Adapt Indoor DMX lights for outside use

[jshep]

Hi, Brand new here, thanks for opening the door. I am a audio production guy who has been doing indoor lighting with a truss/tripod system that is all indoor rated lighting. I will have a few outdoor dates this year to cover.

Weather always looming large, I am looking for options to house/cover/ make safe using my rig outdoors. Does anyone do this currently that can give ideas, pics? Thanks much, Shep

[dosxuk]

What kit do you use, and what do you mean by outside? You need to take a lot more precautions if you're talking about lights outdoors by the sea for six months than you would in the roof of a decent sized festival stage.

[jshep]

Thanks for chiming in quickly. It's rather small, but to grow. Currently have 4 Intimidator 160s, 2 LT Quad BTs, and 2 Swarm Fx. The likelihood is open air stage. I am a ibew data tech, so I have understanding of precaution. Looking for cover solutions for current rig.

All power cords are 12/3 outdoor rated, all power fed by Furman voltage regulators (2). Much appreciated, dosxuk!

Edited February 23, 2020 by jshep

[indyld]

Where in the world? What time of day? What date? What is the forecast? What is the aspect? How long is the show? Will the kit stay rigged overnight?

 

To be honest, if you care about this small rig of kit I would just not put any of it 'outside' - end of. Unless you or the the show can provide you with a proper covering that is safe and adequate, I would just avoid using any of it. Outdoor work is hard on kit that is designed for it anyway, let alone stuff that isn't, and by the time you've factored in the cost of a PROPER covering solution assuming any degree of weather, then it's likely just not worth it. Minimum for indoor kit would be some kind of small tent from a decent marquee supplier or an outdoor moving light dome for each piece of kit.

 

Using a voltage regulator is not synonymous with creating a safe electrical system - again something that is a fair bit more complex in a 'special location' e.g outside than it us just plugging into a building wall socket or two.

Edited February 23, 2020 by indyld

[timsabre]

I'm guessing he's in USA from terminology. Lots of people will use standard indoor kit outside if you can be confident it won't rain. You can get inflatable domes but they take up loads of space. You can get rain shields for some equipment, these are flat or moulded sheets which fit above the fixture when hung to deflect rain.

 

As indyld says creating a safe electrical system outside is also important and this can be complex. Once water starts getting into connections you have a shock hazard which you need to protect against. RCD or RCBO is the usual way to do this but you need to have designed the system in such a way that you can be sure they'll operate correctly, long cables can prevent them from working.

[kerry davies]

Welcome John. Good place this, innit? It is an even better place if you introduce yourself and fill in your profile which also helps reduce the endless questions we throw back at you. Try to bear in mind that there are guys here who have never been outside the village hall and others that tour the world and others like Rob indyld who have retired to a life of ease as a senior university lecturer.

 

Nearly every query here can be answered with "it depends". It depends on your budget, venue, scale, budget, place in the hierarchy, aims and targets, and of course budget.

 

Personally I wouldn't expose any LED lanterns to the elements. Things seem to get a lot wetter now than when we were sparking up dozens and dozens of 1K par cans.

[Jivemaster]

So many questions! Country, state County? Season? Gig duration? Weather.

 

Whether the kit is going to be back in the store by midnight or whether it's going to be left rigged for a season? Winter in Kansas or summer in CA NV AZ, or a gig in a California ski resort.

 

Are you being offered a gig because no-one else will do it.

 

If you will be close to the sea where salt spray is normal then your kit may have a life of a single gig.

 

There were inflatable domes and hard perspex domes for converting indoor lights for outdoor use but they COST silly money and don't protect the system wiring only the lanterns.

[jshep]

I apologize I have yet to fill in my profile. I have done that on many forums.

All points taken and appreciated. Im well used to the vast degree of response and detail, so I'm thick skinned.

Bottom lines for me are (i.e. - your 'valid point' does not override the line) I have what I have as a new 'lighting guy' is concerned to this point.

I don't do many outdoor shows and don't intend to as this is not full time until I retire. My desire is to have a prayer against rain in it's varying amounts.

 

I do not have finances to have all outdoor rated lighting. I have an excellent RCF based PA and just spent $10K on a vehicle to transport besides the lights I have

(4 Intimidator 160, 2 LT Quad BT, 2 Swarm Wash, 4 Colorband Pix M (outdoor capable). I have expandable 5'-15' truss and pro-x crank stands.

I found a site for a number of cover types, but there are no prices. Can anyone ballpark what a cover

for a Intimidator 160 runs? I am concerned about power boxes onstage for PA as well as lighting in the great outdoors. What might options be for me?

Thanks all for your support - Shep

Edited February 23, 2020 by jshep

[kerry davies]

Just been looking at your climate and was surprised to find it is almost but not quite as wet as it is here and we Welsh are experts when it comes to rain. Given that climate I would strongly recommend you hire suitable outdoor fixtures rather than buy domes. It seems you run to about 60 days of snow and 60 of rain so about one day in four is wet. That would lead me to get hold of someone who is experienced in supplying power outdoors at events to make sure that you are safe and that you don't endanger others.

