Marineboy63 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Our new Selecon Fresnels and Profiles come without plugs. Is there a developing standard regarding what the best plug to use is? 13A, 15A, IEC, Powercon?What are people using and why? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Not 13A - you don't want another fuse up in the rig. Probably not powercon - less easy to extend cables. I'd add 16A ceeform to your list - they're close to being standard for hard power. Nothing wrong with 15A either as it standardises your cable stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 There are no standards as such. If you already have hot power infrastructure then match it to that! Unless you have 15A infrastructure that is used with extreme caution to differentiate between dimmed and hot then 15A connectors would be a backward step; the number of hire companies using 15A is gradually diminishing. For small setups, 13A is convenient but in multipurpose venues any nice 13A cables will quickly walk. 16A is the most universal for hot power though Powercons would be a fair choice if you need something more compact. IEC's are harder to find for thicker cables, are a pain to wire and the standard sort pull apart quite easily so they can be a nuisance in that regard too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinntec Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 First, what does your venue use for dimmer connections and for hot power? At mine we use 15A and 13A respecitively, so obviously we got ours with 13A fitted (by the dealer Lancelyn incidentally). The main thing to avoid is someone who doesn't know plugging them into a dimmer by mistake - not so easy, of course, if you use 16A for both like some venues. I presume you are talking fresnels and/or profiles as they won't come with the PowerCon box without spending another £100 or so each (whereas the PLCYC1 have PowerCon in and out) but means PowerCon is a valid option if that suits you. 13A does have the disadvantage of the possibility of the fuse in the plug blowing so you probably would avoid it if you had a sensible alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marineboy63 Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 All valid points. 16A - don't want the confusion with dimmers.13A - don't want the fuse.Powercon - difficult to extend.CEEform - too bulky.IEC - not secure. Having seen the new range of LED Fresnels and Profiles I think they will soon start replacing dimmers etc. (we are looking at speccing our new drama spaces with all LED fixtures) so an industry consensus would be a good thing. A locking IEC might do it. Or using right angled IEC plugs so they don't pull out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanhill Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 If you are starting from scratch, then maybe look at powerCON TRUE 1 connectors as they mate without the need for an A to B adaptor as 20A powerCON, have a much smaller profile than any other connector and they lock together when mated. It would also mean that you could get a higher density of connector within a similar size of facility panel when compared with any other connector type. Personally I would run far, far away from anything IEC. I wouldn't completely write off dimming just yet. Whilst the need for them may diminish with the increasing use of LED fixtures, providing some sort of dimming infrastructure would be good, even if for the fact that generic lanterns are still cheap. I would go for the good old BS546 15A plug and socket for dimming connectors, avoiding 16A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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