how do 110 volt lamps work

[chatterbox]

Hi,

 

I usually work with 240 volt systems, but I am hiring in a few rigs for a large festival and they are all 110 volt (daah).

 

How do they work - ie - I believe that you have splitters on the bars to enable you to run one light from one bar and pair it with one light from another bar. I believe a patch bay is also used..?? The hire rigs are all on weiland multi pin connectors.

 

I am just trying to do a rough design and could do with some advice etc....

 

Sorry for my ignorance - any explanations would be appreciated

[david.elsbury]

Who are you hiring from? Surely if it is the likes of Bytecraft (etc etc) they can and will send someone in a "system tech" sort of a role, given the high risk of damage? Or at least be able to advise you how it all goes together?

 

Of course, things may be somewhat different, if they are supplying 110v 'cos you asked, rather than supplying 110v as there is nothing else left in the shop...

:blink:

[JDP]

Simply, you series split the parcans. So, you would have two bars of 6 on 6 channels of dimming.

 

This method is used mostly in rock n roll environments when 110V was cheaper, and is in fact brighter.

 

How you series these depend. You can get FD racks with series patch bays, FD racks with parallel patch bays needing a series wired patch cable, Art 2000s have 110V output options on them or you could do this by having a Socapex Y-Split wired in series.

 

Either way you MUST know what your doing to avoid blowing up lots of lamps!! Series patch on dimmer racks is my personal preference, although if you run 110V on Art 2000s its worth checking the outputs when you turn them on, in case they have forgot their function.

 

Edit, maybe, some bars from certain rental companies so have socapex links and the output is in series, but its always best to do it on the rack. Also, if the bars you hire DO series split, and you want to do it on the rack, you will need a shorting socapex plug to plug into the bars, otherwise, none of them will work!!

 

Give us more of an idea what your doing, and I will be able to advise you how best to cable it up for 110V.

[Biskit]

Simply, you series split the parcans. So, you would have two bars of 6 on 6 channels of dimming.

 

This method is used mostly in rock n roll environments when 110V was cheaper, and is in fact brighter.

 

I've also found the lamps last a lot longer as well. Logically this makes sense, as a lamp of the same power (say, 1000W) but requiring only half the voltage must pass double the current. Thus, the filament must be thicker (and hence stronger against mechanical damage) - very simplistic, but true.

 

Being used to working with series-wired bars from a previous job, I explained this logic to a colleague, whilst in the middle of (yet again) changing a lamp in one of our 240V overhead pars (fixed to the ceiling above the stage in our open concert hall providing downward light for orchestras etc). We were getting an average of 2 months out of each lamp during our normal season.

 

He was sceptical, but I persuaded him that we should try wiring one pair in series and using 120V lamps, just as a trial. He bet me £10 that one would blow before Christmas. That was in September 2006, and they are both still going! We have since converted almost every other pair to this configuration, and have still not blown a single lamp yet! Oh and our supplier sells us the 120V version cheaper than a 240V equivalent. And they also have a nicer beam.

 

So - make sure you know what you're doing, but definately worth it!

 

Ben.

[KevinE]

Shame it doesnt work with 12V series connected fairy lights!!