3x Martin Atomic - how much power?
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Topic: 3x Martin Atomic - how much power?
Posted By: lost eden
Subject: 3x Martin Atomic - how much power?
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 3:36am
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Freshers' Week at uni & I'm lighting Wednesday night's dance, got 3x Atomics at my disposal which I want to use but finding it hard to work out whether it's safe to use them all on high power without risking tripping the 63A breaker on the lighting distro, considering they'll be sharing it with other lights too (including a pair of 1.2kW scanners & umpteen 250-300W moving heads). Martin website says maximum peak of 33A, typical maximum of 8A, the fuse is 20A slow blow & the plugs are 16A ceeform. So what the hell are they actually going to draw?! I want to hammer them pretty hard, but probably won't be using them as blinders much if at all. |
Replies:
Posted By: RAGING PROMOTIONS
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 4:29am
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they are always on 16 when ive used them, never tripped a type b 16A breaker when using them so you'll be fine, why dont you test it first? ------------- 8X Turbosound TSW-721's and 4X TFL-760Ht's |
Posted By: mk2_ginger_biscuit69
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 12:14pm
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allow 16A per unit and you should be ok, give it a test just to make sure! ------------- ''Remember that the object of a subwoofer is to enhance the output of your main speakers, not overpower it'' ''Dubstep - an elongated electronic fart'' |
Posted By: cravings
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 12:37pm
| i've seen them trip 16A breakers on their fastest strobing. there was a thread specifically about this and these lights before.. search it up, can't remember what else was said. |
Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 5:28pm
| I've always run them on their own 16A breakers before & never managed to trip one, even when using the blinder feature. My concern is how many *other* lights I can run off the same distro without risking tripping the main 63A breaker. If I assume they might use all 16A, that'll only leave 15A which won't do the 15x or more 300W moving heads & 2x 1.2kW scanners I want to use. Suppose I can always move one of the Atomics to the auxiliary ceeform output on our dimmers which are on a different breaker. |
Posted By: shagnasty
Date Posted: 09 September 2012 at 11:21pm
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Depends on your 63A protection, if it is on a D-curve breaker, slam away, I've used a pair of atomics on a d-16A breaker over 2.5mm 16A cee-form cable and never had a prob, but be aware if you have a B-Curve 63A you could be in trouble, I'd say if the rest of your rig amp-clamps under 45Amp and you have either HBC or d-curve 63A you can go full bore on the atomics.
Logically here, a bit of sensible programing will help, like chase them don't flick them all full bore a the same time!!!
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Posted By: norty303
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 12:31pm
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^^ What he said, and there is a big difference between the draw of a full blind and fast strobing. ------------- My laser stuff: http://www.facebook.com/SubsonicSystems" rel="nofollow - Frikkin Lasers |
Posted By: whitehousejamie
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 12:56pm
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They have a "half power" mode which you could always switch to should you have issues. ------------- Lighting, sound & staging hire www.eventstore.co.uk www.pauljamespromotions.com |
Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 1:42pm
I refuse to use low power mode on principal ;D They're actually set on low power atm because the guy who has been using them so far doesn't really know anything about circuit breakers or what a curve is & wants to play it safe (this is the guy who thinks that any more than 4x 300W moving heads on a single 16A breaker is risky). I intend to apply my limited knowledge & get them going full bore, even if it does mean splitting them between distros. If you can't feel the strobes heating up your retinas, you're doing something wrong.
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whitehousejamie wrote:Posted By: norty303
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 1:49pm
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I thought the 'low power' mode was the 16A mode already? ------------- My laser stuff: http://www.facebook.com/SubsonicSystems" rel="nofollow - Frikkin Lasers |
Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 1:53pm
| Well I've never had a problem with them on high power mode when they each have their own 16A breaker, even blinding, but I don't know off-hand what curve these breakers are. It's an old Rubber Box Company 63A single phase to 18x 16A ceeform, so they're probably.... C curve? Dunno, will obviously find out in Wednesday. |
Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 10:47pm
| Checked tonight (thought I'd watch the comedy show for free on my way home ;) ) & the distro is a 63A D into all 16A D so all should be good :) |
Posted By: shagnasty
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 10:53pm
As long as the supply is d-curve from source you will get away with murder, a d curve breaker makes a length of 6" nail look easy to trip!!!!
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Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 11:09pm
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I've tripped the 63A D-curve breaker on the distro in question before, without tripping any breakers further up the source, so that shouldn't be an issue - I'll check anyway. Turned out that 4x 1.8kW architectural wash lights (30A+ continuous) in addition to umpteen moving heads & 4x 1.5kW strobes was a bit much... This was the first time I realised that mains cables can actually get warm :)
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Posted By: shagnasty
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 11:13pm
| Yep, d-curve is good for strobes, big PAR rigs but in a an actual prolonged overload, it still trips like it should and stops you burning the building down, hence they work great for PA! |
Posted By: lost eden
Date Posted: 13 September 2012 at 4:34pm
| Success! Not a single tripped breaker all night, except when somebody put all of the blinder cells onto the same channel of the dimmers :/ |