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[Alex Donkle]

I was looking at plans for a big arena recently, and noticed they have dedicated "show power" rooms in each corner of the Arena floor. I'm familiar with show power in theatres and smaller arenas, but it's always just been wall mounted boxes (either simple disconnects or lockable company switches), does anyone know why large venues would dedicate rooms for this?

[Todd Friemuth]

Bigger arenas typically do bigger shows. So where a theatre or smaller arena may have 1 or 2 services available on each side of the stage, it wouldn't be uncommon for a large arena to have 5-6 services available on each side. Maybe (1) 800 amp, (2) 400 amp, (2) 200 amp, and a 100 amp service all contained inside a show power vault is easier to lock a door knob vs. individually locking out each disconnect.

[Lee Buckalew]

I was looking at plans for a big arena recently, and noticed they have dedicated "show power" rooms in each corner of the Arena floor. I'm familiar with show power in theatres and smaller arenas, but it's always just been wall mounted boxes (either simple disconnects or lockable company switches), does anyone know why large venues would dedicate rooms for this?

Arena's will also typically have dedicated power areas for busses to get shore power and, if they do sports, they will have at least one area that is a truck dock with power as well as connections for the camera system, headsets, audio so that all event coverage can be fed to the trucks.

Lee

[John Fruits]

I've read that building codes are being updated for power rooms to require out swinging doors with crash bars in case of arc flash incidents. 

[Tim McCulloch]

At our Little Arena on the Prairie (cap. ~15,000) we have 2 primary power vaults, upstage left & right.  Each vault has a nice big hand-warmer (transformer) and 3 each 3ph 208/120v 400A services and 4 each 3ph 208/120V 200 A services.  Each vault has 3ph 120/208V 200A services "satellite" disconnects that are in the far downstage L/R voms.

In addition there are a bunch of 100A 3ph 120/208V services on the catwalk, under the pull out grandstand seating, etc.

On the exterior of the building and south walls of the dock compound there are multiple 100A services, 2 each 400A and 200A services outside the guest catering room, and some smaller services for uses I've yet to determine (after 7 years there).
They also have 6 dedicated power pedestals for motor coach shore power, engine block heaters and misc exterior use.

There are probably services I've not used or haven't discovered.

As the architects and County were thinking "sports" and "TV" more that "concerts", there are a number of audio, video, comm & IT network boxes throughout the facility.  The Coms, audio and video all end up at a media access room near the catering room for patching to broadcast trucks.  Additional POTS lines, ISDN and temporary fibre hookups are in that room as well.

[Mike Sokol]

Bigger arenas typically do bigger shows. So where a theatre or smaller arena may have 1 or 2 services available on each side of the stage, it wouldn't be uncommon for a large arena to have 5-6 services available on each side. Maybe (1) 800 amp, (2) 400 amp, (2) 200 amp, and a 100 amp service all contained inside a show power vault is easier to lock a door knob vs. individually locking out each disconnect.

So just how much power did they need for this show when the lights kick in on the big mirror ball around 6:46? This was in the 90's so that was traditional lighting instruments and a lotta Lasers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi7cuAjArRs&list=RDvi7cuAjArRs

[Stephen Swaffer]

I've read that building codes are being updated for power rooms to require out swinging doors with crash bars in case of arc flash incidents.

The NEC requires that.  Also, part of the NFPA 70E arc flash recomendations is that anyone that is not a "qualified" person be kept outside of a specified area.  It's a lot easier to keep people out of room than out of an area, even if it is roped off. It would be a significant improvement for safety to all involved to have a power room.

[Alex Donkle]

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

Assuming most of these rooms just have large access panels in the wall to pull cables out toward the main Floor?

[David Buckley]

So just how much power did they need for this show when the lights kick in on the big mirror ball around 6:46?

Let the Waaaayback machine help, since the original appears to be broken:  All the gory details.

The mirror ball was rotting in a container in the UK a dozen years ago, and may still be there...

Update: Looks like it may have been rescued from the container and moved to the V&A: Stuffish and the Pink Floyd Mortal Remains exhibition

[Todd Friemuth]

Not typically "large" holes. Large enough to pass several sets of 4/0 feeder through. I'd say typically an opening the size of a standard cinder block or two. Certainly not large enough for a person to crawl through. That would defeat the purpose of having a lockable vault.

[ProSoundWeb Community]