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Author Topic: Venue Power Check  (Read 7091 times)

Loren Miller

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Venue Power Check
« on: April 11, 2018, 09:38:05 AM »

Hey guys, I was at a new “venue” on Sat and asked where they wanted me to setup and was pointed to a scraggly orange extension cord by a wall. I felt uncomfortable but followed it back to a 20a outlet. I took out my receptacle tester and got 3 yellows on everything but it made me think: What is an effective way to test the power at a venue. And then what do you do about it?

My usual setup only needs 12a max, but as I start to get into bigger gigs?
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David Winners

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2018, 10:07:30 AM »

Hey guys, I was at a new “venue” on Sat and asked where they wanted me to setup and was pointed to a scraggly orange extension cord by a wall. I felt uncomfortable but followed it back to a 20a outlet. I took out my receptacle tester and got 3 yellows on everything but it made me think: What is an effective way to test the power at a venue. And then what do you do about it?

My usual setup only needs 12a max, but as I start to get into bigger gigs?

Here is some good reading provided by forum Moderator Mike Sokol.
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Loren Miller

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2018, 11:45:08 AM »

David, it was a good read and confirmed some steps I already take, I guess I'll throw my multimeter in my work bag instead of my emergency bag.

Let me drill down a little further into the realm of hypotheticals. Suppose I come across an outlet near FoH that I would like to use but has some wiring issues that might be an easy fix, like out of phase, are there any circumstances where you would fix it? I know the standard answer, liability and all, but were are talking hypothetical here??
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2018, 12:03:37 PM »

David, it was a good read and confirmed some steps I already take, I guess I'll throw my multimeter in my work bag instead of my emergency bag.

Let me drill down a little further into the realm of hypotheticals. Suppose I come across an outlet near FoH that I would like to use but has some wiring issues that might be an easy fix, like out of phase, are there any circumstances where you would fix it? I know the standard answer, liability and all, but were are talking hypothetical here??

You touch it, you own it.  Don't touch it.  Chances are that either nobody has taken exception to the outlets before, or that they have they got the typical bar owner response of "everyone else uses it, and if you can't I'll hire a different band."  RUN LIKE HELL away from this shit hole mentality.

Tape an extension cord to your snake, find the one or two good outlets back stage and have your own power to FOH.  I've been doing this since 1983.  It's far easier than fooling around trying to find a good outlet near FOH.
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Jonathan Johnson

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2018, 01:58:19 PM »

...Suppose I come across an outlet near FoH that I would like to use but has some wiring issues that might be an easy fix, like out of phase, are there any circumstances where you would fix it?...

No. Never.

Never touch someone else's wiring unless you are a licensed electrician, they've asked you to do the repair, and you are charging for that repair. YOUR wiring starts at the plug and goes downstream to your distro and your equipment. The receptacle and everything upstream is THEIR responsibility, not yours.

(Of course, you can meter their wiring, to identify a fault condition and alert them to a problem, but don't ever rewire it yourself.)

Your liability insurance will not be happy if there's a problem with the wiring you modified and someone points at you (even if it's not your fault).

If you don't have liability insurance, why not? If you don't have liability insurance, your future income, your house, your equipment, everything you own -- it all becomes your "insurance" policy. Are you willing to risk all of that?
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Stop confusing the issue with facts and logic!

Loren Miller

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2018, 03:26:52 PM »

No. Never.

Never touch someone else's wiring unless you are a licensed electrician, they've asked you to do the repair, and you are charging for that repair. YOUR wiring starts at the plug and goes downstream to your distro and your equipment. The receptacle and everything upstream is THEIR responsibility, not yours.

(Of course, you can meter their wiring, to identify a fault condition and alert them to a problem, but don't ever rewire it yourself.)

Your liability insurance will not be happy if there's a problem with the wiring you modified and someone points at you (even if it's not your fault).

If you don't have liability insurance, why not? If you don't have liability insurance, your future income, your house, your equipment, everything you own -- it all becomes your "insurance" policy. Are you willing to risk all of that?

good point, I didn't take my insurance into question, they would not like that! Well looks like I'm in the market for another 100' of 12guage!
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Stephen Kirby

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2018, 04:40:02 PM »

Tape an extension cord to your snake, find the one or two good outlets back stage and have your own power to FOH.  I've been doing this since 1983.  It's far easier than fooling around trying to find a good outlet near FOH.
I can't remember when I last plugged FOH into something other than at the stage.  Until I built my PMD I had enough fun chasing ground loops from one side of the stage to the other much less at the back of the room.
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frank kayser

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2018, 04:42:54 PM »

good point, I didn't take my insurance into question, they would not like that! Well looks like I'm in the market for another 100' of 12guage!
Either that, or get some sort of digital mixer, place stage-side, and mix on a tablet.
frank
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Rob Spence

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2018, 10:16:41 PM »

good point, I didn't take my insurance into question, they would not like that! Well looks like I'm in the market for another 100' of 12guage!

How much power do you need at FOH? 2 amps?
Maybe #14 would work fine. Do you really have FOH 100’ away in places with 1 dodgy outlet?



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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2018, 10:35:26 PM »

How much power do you need at FOH? 2 amps?
Maybe #14 would work fine. Do you really have FOH 100’ away in places with 1 dodgy outlet?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I think I still have the 14/3 FOH run I started with 35 years ago.

The AC feed should be as long as the snake, perhaps not taped all the way to the stage box, though.
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"If you're passing on your way, from Palm Springs to L.A., Give a wave to good ol' Dave, Say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn." - Steve Spurgin, Moonlight Motor Inn

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Venue Power Check
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2018, 10:35:26 PM »


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