distros and power consumption

[TWSSBAND]

Ok as I have been upgrading my system and reading more and more about power needs and i am trying to better understand the needs for a distro. before I begin I will note I am not a elctrician and through your words of wisdom I will not be wiring or "doing it myself" luckily i know a few electricians if needed.

 

ok the questions

 

What exactly is a distro? I think i understand the purpose but not exactly clear.

 

How is it connected?

 

What is the wattage/voltage point were you really need/should have one?

 

What to look for when buying one?

 

I know basic questions but I did a quick search and I am still a little fuzzy.

[BillESC]

Distro is short for distribution. In this case Power distribution.

 

There are several methods for connecting a distro:

A. Use an existing outlet of appropiate amperage rating

B. Carry several adapters allowing your distro to connect to various outlets.

C. Tie-in to a panel directly (license required)

 

Although different on a case by case basis, one should consider a distro when power requirements exceed 40 amps.

 

U.L. rating

[STRAT TOOL]

You need to know how much power your band consumes.

 

I did a gig this weekend (actually I helped another guy), it was an outdoor show. We had 6 power amps, tube amps on stage and some high wattage cans for lights under a tent.

 

We used a 60 amp, single phase (two hots and a neutral and ground) cable going from a panel in the building to a box with smaller circuit breakers and various 110Volt outlets. This is a distro. You use it instead of ten extention cords coming from outlets you hope are not all on the same circuit. Get the idea? To run one of these usually involves hard wiring to a circuit breaker panel or fused disconnect.

 

Hope this helps.

 

PS, after cobbling together this guys assortment of stuff, it sounded like ass and he found at least three of his horns were blown. This is what happens when you take an outdoor gig and "hope" you have enough gear. The guy running the festival was less than pleased and the first band got rolling an hour late. Glad I was just a grunt on this one. I know the limitations of my gear.

[W. M. Hellinger]

 

Ok as I have been upgrading my system and reading more and more about power needs and i am trying to better understand the needs for a distro. before I begin I will note I am not a elctrician and through your words of wisdom I will not be wiring or "doing it myself" luckily i know a few electricians if needed. ok the questions What exactly is a distro? I think i understand the purpose but not exactly clear. How is it connected? What is the wattage/voltage point were you really need/should have one? What to look for when buying one? I know basic questions but I did a quick search and I am still a little fuzzy.

 

Your questions seem to suggest that you've identified a possible solution to a non-existant problem, otherwise some of your questions would have self evident answers.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Look for more capacity than you think you'll need in the next several years, unless you don't mind selling and rebuying another distro in the next several years. Look for a feeder cable with a locking plug that can plug onto a number of different adapter cables to match what the venues have. Obviously, you'll need to buy or have made those different adapter cables. This is where the ambiguity of not knowing what you'll encounter can come into play. These adapters will be costly, figure about $75 each. I know basic questions but I did a quick search and I am still a little fuzzy.

 

 

You won't find a lot of info online about distros. Check out a company called Amp Shop who custom build them. Also check out the Peavey distro, which is a nice small unit that probably is perfect for your immediate, if not future needs. It'll handle 80-100 amps current draw.