stage/auditorium lighting

[Electron_Sam78]

I'm wiring lights for a church stage and auditorium but they need to be run to a stage lighting control center that uses dimmer packs such as the one here: http://www.mbtlighting.com/product-details.cfm?ProductID=4685&CFID=47417809&CFTOKEN=90321785

I also need to supply power to the dimmer packs.

I've never dealt with stage lighting controls before. Do I need to size my supply wire for the max load of each dimmer pack used (15amps on the example website above) or only provide for the load that is being installed - the total of all my lighting? There will be enough dimmer packs to cover all the lighting load but some packs will not be used at full capacity since the lighting needs to be spread out over several channels. So if the rack has 4 dimmer packs with each at a max of 15 amps should I size my wire for 60 amps or go with the actual load of the installed lighting which would be around 35 amps?

 

[480sparky]

If the lighting can be changed, I'd say size the conductors for the max. output of the dimmer control. Who knows what's going to happen a month or a year from now.

 

[charlietuna]

All the stage equipment i have wired gets all dedicated circuits and i think because much of it is temporary but changable there is little demand taken on it.

 

[wireguru]

unless there is zero budget, save yourself and your client alot of trouble and use 'real' dimmers and not those throw away chinese dimmer packs which are made for mobile DJs and many arent even listed. What are you running off these? How many total dimmer channels do you need? Will you be running houselights off the dimmers as well?

 

[Electron_Sam78]

unless there is zero budget, save yourself and your client alot of trouble and use 'real' dimmers and not those throw away chinese dimmer packs which are made for mobile DJs and many arent even listed. What are you running off these? How many total dimmer channels do you need? Will you be running houselights off the dimmers as well?

I'm actually subcontracting under a stage lighting contractor who wants me to run 6 new lights (into the dimmer packs) and power for the dimmer packs. They also want me to re-route the switch legs of the exisiting house lights to the dimmer packs which all will be controlled from a control booth in a balcony area. The control board and the dimmer packs communicate through a small communications wire. The link I gave was just an example of a dimmer pack. I don't know what brand and models they will be using.

 

[wireguru]

careful of issues like the dimmer packs being UL listed, issues with egress lighting (some jurisdictions want it supplied from the same source as the dimmer powing the house lights, otherwise the houselights could lose power and the egress lighting wont come on). If you supply the house lights switch legs from the dimmer packs, youre going to have to obviously run the neutrals through the dimmer packs as well, make sure you check out where the houselights neutrals are before you bid it. Neutral per circuit for everything you run, no MWBCs coming out of dimmers.

 

[brantmacga]

leviton has a nice selection of DMX capable dimming packs.

Leviton dimmers link

 

[wireguru]

leviton has a nice selection of DMX capable dimming packs.

Leviton dimmers link

most of those are junk too. I have installed over a hundred of them for a company I used to work for, and repaired dozens upon dozens of them. 20amps through a 1/4in quick disconnect soldered into a pc board just doesnt cut it.

Look at ETC and Lex/Electrol for some good dimmers.

 

[Electron_Sam78]

Thanks for the input guys. :smile: