Socapex Spiders

[Nick LX]

Hi,

I will probably have the following situation for an event where I need to 15amp dimmed channels to 6 towers which are about 30m from each other.

This is what the cables will do:

 

Dimmer channels
1 2 3 4 5 6 
|  | |  | |  | (6 plug socapex spider)
  \/
  | (socapex)
  |
  |
  |
  |
 /\
|  | |  | |  |  (6 socket socapex spider)
1 2 3 4 5 6

 

Is it possible to then use say channels one and two, and with the remaining plugs do this to the next tower:

 

Dimmer channels
1 2 3 4 5 6 
|  | |  | |  | (6 plug socapex spider)
  \/
  | (socapex)
  |
  |
  |
  |
 /\
|  | |  | |  |  (6 socket socapex spider)
1 2 3 4 5 6 
  | |  | |  | | | (6 plug socapex spider, 2 unused)
	\/
	| (socapex)
	|
	|
	|
	|
   /\  
  |  | |  |  (6 socket socapex spider)
1 2 3 4 5 6 
		| |  | | | (6 plug socapex spider,  4 unused)`

 

So esentially take away 2 channels each time, and continue with the spider?

 

Thanks

[Andrew C]

Yes. But, are you talking about a 6x 30m total length (180m)? If so, that is quite a long run, and if using anything like a full load on the cable, the voltage drop could be quite high. Additionally, RCD protection would be a must as the earth fault loop impedance would be high. I suppose the same applies if you mean 2x 90m runs...

[Nick LX]

Yes. We are going to split it into 2 90m cable runs. Thanks

[JDP]

ok. My first bit of advice is to use socapex boxes, these have socapex inputs and outputs, so you link through, and you can simply link the two together. LOT easier and neater, sit the box at the bottom of the tower and run a few 15A up, easy, leave the soca on the floor...

 

2 90M runs. Its without question that the initial 50M should be on 2.5mm socapex, no question. You could choose the more expensive run and do it all in 2.5mm, but for the first 50M is essential. On average you can do a reasonable 40M run of hot or dimmed socapex on 1.5mm.

 

The only no nos are if you are running moving lights on them all day (ie a festival then your need 2.5mm) or something that uses 15A - 16A is a 2.5mm job, for use of 2.5mm socapex less than 40M.

 

What is on these towers?

 

Edit, Andrew C is correct about full load and voltage drop, but these issues tend to go away on 2.5mm runs, of course within reason, say 100M maximum. If you need to run anything over 100M, then you need to start considering a second dimmer city.

[Nick LX]

On each truss will be, one Mac 600 wash, one Mac700 wash, 2 Source 4 90deg, 2 Outdoor floods (for safety lighting).

 

The Source 4 will be on the 2 dimmed socapex, and the movers will be on 2 non dimmed socapex, and the outdoors floods will be on 2 non dimmed socapex as well.

 

Thanks

[Jivemaster]

Is there a reason that you draw the socas linked but staggered by 2 ccts. I don't see the value of running cable that isn't connected!

[JDP]

Do yourself a favor, send a soca to each tower, have 5 and 6 as hot power, and do the others as necessary.

 

Make sure you tape the 15A - 16A adaptors to the fan out, and patch the socas at dimmer end yourself. Thats the easiest way. I know people will moan, but, thats why racks can be patched. Soooo much easier, seriously, do it this way.

 

Get yourself a decent dimmer that can be patched with hots and dimmed, ie Art 2000 with breaker tray or a paradim etc, and your away.

[Nick LX]

Well I won't anymore. I was looking for a better way, but can't seem to find stageboxes with socapex thru anywhere.

[adamharman]

Alternative suggestion....

 

As you've got to run DMX to every tower for the MACs, it might be easier to just run mains rather than soca and put a dimmer at each tower.

If "outdoor floods" are just halogens, they could go on the dimmers as well. If they're sodium or metal halides which need hard power, you can configure some dimmers to switch rather than dim, or just go round and plug them in when you need them!

 

Edit to add: A quick look at stage electrics (first one I thought of) gives £24/wk for 30m 2.5mm soca, and £36/wk for 25m 63A so running a 63 to each tower rather than 3 bits of soca isn't going to cost any more.

You probably only need 32A, but might have volt drop issues on the longer runs so better to run a 63 for those.

[peternewman]

As JDP has mentioned soca splitters, either in the form of a box or a cabled splitter, would make more sense than faffing around with all those extra spiders and grelcos. Troubleshooting will also be a lot easier either way if you don't offset the channels used, and instead use different channels on each tower, if that makes sense. Then you know the channel its plugged into at one end, corresponds to the one going into the dimmer (if that makes sense). Also as Jivemaster has alluded to, it might be worth considering running two singles instead for the last tower, less cable to truck there and back, only a little tiny bit more hassle.

[johnhuson]

I was looking for a better way, but can't seem to find stageboxes with socapex thru anywhere.

 

Rubber Box Splitter

[Nick LX]

We don't have enough 63amp sockets for a dimmer on each tower. The current dimmers are permanent, wired into mains.

 

Looks like it will be easiest for 2 soca runs for non dims. There are 6 towers, 3 on "each side". 30m apart, but each side is 50m apart. I will then run 1 dimmed soca and one more non dimmed soca. The DMX will cross 50m at one point.

 

Thanks

[smalljoshua]

Although crudely put I think JDP's idea is best.

 

Run one run of socca to each tower with the 2 Hard Power supplies for the Macs the 2 hard/dimmed (depending on type of floods) for the Floods and the 2 dimmed supplies for the Source 4s.

 

Then Run DMX to each of these.

 

Josh

 

Josh

[adamharman]

The current dimmers are permanent, wired into mains.

 

In which case, I agree soca is the way to go.

 

JDP's method of running dim and non-dim circuits down the same soca with one soca per tower will save you a lot of cable, but be VERY careful when plugging it all up.

[Nick LX]

There is no point in running non dim and dimmed circuits together. The dimmed will run from the dimmers inside, which will have 6 plug socapex spiders. 1 socapex will run from 1 of the dimmers to 3 towers, and another will do the other 3 towers. A 63amp 3ph supply 50 m from the dimmers will be broken down into 3 63amp 1ph and then again into 2 socapex each. Off one phase will be the movers socapex, (1 socapex to each side) and off the other phase will be the safety floods (1 socapex to each side again).

 

A bit like this: http://i38.tinypic.com/k0omq9.png

 

Just with another run of socapex for the safety.