pa too much for 1 Genny

[GR1]

Dear GC1971,

 

I too have a list of experience longer than my arm. My experience tells me what my limits are and I work within them. I can set up a PA with a single Genny but for multiple Gennys I would need to support of a Power Tech. I suggest that you do too. I would tell that to the supplier of the kit and if they expect you to work outside your area of expertise don't do the job. After all losing a client is better than losing your life. There is nothing macho about this so please be sensible.

[paulears]

I seriously worry sometimes that some members simply do not realise how their posts come across without the benefit of the visual clues. Communication is only successful when it's two way, and 100% accurate both ways.

 

Over the years many members see these derailments into personal beating up, and become very aware that anything they post will be scrutinised and any errors, real or just perceived will be the cue to unleash the don't do it statements.

 

In many cases, these kind of show stop statements are absolutely right - when it's clear that something very dangerous or expensive is going to happen. Other times, rather sadly I feel, the comments are made in a very inappropriate manner.

 

Perhaps the information is accurate, but needs care and attention when composing it - and this is where this topic falls down. I'm using me as some kind of years stick. I know a bit about generators, and electricity, but I defer to the knowledge of others - hence why I've not commented. However there really are ways of saying things that don't sound so nasty - because, that's how they appear.

 

When I started to do more tie wearing duties than hard work, I soon learned very often it's how you tell people bad news that matters, not what the news itself actually is. Some members simply have no interest in doing this sensitively. It could even be done privately, but there is a great deal of willy waving being done recently, and I don't mean just in this topic. What exactly is the matter with being nice to other members.

 

There is NO NEED to keep quoting bits of people's posts.

 

What I have discovered over my time here is that people often do not say what they mean - they say little throw away comments, without realising these will be kind of used against them.

 

I'd like to see a little respect for each other's opinions, a stop to constant belittling and overall just a be nice approach.

 

Please remember that I am NOT condoning poor or dangerous practice, but just saying that sometimes a little more thought is required before opening the flood gates.

 

I think that between the mods there is enough experience on a very wide range of topics that we can moderate anything we see, perhaps as the result of a report. Some members frankly need to use this button and resist the temptation to preach in a very antagonist manner.

 

There! I've said what I've been thinking for a few months now.

 

If the blue-room had a reputation system like many forums, then maybe we'd see how many members really annoy the others?

 

We have, perhaps deservedly, got a reputation for being nasty to newer members - and this is evidenced here very clearly.

 

 

Modland is very democratic, and I'm going to suggest to the others that we simply remove 'wrong side of the bed' posts, because that's what they look like to outsiders - grumpy, bad tempered, and frequently big headed comments.

 

I'd like to raise the reputation of the blue room, by encouraging newcomers, being tolerant of understandable errors, and giving advice in a friendly manner.

 

I see none of that in the topic.

 

Remember - first impressions of other members are formed by the style and content of everything you post. Some members make an effort to be nice - others seem to not care at all. I really don't want to read these ones any more. They make me cringe.

 

We don't have to agree - but surely it's not too much to be nice about it.

 

Paul

mods

[Bobbsy]

Moderation: Several posts have been made invisible because they were discussing posting styles and arguing about content. Stick to the problems of using two generators on the same project please and don't discuss each other's qualifications or phrasing.

[kerry davies]

Basically there is no "technical reason" that it cannot be done by a competent person. That opens the door to competence and the legal reasons behind not doing it.

 

There is one solution that I don't think anyone has suggested and that is a smaller, more efficient PA. I got involved in sorting out the power at a community festival years ago and the root cause of the problems were the PA man and his insane appetite for masses of sub bass.

 

We also seem to be forgetting the client and what he is paying for. I am fairly sure that he isn't paying for a bodge job by people who appear none too sure of what they are doing. Maybe the "boss" needs to be asked to sort this one out if he is that confident in his decision making.

 

My old boss used to try to tell me how to do jobs and I never once responded other than to hand him a screwdriver. Training of staff is, after all, part of his legal duty.

[Bobbsy]

In my TV days, our back up power system was designed very deliberately to use two generators. Working together, they could run the entire building including offices, newsroom, etc. etc. However, if one failed then some complicated load shedding took place to keep the technical side going and keep us on the air.

 

However, it wasn't as simple as just having two generators. Some complex technical footwork went into keeping the generator outputs in perfect sync in terms of frequency and phase. I won't even pretend I could do it myself. Some expensive consultants made a lot of money out of doing the job for us.

 

It's memories of this that give me a great sense of disquiet at the thought of just rolling up and trying to use two three phase generators running independently except for a common earth. However you arrange things, a standard stage set up has too many places where things will have some kind of common link...a mic feeding the main FOH and the monitors for example. If everything is perfect you might get away with it but the potential for serious accidents is high.

[Jivemaster]

The other technical aspect to consider is generator noise, the noise from a group of generators will start to be a hornets nest of annoyance to the stage staff, performers and audience.

[GC1971]

Thank you everyone. I have a cast iron case with this and the excellent power forum replies.

Gc