Electricity Help

Cuzme

Cuzme

New member
I wasn't sure which forum to post this question but figured this might be the most likely place to find a member to assist me at this point. But be warned I will double post in the Live forum if I don't find the answers I need here.

I am doing sound for a small festival and they need me to tell them how much juice I'll be using. In watts I think. I've never thought about that part, only how many outlets I'll need. But anyhow, anybody know what should I tell them based on the following info? I'm really just looking for a safe figure so they can be prepared.

I'm going to have a 1000 watt amplifier with a mackie 24 track mixing board.
A 200 watt bass amplifier
A 100 watt guitar amplifier
An ipod plugged in along with a G4 laptop.

And the bands will likely bring other amplifiers with wattage that will exceed mine. I think the largest band is still only quartet so no big worries.

This may seem stupid but does a 200 watt amplifier take 200 watts of juice from the outlet? or more, or less?

Thanks a million,
Chris
 
Cuzme said:
I wasn't sure which forum to post this question but figured this might be the most likely place to find a member to assist me at this point. But be warned I will double post in the Live forum if I don't find the answers I need here.

I am doing sound for a small festival and they need me to tell them how much juice I'll be using. In watts I think. I've never thought about that part, only how many outlets I'll need. But anyhow, anybody know what should I tell them based on the following info? I'm really just looking for a safe figure so they can be prepared.

I'm going to have a 1000 watt amplifier with a mackie 24 track mixing board.
A 200 watt bass amplifier
A 100 watt guitar amplifier
An ipod plugged in along with a G4 laptop.

And the bands will likely bring other amplifiers with wattage that will exceed mine. I think the largest band is still only quartet so no big worries.

This may seem stupid but does a 200 watt amplifier take 200 watts of juice from the outlet? or more, or less?

Thanks a million,
Chris
Click to expand...

Look at the data tags on all your equipment and it will tell how many amps each device draws......add em all together and tell whoever how much you need.
 
Yeah...but the, one of many, problem is that I'm not picking up the P.A. until Friday night at midnight.

And the amplifiers are mostly coming from other bands and people. Y

our suggestion is of course the logical step and I'm not above doing that but it would take running all around NYC. I'm just looking for a safe answer as I'm not even sure what the average of this sort of thing is. I'll take an average, about, or a between X and X.

Thanks man,
Cuzme
 
Add all the current requirements together and add 15% for power on surges so the breakers/fuses don't pop.

If you're not sure what the equipment will draw because you don't have it yet, google the model number and you can find either the manual online, or at least the specifications, and get your power requirements that way.
 
I was going to say he could get the number of amps for a basic set up by googling.

Keep in mind too that if all the bands aren't performing at the same time, then they don't have to stay plugged in at the time. Thus, the number of amps needed at the same time would be less because of that.

And so that your not confused, cuzme, amp is defined as a unit of measurement of electrical current. Not the # of Marshall's or Mesa's on stage.
 
Three or even two regular 15 amp circuits should be plenty, if what you listed is realistic. Hell, one will probably be enough. I've done bigger shows than you would think possible on two circuits.

If there are lights involved, make sure they find their own circuits. Don't hook lights and audio on the same circuits.

Know where the breaker box is, just in case.
 
chris-from-ky said:
I was going to say he could get the number of amps for a basic set up by googling.

Keep in mind too that if all the bands aren't performing at the same time, then they don't have to stay plugged in at the time. Thus, the number of amps needed at the same time would be less because of that.

And so that your not confused, cuzme, amp is defined as a unit of measurement of electrical current. Not the # of Marshall's or Mesa's on stage.
Click to expand...


Thanks Frederic, Chris,
Will do on the google thang....foolishly did not occur to me (because I don't know the specifics of the equipment which doesn't help anybody trying to help me- and thanks for the efforts). I'll google similar equipment and find a maximum average to have a "roughly X" answer for the people at Chelsea Piers.
Much love,
Cuzme
 
easychair said:
Three or even two regular 15 amp circuits should be plenty, if what you listed is realistic. Hell, one will probably be enough. I've done bigger shows than you would think possible on two circuits.

