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[Jeff Wheeler]

I learned a lesson about false lazyness this weekend -- I took my FoH power from a convenient receptacle at FoH, which was fine when first checked, before I spent 10 minutes on a ladder hanging my snake (but did not hang a power cable.)

Cue electrical work to install an HVAC unit at the business next door, which unwittingly pays for some of the electricity that supplies this bar, and half the overhead lights, jukebox, neons, and FoH all go off.  They go back on later, but hot and neutral are somehow reversed.  This after the "electrician" comes over to borrow a VOM (I'm guessing this guy was not a real electrician.)

Unfortunately, I failed to realize this change until it was too late to do anything about it.  Lesson learned: always put FoH power cord up with snake, even if it should not be needed.

[Kristian Johnsen]

Jeff.

I have a power cord taped to all my snakes.  This means FOH power is always coming from the same place as the PA gear.

[Jeff Wheeler]

My snake won't fit in its road case with a power cable attached to it.  I think I will buy a bigger case for it soon.

[frank kayser]

Cycle never ends, does it?  More this, more that, more CYA just in case the electrician next door screws the pooch.

Hope you didn't experience a lot of damage.

Kristian, what size power cord do you tape to your snake?

frank

[Jeff Wheeler]

frank kayser wrote on Sun, 26 September 2010 16:15

Hope you didn't experience a lot of damage.

No damage, but all the vocal mics required windscreens.  I was not too pleased as I watched a mic give a bass player a little zap, sent a stagehand to offer him a windscreen, and then the stagehand came back saying the bass player did not want one.  After he played a couple songs, the bass player announced through the PA that he changed his mind and wanted a windscreen.

[Rob Spence]

Jeff Wheeler wrote on Sun, 26 September 2010 15:26

Lesson learned: always put FoH power cord up with snake, even if it should not be needed.

It is always needed in my book. Otherwise, how do you know where your ground is referenced?
I run it but mine isn't taped to the snake.

[Jeff Wheeler]

Well, I never had any trouble with the FoH receptacle, located at FoH for that purpose, at this venue.  At least, not until the neighboring business had their "electrician" installing that air conditioner.

I wouldn't even use my own snake there, except theirs is 13x4 these days and I needed more working channels than that.

[John Livings]

Hi Jeff,

Not uncommon at all, to have Larger Areas Divided into Smaller Areas, and not separate ALL the Utilities Properly.

Very common in a Strip Mall for Roof Installs to have power Swaps (You Pay for your
Neighbors Air and He pays for yours) Until  you figure it out.  

It's always good to trace any circuit you will be using back to the Panel, I write it all down and make SURE I have access to the panel during the time you are there.

There is no simple way of knowing if anything else is hooked to the circuit you want to use if it is not drawing current during your test, You need a back-up.

Regards,  John

[Kristian Johnsen]

frank kayser wrote on Sun, 26 September 2010 23:15

. Kristian, what size power cord do you tape to your snake? frank

Frank.

I'm in Europe so we are at 230v just to be clear.  The wire size is 1,5mm squared and is approved for up to 16 amps.  However, my 50meter snakes obviously have 50meters of line cord on them as well, so I'd expect a voltage drop with that wire size over that distance if I were to fully use the 16amps.  In reality I suspect I never pass 4 amps average at FOH, so I'm sure it's no sweat.

For the A-rig 50 meter runs I picked a cord with extra thick outer rubber insulation for mechanical reasons.  For some of my shorter snakes I just used normal cord, but the same copper thickness.

I'm afraid I'm no good when it comes to wire gauge conversions


Edit:  The snake that sees most "A-use" also has a dedicated DMX line taped to it.  As long as I was taping anyway...

[Kevin Hoober]

Hey Jeff, something else had to be going on here:

Jeff Wheeler wrote on Sun, 26 September 2010 14:26

They go back on later, but hot and neutral are somehow reversed.

Does not equal:

Jeff Wheeler wrote on Sun, 26 September 2010 16:22

...all the vocal mics required windscreens.  I was not too pleased as I watched a mic give a bass player a little zap....

I would not expect a hot/neutral swap to have any affect on your gear, much less, put voltage on pin 1.  The only pin of the electrical socket that should be connected to the mic shell should be the ground(ing) pin (via pin 1 in the XLR).

I'm not suggesting that the 'Electrical work' was not to blame for the malfunction--just that a Hot/Neutral swap shouldn't cause the problem you described. Maybe the HVAC guy used tied the neutral to the ground bus (in a panel that wasn't the service entrance) and hence put voltage of the ground bus due to voltage drop in the grounding wire.  I would expect other problems/symptoms if your ground wire had suddenly gone to 120V.

Totally agree w/ your takeaway (don't take anything for granted)--just suspect something else was happening other than a hot/neutral swap.

Kevin H.