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New global truss crank stands?


Red Hawk

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http://globaltruss.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ItemNumber=531&MainId=&Category=

 

Setting up my light rig last weekend I noticed a few things I didn't like...  First, the truss sags.  A lot.  Even without any fixtures, it sags.  You can push it a few inches up in the middle.  There is a lot of slack in the bolted connections.  Not good.

Second, cranking the stands up with the lights (12 puck rgbas, 4 torrent F3s) is more difficult than i think it should be, leading me to believe there is something wrong with one or both of the crank stands.

Third, I have NO information regarding the manufacturers or specifications of the truss or stands, meaning I could theoretically be overloading them.  Given the less than new condition of all of it, I'm guessing I'm fairly close to overloading it as is.

 

That said, I've been shopping.... again...  this time for new crank stands and new truss.  Global Truss is an obvious go-to manufacturer.  I ran across these new crank stands the other day and have been trying to get a real-world look at them online, but there is essentially no information that i can find.  The GT 132 stands are great, too, but they're very big.  I have helped a guy set up his rig including 2 132s and 19 feet of square truss.  Those 132s are insanely beefy.  I don't know that I'll ever need 13 feet of height, and i know that lighter is better.  Especially after the show.

 

Any information on these stands?  I'm going to call my Global Truss guy next week once I figure out exactly what I need.  And I JUST payed off my credit card....  :/

 

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What kind of truss are you using? I had been using the radio tower style truss for years. It had a touch of sag with out original home made lights. (Really ghetto, but better than nothing, barely)

When I upgraded my lights to my DMX setup, there was definitely some pretty good truss sag. I did the math and it worked out to around 250lbs of gear. It had been pointed out that the radio antenna style truss was just not going to cut it, so I went for some 11" aluminum triangle truss with 2" poles. It comes in 8' sections and doesn't sag at all when it's fully loaded.

Definitely the right tool for the job, and I have no worries or nagging suspicions about the load anymore. I have stands similar to the GT132, and they are beefy as hell. They crank up really nice, have pins that click into place and twist locking bolts.

Here's my set up with 11 3NX & 4 Minimacs.
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/35D50E70-015A-47F6-9A30-E790D1BFFAEB-2809-000001A636D5B7FC.jpg

I went with plastic O-clamps for the 3NX and steel clamps for the movers. The plastic clamps are rated for 75lbs, the steel clamps are rated for 660lbs. Overkill? Yes, but there's no question about the movers every coming down. Still, everything has a safety cable as well. Again a safety backup. I may never need them. But even if it stops one light from falling in 1000 shows, that will make using them every time worthwhile.

Metal vs plastic clamps:
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/A50D42BF-CD63-4FAA-B4E6-8A4505FD337D-23990-00000FC3A0C37566_zps1c303a8d.jpg

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The truss I have is aluminum, with 1.5" main tubes.  It goes together with a smaller piece of tubing that slides inside the truss and is then bolted to each truss piece.  The holes used to bolt the sections together are very elongated.  Like I said in the OP, I have zero information regarding the manufacturer or any specifications.  I bought it from a guy who bought it from a guy who bought it from some other guy...


I run 12 Puck RGBAs and 4 torrent F3s.  Right now what i've been doing is mounting the pucks towards the ends of the truss a little bit, and the F3s go one on the outside of each crank stand and the other two mirroring that on the inside of the crank stand.  In my mind, i'm minimizing the amount of weight that's being carried by the center connection.  I'd like to not have to worry about my $6000 rig coming down on my head (i'm the drummer and routinely set up directly under the center of the truss span).


Each set of 6 pucks weighs 35# including all the clamps and cables.  Each F3 is 25#.  Add in a little more for powercon, clamps and DMX and I safely estimate the entire rig to weigh 200# (on the high side), not counting the truss itself.  We also hang a 4x8' banner off the truss, counting hardware for it, that's another 10#.  Pretty much identical to your rig, weight-wise.

 

I'm definitely getting new truss and stands, and obviously the ST-132s are top of the list right now.  I'm just really interested in minimizing stage space while still getting the options I need.  Which is why I'm looking at these new stands.  Slightly smaller, but still rated for enough weight to hold up my rig.  Also slightly cheaper, which is nice because i'd like to eventually have 4 of them.


I'll have to call the guy I know that stocks GT stuff and see what he knows.  I'd like to see one work with the rack and pinion setup before i buy them.

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I totally get what you are saying. I know that truss is rated for 250lbs but man I wouldn't trust it. I have the same setup. It had T-Bars on the top. Now I use the stands and T-Bars for a tiny setup. I leave the I-Beam part in the garage. Just not crazy about the plastic joiner in the middle.

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Rack & pinion? The aluminum truss I use is triangle. I went with that because of the mounting options vs square truss. I believe at a 16' span the aluminum triangle truss I use is rated at 2000lbs with a 6mm sag. Good and solid. There's a lot to be said for peace of mind.

You can see some sag in the radio tower style truss. It was pointed out that it wasn't designed for a horizontal load. I had the crank stands, so it was a matter of getting the truss, two 8' pieces, the joiners and O-Clamps for the lights.

The truss was around $190/section so the whole thing was around a grand.

But now I've got them, they're paid for and it's all good!

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i had considered the DJ ladder truss for about 5 minutes until I read about plastic connectors.  No plastic on my rig...  It just doesn't make sense to me to put decent gear up on inferior truss and stands.  When I started building the light rig, I really didn't have any plans to add moving heads and build it to the size it is now, which is why i got the fourth-hand truss I did at the time.


Now it's time to upgrade.

 

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