If there are lights involved, make sure they find their own circuits. Don't hook lights and audio on the same circuits.

Know where the breaker box is, just in case.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I told them I only needed a couple of outlets for what I need but they wanted to know how much juice I'd actually be using...
I doubt I'll be using that much but they're being anal or just cautious.
Much love,
Cuzme
 
easychair said:
Three or even two regular 15 amp circuits should be plenty, if what you listed is realistic. Hell, one will probably be enough. I've done bigger shows than you would think possible on two circuits.

If there are lights involved, make sure they find their own circuits. Don't hook lights and audio on the same circuits.

Know where the breaker box is, just in case.
Click to expand...


Agree. 2 15A circuits is what I normally use and I have about 7X more power than you are using. One of the best things I do is use very high quality power cables and power strips. I made all our extension cables out of flexible 8 guage wire. It's overkill, but for long runs the normal extension cords get hot.
 
You can pull 1800 watts from one 15 amp circuit, actually a fair amount more on peaks. Breakers don't instantly pop when you hit 15 amps.

You can google and do the math as an exercise, but if you tell them you need three 15 amp circuits, you will have no problems, I guarantee it.
 
Looks like a fun event. :)

At a thing like this, I bet they will drop a distro box with circuits in it at your PA site.
 
easychair said:
Looks like a fun event. :)

At a thing like this, I bet they will drop a distro box with circuits in it at your PA site.
Click to expand...


Oh yeah. It'll be great. I'm a craft brew and home brew advocate and can't wait. I'm even serving some of my home brew from my club's table (The New York City Homebrewers Guild).

Thanks a lot...I told them I'd use anywhere from 4000 to 8000 watts and I needed 3 or 4 15amp circiuts. That's definitely plenty! If you're anywhere near here and would like to come, I might be able to work something out...just let me know by tommorrow afternoon 646-942-7758.

Much love,
Cuzme
 
Cuzme said:
Oh yeah. It'll be great. I'm a craft brew and home brew advocate and can't wait. I'm even serving some of my home brew from my club's table (The New York City Homebrewers Guild).


Much love,
Cuzme
Click to expand...

That makes it even better. I love it when stuff comes together like that.

Thanks for the invite, I'm not far but not close either (Vermont). I won't make it for this, but do get to the city occasionally, gotta get my pizza and Katz's Deli fix.
:D


Have fun.
 
HangDawg said:
Agree. 2 15A circuits is what I normally use and I have about 7X more power than you are using. One of the best things I do is use very high quality power cables and power strips. I made all our extension cables out of flexible 8 guage wire. It's overkill, but for long runs the normal extension cords get hot.
Click to expand...

The next step up is welding cable! :D
 
Welding cable is usefull for many things.

I use 000 gauge as battery cables (that's about .4 inches core diameter).

Nope, it won't melt.
 
My most recent project at work is installing a pair of 4" wireways -120' each- in the interstitial of a major regional hospital.

The wireways are to support a new 277/480v -60a lighting panel and a new seperately-derived 100a 120/208v panel.

About $20,000 of parts and labor so I can get 3-277v and maybe 15-120v circuits out to the far corners of the wing of a hospital.

I'm doing it all myself, so I probably have another 3 or 4 weeks of crawling around the most crowded crawlspace you can imagine.

You should appreciate this Frederic-

We had to buy a couple Siemans bussplugs. A pair of 60a plugs and the 3-phase breakers to match.

$985 EACH!

But hey, when you have 20-year-old bussway and no spares they know they've got you over a barrel!
 
c7sus said:
The next step up is welding cable! :D
Click to expand...


It was leftovers when the company I work for installed 2 new mig welders. They aren't stationary so this is what they were wired in with.
 
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