Wiring the truss

[ned911]

Truss and stands are here (12" GT box) still waiting on a Colorstrip and 2 P38 LEDs and the back drop.

 

Each 5' section of truss will have a CS, P38, Pearl WH and 1 or 2 moving heads/scanners (LED) which for now will be 1 MinSpot. Will also get a 3' section of truss with 1 Colorstrip for larget stages.

 

Question is... what is the best way to run power (no Socapex it's to expensive) to each fixture so the cables are permanently mounted to the truss. Setup/tear down time is important, as in fast. Pictures would be appreciated.

 

Also, anyone mount a Pearl inside box truss? what clamp did you use?

 

[vlad335]

Nice brick work.

 

I wouldn't exactly say its the best way but here is what I do. I use 2 regular power strips and zip tied them to the truss on the inside. all the fixtures power cords are left plugged in and zip tied in place to their respective locations as well. Just received 2 GT truss bags from Bill so I may attach the DMX cables too since they will be somewhat protected in the bag. I will tell you that having the power cables good to go saves alot of time already.

 

Concerning a clamp for the Pearl LED, I just received 2 of these to mount my Colorsplash Jr's to be used as truss warmers. http://www.amazon.com/American-DJ-Baby-Clamp/dp/B0006ZXF24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1217604553&sr=8-1

 

They attach to the spars of GT pretty well. How they would work with a Pearl I don't know. I am going to look into this today though and will get back to you.

[ned911]

I think for my P38's I'm going use hose clamps (and safety cable) to fix them to the cross bars in the truss.

 

Still haven't fixured out how to mound the Pearl.

 

I plan on leaving my fixtures on the truss for transport except the MinSpot.

[soundlight]

Your whole setup will run on a single 15 amp circuit. Simply run a heavy-duty black extension cord to a surge protector or two inside the trusses.

[ned911]

Hazed the dining room and shot a quick video. The MinSpots are driving me crazy, they are on the same DMX channel yet operate independtly. They also won't return to the same start point when running the same chase or sequence.

 

 

[Rich4Once]

Do they have a master/slave connection? Maybe if you hooked the second one up in m/s mode, they would work together.

[Zeromus-X]

Get yourself a piece of electrical tape to put over that blue LED behind the Colorstrip.

[soundlight]

 

Get yourself a piece of electrical tape to put over that blue LED behind the Colorstrip.

 

 

I second the motion. That thing's really obnoxious.

[ned911]

Will do.

 

On the MinSpots, would it make a difference that they are currently connected with XLR instead of DMX cable? I also made a terminator but only had 1/2 watt 120ohm resistors instead of 1/4 watt.

[Rich4Once]

 

Will do. On the MinSpots, would it make a difference that they are currently connected with XLR instead of DMX cable? I also made a terminator but only had 1/2 watt 120ohm resistors instead of 1/4 watt.

 

 

 

I used XLR cables in a pinch when my DMX ones weren't long enough, and had no ill effects. We do run our lights from the soundboard position, with the DMX-55's output going into ch24 of our snake. I take a DMX cable out of the stage end of the snake, and run it to the first fixture, in our case a Chauvet 200B.

 

From there it's DMX daisy-chained to the other 200Bs up front, and then around back to the ColorStrips. Every cable connecting the lights together is DMX..the only exception is the 100' snake's standard XLR line. So far so good.

 

I haven't used a terminator ever...I think that they're only needed for extensive systems, but I'm not the expert here.

 

Did you try the master/slave suggestion?

[vlad335]

I use all DMX cables as well as running thru the audio snake. ( Got the idea from Rich.) No terminator either and everything works great. If you could borrow some DMX cables I would give that a try but I don't think my snake is 120ohm so might not be the problem.

[ned911]

Now 1 of my MinSpot's is in perpetual system reset, so it must be bad. I ran my only DMX cable directly to the other and it works a little better but here is the problem. It start the next pattern from where ever it stops from the previous. Even if I want it to start pointed straight down it start the pattern from the end of the last pattern - if that makes sense.

 

I think on that one I'm doing something wrong programming wise. Help.

[BillESC]

Regarding truss wiring for ease of use....

 

In the touring world, a wiring snake is created for each truss. It will have the correct AC supply for each fixture and DMX in/outs for each fixture. Once the truss is set up, the snake is layed on top of the truss and connections made.

