socca

[saminizzle]

hi,

 

im touring to australia with a show that contains 50 practical fixtures including bulkheads and goosenecks. all of them have uk15a plug sockets. changing the plugs to cee form would be expensive and time consuming so the idea is to take with us female socca spiders to connect to the venues socca and to thier dimmers.

 

the problem is hiring the spiders is very expensive for a 2 week run and 10 weeks of shipping so does anyone know if its possible to hire some in sydney? does anyone know of any hire companies that might stock them and 15a TRS?

 

thanks for your help

[harrydir]

 

the problem is hiring the spiders is very expensive for a 2 week run and 10 weeks of shipping so does anyone know if its possible to hire some in sydney? does anyone know of any hire companies that might stock them and 15a TRS?

 

 

Chameleon are in Sydney but from memory all their soca goes to standard Oz or Ceeforms. It does seem a shame to hire for 12 weeks for a 2 week run - if you really can't afford it, I would suggest hiring locally (i.e. UK) but instead of sea freighting them, just pay the small excess baggage fee and take them as luggage.

[david.elsbury]

You may find that Chameleon, or Bytecraft (both Australian companies) can help. Is it possible to use 15A - 16A adaptors, you might find soca with 16A ceeforms more available in Australia?

[saminizzle]

Thanks for this, as I have around 50 sockets again it will be expensive to hire that amount of adaptors.

 

You may find that Chameleon, or Bytecraft (both Australian companies) can help. Is it possible to use 15A - 16A adaptors, you might find soca with 16A ceeforms more available in Australia?

[Ynot]

It would probably be cheaper to MAKE the adaptors...

[twjlighting]

If you are taking the 50 fixtures with you why can't you transport the cabling with them?

[Ashley R]

I would definitely shoot Bytecraft a message, if they don't have something already in stock, then they may be willing to make something especially up for you an just add it to their hire inv. I mean they are part of PRG now, so might be more inclined to do this than others..

 

If you are taking the 50 fixtures with you why can't you transport the cabling with them?

 

Because he is sea freighting it all across, and would have to hire the soccapex tails for the extended period of time they would be sitting in a shipping container.

I wouldn't think its a matter of space, but time.

 

I like Harrys suggestion of just chucking them into a suitcase/ flight case (whatever you fancy) and then putting them on the plane with you over here. Or the cheaper alternative is to get everyone to take 1 and put it in their own suitcase, and then you don't pay any additional baggage charges etc. This is if you cant find something locally.

[mikienorth]

Seriously Sam, stop thinking about hiring adaptors overseas, you are looking for quite a rare item, and quite a lot of them. I don't doubt they exist, but the time spent trying to source them is really being wasted.

 

I have recently finished a tour of Australia that previously also changed country, and therefore power system weekly for the last year. We had US, European, UK and Australian equipment throughout all departments, and had to make it all work together all the time.

 

For most of the show, we were self contained, camlocks into the rig and that was it. But for a reasonable amount of it we just changed the plugs each week, or for each country.

 

50 Australian type plugs are quite cheap, your venue over there can have them waiting for you, and the cost of one or two locals to change the plugs over will more than cancel out the cost of shipping adaptors from here, and be quick enough that by the time the set is ready for the practicals, they will be.

 

ALTERNATIVLEY, if speed really is an issue, swap them all for UK 13A plugs here before shipping and buy/rent 50 Aust-UK travel adapters, job done, and cheaper than getting spiders/leads over there or here.

 

If you ask a company to hire adaptors, they will prob charge you for the making costs, as it is unlikely they will ever use them again, so need to recoup the cost straight away.

 

Cheapest = Buy 50 plugs on arrival and get out the screwdriver.

 

Really.

 

BUT, if you do persist, and fly them out. KLM, one extra 23kg bag, anywhere to anywhere, as long as it is KLM all the way, US$50 Cheapest I can find.

[paulears]

I too would have thought that it's just simpler to get the UK hire company to air freight them to you when you're there. However - if the budget's so fragile that it can afford to be shipping people and kit, but can't afford the adaptors - then somebody got the maths wrong!

[mac.calder]

I would definitely shoot Bytecraft a message, if they don't have something already in stock, then they may be willing to make something especially up for you an just add it to their hire inv. I mean they are part of PRG now, so might be more inclined to do this than others..

 

No such places as Bytecraft anymore if you are looking for them... They are now owned by PRG - which may be handy if you already deal with them locally.

 

Bytecraft may be able to supply adapters, but I don't think it will be cheap. As was said earlier, 50 plugs you could probably re-terminate for a good deal less than the hire.

[Bobbsy]

A bit of lateral thinking but might it not be more efficient and/or cheaper just to hire ALL your lighting in Australia for the two weeks you're here? Shipping 50 fixtures here and back isn't going to be all that cheap and even when it gets here you still have the problem with adaptors etc.

 

Bob

[Ashley R]

I would definitely shoot Bytecraft a message, if they don't have something already in stock, then they may be willing to make something especially up for you an just add it to their hire inv. I mean they are part of PRG now, so might be more inclined to do this than others..

 

No such places as Bytecraft anymore if you are looking for them... They are now owned by PRG - which may be handy if you already deal with them locally.

 

Bytecraft may be able to supply adapters, but I don't think it will be cheap. As was said earlier, 50 plugs you could probably re-terminate for a good deal less than the hire.

 

Just googled Bytecraft, and their website still exists (http://www.bytecraftentertainment.com/) and it still says A Staging Connections Group Limited Company down the bottom which is interesting at the very least. But then again the PRG website has now got all the Australian branches listed.

 

Just a quick mention of the cost of regular Australian 10A plugs - About $2.50-$3.00 AUDea last time I purchased some. (Clipsal Brand)

[bigclive]

No such places as Bytecraft anymore if you are looking for them... They are now owned by PRG - which may be handy if you already deal with them locally.

 

Cool. I always fancied working for Bytecraft, and now it appears I do. :P

 

I take it that Bytecraft split their gaming equipment and signage sides away from the lighting for the takeover? Or did PRG buy all that too?

[Roderick]

I take it that Bytecraft split their gaming equipment and signage sides away from the lighting for the takeover? Or did PRG buy all that too?

Bytecraft still own and run their gaming machine business.

PRG only bought the lighting section.

[mac.calder]

I take it that Bytecraft split their gaming equipment and signage sides away from the lighting for the takeover? Or did PRG buy all that too?

Bytecraft still own and run their gaming machine business.

PRG only bought the lighting section.

 

Bytecraft gaming, Bytecraft lighting and Bytecraft Automation got split about 4 or 5 years ago - Automation became State V Automation (now affiliated with Cooper Controls and Zero88 I believe). Bytecraft Lighting was bought by Staging Connections, who then sold it to PRG about 3 months ago. Bytecraft gaming... No idea.