 

I was mostly an outdoor events guy and wouldn't even consider providing power outdoors with anything but the appropriate, weatherproof and adequately protected kit and certainly not with less than considerable experience in local good practice. You need to locate someone who knows about portable power distribution or hire in someone with the correct kit and qualifications. Electricity outdoors on metal stages running through metal trusses is about as dangerous as it can get. Take no chances.

 

You could check on Alibaba for moving head weatherproof domes but even direct from a dodgy Chinese supplier they run from $200 to $400 or more. E2A If you are only doing a few outdoors gigs then hire would be most cost effective anyway.

Edited February 23, 2020 by kerry davies

[indyld]

Personally I wouldn't expose any LED lanterns to the elements. Things seem to get a lot wetter now than when we were sparking up dozens and dozens of 1K par cans.

 

25 years ago, we were fine with rain p***ing right through live 1K PAR cans, Tesco bagging connections, and treating the resulting corrosion as 'wear and tear'. Buff it out, back out the door.

 

One of the things I spend some time every week doing during my 'retirement' from slinging light and power around outdoors is repairing LED kit and moving lights. This includes everything from highly IP rated outdoor kit, non-outdoor kit that has seen a hard life out in the elements, and indoor kit that has seen pretty harsh interior environments. Modern lighting systems are no longer a various bits of hot metal and sturdy electrons blasting their path through all obstacles. These days, everything is complicated and relatively expensive to fix. The biggest repair bills are the 'indoor kit, used outdoors' ones.

 

99% of all repairs is a direct result of the harsh environments and this is why if I were the OP, regardless of any other highly important considerations including safety, I just wouldn't let my small amount of precious kit and hard earned inventory be exposed to the risks and shortened life that non-friendly use brings. I wouldn't even be that happy storing the kit in boxes in a damp marquee overnight, for the simple reason that it is paying for itself on all these indoor gigs and there isn't enough redundancy , nor repair / replacement cash, available to let it fend for itself in an outdoor environment regardless of how many domes/tents/ DIY gazebos magically appeared. I'd rather it lasted longer between major repairs too.

 

As someone that regularly keeps a large hire stock on the road dealing with the results of this environment, in the OPs situation I would just keep my own stuff home and dry and if I really needed light for those few outdoor shows (e.g it's actually going to be dark at any point) I would hire in something cheap, simple, suitable. And belonging to someone else. If the outdoor stuff takes off, then consider investing in inventory for that purpose.

 

:-)

Edited February 23, 2020 by indyld

[sunray]

Very well put.

Personally I wouldn't expose any LED lanterns to the elements. Things seem to get a lot wetter now than when we were sparking up dozens and dozens of 1K par cans.

 

25 years ago, we were fine with rain p***ing right through live 1K PAR cans, Tesco bagging connections, and treating the resulting corrosion as 'wear and tear'. Buff it out, back out the door.

 

One of the things I spend some time every week doing during my 'retirement' from slinging light and power around outdoors is repairing LED kit and moving lights. This includes everything from highly IP rated outdoor kit, non-outdoor kit that has seen a hard life out in the elements, and indoor kit that has seen pretty harsh interior environments. Modern lighting systems are no longer a various bits of hot metal and sturdy electrons blasting their path through all obstacles. These days, everything is complicated and relatively expensive to fix. The biggest repair bills are the 'indoor kit, used outdoors' ones.

 

99% of all repairs is a direct result of the harsh environments and this is why if I were the OP, regardless of any other highly important considerations including safety, I just wouldn't let my small amount of precious kit and hard earned inventory be exposed to the risks and shortened life that non-friendly use brings. I wouldn't even be that happy storing the kit in boxes in a damp marquee overnight, for the simple reason that it is paying for itself on all these indoor gigs and there isn't enough redundancy , nor repair / replacement cash, available to let it fend for itself in an outdoor environment regardless of how many domes/tents/ DIY gazebos magically appeared. I'd rather it lasted longer between major repairs too.

 

As someone that regularly keeps a large hire stock on the road dealing with the results of this environment, in the OPs situation I would just keep my own stuff home and dry and if I really needed light for those few outdoor shows (e.g it's actually going to be dark at any point) I would hire in something cheap, simple, suitable. And belonging to someone else. If the outdoor stuff takes off, then consider investing in inventory for that purpose.

 

:-)

Even today I sometimes laugh when I see a mobile disco jock attempting to 'do' a village fete by blasting 5KW of inteligable bottom heavy nonsense at 300 visitors, complete with a set of flashing lights in bright sunlight in the middle of the afternoon.

[sandall]

Very well put.[

Indeed, but as this was the previous post did you really need to quote it in full? Hint: why not try the big blue "Add Reply" button for a change?