Wiring question

ElvisFan

ElvisFan

ElvisFan

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Joined
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Location
Sheffield, England
For my stage act I'm putting up 4 x 500w outdoor security lights on a backdrop stand, so that at certain dramatic drum beats they can be flashed on ( I saw a Queen Tribute use this last night).

My dad controls my lighting and so these lights really need to be powered by a foot switch so his hands can be doing other things.

How do the things need wiring up? Will the wiring of a footswitch be able to cope with that amount of load?

I'm clueless about electrics but I'd like to know the crack before I ask my brother (who's a typical smartarse electrician) to do the work.
 
ElvisFan said:
For my stage act I'm putting up 4 x 500w outdoor security lights on a backdrop stand, so that at certain dramatic drum beats they can be flashed on ( I saw a Queen Tribute use this last night).

My dad controls my lighting and so these lights really need to be powered by a foot switch so his hands can be doing other things.

How do the things need wiring up? Will the wiring of a footswitch be able to cope with that amount of load?

I'm clueless about electrics but I'd like to know the crack before I ask my brother (who's a typical smartarse electrician) to do the work.
Click to expand...
Google it they will be ways of doing it most deffinately...
 
500w filament lamps don't flicker very well, they blow the bulbs very quickly if switched on/off/on quickly repeatedly.
 
They're not for flickering. I've got strobes for that.

Imagine at the end of a song, where the drummer gives it some kick drum and cymbal crash?

Well these lights will just be a half-second burst to time with that crash. It's very effective.

Google was useless. I tried that first.
 
I'd think rather than setting up a footswitch to take the 2000W (just over 8 amps if my basic physics calculations are correct) you'd be better to set up some sort of relay circuit where the switch can have a low power running through it and operates a relay to turn on the higher powered circuit.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no idea what im talking about thus injury or death is not my fault. (unless inflicted by me)
 
Why not have them linked into the main dimmers so the light -op (edit: your dad then*) can just hit the flash button when needed, rather than have foot switches and having the band try and do it?

Might be better to have the venue sparky do it for you as well... so that you don't get told not to use it on account of not knowing how safely it was put together?

And yes... your 500w lamps might have a short life as someone else has said.

Try http://www.blue-room.org.uk , its a forum more related to this kind of thing

*I presume you take a mini-desk for your own lights then?
 
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Couldn't interest you in a few Mad-Scans instead could i? Got 16 of the bloody things sat in my shed ;)

Most of them don't actually work, but that's a small detail :D
 
Adam_151 said:
Why not have them linked into the main dimmers so the light -op (edit: your dad then*) can just hit the flash button when needed, rather than have foot switches and having the band try and do it?

The footswitch would be for my dad

Might be better to have the venue sparky do it for you as well... so that you don't get told not to use it on account of not knowing how safely it was put together?

Not a fixed installation. They'll be on the road.

*I presume you take a mini-desk for your own lights then?
Click to expand...

We don't have an all-singing-and-dancing console. A bit much for dad to learn. There's one controller for my colour floods, another one for my rotating multi pin spots, a footswitch for the strobes and a little button for the smoke that sits next to his other hand controls.
 
SB118 said:
Couldn't interest you in a few Mad-Scans instead could i? Got 16 of the bloody things sat in my shed ;)

Most of them don't actually work, but that's a small detail :D
Click to expand...

Don't like scanners. They don't suit an Elvis act.
 
ElvisFan said:
Not a fixed installation. They'll be on the road.
Click to expand...

You'll find that venues won't let you use kit that isn't PAT tested. (not if they value their insurance!)
 
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