Advice On Lighting!

[tony g]

I know basic things but want more advanced knowledge in amps and how mnay amps you ahevto have to power 96 lights and about profiles and fresnels...

James, I suggest you speak to the physics department at the school and ask them to bring you up to speed on the basics of Ohm's Law (and other electrical fundamentals while you're at it), either directly or by recommending a suitable text. If you don't know how to calculate simple current draw, you're not going to get very far at all as a technician regardless of how much you know about the finer points of lighting design.

 

(Should we be following Peter's lead and quoting ALD membership credentials in this topic now?! I have no idea why, but I'm #435 should anyone wish to check! :blink:)

 

Here it is to get you started James from my dusty copy of "Named Laws and Effects"

 

"In 1827 G.S.Ohm ennunciated a relation between electromotive force, current and resistance. The electromotive force acting between the extremities of a circuit is the product of the strength of the current and the resistance of that part of the circuit. In symbols E=IR where I is current, E the e.m.f. and R the Resistance."

 

lets modernise that to V=IR or I=V/R or R=V/I, V is volts, R is resistance in ohms and I is current in amps (from the french intensitie), this simple formulae is the cornerstone of all electrical engineering and you will use it again and again.

 

You will also need to know a little about the electrical supply system, unlike your house the school will be provided with power by way of three lines or lives, a voltage of 230V is available between any of these lives and neutral or 415V between any live and another live. these three lives are called phases and alternate out of step to each other, you may find your dimmer packs are fed one off each phase to balence the load, this means if you were careless in wiring you could obtain 415 volts which is both rather more dangerous than normal 230V mains and somewhat too much for your kit... Bad news so take care.

 

If you go on a PAT testing course like the City & Guilds 2377 at your local college, which is a 1 day course you will find the content quite useful as you will learn some basic electrical theory and how to spot common faults with appliances and how to fix basic problems. Get your school to pay for you to go.