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Author Topic: Speaker fell from Gym overhead  (Read 3264 times)

Joseph D. Macry

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Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« on: July 22, 2021, 09:51:51 PM »

I am an A/V tech for a large school district in Texas.
This morning, I got a call from an Elementary school, they said one of their speakers had fallen from ceiling of gym, could I please replace it and BTW get HVAC guys to fix dripping water because it was going right through the speaker.
Arriving, I discovered:
- The speaker was El Cheepo, to be expected when they are procured from bake sales and donations. Not meant to be flown, but rather stuck on a pole.
- The leak was not from HVAC, but likely through the roof from thunderstorm. Must still follow up with that crew.
- It, and it's pair partner, were NOT meant to be rigged. Rigging was two chains around high strut, eyebolts through back of cabinet, backed by... a single nut.
- Water made particle board cabinet fall apart, eyebolts/nuts pulled out of cabinet. Luckily, gym was unoccupied for summer.
- Gym speakers are wired incorrectly into in-wall amp of adjoining Cafetorium to serve as overflow space when airwall is opened.

I can forgive a school getting substandard speakers and expecting someone to hang them up. But this is unforgiveable. Whoever rigged this was before my time at this District, and should NEVER be allowed to rig another anything overhead. Nor did they understand amplifiers. Four pictures below.

Pic 1: The detroyed cabiner after having fallen. Note the disintegrated particle board cabinet.
Pic 2: Back of destroyed cabinet. Arrows show where eyebolts/nuts pulled out of wet particle board. Also note the 70V transformer.
(2 more pics in reply)
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Joseph Macry,
Austin, TX

Joseph D. Macry

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2021, 10:01:33 PM »

Two more photos:

1. What passed for "rigging": Two chains around overhead strut (25 ft above floor), with eyebolts backed by a single nut. Also note ugly wiring job. 18awg cable comes in from adjoining Cafetorium amp, then passes on to other speaker.
2. In-wall mixer/amp at the Cafe stage: Two cafetorium speakers are properly connected to 4-ohm direct output. Gym speakers have been connected improperly to 70V output. Other cable from 70V out goes through speaker-to-line transformer to feed Assisted Listening System.

To Do List:
1. Get 25 ft lift.
2. Remove other speaker before it falls.
3. Find a suitable amp to drive replacement speakers (I have a few possibilities in my shop)
4. Upgrade cable.
5. Get structural team to fix leak in roof.
6. Properly rig replacement speakers.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2021, 10:11:11 PM by Joseph D. Macry »
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Joseph Macry,
Austin, TX

Steve-White

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2021, 10:46:53 PM »

My goodness, fortunately nobody was hurt.  That could have been fatal.

I won't even comment beyond that.
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John Roberts {JR}

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2021, 10:48:42 PM »

But it says "pro"...

JR
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2021, 11:08:59 AM »

I wonder how many other death traps the original 'installer' has created.....
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Steve-White

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2021, 11:18:01 AM »

If you haven't already, prepare final report and also submit it to the district school board.  AS Debbie pointed out, there are probably others out there and the the school board will want them corrected.
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Brian Jojade

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2021, 12:15:04 PM »

Yikes.  I hope the area around the other offender has been roped off immediately so nobody walks through it!

This is a perfect example of something that might look just fine from a casual observer being horribly dangerous. Any inspector should have been able to recognize that as an unacceptable hang job and required immediate removal.  ANYTHING hung overhead needs to be done with utmost care.

Sadly, you'll see stuff like this ALL over the place.  And when you propose doing it right, they'll often just find someone that's willing to cut corners and do it cheaper.

Now, regarding the 70v transformers, I'm not sure I see the issue with that. Other than the wiring being a little messy looking, bolting a transformer to the back of the speaker cabinet isn't the end of the world.  Yeah, it would be better to put inside, but I don't see much wrong with it being outside the cabinet as long as it's securely fastened.
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Mike Caldwell

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2021, 12:20:30 PM »



Sadly, you'll see stuff like this ALL over the place.  And when you propose doing it right, they'll often just find someone that's willing to cut corners and do it cheaper.


Or they say "it's been hanging up there all this time and hasn't fallen"

Steve-White

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2021, 03:10:38 PM »

Or they say "it's been hanging up there all this time and hasn't fallen"

Yep - great rationale...
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Joseph D. Macry

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Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2021, 04:33:10 PM »


Now, regarding the 70v transformers, I'm not sure I see the issue with that. Other than the wiring being a little messy looking, bolting a transformer to the back of the speaker cabinet isn't the end of the world.  Yeah, it would be better to put inside, but I don't see much wrong with it being outside the cabinet as long as it's securely fastened.
The only problem I have wqith the 70V transformer is that it is connected to the 70V output of the amp that is ALSO already outputting via 4ohm.
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Joseph Macry,
Austin, TX

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Speaker fell from Gym overhead
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2021, 04:33:10 PM »


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