#881455 - 12/30/99 03:22 PM
Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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Richie Rich
Member
Registered: 12/30/99
Posts: 5
Loc: Rolla, Mo 65401
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My band no longer has ANY problems with good AC power at our shows. Here's what we did:
1) Purchased two Tripp-Lite rackmount power/transformers. These units are heavy duty rack mount units that when plugged into a dedicated 20amp circut provide a consistent 118 volts of balanced power as long as the input voltage is between @80v to @160v. They provide one front panel outlet and twelve rear panel outlets, four of which feature a noise reduction circut. One unit is racked onstage and it feds ALL stage gear, (including two Marshalls, a Fender Twin, a GK and a huge SWR bass rig),. The other unit is in our P.A. power amp rack and the entire p.a. sytem is fed from it, (all processors, effects and @ 5,000 watts of power),. Cost @$325.00 ea.
2)Purchased circut locator kit. This is a two part kit that has one unit that you plug int the wall socket tha tyou want to check and another handheld unit that you pass over the breakers. The system then indicates wich breaker that specific outlet is on as well as the integrity of the circut. We use a set of wireless headphone walkie talkies from Radio Shack and two of us do this to each outlet at a new venue before the van is even unloaded. Everything is then recorded for that venue and the kept in our gig book along with contracts, p.r. material and previous venue specific p.a. settings Cost @ $30.00
Does it suck spending this much on "non-musical crap? Well, yeah! But it becomes worth it when you have to look at the power lights on your equipment to tell if it's on or not because it's so quiet. Or when a member of another band can't stop freaking out because that venue is so noisy when they're there or they trip breakers all night. Plus don't forget all of your other sensitive, expensive equipment is protected from bad power and you won't get shocked every time you step to the mic. We do't need no stinkin' ground lifts!!!
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Richie Rich
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Richie Rich
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#881456 - 12/30/99 08:27 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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PJR
Gold Member
Registered: 08/09/99
Posts: 653
Loc: Orange Co, Ny
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you are certainly correct!! It sucks big time when you have to worry about non-musical stuff like ample, clean A.C.. I have used the Tripplite unit, it's a decent unit but cannot clean up 'dirty' electric, let's say from microwave activity, nor can it keep up with the power requirements of a multiple-amp PA.It's only rated at 20amps, I learned the hard way.I run 3 Crown MA2400's for my PA , and each can draw up to 17amps at full power!! I found it's best to run the amps from my ac distro directly to the circiut box, for the large shows.Add even minimal lighting and you really rack up the ac draw!!Sometimes you just gotta adapt to the given surroundings and make the best of it, as was the case in the scenerio I presented in my last posting.The idea of keeping a log for each place is very cool !! I'll start that immediately. Keep on gigging!!! Peter
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#881457 - 01/03/00 03:56 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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Bart
Senior Member
Registered: 12/07/99
Posts: 44
Loc: St.Paul, MN USA
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Where did you get the circuit locator? I would love to have one of those. I am really tired of playing the guessing game, and most clubs don't underestand/care to take the time to label the circuits on stage. It usually makes my night, no matter how the show goes, when either; circuits are labled, and there are plenty of them, or when they provide 60 amps or more dedicated power source to tap into. Isn't it nice when a club admits to bad power, you go back 3 months later and the situation hasn't changed? I shake my head, I don't get it.
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#881458 - 04/12/00 10:20 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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Jimmy B
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Registered: 04/12/00
Posts: 8
Loc: High Prairie, Alberta, CANADA
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My group built a board ourselves that has a 60Amp main breaker with 240V to it, that then supplies power to a distribution panel with 15-20Amp breakers in it that breaks it down to 110V. We purchased all this stuff at our local hardware store and built it in a night at practice. We then run a large power supply cable DIRECTLY into the MAIN power supply into the building. In effect what we have at every gig is a TOTALLY separate power supply that is taken upstream of everthing else. WE paly a LOT of gigs in community hals and such. Anyone else use this metheod? It works great in our situation.
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#881459 - 05/04/00 12:23 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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Roger Nichols
Platinum Member
Registered: 12/13/99
Posts: 1249
Loc: Miami, Florida
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I got one of the circuit locator at Home Depot, and they usually have them at all of those big super stores like Lowes, Builders Square, etc. Also electrical supply companies carry them.
Roger
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#881460 - 05/29/00 04:07 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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MMAHOTMAGUMBO@AOL.COM_dup1
Member
Registered: 05/28/00
Posts: 0
Loc: ALEXXANDRIA,VA,UNITED STATES
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A previous band I worked with took the independant power source 1 level further.
We added a transformer, inline, and it worked nicely...It take a little more knowledge to hook up a 3 phase x-former as a power conditioner, and it's heavy as all get out....but very much so, worth it.
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#881461 - 05/30/00 04:51 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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ghostdancer
Member
Registered: 01/24/01
Posts: 0
Loc: Gettysburg,PA,UNITED STATES
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I got my A/C gear from shreveaudio.com
they are run by a buncha musicians and stuff, so they know what's up. Besides, I live in the south and i get cheapr shipping, lol
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#881462 - 06/06/00 12:14 PM
Re: Cure you AC woes -Permanantly!
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Bart
Senior Member
Registered: 12/07/99
Posts: 44
Loc: St.Paul, MN USA
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I finally purchased a circuit locator. It has paid for itself as far as I am concerned, and I have had it for only 3 weeks! What an invaluable tool, how have I gone without one? The problem is, now people want to borrow it! I got mine at Home Depot also. I missed it the first time I was there, because it was displayed about 10 feet in the air and I had to climb up a ladder to get it out of a box.
One point that I would like to make, it is easy to pinpoint the isolated circuits around the stage area, however, you still need to take into consideration that those circuits may be supplying other outlets in other parts of the building. It's hard for me to believe this can be true when they are wiring a stage, but it happens. You would think at least the electrician would have the sense to advise to the club management against that. Oh well. I still prefer to use my own tap, if I can, but this luxury isn't provided too often in the fantastic clubs we play at.
Well, I need to make sure I get it back from our guitar player before our next gig (works great in your home too!).
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