Help & advise needed on wires

[Rowleys]

Hi guys i need your brains for 1 second.

I have like 7 lights on my top bar but the wires are really short.

i don;t really want to have a multi block of plugs at the top of my bar.

How did you extend your wires and how

also what do you use to power use lights just normal plugs or something else.

Please show pictures if you can

Thanks

[Sapphire Disco]

I use one of these, made cables up myself to right length, marked them 1 to 7 . Controller stays in 4U flight case with amp all cables left plugged in and just pulled out & plugged in where required into lights on top bar.

[Rowleys]

hmm nice but do not have a rack yet anythink else ??

[One Vision]

hmm nice but do not have a rack yet anythink else ??

Hya for those switch units you dont really need a rack as you can buy a sleeve for about £30
http://i13.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/89/9a/034b_1.JPG

[Rowleys]

do u* think that's the best option to get then ?



* Please do not use text talk. (http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=247167#post247167)

[OllieJames]

Personally, i really like the idea of this unit:

http://prolight.co.uk/item/bote22

Basically, you have the rack unit on your deck stand, then the other part up on your truss. There is then one cable that runs from the rack mounted bit, to the part on the truss (leaving only one cable going up an upright), then you can plug all you lights into the IEC connection part (on the truss) and switch them on/off via the rack mounted switches.

However, it is fairly pricey (£90 :o)

Hope that made sense!

[Rowleys]

wow bit more money but i think that is the way forward..

my partner in crime said no more money on the equipment till we get more bookings.

but it look a mess

so for now i think I'm gonna extend the wires and use my multi plug with switches on

and get something like reusable cable ties.

at the mo it look messy like this :(

http://www.x1covers.com/x1ct/~off/images/Image516 (Medium).jpg

but im gonna get it all tidy

[Excalibur]

Personally, i really like the idea of this unit:

http://prolight.co.uk/item/bote22

Basically, you have the rack unit on your deck stand, then the other part up on your truss. There is then one cable that runs from the rack mounted bit, to the part on the truss (leaving only one cable going up an upright), then you can plug all you lights into the IEC connection part (on the truss) and switch them on/off via the rack mounted switches.

However, it is fairly pricey (£90 :o)

Hope that made sense!

That looks very nice, might have to put it on the shopping list.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

For a start, route your cables up and over the bar rather than letting them hang down like that.

[Rowleys]

yes mate that why I'm trying to do but the wires are to short

I'm trying to find something to make my wires longer. Then i will put them over the bar and down the sides

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If the cables are hardwired, then chop the plug off and leave a few inches of cable and then wire an IEC on to them. You can then either use something like the show director, or an IEC block or you can buy IEC - normal plug extension leads.

[Rowleys]

yeah i have being every where to day B&Q electric shops that's open but they don;t have anything like that :(

looks like a eBay order

[Excalibur]

If the cables are hardwired, then chop the plug off and leave a few inches of cable and then wire an IEC on to them. You can then either use something like the show director, or an IEC block or you can buy IEC - normal plug extension leads.
Or IEC-IEC extension leads, as per your PC.


yeah i have being every where to day B&Q electric shops that's open but they don;t have anything like that :(

looks like a eBay order
See above. PC World, or if you don't tell anybody on here I told you,


Hi De Hi.;) ;) :D :D :D :D

[nigelwright7557]

Hi guys i need your brains for 1 second.

I have like 7 lights on my top bar but the wires are really short.

i don;t really want to have a multi block of plugs at the top of my bar.

How did you extend your wires and how

also what do you use to power use lights just normal plugs or something else.

Please show pictures if you can

Thanks

If the lights have IEC connectors just buy longer ones, loads on ebay.
I am an electronics engineer so have taken the lights without IEC connectors and fitted completely new cables to them. But this means going inside the light to fit the new mains cable, not for unqualified in case you **** up the earth which is there for safety .

I then hyave a six way mains extension to plug the lights into.
This is not ideal as I have to pull the plug out to switch the lights off.
This can cause great spikes on the mains and crash the CD player or at best give a thump through the loudspeaker.

Where possible I always try to seperate lights and sound on two different extension leads. This gives a bit of resistance between sound and light and helps stop interference between the two.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I then hyave a six way mains extension to plug the lights into.
This is not ideal as I have to pull the plug out to switch the lights off.
This can cause great spikes on the mains and crash the CD player or at best give a thump through the loudspeaker.



Why not get a low voltage switch pack then - or even make one as you are an electronics engineer.

It doesn't make sense to use what you are using really...:confused:

[nigelwright7557]

Why not get a low voltage switch pack then - or even make one as you are an electronics engineer.

It doesn't make sense to use what you are using really...:confused:

A zero voltage switching triac based system would be ideal.
Could be done with a microcontroller and a few components.

I currently use a filtered mains extension for my audio so that gets rid of most of the clicks.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I currently use a filtered mains extension for my audio so that gets rid of most of the clicks.

Most? I don't have any when I use a switch panel, IECs or 13amp switched 4 gangs.

[Excalibur]

Most? I don't have any when I use a switch panel, IECs or 13amp switched 4 gangs.

Switch panel? You mean you don't simply wrench the plug out of the socket, as recommended by the professionals? Shame on you Darren! ;) ;) :D :D

[BrightLights]

Personally, i really like the idea of this unit:

http://prolight.co.uk/item/bote22

Basically, you have the rack unit on your deck stand, then the other part up on your truss. There is then one cable that runs from the rack mounted bit, to the part on the truss (leaving only one cable going up an upright), then you can plug all you lights into the IEC connection part (on the truss) and switch them on/off via the rack mounted switches.

However, it is fairly pricey (£90 :o)

Hope that made sense!

I've got something similar to that, but it's DMX controlled so you have 8 IEC sockets (in pairs) up on the truss, and just one power lead and one DMX lead running down the side. To be honest I've hardly ever used it because I DMX all my lights individually, but it's a good bit of kit.