Electrical help needed

SexyGreyFox · 24 Dec 2006 at 01:55

This concerns our stage gear, PA system and lights.
Over the last four years since we've had lights on stage, about six times in that period one of the lights has decided to blow. When it blows it usually trips everything else out and sometimes its tripped the main box in the pub/club.
It did the same tonight but also decided to blow the fuse in the PA amp lead.
The band played on doing an instrumental version of Children Of The Grave by Black Sabbath while I ran round like a headless chicken trying to sort it out.

My question -
We won't be able to stop lights from blowing but how can we lessen the damage by having just the lights go off and not taking other equipment with it?
Would an anti-surge plugboard do the trick?

Thanks

DailyGeek · 24 Dec 2006 at 02:06

A decent seperated surge protector should do the trick, something like a Monster Power HTS system has two seperate circuits so if one side goes the other doesn't.

Mickey_D · 24 Dec 2006 at 02:13

Since they are going to be halogen lamps (which tend to blow in a short condition), the only way of preventing this would be to use a power bar that had a fast-acting fuse on it of a rating JUST above what all the lights on would equal.

In other words, if you're using 20 lights, each of them 150W (for math's sake), that's 3000W (20 X 150W), which works out to be a 14 amp fuse (3000W / 220V = 13.6 amps). This way as soon as a bulb starts to blow, the fuse will go out on the power bar before anything else goes.

Mickey_D · 24 Dec 2006 at 02:14

No, a surge protector won't help in this case. A surge protector protects the equipment plugged into it from power glitches. What you are trying to do is the exact opposite.

SexyGreyFox · 24 Dec 2006 at 09:07

Is there anyway you can link to an item (that isn't a competitor) to give me an idea of what you're on about?

Thanks

i know nothing · 24 Dec 2006 at 09:30

dmpoole said:
Is there anyway you can link to an item (that isn't a competitor) to give me an idea of what you're on about?

Thanks

I don't think that is possible, you're after someone who sells electrical/electronic components. None that I can think of that would not fall foul of the forum rules.

Most of the fast acting fuses I have seen come in a 5 x 20mm package, not sure if that is the size you currently have.

They cost next to nothing by the way.

Mickey_D · 24 Dec 2006 at 09:48

You know your standard 6 socket power bar? Find one that's got a built in fuse. Then when you go to use it, just change out the fuse for one that's a fast-blow type. Any DIY store will have both.

Just make sure it originally has a bigger fuse than the total amperage of your lights. Remember, Watts divided by volts gives you amps. Add together all the watts, then divide by 220 to get your total amps.

SexyGreyFox · 24 Dec 2006 at 10:27

Mickey_D said:
You know your standard 6 socket power bar?

American-isms - we call them socket boards

So basically plug a 6 socket power bar into the wall socket as usual but take another off that one just for the lights.
Add up the amps of the lights and replace the fuse in that power bar for a quick blow one?

Gotcha

Thanks

Coolasmoo · 24 Dec 2006 at 11:02

Can you not just get a plug in 30m amp RCD adapter.

That should trip before the mains trips and costs about £10