

[grizzly]

Also I do believe I have used the correct format. I feed the socket with power and then the attached lead feeds the next unit. I have one LED can with no flying lead. I aslo have made inline connectors, these can also be placed on the end of the line.

 

It certainly sounds like you are using the correct colour for the job, and have addressed the question of the final can in the chain.

[Ynot]

It certainly sounds like you are using the correct colour for the job, and have addressed the question of the final can in the chain.

That assumes that there is only ever one chain of cans in use.

However, I have 14 LED cans at the moment and when they're all in use, they can be all over the stage, at floor, grid or intermediate height. And going by the DMX runs, can be up to 4 or even 5 lines in use at a time...

The last thing I want to play with is having to run a round-robin all over the shop just to keep them all in one run. That's also rather counter-productive as it would then only take the first can to get disconn and you're all out of action on LEDs!

[Ynot]

Yes, I see what you mean, having an unused live socket hanging/trailing about is a potential hazard.

 

.......I'm just off to swap all the four-way multis on my extension leads for single outlets........and make up some more SINGLE socket extensions........where do I plug them all in?

Actually, I trust your tongue is firmly in your cheek, there.

The big difference I see with your analogy however, is that a 13A multi-block is intended to be a power-out outlet, whereas the blue Powercon jobbies are quite specifically power IN. (Though whether that means there are easier accessible live connectors, I know not...)

(Been reading up on the Neutrik website, by the way... <_<)

As has been said, the power OUT option for Powercon should indeed be the grey type according to the spec.

 

Now, this is where the fact that I've never actually used these wee beasts brings me down...

 

The grey panel socket appears to have a cut-out in the central ring, whilst the blue does not - does this mean that only one type of plug can be plugged into either socket? It would perhaps appear not, but I'd suspect there will be some restrictions somewhere in the chain here.

 

Oh - and they list the in-line connector as having one side power IN, the other power OUT, which seems logical, and would support my presumption that maybe the par cans as described should in fact have a blue plug and a grey socket or vice-versa... (My money would be on blue plug and grey socket, which would make the job realistically a better option, so that ALL cans are the same and ANY can can be linked without leaving an untidy dangling cable...)

[dosxuk]

Powercon's are in two types, A in blue and B in grey. A-type cable plugs can only be mated with A-type panel mounts, and vice versa. They are keyed in the same way as Speakons, just with the keys in different positions so they can't be plugged up wrongly.

 

A cable with a blue powercon on is supplying power to a device, which will have a blue powercon panel mount on. If the equipment has a link out, it would have a grey panel mount socket, which will only mate with a grey cable mount plug.

 

If I was wiring these cans, I would use B-type connectors, with each can having a link-out socket to the next can. Power would come in on the existing inlet cable which has it's plug changed to a grey powercon. This does have the disadvantage of needing an 16A / 13A -> Powercon socket for the first in the chain, but you can fit Powercon sockets in the back of a 16A plug which provides a nice tidy solution.

 

Edit: This PDF file shows the uses of the different types and the direction of power better than I can describe: http://www.neutrik.com/client/neutrik/medi...ia_10567126.pdf

[grizzly]

The power in & out colour coding of the Powercons basically refer to the panel mount connectors.

A blue panel connector should take power into the appliance, and so the blue cable mount connector would supply power to this.

A grey panel connector would be a power outlet, and so a grey cable mount connector would take power from this, to wherever.

 

The connectors are not compatible, so only blue can mate with blue, and grey can only mate with grey.

[Sam Whitehead]

Ynot - However, the way in which im using the system im feeding the cans with power, this is therefore corect, the blue socket as its the in put for the power, the trailing lead then the feed for the next can. If more than one set of these cans were to be used I would terminate the end of line with an inline conecter, however, not really needed as there is NO exposed live conductors on any of the plugs or sockets!

 

Ynot - you have 14 LED cans, I take it these are on 13amp plugs then? I found these to be too bulky and also when I used 12 of them over 8M truss, I had to run extension leads all over the rig, I feel my system should solve this.

 

Also the reliabilty of it all being down to one plug: well this is true but when I used the cans before the modification, I would send 1 x 13amp extension lead up to the truss and then couple onto this to supply all 12 cans. Thefore still only one lead feeding the whole bank.

 

I can now see some (very few) cons to my system?

 

Thanks again to all the responces!!

 

sam