 

This has been SOP in the industry for almost ever. It prevents cables from being pinched or damaged during transport (since at the end of the gig they are coiled into a roadcase.)

 

Here's a small one we built for a customer. It is pictured on a 6" triangular truss but will be used on a 12" box truss with the fixtures hung off of the bottom rails.

 

 

It really is the "better" way to do it. Zip tied plug strips and other contraptions will generally get knocked off, damaged or otherwise compromised during transport.

[ned911]

Bill,

 

Can you provide details on how you created the string of power connectors.

 

Also, I did a reload on the MinSpots and they are working more like they should.

[Zeromus-X]

I wish you people would stop posting pictures and talking about your really nice truss. You're killing me and I keep pricing out box truss and crank stands now. Thanks a lot jerks.

 

 

I've still got to figure out a way to "fly" my new mains, I thought about flying them from the truss but it'll be upstage, which I'm thinking would be bad feedback-wise, huh. Damnit. I can't afford TWO big-ass pieces of truss and FOUR crank stands!!

[rxnet]

 

Bill, Can you provide details on how you created the string of power connectors. Also, I did a reload on the MinSpots and they are working more like they should.

 

 

 

I second that on the power connectors as I only see 2 plugs and what are you using to wrap the cords just electrical tape? Also, what are the options when you want to add fixtures to the existing wiring rig?

 

thanks Bill!!

[vlad335]

 

Bill, Can you provide details on how you created the string of power connectors.

 

 

I would like to see this too. WOW! That snake is cool as hell and I absolutely have to make one!

 

The daisy chaining of the DMX cables is pretty straight forward but I don't understand how you wired the power together into 2 circuits.

[BillESC]

Tricks of the trade my friends... Quick Taps.

[Zeromus-X]

Couldn't you mount waterproof quad boxes inside the truss every few feet, and run the main cable through one of the main truss pipes? You'd have to drill holes in the main pipe where the wires went through, but doing that and then having a waterproof power plug sitting right at the end of the piece of truss (to plug an extension cord into) seems like it'd work... one on each end of the truss.

 

*shrug*

 

Damn I want one.

[vlad335]

Tricks of the trade my friends... Quick Taps.

 

Damn Bill... Now I absolutely, positively have to make one of these.

 

Let me see... This along with building 2 more Titan 48 subs, converting some Anvil cases here to use for my lights, programing more scenes which would include movement of the Novascans, scaling down my bass rig

and doing the myiad of projects my wife has picked out for me, I should be done around Christmas. Thanks man!

 

With this pro wiring snake I could set the system up in minutes! I wish I would have heard of this before I bought a crap load of 5' DMX cables though.

[vlad335]

Bill... I have been googling quick taps and found some stuff but I don't know what would be best.

 

PM sent!

[BBDrums]

I wish you people would stop posting pictures and talking about your really nice truss. You're killing me and I keep pricing out box truss and crank stands now. Thanks a lot jerks. I've still got to figure out a way to "fly" my new mains, I thought about flying them from the truss but it'll be upstage, which I'm thinking would be bad feedback-wise, huh. Damnit. I can't afford TWO big-ass pieces of truss and FOUR crank stands!!

 

Would it be cheaper to have one made from an area welder? Maybe those aluminum conduet pipes. Just an idea.

[BBDrums]

Tricks of the trade my friends... Quick Taps.

 

please elaborate. Did you make your own cable with these tabs? Or....

 

I know about having tricks of trade....well in other trades (cooking) but still, come on....

Teach us your wonderful knowledge, you inspired so many on this thread.

[vlad335]

I called Bill and he set me up with some quick taps. Whopping 0.30 cents a piece. You need 3 for each fixture ( White, black, ground conductors) He recommended to use 14ga. SJC power cable and it appears to be pretty straight forward. Just time consuming and tedious.

 

Hope to start building this next week and possibly get some pics up. To anyone interested in building one of these, give Bill a call.

[BillESC]

Not much to it really. You start with a trunk cable or your main power supply cable layed across the top of your truss. Mark the cable at each position you want a power drop.

 

Skin back the outer jacket about 3". Measure the power cable from each fixture and cut to length. Using the Quick Taps, you splice into the hot, neutral and ground of the trunk cable. Wrap these connections with a bit of electrical tape. Then use 'bug' tape to bundle the DMX cables and trunk cable together.