Power help?!?

[the-techi]

Hi guys,

 

I may seem really dumb asking this but I'll ask anyway,

 

On stage lighting I always notice that the plugs are not the same as like standard english ones....

 

1. Do they have a special name??

 

2. Whats the reason for this??

 

 

 

PLEASE REPLY

 

Jamie

[HobitLight]

I believe that the reason is so that you don't plug an ordinary appliance into dimmed power!

 

In England, we use 15A plugs (the ones with the round pins) and before 5A (with smaller sized plugs) on lights (not on intelligent lighting) and on normal appliances and intteligent lighting 13A (with square pins).

 

Also, there is no fuse in them as trip switches are used at the dimmers instead.

 

P.S. Knowing my luck, this will all be wrong! If it is, I blame the stress of revision for GCSEs!

[jakefraser]

I assume you mean the ones for lantern to grid socket connections. These are 15A connectors - there is some information about them on the wiki (top right of the page).

 

The main thing to note is that although they're called 15A plug/sockets, they're rated at 15A but unfused (so there isn't a fuse in the plug). Instead, the fusing is done at the dimmer panel, making things a lot easier to troubleshoot!

 

HTH

 

Jake

 

*must learn to type faster!

[Guest]

I presume you are talking about 15A plugs, they are used for dimmable power and there is also (although you probably weren't reffering to this) 16A plugs, used for "hard power" (stuff that should in theory be provided with a perfect sine wave (if I'm not mistaken)).

 

Linky

 

EDIT: SPaG

[Andrew C]

1. Do they have a special name??

 

2. Whats the reason for this??

Called 15A (amp) sometimes 'round pin', they are an older English style. Still used for a variety of reasons; no fuse in the plug, carpenters and catering can't plug their stuff into your dimmer, and inertia.

 

Some places are changing to 16A CEE connectors, but there is divided opinion on this (not for me!). Have a search if you have a lifetime to spare...

[steve h]

and intteligent lighting 13A (with square pins).

and there is also 16A plugs, used for "hard power"

Just thought I should point out that the type of plug does not necessarily show whether its hard power or dimmable. An adapter can easily make 15A a 13A. Currently my Macs are plugged into the 15A on the IWBs, but at the patch panel they are plugged into a hard power supply

 

Steve

[HobitLight]

That's actually something I was wondering about!

 

Anyway, I was just saying that there are supposed to be used with 13A with, as in your case, they do over a long extension cable.

 

Curiously, does it go:

 

MAC with IEC > 15A cable > IWB to patch bay > 15A to 13A cable/adapter

 

or

 

MAC with IEC to 13A cable > 13A to 15A cable > IWB to patch bay > 15A to 13A cable/adapter

 

Basically, is the lead from your MAC have a 13A lead with you then adapt or has it already got the 15A on it?

[steve h]

MAC has an IEC with 15A on it, plug it into the IWB, at the patch bay I have a box with 4 breakers and 4 15A sockets in it that runs off a 32A supply to provide the hard power. This also means I can run all 4 Macs (250s!) off a single 13A if I strike them seperatly. Hope this make sense - quite tired and cant think of proper terminology!

 

Steve

[the-techi]

Cheers Guys!

 

Great help! =D

 

sorry...

 

I always have more questions.

I have reasearched this since I read the replys and just wondered can you get a 13A to 15A adapter??

 

Reason being I have some scanners and I'm using them for a school show.... problem is it would be helpful if I could put it them through the schools lighting desk.... Because I dont have my own DMX desk yet and dont have enough money to by one.... I'm guessing my idea will work as its a DMX desk at the school

 

Cheers

 

Jamie

[pete LD]

can you get a 13A to 15A adapter??

Yes.

 

Reason being I have some scanners and I'm using them for a school show.... problem is it would be helpful if I could put it them through the schools lighting desk.... Because I dont have my own DMX desk yet and dont have enough money to by one.... I'm guessing my idea will work as its a DMX desk at the school

 

Be careful here! Plugging the scanners into a 15A socket that is controlled by the lighting desk is a bad idea and will not allow the scanner to be controlled from your desk! Without looking I imagine the 15a socket you want to plug into is dimmable power. You need hard power (Power that is always on like from a 13a socket) for a scanner or any moving light. To control your scanners you need to plug DMX in to them via XLR leads (prob 3pins) from the lighting desk.

I’m sorry if you know this but it sounds like from your post that you believe plugging in to a dimmer makes the scanner controllable.

 

Anyway, I was just saying that there are supposed to be used with 13A

 

Hard power in theatre is very rarely on a 13a plug top! In fact I cant think of any venue that it is! In my experience its 16A or 15A or just whatever the IWBS in the venue are with relevant jumpers.

If you hire a mover from stage LX it will have a 16A on and if you hire from Hawthorns it will Have a 15!

[the-techi]

Well thanks, its great from a professional only problem is I think there's only 1 DMX slot and that's taken up by the main lights and I don't have a spare controller or any budget?

[GridGirl]

You don't need a second DMX desk or slot; you have two options:

1. Hire a DMX splitter and run two lines of DMX out of that, but if you have no budget then option 2 is probably better:

2. The dimmers will have a DMX Out or DMX Thru plug; run a DMX line out of that and daisy-chain through to your splitters. You may need a 5-pin to 3-pin converter to make it work as a lot of movers run on 3-pin XLR where your dimmers run on 5-pin.

[johnhuson]

You also need to ascertain if the control desk at your school is capable/suitable for controlling moving lights.

 

As you seem to be keen to learn can I suggest you have a good read of the Blue Room Wiki, here might be a good starting point.

[Sirch Sound]

Ithere is also (although you probably weren't reffering to this) 16A plugs, used for "hard power" (stuff that should in theory be provided with a perfect sine wave (if I'm not mistaken)).

 

I thought I would just point out that 16a, although traditionaly blue, can now be black. I belive this is due to the entertainment industry, when some of the regs required us to change some connectors to 16a we said 'well we carnt have large blue connectors hanging from the grid' and therefor the black and more discrete 16a ceeform was created. Im sure this is not all totaly accurate, as I know I have been told 4 or 5 different versions of this story so im sure someone will correct me on this.

 

But its just something to look out for, 16a connectors are not always blue anymore.

 

Rich

[Ike]

You can get 16A CEE forms which are mostly black which are indeed designed for the entertainment industry however they all have bits of blue on them therefore no change in the standard was required.